35 ways to have the best summer in NYC – Time Out New York

“Soak up the sun as well as our list of recommendations for the best things to do during summer in New York.”
By Shaye Weaver and Krista Diamond

“This summer in NYC promises to be an unforgettable one now that our city is back up. The city has a boundless energy once the heat cranks up, and doubly so this year, so it’s time to start checking off our sensational list of things to do in summer in NYC. Some of the most popular New York attractions provide an endless list of things to do outside from rooftop movies and free dance parties to can’t-miss music festivals and more. Here’s how to make the absolute most of these steamy summer nights.

Tip: You may want to request off for a few staycation days too so you can spend some time relaxing at a few rooftop pools during the week when they’re less crowded.”

35 ways to have the best summer in NYC

Do dinner and drinks at Time Out Market New York

Broadway at the Drive-In

Be a disco diva at Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco

Catch “In the Heights” at the Tribeca Film Festival

See live music at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival

Try the city’s best bites at Smorgasburg

Take in a show at Irving Plaza, finally

Get down at Hot Honey Sundays

Get free entry to the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree

Skate around at TWA Hotel’s Roll-A-Rama

Celebrate Pride!

Visit NYC’s gorgeous floating park

Do margs on NYC’s only floating Mexican restaurant

Go glamping in the Rockaways

Go glamping on Governors Island, instead

Fill up at Queens Night Market

See the hot Immersive Van Gogh exhibit

See movies atop Pier 17’s rooftop

See a free SummerStage show

Devour an ice cream cone at Ample Hills Creamery

Eat, drink and shop in the streets

Cool off in the city’s pools

Lindy Hop at the Jazz Age Lawn Party

Take a trip to Governors Island

Catch a flick at Rooftop Cinema Club

Have drinks with a view at these rooftop bars

Drink on the water at boat bar!

Scream your guts out at Luna Park

Go stargazing on the High Line

Nosh on as many lobster rolls as you can

Dance the night away at Midsummer Night Swing

Tackle the water slide at Summer Streets

Go kayaking (for free!)

Attend a tennis match during the U.S. Open

Have a picnic in the park

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Experience Arthur Avenue Alfresco

Zero Otto Nove / 2357 Arthur Ave., Belmont

Zero Otto Nove has been a mainstay of the Bronx’s Little Italy since it opened in 2008. But Open Streets’ weekend transformation of Arthur Avenue into the car-free Piazza di Belmont has brought a fresh and breezy feel to this first-rate southern Italian trattoria. Previously, restaurants along the strip rarely set up for outdoor dining, confining the festivities to the often-curtained dining rooms. Now and hopefully forever, the celebratory and communal open-air atmosphere brings the action (and all the neighborhood characters) outdoors, where diners partake in lively people-watching while enjoying dishes like citrusy seafood salad, butternut-squash pizza, and mafalde cooked in tinfoil.—Terri Ciccone

Rediscover the Joy of Big Round Tables

Hwa Yuan / 42 East Broadway

There are many good reasons to revisit Manhattan’s Chinatown these days. But if you’re in the mood for a quick Peking-duck banquet or a taste of Shorty Tang’s famous dry-sautéed crispy beef in a crowded, near-celebratory post-pandemic atmosphere, this East Broadway destination is the place to be. When we dropped in on a Friday evening not long ago, the streets outside were still eerily empty, and so were the dining booths set up on the sidewalk. But inside the brightly lit two-floor restaurant, parties of revelers from uptown, across the river, and around the neighborhood filled the round tables. For those acclimated to dining in the great indoors, we guarantee a bite of Peking duck (or crispy beef) never tasted so good.—A.P.41

Nosh Bagels and Lox Off Madison Square

Mark’s Off Madison / 41 Madison Ave.

At Mark’s, which opened in November, the Queens-born chef Mark Strausman (Freds at Barneys, Coco Pazzo, Campagna) delves into the Jewish and Italian dishes that have come to define his 30-year career: lush eggplant parm, rich pappardelle with brisket ragù, and a killer chicken soup named after his grandmother Estelle. In nice weather, the outdoor terrace, with its view of Madison Square Park, gets fairly packed with a tony mix of locals and Strausman groupies from his Freds days. On weekends, starting at 9 a.m., the place doubles as a Jewish bakery whose bagels and bialys and black-and-white cookies put most of the competition to shame. —R.C.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.