Great theater ticket discounts The dead of winter is the best time to go to a show if you're looking for a bargain. There are three amazing ticket deals going on right now:

Broadway Week – Snag two-for-one tickets to a host of Broadway shows for performances between January 21 and February 6 by using the code BWAYWK. Tickets went on sale on Monday and are going fast. Family-friendly shows that still have availability as of this writing include Newsies, Cinderella and Matilda (sadly The Lion King sold out within minutes). Of course there are restrictions and blackout dates, but it's still an excellent deal. To avoid paying exorbitant ticketing fees, go directly to the box office if possible.

Kids' Night on Broadway – Another two-for-one Broadway ticket deal and this one's especially for families. Buy one full-price adult ticket to a kid-friendly show and snag a FREE child's seat (ages 6-18) for performances between February 24 and March 2. Kids' Night on Broadway tickets go on sale this Wednesday, January 8 in the morning (no specific time has been announced). All the popular ones are up for grabs, including Wicked and the elusive Lion King, and they go fast so bookmark the page and check back on Wednesday to see what you can get.

20at20 – Or how about theater tickets for just $20? From January 21 to February 9, you can buy $20 tickets 20 minutes before curtain to a bunch of Off Broadway shows, including kid faves like The Berenstain Bears LIVE!, Angelina Ballerina the Musical, Fancy Nancy the Musical, Piggy Nation the Musical, Gazillion Bubble Show, iLuminate and The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told. Although the last-minute nature of this deal may sound iffy, we suspect most of these family shows will have plenty of tickets available. Visit the 20at20 website for a complete list of shows, plus all the fine print.

Going, going... gone Though admittedly controversial, taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park has long been an iconic NYC experience—it even made our list of the top 100 things to do with kids before they grow up. But newly minted Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to ban them calling it animal cruelty. He still has some hoops to jump through to make it happen but it looks like horse-drawn carriages may soon drive off into the sunset.

Speaking of things disappearing in NYC, Gothamist highlighted a post by Jeremiah's Vanishing New York rounding up many of the beloved small businesses that closed during Mayor Bloomberg's tenure. It's a depressing list to be sure and we've lamented the passing of many of these spots ourselves (5 Pointz, Big Nick’s Burger and Pizza, the Village Chess Shop). Regardless of whether you were a Bloomberg fan or not (as Gothamist points out, he was responsible for a lot of improvements, too), we're sad to see so much of old New York go.

New places to play both indoors and out On December 30, the Parks Department unveiled $11 million worth of improvements to Fort Washington Park including a brand-new playground with incredible views of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge, a pair of baseball fields, several picnic areas, five volleyball courts and revitalized bike paths. We can't wait to check it out in person once this deep freeze is over.

There's a new aerial class for kids swinging into town. The formerly adults-only Body & Pole in Chelsea is debuting a Fly Kids' workshop for children ages 8 to 15 that combines gymnastics, dance and aerial hammock. Bonus: Parents don't have to just sit and watch. Moms and dads get 20% off a concurrent adult Conditioning for Aerial (bodyART) class.

Come February 1, Park Slope will welcome a brand-new play spot that's great for tweens and up. Brooklyn Game Lab promises to teach kids skills that they're sorely lacking, namely dragon slaying, treasure hunting and werewolf tracking, through board and card games (and not a screen in sight). Although its after-school program will be the main draw, there will also be game nights for teens and families.