There are jobs in which we can choose when to go on vacation and others in which not. When you travel to the other hemisphere it is not very funny, but if you stay in the same you can, for example, enjoy a different summer.
How about New York in summer? It is a city with very contrasting climates and it is attractive all year round, even in hot weather. It has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and if you move a little you can even cross the border and visit Canada. With almost nine million inhabitants is the most populous city in the United States and one of the most culturally diverse. Let us discover how is New York in summer and what can be done in it:
New York, when the sun is shining and it's hot
When you look at a map you wonder why summers are hot In New York. The state enjoys a Humid subtropical climate thanks to the winds that blow from the southwest (hot and humid) and thanks to those from the northwest that are dry. While in winter it snows and it is very cold in summer, you can experience a cruel heat wave and suffer with temperatures of over 30 ºC, although in general there are no heat waves every year and the average stays there and does not usually climb much more .
But it is a tight city, of a lot of buildings and air conditioners blow heavy, hot air outside, asphalt does the same and can be intolerable at times. My advice is light clothing, hat, sunglasses, cold water always and something light to wear when we enter shopping centers or buildings with refrigeration. And if there is a heat wave, well ... to look for a beach or an open and green place like the following.
Central Park
Es the most popular park in the world, a huge green lung that is in the heart of the city. It is crossed by trails, has a lake, a lot of grass, a restaurant and even a zoo. The Boathouse is a corner with a cafeteria and restaurant and it is also the place to rent the picturesque little boats that cross the lake. There is a fleet of 100 boats that are rented to ride, from 10 am for $ 15 an hour (cash only).
You can also tour the Minton Ceiling, the roof of Bethesda Terrace that is made with more than 15 colorful tiles. It is the only place in the world where tiles have been used to decorate a roof and they date back to 1869. They were restored 16 years ago.
On the other hand, also in Central Park, is the Shakespeare Garden and Belvedere Castle at the top of the Roca Vista (open from 10 am to 5 pm, every day).
Highline
It is a industrial railway track running in elevation and has been recovered as tourist walk. It travels a total of 22 blocks from Gansevoort Street to 34th St., on the west side of Manhattan. Although it is not a walk that I recommend at noon, yes it's lovely in the afternoon, when the sun goes down over the Hudson River.
It usually has events, for example, between April and October they mount telescopes at sunset, half an hour before closing, and sometimes there are gastronomic events.
Also, between May and October, you can count on the expert guide from the High Line Docents to tell you the story behind this hidden wonder. If you meditate, from June to September there are open meditation classes, in the morning, on Tuesdays, and on Thursdays there are Tai Chi classes.
Summer is the best time to enjoy this corner of New York because between lunches, talks, solstice festivities, summer parties, activities and to dances at night the place gets very entertaining. The High Line opens at 7 a.m. and closes between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. from April to November. It is free, you enter through different streets and even in some there is an elevator.
Cruises
You cannot go to New York and not come to know the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the island that received immigrants and through which an estimated 12 million passed between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. You can arrive aboard a Star Cruises ship: they depart from the Battery Park terminal in southern Manhattan between 9 am and 5 pm. They cost $ 17 per adult and in high season there are usually quite a lot of people.
Another possibility you have is to simply walk, take a cruise and see the island of Manhattan. There are cruises that last three hours, offered by the Circle Line, and you see three rivers, the forested cliffs overlooking the Hudson, Fort Tryon Park and seven bridges for $ 42. There are actually many types of cruises, including one that is at night and costs $ 38. If you have the New York City Pass you save 42%.
Governors Island Park
One of the most famous bridges in New York is the Brooklyn Bridge that begins on Center Street near City Hall. From it you have the best views of Manhattan and this island in particular. Open only in summer (did it for the first time in 2009), and it is one of the oldest and most beloved green spaces city. On weekends and Monday holidays between May and October people can take a boat taxi from the Battery Maritime Building or from DUMBO in Brooklyn.
Here you can bicycle rental and walk, there is a beautiful Playa and a beautiful sea wall that surrounds her completely. There are activities all summer and even some events are in other languages such as Spanish, Russian or Chinese. At sunset, the views of the city are hard to forget.
Brighton beach
Summer is synonymous with the beach so if it's very hot in New York you can go to Brighton Beach, known today as Brooklyn Moscow by the number of Russian immigrants living there. The beach is picturesque and around it there are many russian shops and restaurants with signs written in Russian alphabet. It is a curious place and you arrive from Manhattan on the B and Q trains.
Summer events in New York
Beyond these places that you can visit when the heat is pressing, as I said above, New York is a city that does not sleep even if it freezes or melts. In summer there are concerts on the main stage of Central Park with jazz, hip hop or music bands indie. It's a matter of checking the city's website to point to which one we want to go to.
On the other hand the famous MoMA museum organizes parties in a huge outdoor facility that serves to combine art, alcohol and music. When? Saturday afternoons. Also when the sun goes down huge movie screens are placed on some terraces in the city and documentaries or films are screened. And then a party follows. On the Hudson coast there are also usually live bands of all kinds of music and even dance classes.
And if it's sooooo hot then you can always go to one of the Public pools which open from the end of June. There are about 60 in the five neighborhoods, although some are cleaner than others: Astoria, The Floating Poll, the McCarren Park Pool and the Hamilton Fish are the most recommended.
If you still don't know where to go this summer or New York it sounds and sounds in your head like the song of a siren, don't let the sun and heat scare you away. Worth it!