First, the streets are relatively tranquil, and that's an awesome experience in Manhattan. I imagine most people's problems with the city stem from crowds and traffic and dirt. Blizzards erase all of those things. Yes, you can play in the streets of NYC.

Second, bars are awesome on snowy days/nights. People who are out wanna be out. The amateurs are home. The cell phone's not ringing with friends begging you to come east or west or downtown, 'cause no one's motivated to do anything more than find a local watering hole and hang out.

Third, the photo opportunities are awesome. Here's a gallery of pictures I took in Central Park on Saturday. As usual, the first few are really good, and then the quality tails off like KISS' career of live performances. Everyone in the Park had either a sled or a camera.

Fourth, you get to see kids crashing sleds into bails of hay — set up as protection in front of rocks and fences and benches — which leave the kids lamenting about how they now smell "like horse poop."

Face it, blizzards in NYC are awesome (did I use that word yet?). Syracuse, not so much.