Lifestyle

For the next few weeks it stands wrapped and waiting, the skaters circling below. Then, on December 2, the Tree Lighting Ceremony switches it on and the season officially begins.

It started in December 1931, when construction workers pooled together for a 20-foot balsam fir. When this season ends, the 2026 tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and milled into lumber for new homes, so the glow you stand under becomes someone's front door.

The route was first run in 1976, for the nation's Bicentennial. Fifty years on, it still carries runners across bridges and through every borough, with the whole city leaning over the barriers.

Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto return to defend their titles. Find a corner, bring a sign and stay for the back of the pack. That is where the day gets loud.

It steps off at 8:30 am from West 77th Street and Central Park West and makes its way to Herald Square.

The best views are along Central Park West from West 75th to West 61st Streets, and down Sixth Avenue from West 59th to West 38th Streets. The lead balloons reach Sixth Avenue at 59th Street around 9:30 am, so get there early and claim your curb.

It was founded in 2016, and it now runs as a members-only program centered on personal training, in person or virtual.

The floor is all intent: a few rowers, bikes and ski machines, and supersets that keep your heart up from the first set to the last. Bring your dog if you like. The club is named for that tradition, which started with Hugh Jackman and his dog Bomber.

The club spans 60,000 square feet, with a rooftop pool, an indoor saltwater lap pool with hot and cold plunges, and a spa.

Personal training, Studio Pilates, a heated yoga studio and a cycling studio all sit under one roof, and the strength floor looks out over Vessel and the river.