How to Take Advantage of New York This Summer

Summer comes and goes in an instant. Most of the time people are so overwhelmed with weddings, weekend getaways, and holidays, they forget to make use of New York’s endless resources of entertainment. So here’s your reminder. Take part in any of this to make this a memorable summer and remind you why you’re in this city in the first place.

Visit a Rooftop

Party on a rooftop. There are always new rooftop launches in the summer, and this year we got Broken Shaker, The Polynesian, and Ophelia. But the most relaxed destination would have to be Elsewhere’s Rooftop. The Bushwick club’s new rooftop is big, features frozen cocktails and food, and never gets uncomfortably crowded.

Watch Othello Under the Sun

The classic theater series is back this year with two more shows, Othello and the Twelfth Night. Tony winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson plays the titular role in Othello, while a diverse cast and crew featuring Kwame-Kwei Armah and Oskar Eustis take the reins of the Twelfth Night. Snagging a ticket to one of these is rite of passage for New Yorkers.

Go to a Festival (But Only the Good Ones)

You already know about the major festivals that take place on Randall’s Island but the best festivals are always the smaller ones. Full Moon Festival is at one of our favorite destinations, the Knockdown Center, with James Murphy in tow. Afropunk is more popular than ever before, and while they have some heavy hitters, none are more exciting to us than legendary DJ Theo Parrish. Surely if you spend a little time looking you’ll find a festival that does away with the dull and boisterous reputation of the majors and gives you the party of the summer.

Drink on a Boat

We recently had the chance to experience the Mark Hotel Sailboat ride for ourselves, and if it wasn’t one of the most enjoyable ways to experience New York in the summer, we don’t know what is. This one comes with food and cocktails from Jean-Georges, as you enjoy a sunset view on the Hudson, but it’s an amenity available to guests at the Mark. For everyone else, taking a publicly available sailboat (and maybe stashing a flask or too) would be worth it as well.

Get Tropical at the Botanical Gardens

Everyone should make the trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens when everything is in bloom but there are still ways to make the trip unique. For a select few summer nights the garden turns into a Hawaiian themed paradise with hula lessons, poke bowls, lei garlands, plus access to exhibits like Georgia O’Keef’s Visions of Hawaii.

Have a Beer or Three

Sure, baseball in the summer is as American of a tradition as July 4th fireworks and…but this season we’re less interested in a Mets game and more interested in the adjacent brewery, Mikkeler. The Danish company makes some of the finest craft beer in the world, and between the Mets, the US Open, and lazy Sundays, you have every reason to go. It’s Danish rival Evil Twin is also opening a brewery in Ridgewood, and indie-favorite Grimm opens in Greenpoint this weekend, cutting down your commute.

Take a Ride to Get to Some Rides

Coney Island is one of the most overlooked destinations for New Yorkers; everyone should go at least once for a fun, kitschy day and summer is the best time for it. Here you can hang out on the boardwalk and get a classic Nathan’s hot dog, check out the new shark exhibit at the New York Aquarium, or visit Luna Park and take a ride on the recently launched 137-foot tall ride Astro Tower.

Hit the Surf

This year a significant portion of Rockaway Beach was closed off for weeks, but this weekend it reopens once again. Nonetheless, there’s still plenty of beach to take advantage of. You can do fun things like go to the Rockaway Beach Surf Club Festival of Color (be sure to wear cheap white clothes) or going to Yayoi Kusama’s new installation ‘Narcissus Garden’ (hosted by none other than MoMA PS1), but there’s nothing better than lazing around on the beach for the day without the hassle of Long Island.

Dance at MoMA

MoMA’s Long Island City offshoot PS1 hosts some of the most progressive artworks in the city, but it’s known best for its annual summer concert series Warm-Up. The weekly event brings together under-the-radar musicians and DJs alongside a select few famous names. This year that includes Gang Gan Dance, Omar-S, Leon Vynehall, and Tony Humphries. The event includes access to the museum exhibits, and features a large outdoor installation which evolves as the season progresses.

See the Arctic Monkeys at a Tennis Stadium

The venue that once hosted The Beatles in a historic concert tapered off in the ensuing decades, but Forest Hills is on the rebound. They have brought huge acts in recent years like Paul Simon, The XX, and Bob Dylan, and this year continue with The National, David Byrne, and the Arctic Monkeys. Use it as an opportunity to check the charming, overlooked neighborhood.