I’m no stranger to Central Park: I’ve admired the springtime blossoms, sweltered under the summer sun, frolicked in the autumn leaves. But somehow, in nearly two years of living in NYC, I had never been to Central Park in the winter – until last week.

Honestly, I never saw a reason to visit Central Park in the winter. It’s freezing cold, for one, and I don’t do winter well. And without leaves on the trees (or on the ground), and it being too chilly to hang out with a book, well, I just didn’t see the point. But my sweet friends Nicole and Parisa visited recently, and Parisa had never been to Central Park before – so off we went, taking the C train to 72nd Street and working our way downtown.

And I was so surprised by how beautiful it was! The trees were bare, yes, and the sky was cloudy this particular afternoon, trapping us in cold air, but there was something just really lovely about the gray of nature against the gray buildings against the gray sky. For about 30 minutes, until we couldn’t feel our toes and ducked into the shops at Columbus Circle for warmth.

What’s your favorite season to visit Central Park – or any park?