High Line
Photo Courtesy of Iwan Baan
During the warm months, everywhere you go you will find people sunbathing in parks, drinking rosé on rooftops or catching an outdoor show. And in New York City, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here, a plethora of fun and unique experiences can be had. From eating at famous chefs’ restaurants to tromping through historical greenery and catching an award-winning show, you can do it all while also enjoying the cool blast of air conditioning.
Hanging out on a roof
Some of the best views in the city can be had on roofs, and many hotels happen to feature topside patios perfect for such ventures. For example, the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Archer Hotel New York in the Garment District offers food and drinks from 22 stories up in its indoor-outdoor space, Spyglass.
Archer Hotel New York, Photo Courtesy of Melissa Hom
Two other Forbes Travel Guide Recommended winners also provide memorable vistas: the 11-story Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC has Zerzura, a pool-side bar and lounge with a 360-degree panorama of the city; and Conrad New York, which offers the Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar, a setting that has a silly name but a serious view.
Outdoor concerts
During the summer, NYC offers a host of alfresco events, and many of them will be headlined by well-known names. This proves especially true when it comes to concerts. This season, see jazz greats Herbie Hancock and the Robert Glasper Experiment (August 11), Dr. Dog with the Knights (August 12) and R&B sensation Andra Day (August 13) at the annual Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in Prospect Park.
The Mostly Mozart Festival (through August 27) brings classical sounds to the open air.
Early birds can take advantage of ABC’s Good Morning America‘s Friday Summer Concert Series at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, too. The star-studded lineup includes Keith Urban (August 12), Jason Aldean (August 26) and Jason Derulo (September 2). The shows start at 7 a.m. and finish by 9 a.m. Just make sure to get a free ticket beforehand here.
Commune with the urban jungle
The city’s numerous green spaces come alive in the summer. Take a stroll along the High Line and check out the gorgeous display of local greenery in between bites of frozen treats from L’Arte del Gelato, sips of handcrafted Brooklyn Soda Works and other goodies found at pop-up shops along the way.
You can also partake in one of the many activities in Central Park, ranging from sunrise yoga walks to horse-and-carriage rides and bike tours. These excursions offer an unparalleled way to get to know the iconic landmark.
If you want to travel a little farther, the Bronx’s stunning New York Botanical Garden features not only manicured green spaces to marvel at but 50 acres of natural woods to explore as well.
Amada, Photo Courtesy of Daniel Krieger
Famous chefs opening restaurants
Nearly every day a new restaurant opens up somewhere in the five boroughs, but it’s not every day that a well-known chef joins those ranks. This summer, however, gourmands around this great city will be able to check out hot spots like James Beard Award-winning chef Jose Garces’ Amada, a high-end Andalusian tapas joint that opened in April in Battery Park City.
You can now also book a table at Tapestry, chef Suvir Saran’s innovative Indian restaurant in the West Village. Iron chef Masaharu Morimoto opened Momosan Sake & Ramen, Missy Robbins (formerly of A Voce) now has her own place in Williamsburg called Lilia. Gunnar Gíslason has come to the city from Iceland to run Agern with Claus Meyer, the co-founder of Copenhagen‘s Noma.
Broadway
After the 70th annual Tony Awards, we are all geared up for the hottest shows on Broadway. Yes, famed best musical winner Hamilton is one of them, but it’s difficult to get tickets. After you’ve placed your name in the daily Hamilton lottery, strategize a good plan B. Other strong contenders include the Tony winner for best play, The Humans. There are also crowd pleasers in the revivals category: Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge (play) and The Color Purple (musical). Another stunner is the Jessica Lange-starred Long Day’s Journey Into Night, a work that scored her a Tony for best leading actress in a play.
