There’s always a lot going on in New York City, and summer is no exception. It can be hard to choose what to do. To help you prioritize, our content team decided to share some of our favorite summertime activities. Beaches, rooftops, baseball, outdoor performances and cool neighborhoods? Check, check, check, check, check—and those are just a start. Read on to plan your fun this (or any) summer in NYC.
Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo: Julienne Schaer
1. Spend some time on the East River waterfront
An early morning run through Brooklyn Bridge Park—before it’s too hot—is a lovely way to see the Manhattan skyline and take in riverfront views. It’s a decent run from Pier 6 up past Dumbo, but if you end up sleeping in, the park offers plenty of other opportunities. See: Pilot, a boat-restaurant moored at Pier 6 (and read: oysters). —Jonathan Durbin
Courtesy, Bar Blondeau
2. Look out on the City from up high
Summer in NYC to me = rooftops. We make up for a lack of open space on the streets by ascending to places we can take in views from above. One of my favorite perches is Bar Blondeau, atop the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. Visit during sunset and sit under an umbrella with a cocktail in hand, noshing on croquetas or fried chicken with hot honey. —Rondel Holder
Movie Nights at Bryant Park. Photo: Da Luo
3. See a film under the night sky
Pick an evening in the summer and you’re sure to find an outdoor movie somewhere, whether at a public park, drive-in theater (yes, we’ve got one) or hotel rooftop. My go-to is Rooftop Films, especially the ones shown at Green-Wood Cemetery; other highlights include Movie Nights at Bryant Park (which has a stellar lineup this year), the five-borough Movies Under the Stars, the Francophile Films on the Green (this season hasn’t been announced yet), dual-language Film Works Alfresco and Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City Outdoor Cinema. —Rachel Kahn Taylor
Brooklyn Crab. Photo: Jen Davis
4. Experience the vibe of Red Hook
Bike or take the ferry to this neighborhood, a onetime shipping port (there’s still a cargo terminal in the area) in Brooklyn. Looking for seafood? Try the boisterous Brooklyn Crab or the more easygoing Red Hook Lobster Pound. For dessert, get a swingle (a frozen Key lime tart on a stick) at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie and eat it while walking along the Pier 44 Waterfront Garden. Afterward, go for a drink at former sailors’ hangout Sunny’s—there’s a patio for sitting outside and there’s live music every night but Monday. —Jordana Bermúdez
Brooklyn Cyclones. Photo: Gordon Donovan
5. Enjoy baseball with a view
You can’t go wrong with going to a Mets or Yankees game, but there are plenty of reasons to opt for the intimate experience of seeing baseball’s Brooklyn Cyclones or Staten Island FerryHawks. The Cyclones have fun promotions (Seinfeld Night!) and a carnivalesque Coney Island atmosphere; the FerryHawks a revamped stadium and fan favorite Pablo Sandoval. And you'll never tire of the views, whether of the Thunderbolt roller-coaster and derelict parachute jump in Coney or of New York Harbor from Staten Island’s north shore. —Andrew Rosenberg
Courtesy, Queens Night Market
6. Hit the Queens Night Market for eats and beats
When my friends and I started seeking refuge in food stalls and nap breaks at music festivals more often than catching the sets, we took the hint. Now we stave off existential panic with Persian saffron ice cream and bao buns at the Queens Night Market. Every summer Saturday evening (and on into the fall), you can find free music, local bites, artisan wares and the satisfaction of knowing you can take an empanada for the road and be in bed by 10pm. All the food offerings are capped at $6, so you can do a lot of sampling. —Emma Diab
7. Head to the beach
People are often surprised that NYC has beaches, but we do—lots of ’em. On some weekdays and off times, you can have a whole stretch of a spot like Brooklyn’s Manhattan Beach to yourself. Visit on a weekend to experience New York City people-watching at its peak. Whichever you choose, the breeze (and ocean) is the perfect way to cool down. —RH
New York Philharmonic, Cunningham Park. Photo: Chris Lee
8. Appreciate the arts outdoors
For a relaxed take on the typical night at the theater, check out the New York Philharmonic’s series of outdoor concerts in each borough. Grab a blanket, pack some snacks and enjoy the music. There’s more high culture in outdoor spaces throughout the season, including Shakespeare in the Park, the Met Opera’s Summer Recital series and Lincoln Center’s Festival Orchestra, now part of their Summer for the City program. —RKT
9. Appreciate art outdoors
While you can see art year-round in museums and galleries, it comes outside in warm weather. Reliable sites include the High Line (check out Pamela Rosenkranz: Old Tree on the Spur); Madison Square Park, current home to Rose Simpson's Seed; and the rooftop of the Met, where Petrit Halilaj has this year’s commission. MoMA and The Morgan’s outdoor gardens are great for art-inspired contemplation. —Carianne Carleo-Evangelist
Jacob Riis. Photo: Marley White
10. Listen, we’re serious about that beach thing
Jacob Riis Park is my favorite beach. Get there by way of the NYC Ferry, which drops you at Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways; a free shuttle bus takes you to the entrance at Riis. Pro tip: the night boat home is magical! —Jen Davis
Grand Army. Photo: Daniel Krieger
11. Take it to the streets
I like the little stretch of Boerum Hill that shuts to car traffic on weekends—Hoyt Street between State Street and Atlantic. Grand Army, a restaurant-bar, serves fancy drinks. You can drink them in the sun. It’s all in Brooklyn, I’m telling you. —JD
Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks. Photo: Julienne Schaer
12. Watch fireworks displays all over the City
While the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks spectacular is the City’s most extravagant show, with its barges blasting colorful chrysanthemum bursts, fiery willows and cute smiley faces, don’t let that be your only pyrotechnic experience this summer. Enjoy fireworks set against the kitschy carnival fun at Coney Island’s Luna Park and Deno's Wonder Wheel every Friday (June 21–August 30), and check this link for other displays. My favorites are the Astoria Park fireworks; take a picnic blanket and find a spot on the lawn to watch the display framed by the Hell Gate and Triborough bridges on the East River. —ED
13. Find a dance party to call your own
Summer is for celebrating with other people, something you can guarantee at the City’s pop-up dance parties. Hot Honey Sundays were born back in 2021 at Greenpoint Terminal but now take place at venues like the Knockdown Center, Elsewhere and even on Circle Line Cruises (that’s for those who like to do their dancing on boats). Other options include Mister Sunday at Nowadays in Queens, an indoor-outdoor dance club. Then there’s Summer of Love, a Sunday outdoor festival series by House of Yes at Under The K Bridge Park, a skate park in Greenpoint (no schedule has been release for 2024). Make sure to wear a cool outfit or costume. —JB
Kayaks at Hudson River. Photo: Max Giuliani for Hudson River Park
14. Learn to kayak on the Hudson River
There’s free kayaking from multiple boathouses around the City, including Hudson River Park’s Pier 26, which has the largest program as well as great views of the Lower Manhattan skyline. It’s available to pretty much everyone—adults and children (those under 18 must have a parent or guardian present), novices and experts. You'll be equipped with a mandatory life vest, instructions on how to kayak and then off you go in the Hudson. You can also launch a vessel from the park’s Pier 96, farther uptown, and from Brooklyn Bridge Park. —Vivien Xie
Summer Stage Central Park. Photo: Merissa Blitz
15. Cure any summertime blues with music
It’s hard to find a park that doesn’t host some sort of outdoor concert series in the summer. SummerStage takes place at green spaces all over the boroughs, though with Central Park as a base; Celebrate Brooklyn! is a Prospect Park picnic magnet; and other programs take place at Hudson Yards, Bryant Park and Lincoln Center, to name but a few. They all put on big names and should-be big names representing nearly every genre. For some of this year’s highlights, check out our summer outdoor concerts guide. —nyctourism.com staff
Hallet Nature Sanctuary. Photo: Grace Tyson
16. Escape in Central Park
You don’t have to leave the City to find peace and quiet. Hidden in one of Manhattan’s most visited attractions, Hallet Nature Sanctuary is an enclosed four-acre bird sanctuary with a trail that leads you up a hill with a view above the treetops. Listen to the sounds of nature as the water trickles down the waterfall—an ideal meditation soundtrack. —VX
City Island. Photo: Kelsey Sucena
17. Explore a less familiar corner of the City
When we’re at a loss for what to do, we fall back on a formula: explore a neighborhood not our own, find some good food to eat and, ideally, do it in proximity of mini golf (surprise, there are a number of courses in the five boroughs). This might mean pairing putt-putt at Flushing Meadows Corona Park with some empanadas in Corona, or, more ambitiously, a trek to Pelham Bay Park followed by seafood and ice cream in City Island. What says summer more than that? —AR
