At happy hour today, I overheard a girl at a neighboring table conclude a story with, You know, that time not too long ago when work was crazy and basically everyone was in a rut
Her friend replied with, Yeah. Winter?
Id like to call for a round of applause for all of us, New York, because weve officially made it through one tough winter. Get out your sunglasses and ease up on your Netflix account. Its officially that time of year- the time that all anyone can talk about is how excited they are for summer.
To refresh your memory, summer is that brief, glorious intermission we are so privileged to experience between spring and autumnor in some cases, such as this past year, between pre-winter and post-winter. Meteorologists claim that summer in the northern hemisphere is celebrated during the months of June, July and August. Summer-like weather, however, such as warmth, sun and a general air elation can begin as early as May and extend even into September. According to Wikipedia.org, activities such as picnics, volleyball, tennis and water skiing occur during the summer months.
After we all text our roommates to figure out how to open the windows again, look for that other sandal and adjust our pale skin to the sun, we can truly begin to gain comfort in this alien season and plan for the greatest summer ever. Remember how crappy winter was? As Wikipedia points out summer is devastatingly short. Which means, according to my math, that winter will be here again really soon.
This summer, dont just let it become September again. Kick off the season by taking full advantage of your May.
May is Bike Month NYC
May 1 kicked off with the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour, but there are plenty more opportunities to Lance Armstrong around for the day.
- May 7- Bike to the South Pole [a 25-45 mile ride along Staten Islands waterfront]
- May 7- High Line Bike Tour [a 5 mile ride along the Chelsea High Line]
- May 21- Rolling Along the River [2 mile ride along Soundview Parks trails in the Bronx]
- May 22- Doggie Pedal Parade [Washington Square Park ride with your dog]
Dont have a bike? Me neither. Rental shops are everywhere, and most charge as low as $8-20/hour, including helmet.
The High Line
Maybe you dont want to bike it, but you should still check out the historic Chelsea High Line Park over around 23rdStreet and 10thAve. A truly unique NY gem, this freight rail line-converted park is immaculate and as one Yelp.com reviewer noted, puts you in a MoMa frame of mind without having to spend the $20. Plus, hoards of good places to eat around there. Bravo.
Learn to surf, sail or swim. Or just hit the beach.
Unless bridges or ferries are your preferred method of travel or you have a particularly lovely view from your office, you can go about your days completely unaware that we, in fact, live on an island. NYC actually has more miles of waterfront than Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and Portland combined, according to Mayor Bloomberg, but as the city grew into the nations main port during its industrial boom, the waterfront was far from an attractive area. While the mayor works on fixing that problem, waters clean enough these days. Take the LIRR to Long Beach, the 2 train to Rockaway, the LIRR to Bay Shore then the ferry to Fire Island, or the if you have the weekend, take the A or C train out to Montauk. This article from NY Daily News may be from 2008, but does a good job of outlining additional beach options based on what youre looking for.
Craving the beach at happy hour? You got it. Jet to Water Taxi Beach at the South Street Seaport and rock the sand in a suit. Or keep your feet on deck aboard the bar at The Frying Pan over on the Hudson River at W26th St in Manhattan.
Go to Randalls Island.
Randalls Island is off the coast of East Harlem, the South Bronx and Astoria in the East River. Barely a half an hour subway (or bike) ride from midtown, it houses more than half of all of the athletic fields in Manhattan, and has become an island-sized athletic destination with batting cages, driving ranges, a tennis center and dozens of fields. Head over with a group of friends (call 212.860.1830 ahead of time to check out the field status), set up your own organized league, or join one. Tons of NYC adult sports leagues take advantage of Randalls Islands offerings, including ZogSports and NY Social Sports Club. Even if you cant commit to a full season for one sport, both organizations offer the opportunity for drop-in games you pay for per game.
In Lower Manhattan? Go to Governors Island instead.
A free ferry ride from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan will take you to bike paths, art installations, concerts and a nice little beach.
Amp up your adventurous side with a quick day away
Lets be serious, a Saturday hike on the Appalachian Trail or kayak trip in the Hudson River sounds great, right? You dont have to plan it yourself, though, and if you go in an organized group the cost can drop enormously through subsidization. Outdoor Bound Adventures offers day trips to multi-week excursions for the cooped up Manhattanite with all levels of intensity. From scenic horseback riding and wine tasting to waterfall canyoneering and hang gliding, the group offers a little fresh air for adventurers of all kinds. Dont feel like leaving the city? The group also offers photography workshops. "The key to budget travel is to plan onward. When it happens to family trips, globetrotting, well-deserved vacations and/or going to see new places we have never been before, the fact of expense and budgeting is generally in the back of our thoughts. Considering and spending our travel budget carefully is a priority for most families. Lowering expending and charges, while still experiencing your vacation to its fullest, is the key to guaranteed achievement and fiscal responsibility. Your pocketbook and family will thank you! The thought behind saving money while vacationing is simple: Even if your personal funds is extremely tight, you can still take a break and enjoy life! Simply put, life is just too short to never step out of the door or departing the homestead! Also remembering that while traveling, whether on a budget or not, even the smallest of things can all add op to a large vacation or travel bill!..". Keep a diligent eye for deals, toothe troupe recently offered a $30 off deal through Groupon.
Cool off after all of your aforementioned activities at a Biergarten
Whats better than going back to your roots- or your drinking roots, at least- by taking in some quality brew at one of NYCs esteemed biergartens. Bohemian Hall in Astoria regularly tops the list, boasting reasonable prices, a good selection, and an amazingly Czech and German menu. For those trying to go out in the city, theres Loreley in the Lower East Side. Zum Schnieder over in Alphabet City has the German pub atmosphere and selection with beers that come in 3 different sizes. Love the idea of a beer garden, but dont love German brew? Youre in luck. Flatirons Eataly, opened in the fall by Mario Batali, is opening a massive rooftop brewery in about a month offering Italian beer and fare.
Midtown West will be getting a new beer garden beginning May 18 as well. Nestled behind 6th Avenue's FoodParc will be BeerParc. $3 gets you a ticket into the garden, which will go in part to one of the ten taps or various food stands. According to Grub Street NY Mets and Yankees games will be broadcast on a 34-foot screen.
Get back to your summer roots at the park
It may seem like a given, but NYC boasts some of the best urban parks in the world. Aside from great upkeep, they constantly offer ways to take in the great outdoors in the closest thing most of us have to a backyard.
Central Park is constantly buzzing with something or other, from its attractions and all kinds of fitness classes, to the free SummerStage and Shakespeare in the Park- but NYC offers much more past this one natural monument.
Bryant Park. This midtown oasis is overrun with tourists all winter for its ice skating rink, but the summertime programming returns focus to the workers and residents of midtown Manhattan. Aside from the popular bar and grill, Bryan Park offers morning Tai Chi, afternoon Yoga, Fencing, Broadway in the Park, an HBO Summer Film Festival and more.
Madison Square Park, home to the original Shake Shack, always seems to showcase some kind of art exposition or another. Street fairs frequent the perimeter of the park, too. Madison Square Eats is first on the menu for the summer, letting nearby vendors like Eataly, Momofuku Milk Bar and Resto show off their fare. Also- free wifi! All you need to do is register.
So get inspired, and own your summer.
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