Although most of New York City's holiday season festivities have come and gone by the start of the new year, there is still plenty to do and see in New York City in January. And, because many of the December tourists and visitors have finished their vacations by January, attractions are often easier to get into and crowds are smaller.
Twice a year--once in January and once in the fall--many of New York City's finest restaurants participate in New York Restaurant Week, offering dinner and lunch menus are offered at standardized prices. In 2010, dinner menus were priced at $35 and lunch menus at $24.50. Beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are not generally included in the fixed price menus. The January New York Restaurant Week is a way to experience some of the city's top restaurants without having to pay top dollar.
Since 1991, The New York Times has hosted an Arts and Leisure weekend each January which aims to bring to life pages of the paper's Arts and Leisure section. The weekend's events include interviews, performances, and discussions with artistic professionals and performers. Tickets for the weekend's events go on sale in the fall.
Each holiday season, the New York City Ballet performs George Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" ballet. Performances typically begin in November and tend to run through to at least the first week in January. The ballet runs two hours total, including a short intermission between the first and second acts. A full schedule of performance dates and times is available on the New York City Ballet website; tickets for The Nutcracker are available for purchase through the website.
