Summertime in the Big Apple

Ah summer, the perfect time to work in the lab and produce lots of data for your qualifying exam or your next paper because classes are over, right?! Of course, it’s important to get out of the lab to give your mind a break and a chance to recharge. Plus it would be a shame to not take advantage of New York City’s numerous (free or very cheap) events and activities! Read on for a sampling of events and activities happening in the city these next few months.

Movies and Music:

Parks throughout New York, including Central Park, Bryant Park, and numerous smaller parks, screen free movies throughout the summer. All you need to bring is a blanket to sit on, snacks and drinks, and you can kick back and watch the show. A listing of parks and movie schedules can be found at online at Time Out New York.

There are also numerous music festivals; there are the big ones like Governor’s Ball (June 6-8), and Electric Zoo (Aug 29-31) where tickets need to be purchased in advance and can be quite expensive, but there are also many that are free. The Rite of Summer Music Festival on Governor’s Island features “classical and cutting-edge contemporary music” and will have concerts on the afternoons of May 31, July 13, August 9, and Sept 6. Central Park’s SummerStage has a great and varied line-up, from New Orleans-style jazz to electronic music, to international music from South Africa, Ethiopia, France, and Spain, just to name a few. Summerstage kicks off June 17 and runs through to September. There is surely something for everyone! Also in Central Park, and other locations across New York, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic both have free outdoor concert series; the “Met in the Park” runs from June 23-July 10, and the New York Philharmonic runs from July 9-15. Later in the summer, the Lincoln Center Out of Doors will feature three weeks of world music, dance and other performances at the Lincoln Center Plaza, from July 20-August 10.

Parks and Nature:

Although one does not normally associate New York City with nature, there are a surprising number of parks in the city where one can escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Prospect Park in Brooklyn has numerous trails suitable for walkers, runners and cyclists, and is also popular amongst birding enthusiasts, and unlike Central Park you can start to forget you are in the city due to the lack of towering skyscrapers on its borders. Inwood Park in northern Manhattan and Van Courtland Park in the Bronx are also great options that are accessible off the A and 1 subway lines, respectively. Van Courtland Park is known for its challenging cross-country trails as well as its public golf course. (Shameless plug: If anyone is interested in playing Ultimate frisbee - experienced and beginner players welcome! - Manhattan Ultimate Disc league has its recreational leagues games at the fields Van Courtland on Saturdays and the fields are really nice!)

For those looking to really get out into nature, there are numerous hiking trails that are accessible via public transportation. The Metro North Hudson line has stops at Breakneck Ridge, Appalachian Trail, and Mantiou Point, to name a few. So far I’ve only been out to one of the trails by Cold Spring Harbor (which, if you ever go, you must stop in the town at Sweetie Pies for their fantastic iced coffee. No joke, probably the best iced coffee I’ve ever had.), but I hope to tackle a few more trails this summer. A good resource for day hikes out of New York City can be found at http://www.nycdayhiking.com/

On the water:

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to kayak or canoe, there are tons of clubs and boathouses that offer free lessons and guided tours of New York’s waterways. Downtown Boathouse (Governor’s Island; Pier 26 - near North Moore Street) and Manhattan Community Boathouse (Pier 96 - near 56 Street; 72nd Street) both offer free walk-up kayaking, lessons, and tours on the Hudson River. Hours vary slightly depending on location, but generally kayaks are available on a first-come-first-serve basis from about 10am-5pm Saturdays and Sundays, and weeknights from 5pm-7pm. Check each boathouse’s respective websites for specific hours. Another more unusual option is outrigging. An outrigger is a type of boat that originated in the Polynesian islands, and features a stabilizer that extends out from one side of the boat, giving the boat added stability when navigating rough waters. New York Outrigger is a club that offers free beginner outrigging lessons, as well as stand-up paddling-boating, every weekend during the summer. You can sign up for the outrigging lessons on their Meetup page: http://www.meetup.com/nyonovice/ I tried it out last year, and it’s a lot of fun and a great upper-body workout!

Of course, in a city like New York, it would be impossible to cover all of the events happening in one short article. Nearly every weekend there’s a street fair somewhere in the city with all sorts of food stands and street vendors. Additionally one could take the train out of the city to go hiking in the Catskills, relax on the beaches of Long Island, or, as one of my friends is planning, rent a CitiBike and go on a pizza tour of Brooklyn. No matter what your interests, make sure you get out into the sun and get some vitamin D this summer!