Now is the perfect time to make 2025 resolutions and new year goals for renewal and self-discovery. Whether you choose to get fit, eat healthier, try a new experience or learn a craft, want to de-stress, or just desire a “new year, new you,” New York has options to help you achieve your goals. Don’t procrastinate. Get started on your New Year’s resolutions today!

Originally published 12/06/2022 | Updated 12/23/2024

Get Healthier  

Looking to practice healthier habits in the new year? New York can help improve your chances of success at fulfilling your new year goal in 2025! Eating healthier has never been easier thanks to acclaimed farm-to-table restaurants in every part of the state. The Empire State Trail (pictured) stretches from New York City to Albany, then splits off with extensions north to the Adirondacks and west all the way to Buffalo, offering hundreds of miles of brand new trails perfect for running, bicycling, and long walks. Another fun way to get healthy is to visit famed New York ski areas from spring through fall, when the slopes turn into heart-pounding runs for mountain bikers. Try it out at Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills, Gore Mountain in the Adirondacks, or at a mountain near you.

Procrastinate Less

Credit: Jordan Layton

Anyone who has ever tried to book a weekend getaway during peak fall foliage season in New York can tell you that one thing is true: “You snooze, you lose.” In 2025, make a resolution to get your dream trip reserved well in advance. In fall, the best Catskills accommodations sell out quickly, especially at chic hideaways like Eastwind (pictured), which has A-frame cottages with glass walls to maximize the colorful views. Sought-after locations for summer include Long Island’s North Fork, where rooms at the highly-rated Arbor View Bed & Breakfast fill up early with travelers looking for a great home base to explore wineries, beaches, and charming villages. Also in summer, waterfront accommodations book quickly at locations such as the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes and The Lodges at Cresthaven on Lake George in the Adirondacks.

Improve Your Cooking Skills

This resolution is the gift that keeps on giving. Whether you’re looking to learn the basics or become the next Top Chef, New York cooking schools offer classes at every level. Miette Culinary Studio in New York City offers technique classes to help with knife skills as well as fun classes focusing on traditional Italian and French cuisines. Join Chef’s Table classes at New York Kitchen in the Finger Lakes and if you’re craving something sweet, take a chocolate-making class at Chocolate Works on Long Island and get creative with your designs. The Niagara Falls Culinary Institute and renowned Culinary Institute of America provide even more opportunities to sharpen your cooking skills.

De-stress

Credit: Revette Studio

Make this year about you. Relax and pamper yourself with a rejuvenating visit to a New York State spa. At Mirbeau Inn & Spa Skaneateles in the Finger Lakes, enjoy complimentary indulgences with your spa treatment, including a resting room with a heated foot pool, herbal-infused saunas, and a heated whirlpool spa with a private bar. At YO1 Longevity & Health Resorts (pictured), relax and rejuvenate in the Catskills with natural holistic treatments for health and wellness like Ayurvedic hot oil massages, acupuncture, and yoga.  The Spa at Equinox Hotels in New York City has a menu of always-evolving treatments, from indulgent massages to techno-therapies designed to enhance your health and performance. From luxurious wellness retreats for a self-care getaway to treatments that won’t break the bank, the perfect spa experience is waiting for you.

Try Something New

Credit: @behindthescenesnyc on Instagram

Ring out the old, ring in the new with something you haven’t tried. Make Your Own Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass. From hot glassworking to flameworking to fusing to sandblasting, with the help of experienced glassworkers, you and your family can make just about anything with glass and take home a memorable souvenir. Want to up your winter hiking game? Try snowshoeing in a New York State Park. Make it a point to enjoy nature and the solitude and all-engulfing silence of the wilderness in winter traversing some of the thousands of miles of state parks by snowshoe. Another unique option? For a fun new way to travel and see New York’s amazing scenery, try self-powered rail biking (pictured) along historic railroad tracks in the Adirondacks, Catskills, and Cooperstown. If you’ve ever wanted to try stand-up comedy but have yet to get up the nerve, head to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown and try Comedy Karaoke! At this exhibit, choose from more than a dozen routines from comedians like Chris Rock, Jeff Foxworthy, and Ali Wong, and of course visit the other hilarious exhibits at this acclaimed institution devoted to all things funny.

Connect With Nature

This spring, grab your binoculars and witness a tidal wave of birds, as hundreds of thousands of warblers will soon be filling New York State’s trees, skies, and wetlands with color and song. Experience New York State’s natural beauty and wilderness while feeling the adrenaline rush of New York’s rapids on a whitewater rafting adventure. For a more relaxing journey through scenic vistas, try tubing! Of course, if you’re seeking to experience New York the way explorers have for centuries—on foot—there are thousands of miles of trails across the state for hikers of all abilities, whether you want to hike the Appalachian Trail or take the family out for a short excursion to a scenic view.

Reach New Heights

Think you’ve seen everything? Make it a point to aim high and get a new perspective on some of the greatest sights in the world by checking out these amazing views and experiences! At the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, a ride on the Lake Placid Skyride offers breathtaking panoramic vistas of the Adirondack High Peaks on an eight-person, state-of-the-art pulse gondola and glass elevator trip ending at the observation deck of the HS-128 meter jump. New York City favorite Top of the Rock Observation Deck (pictured) offers a window on Manhattan like you’ve never seen before, with sweeping 70-floor high, 360-degree views from the three indoor and outdoor viewing decks. Get your heart pumping on a high-flying zipline adventure like the 700-foot long zipline at WildPlay Jones Beach that runs parallel to the ocean.

Get More Artsy  

Credit: @modarchitecture on Instagram

Broaden your artistic knowledge and horizons at New York State’s amazing and diverse art and cultural museums. A visit to the Hudson River Museum in the Hudson Valley lets you experience the power of art, science, and history, with a permanent collection and dynamic exhibitions of American art ranging from 19th-century Hudson River School paintings to contemporary art installations. Discover the art of the nation at the Everson Museum of Art (pictured) in Syracuse, home to a permanent collection of American paintings, sculpture, drawings, and graphics that date from colonial times to the present. Whether it’s showing you something you’ve never seen before or showing you how to see something familiar in a new way, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan is always an eye- and mind-opening experience for those seeking the best in modern and contemporary art.

Learn About the World Around You

Warm up your body and mind as you step into the fascinating worlds of art, culture, history, and science in New York State. Plan a summer trip to the Chautauqua Institution, where you can broaden your horizons with world-class artistic performances, lectures and conversations wrestling with the critical issues of our time. In New York City, unlock the secrets of the earth’s past and present at the American Museum of Natural History (pictured), featuring exciting on-going exhibitions like “The Secret World of Elephants” and Apex, a 150-million-year-old fossil thought to be the largest and one of the most complete Stegosaurus specimens ever found. In the Thousand Islands-Seaway region, marvel at the largest collection of antique and classic boats on display in North America at the Antique Boat Museum, which reopens for the season in May. You can learn about boating history on the St. Lawrence River, tour George Boldt’s 1903 two-story houseboat, and even take a speedboat ride through the islands in a triple cockpit runabout! El Museo del Barrio is the only museum in New York City specializing in Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latin American art. Learn about these Latino cultures through the museum’s extensive fine arts collection and special programs.

Treat Yourself to a Little Luxury

New York is home to many world-class resorts that epitomize luxury. Recreate and renew your mind, body, and spirit at the Mohonk Mountain House (pictured) in the Hudson Valley, a grand 265-room Victorian castle resort that is so picturesque it’s used as a setting in popular TV shows such as Billions and Upload. In the Adirondacks, spend quality time at the romantic and rustically elegant Lake Placid Lodge, featuring stone fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, an acclaimed restaurant, and endless recreation opportunities. Looking for a family-friendly luxury resort stay? Try The Sagamore Resort on Lake George, which offers a wealth of on-site amenities including an 18-hole Donald Ross golf course, a full waterfront marina, indoor and outdoor pool complex, and more. Indulge in Long Island luxury at Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, Montauk’s only year-round resort complete with 158 rooms, suites, and beachfront cottages, all delivering dramatic ocean views and direct access to a private sand beach. In Central New York, experience the charm and gracious hospitality of a bygone era at The Otesaga Resort Hotel. The lakefront resort has first-class dining options as well as sports and recreational facilities including a heated outdoor pool, bicycle rentals, canoeing, boating and paddleboarding, lake swimming, tennis courts, and a spa.

Change Your Perspective

The new year is the perfect time to try and better yourself by seeing things from a different perspective. How you choose to do that is up to you, but here are some awesome ideas for new views. Introduce your children to the amazing world of science (and learn something yourself) at a science museum, like the Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) in Syracuse. Also in the Finger Lakes region, in Elmira, explore the history of motorless flight where it began in America through one of the world’s largest collections of historical and vintage gliders and sailplanes at the National Soaring Museum. Next, at the on-site Harris Hill Soaring Center (pictured), take a 20-minute sailplane ride over the Chemung Valley. Further south, get an awesome view of the Hudson Valley as you walk, bike, or run across the region’s most unique state park, Walkway Over the Hudson. The world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge, the Walkway stands 212 feet above the Hudson River and was created on an abandoned railroad bridge originally opened in 1889.

Read More

Looking for motivation to build the perfect reading list this year? Look no further than New York State for inspiration! Explore the life of the famous poet Walt Whitman and learn about a typical day in the life of a 19th century Long Island family at the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site & Interpretive Center (pictured). At the Mark Twain Study & Exhibit in the Finger Lakes, step inside the octagonal structure built in 1874 where the legendary author spent his days working on some of his most famous works. Journey back in time to a world of elegance and unique architectural style embodying the extravagance of the era known as the Gilded Age, immortalized in the classic novel, The Great Gatsby, by touring the Gold Coast Mansions of Long Island. The Harlem Renaissance brought along a new creative energy for African American literature, with authors rejecting the traditional American standards of writing and discovering and utilizing their own style of writing to signify their cultural identity. A tour of Harlem is an entertaining and informative journey that captures the history and milestones of jazz, hip-hop, gospel, and the art of the neighborhood. 

Go Somewhere You’ve Never Been

This year, expand your world by going somewhere you’ve never been before. Check out these places to put on your must-visit list for 2025. Enjoy more than 15 miles of hiking trails and some of the country’s most jaw-dropping views at Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the United States. Explore nature trails with scenic vistas set amid 500 million-year-old sandstone and waterfalls during the day or take a lantern tour on a summer night at Ausable Chasm (pictured), also known as “The Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.” If you’re up for some subterranean exploration, Howe Caverns in Central New York invites you to discover amazing rock formations 156 feet below the earth’s surface in the northeast’s largest cavern and take a boat ride on the underground river that carved them. It’s hard not to be left spellbound at Watkins Glen State Park. Within two miles, the glen’s stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course! Want to view another grand canyon? The 14,350-acre scenic Letchworth State Park, also known as “The Grand Canyon of the East,” features year-round recreational activities and accommodations including three large waterfalls, each carved by the Genesee River. If you’ve been putting off your first visit to New York City and its world-class museums, amazing food, and unforgettable views until later in 2025, now is the time to start planning for it!

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