Summer Isn't Over!

Summer isn't over yet and while the recent heat wave may have left some of us a little frazzled (not to mention exhausted and extremely sweaty), summer provides us the perfect opportunity to get out of the apartment and into the open air. Take advantage of the warm weather while you can - before you know it, winter will be in full swing, and as you gaze out of your window at the snow piling up on the empty streets, you'll start to miss that summer sun.

So, where do you begin? The park, of course! New York City has some of the best urban parks in the country, and they're a great place, weather permitting, to enjoy those long summer days and precious cool nights.

• Looking to lay out with shirt off and shades on? Try Central Park’s famous Great Lawn (running mid-park from 79th to 85th st). At over 55 acres, the Lawn is the ideal place to settle in for a picnic or just lie back and soak up the sun. Can't find a spot? Head down to the Sheep Meadow (West side, 66th to 69th st), or up to the North Meadow (mid-park at 97th st).
  
  
• Searching for a place to soak up the sounds of NYC? Hit up Washington Square Park in the West Villlage. With construction in its second phase, the fountain and famous arch are open to the public (5th ave, past w 8th st), and constantly surrounded with students, musicians, and performance artists of all sorts.
  
  
• On a quest for someplace quiet? Pay a visit to the Conservatory Garden, a meticulously manicured pocket of Central Park (entrance at 5th ave and 95th st) that features traditional English, Italian, and French gardens. So what's the appeal? First of all, this hidden gem is not as well known as other areas of the Park, so you can count on fewer people, less noise, and a much higher probability of finding an open bench. Second, the Conservatory Garden is one of NYC's precious few quiet zones - no screaming children, no suits shouting on their cell phones - creating a true haven to get away from the city noise. Open from dawn till dusk, the Garden is an ideal spot to spend the long summer days, and, as a lesser-known point of interest, a perfect way to evade NYC's heavy tourist congestion.
  
  
• Yearning for a younger crowd? No park is more trendy or unique than Chelsea’s High Line Park. The park is located 30 feet above the ground on an out-of-use elevated rail track. Built in the early 1930s as a means of transporting heavy freight across the city, service on the rail was suspended in 1980; thirty years later, the track has been reinvented as a modern, urban oasis. Stage one of the park’s development (which runs from Gansevoort street to 20^th street) is now open to the public everyday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with entrances at Gansevoort, 14^th, 16^th, 18^th, and 20^th.
  
  

The best thing about New York’s parks (aside from being beautiful and completely free) is that they are extremely plentiful – the list above does not even crack the surface of all that New York has to offer. So go explore, and find your own personal haven. Just don’t forget the two cardinal rules of parks in the summer: stay hydrated, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Written By: Spike Schwab