Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Summer, Summer

Summer in New York

I have been frequently told that summertime in NYC is just the best- of course this city is not for the faint of heart, so unrelenting heat, humidity, and muggy thunderstorms are indubitably part of the ‘experience.’ Would you expect anything less from a city of extremes? In order to enjoy the evanescent exuberance, you have to suffer a little. Yes, the thunderstorms are aggravating, and I may have missed the nearly intolerable heat wave, and I might be one of few people who enjoy the humidity (it’s like being hugged by the earth!), but I found that summer in New York is absolutely pleasant! The summer months allow the city to be fully appreciated and savored; it’s as if summer is the sole reason for the existence of the innumerable parks, benches, views, water fountains, rooftops, and the activities that they enable.


Although I wasn’t in the city for a month of this warm loveliness, I still got my share of sunny (and sometimes rainy) summer activities: Shakespeare in the Park, free yoga in the park, concerts and movies under the Brooklyn Bridge, reading near the lake, jogging along the river, bar-hopping from absurd distances, riding bikes through Central Park at 1am, watching the sun set -from the water’s edge as well as from rooftop bars with awesome views, watching the sun rise from rooftops, going to the beach, walking the High Line, eating on restaurant patios, people watching from a bench in the evenings, eating lunch next to fountains, and just general frolicking throughout the city. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in NYC but the summer experience has been especially phantasmagorical; I’m definitely not ready to let it go. 

While the balmy weather, picturesque parks, and ongoing events are reason enough to enjoy this time of the year, the overwhelming attendance of people at even the most obscure events gives it a little something extra; there’s a sense of community that I feel is lacking in other places. There is a seemingly universal desire to be outside and around other people- when there’s a free movie in the park, expect nearly all of Manhattan to be there. While this can be annoying due to space limitations, it’s also awesome for people to be so into different things. I also observed a few new things about New Yorkers:
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- They are REALLY good at sharing common spaces; most restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. have large communal tables rather than individual ones. Even small tables not meant to be shared have been offered to be shared. 
 They judge less often (unless you’re in Meat Packing...); because public transportation is the main form of getting around, nobody knows where you are going/coming from and thus less inclined to judge how you look in that moment. At any given time on a train, someone is going to or coming from: work, the bars, a date, school, a wedding, the gym, church, an interview, grocery shopping, dancing, a marathon, a festival, a concert, etc. etc.
- They are very fond of rooftops; but who can blame them? 


Alas, autumn has begun settling in and the entire city will soon return to seeking refuge from the bitter cold and being slightly grumpier. I already can’t wait for an escape to somewhere tropical in the near future…! But thank goodness for football season ;)