On the rocks
Minus5 Ice Bar
Hilton Midtown, 1335 Sixth Ave.; 212- 757-4610, minus5experience.com
You’ll feel as if you’re stepping into the ice palace in “Frozen” at Minus5, where the temps range from 21 to 23 degrees and the 1,000-square-foot bar is made entirely of ice (80 tons!). Pick up parkas or faux-fur coats and gloves at the door (from $20 to $75 for drink and coat packages) and hold your drink glasses — made of ice — with two hands.
A couple from Chester, England, stopped in for drinks one sticky afternoon. “We were boiling outside and just wanted to cool down,” said Ben Hultum, 26, who wore shorts and a T-shirt under his rented parka. “It cools you down, but isn’t scary cold,” added Jamie Hall, 28.
Even the bartenders are bundled up as they mix cocktails like the Iceman, a fruity concoction of raspberry vodka, pineapple and coconut. New York-themed ice carvings, like a Manhattan street map and an “I ❤ NY” pedestal, adorn the walls.
Children are allowed in before 8 p.m., but weekend nights tend to be packed with tourists and locals looking to cool off before dinner with Stoli shots from the ice luge. Thanks to the frigid temps, though, the line moves quickly.
Cool tip: Pack a pair of closed-toe shoes to avoid numbed digits.
Blade runner
Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
Pier 61 (23rd Street and Hudson River Park); 212-336-6100, chelseapiers.com
Hockey season’s over — but you can still hit the ice at Chelsea Piers’ twin rinks, where the air’s kept at a respectable 55 to 60 degrees. Drawn shades block the sun’s glare from the Hudson, creating a sedate atmosphere, all for $10 — making it cheaper than the movies.
“It’s the perfect temperature in here,” says Panos Kiayias of the Upper West Side, who watched from the sidelines as his 5-year-old son skated. “I enjoy the change from outside, and it’s less crowded than the parks.”
Cool tip: Don’t overdress. Skating warms you up and, besides, you’ve got to go back outside again after.
Cold turkey
The Cold Room at Harlem’s Fairway
12th Avenue and 132nd Street; 212-234-3883, fairwaymarket.com
Linger in this uptown market’s Cold Room to chill out on hot days while you shop for dinner, or dash in for a free reprieve from your tan session along Riverside Park’s greenways. Kept just a touch above freezing at 35 degrees, the Harlem Fairway’s 10,000-square-foot Cold Room houses the store’s butcher shop and seafood counter, dairy items like milk and yogurt, and, of course, beer. Those working behind the counter double up on beanies and add hoodies under their chef’s aprons.
“It’s refreshing on a hot day like today,” says regular shopper Andrew Gordon, 54, of the Upper West Side, clad in a T-shirt and shorts. “Less so in the winter.”
Too cold for you? Pick up one of the quilted jackets hanging at the entrance. Just remember to take it off when you leave.
Cool tip: If you live between 59th and 220th streets — the store’s delivery zone — have the goods brought to your home so you don’t boil over schlepping them back on the subway.
Feather Report
Penguin Room at Central Park Zoo
Central Park at Fifth Ave and 64th Street; 212-439-6500, centralparkzoo.com
Got kids? Take ’em to the Central Park Zoo for some avian entertainment amid plentiful A/C: 33 degrees for the penguins, and — on the other side of the glass — temps in the low 60s for the spectators.
“It’s a good break from the sun, and the temperature is nice,” says babysitter Britta Melton, 25, who’d taken her 2-year-old charge to watch the penguins and puffins.
Spring for the “total experience” ($18, adults/$13, ages 3 to 12) and extend your stay with a 15-minute flick featuring the birds of the popular animated “Rio” movie at the Zoo’s theater. General admission at the gate is $12 for adults, $7 for kids 3 to 12.
Cool tip: There’s a certain funky eau de penguin to the room, but stay long enough to sprout goose bumps and it dissipates. Penguin feedings are at 10:30 a.m. and 2:20 p.m.
Take the plunge
Aire Ancient Baths
88 Franklin St.; 212-274-3777, ancientbathsny.com
The city’s bathhouses are best known for steam rooms and hot tubs — but Tribeca’s Roman-style Aire Ancient Baths offers even more: a cool pool (61 degrees) and an ice pool (46 degrees).
“It’s almost like shock therapy,” says Andrew Day, 28, an East Village photographer who visits three to four times a month. “I can do a few seconds to a minute. It helps reset your senses, muscles — everything.”
Lit only by candles, with brick walls and marble floors, the spa is designed to let you “disconnect and escape the heat without leaving New York,” says spokeswoman Silvia Barnett. Each two-hour session is limited to 25 people. Admission starts at $75 on weekdays, and $85 on weekends, with plenty of massage add-on options and special soaks.
Cool tip: Hear live flamenco guitar Tuesday and Friday nights.
Mermaid Spa
3703 Mermaid Ave.; 347-462-2166, seagatebaths.com
The two 47-degree pools at Brooklyn’s Russian-inspired Mermaid Spa are topped with machine-made ice chunks. For a real arctic chill, try the 32-degree ice sauna — it’s like sitting in a big fridge, ice-caked walls and all. Spa goers can retreat to the tree-lined backyard for a fruit smoothie or beer, or head to the beach just two blocks away. “When people come in, it’s like a mini vacation,” says Boris Kotlyar, one of the spa’s owners. Admission is $20 to $40 all summer.
Cool tip: Keep your cool with a traditional wool hat (that helps maintain body temperature), sold at the front desk for $20.