New Yorkers may pride ourselves on being tough, but come winter and we turn into a bunch of delicate flowers, brandishing umbrellas during the lightest snowfalls, timidly avoiding slush puddles on our walks and complaining endlessly about the cold. When it comes to braving the chill, we could definitely learn a thing or two from our Scandinavian friends, who manage not only to navigate the wintry season with aplomb, but to actually enjoy it.
“Scandinavians have mastered winter,” says Alexandra Lange, an architecture critic who has written extensively on Nordic design. “They go to the playground in any weather, but they also know how to nest by the fireside with their warm beverages and big sweaters, all cozy.”
That cheery bonhomie is part of the Nordic way, says Danish chef Claus Meyer, widely credited with creating the New Nordic cuisine.
“It’s about hospitality and genuine kindness, as opposed to arrogance,” says the mastermind behind the new Great Northern Food Hall at Grand Central Terminal, who enjoys bracing walks through Central Park, fishing and — when in Denmark— “picking chanterelles in the forest.”
Fortunately, it’s easier than ever for New Yorkers to indulge in that Nordic lifestyle, with Scandinavian design, hospitality and the philosophy of “hygge,” (pronounced HUE-gah) or coziness, now trending. Here’s how.
Food/Drink
Though it doesn’t serve Scandinavian food, you can’t get more hygge than Prospect Heights farm-to-table restaurant Olmsted, where brave wintertime guests can end their evening in the lovely garden, toasting marshmallows and sipping hot chocolate under wool blankets and heat lamps.
Scandinavians have mastered winter.
“A lot of restaurants now are built in this minimal masculine style, but you would never call them romantic or charming,” says chef-owner Greg Baxtrom, who spent time cooking in Norway and absorbed the culture’s premium on hospitality and sweetness. “I want people to come away from here thinking they had a delicious meal and that they were comfortable.” (659 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn; 718-552-2610)
In addition to the Great Northern Food Hall in Grand Central Terminal (Vanderbilt Hall, 646-568-4020), above right, with stands offering savory porridges, open-faced smoked-fish sandwiches, homemade rye breads and hot dogs, there are several new places serving Nordic cuisine. They include the East Village’s N’eat (58 Second Ave.; 917-892-6350) and Brooklyn’s Aska (47 South Fifth St., Williamsburg; 929-337-6792), whose cellar bar, Edda, above left, offers tons of cozy little nooks, in which to imbibe cocktails with friends and enjoy Swedish chef Fredrik Berselius’ Michelin-starred food without having to spring for the tasting menu.
Activities
Marcus Samuelsson, the Swedish-raised chef and owner of Red Rooster in Harlem, says that when he gets homesick he likes to wander to the Scandinavia House in Midtown (58 Park Ave.; 212-779-3587).
“It’s a great place to indulge in the culture,” he says. “The programming there is great — you get music, food and design.”
Check out the center’s twice-monthly BYOB knitting club, run by an Icelandic woman. Having the ultimate Nordic winter isn’t just about snuggling by the fire, however.
“Nature is prime for Scandinavian culture,” says Samuelsson. And you don’t have to travel upstate to enjoy the great, snowy outdoors. Gear To Go Outfitters offers state-of-the-art snowshoes and is just a short stroll away from King County’s Prospect Park (159 Seventh Ave., Park Slope; 718-399-7848).
Kids
The Scandis are known for their superior education, beautifully crafted toys and fun designs, so they have the child-rearing — and playing — thing down pat. The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park (enter near West 79th Street, 212-988-9093) offers delightful, charming puppet shows and is one of the last marionette companies in the US. Performances of its next show, “The Princess, the Emperor and the Duck” begin Feb. 7.
Before you send your kids off to trek through the park in the snow, you’ll want to outfit them in outerwear from Polarn O. Pyret (above), a Swedish children’s clothing store with locations in Tribeca (200 Chambers St.; 212-201-1944) and the Upper West Side (428 Columbus Ave.; 212-201-1945) known for its cuddly knits and colorful coats. And though it has goodies from all over the world, the architect Lange recommends Acorn Toy Shop (323 Atlantic Ave.) in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill for Scandinavian-style goodies for kids — “things like felted fairies and other soft, organic toys.” The gnome figures (inset) in particular are adorable.
Design & Fashion
In Scandinavia, shopping is an experience that mixes intimate coziness with great modern design. For the same feeling in New York, Lange suggests trekking to Cabin Modern, above, in Brooklyn (220 Court St., Cobble Hill; 646-832-6865). The shop, owned by husband-wife duo Jillian Chaitin and Jeremy Hollingworth (inset), specializes in vintage midcentury Nordic design — and it’s cute to boot. “I love their housewares and rugs,” says Lange.
For those whose budgets run more toward the Ikea end of things, Flying Tiger, a Danish chain with several New York locations (us.FlyingTiger.com), has an endless array of cheap, colorful objets d’art ranging from the useful to the absurd. Think $25 woven blankets, $4 packages of heart-shaped balloons and a $1 funky yellow banana slicer. And, of course, there’s Marimekko (200 Fifth Ave.; 212-843-9121), the Finnish textile company that specializes in boldly printed shift dresses and homegoods, with fans who have included none other than Jackie Kennedy.