Christmas is upon us and New Year’s is around the corner—and New York is a place like no other on New Year’s Eve. Our favorite New Year’s tradition is the early morning Polar Bear swim on New Year’s Day at Coney Island, although its not for the faint of heart. The Coney Island club, formed in 1903, is said to be the oldest of its kind in the country. It meets every Sunday when the weather cools, but New Year’s is its big day. There are usually two swims: one at 6 a.m. for the hard-core polar bears and another around mid day for the rest of us. As the image above shows, there are usually more spectators than swimmers! Check out this New York Times feature for more on the event. Oh, and this year the Polar Bears are freezin’ for a reason.
Photo: © Benzadrine