When I lived in New York City in the early aughts, summer was one of my favorite times to hang around the city
and explore. Now, as an Upstater (who also loves the summers up here in the Capital Region), I still like to hit my old stomping grounds during the warm weather months for a few reasons: ice cream, gardens, al fresco dining, and, of course, rooftop bars.
Ice Cold
In New York City, things are bigger and bolder—even the ice cream.
Caffe Panna is inspired by the great tradition of Italian gelato, with a New York attitude. Founded by Hallie Meyer (her father is Shake Shack maestro Danny Meyer), the stores (one in Gramercy and one in Greenpoint, Brooklyn), make fresh ice cream onsite daily. The flavors change frequently, but you can always get the classics, like Red Flag, a sweet cream ice cream with strawberry swirl and house-made graham crunch.
The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (in, yes, Chinatown) has been churning out unusual but addictive takes on the classic frozen treat for four decades. Go for the Black Sesame and stay for the Pandan, Red Bean, Durian, and Don Tot.
OddFellows was launched when cofounder Mohan Kumar’s wife had pregnancy cravings that simply couldn’t be met with the usual ice cream one finds on a store shelf. He asked noted pastry chef Sam Mason for help, and an ice cream empire was born; get the scoop in Chelsea, Dumbo, or Brooklyn Bridge Park. The flavors rotate, but classics like Peanut Butter S’mores and Passionfruit Apricot Pistachio are always available.
Flower Power
Leave it to city dwellers to create some of the most outstanding and diverse green spaces in the world.
The Conservatory Garden is Central Park’s six-acre garden-within-a-garden featuring tulips, lilacs, crabapple trees, summer perennials, and chrysanthemums. There are three formal and designed areas to explore: the French-style North Garden, the Italianate Center Garden, and the English-style South Garden.
The New York Botanical Garden in Harlem was established in 1891 and is a 250-acre space with more than a million living plants. During the summer, the Azalea Gardens (with 456 species, hybrids, and cultivated varieties represented) and the Daylilies (with 66 rare heirloom hybrids, and a walk peppered with a rainbow of flowers) are especially compelling.
Make a daytrip out of Brooklyn by checking out Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Park, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. During the summer, check out its Cranford Rose Garden, with several original specimens planted in 1927 still thriving and more than 100 types of water lilies blooming at the Lily Pool Terrace.
Get Out
Al fresco dining is so popular in New York that almost every restaurant has carved out a little space for a patio. But few do it like these standouts.
Café Luxembourg marries comfort food with Parisian brasserie elegance. Think rich grilled cheese with Gruyere and bacon or moules-frites and steak frites, best paired with a glass of chilled Sancerre while watching elegant, adult life stroll by on the Upper West Side.
The back patio at Waverly Inn and Garden in the West Village isn’t enormous, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in ivy-colored charm. The celebrity haunt is justly celebrated for its elevated classics, like truffle mac and cheese, fully loaded and sizeable cheeseburgers, and buttery-but-ethereal biscuits.
The tri-level Brooklyn Crab in Red Hook, Brooklyn serves up buckets of crab, raw oysters, and clams alongside a classic New York experience. The crab shack is worth a visit year-round, but during the summer, the patio—with its retractable awning and mini golf course—make it a must.
Raise the Roof
Drinking on roofs—the more literally and metaphorically over the top, the better—is an iconic New York City summer experience.
The glassed-in rooftop bar on the Public Hotel gets right to the point with the name: The Roof. The Lower East Side cocktail emporium is sleek, fashion-forward, and sexy—and there’s a dress code to ensure it stays that way. The Roof features a terrace with 360-degree panoramic views of the city, and DJs spinning tunes into the wee hours.
The Bookmarks Rooftop Lounge at the Library Hotel serves up a literary-themed, elegant ambiance. Pace yourself, because you’ll want to try a few of the literary cocktails. The Pulitzer (gin, St. Germain, Fernet Branca, fresh lemon, agave nectar) and Midnight Espresso (vodka, Licor 43, espresso) are especially tasty.
The Ready Rooftop above the Moxy Hotel East Village is as fun and eclectic as the neighborhood it sprouts from: picture string lights, a bar made of plastic milk crates, retractable glass walls, snappy décor, and views across downtown. The mix-and-match Party Cooler (your choice of any six beers, wines, or cocktails) is the way to go.
