Summer All-Stars: Plan the Rest of the Season

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Bikes wait while their riders sample wines at Shinn Estate on the North Fork. Photo: Annaliese Griffin

Bikes wait while their riders sample wines at Shinn Estate on the North Fork. Photo: Annaliese Griffin

Fourth of July weekend has come and gone and now we’re in the sticky thick of summer. There are so many outdoor concerts and movies to go see, beach books to read, excursions to take and treats to enjoy. Here’s all the summer we can fit in one post.

It’s not too late to plan a trip out of town, whether you want to get away for a day trip, a weekend or even longer. You absolutely do not need a car to explore the North Fork by bike, and you can even rent your two-wheeler there. Or, make like Baby in Dirty Dancing and take a Catskills trip (yes, the article was written with fall in mind, but it’s just as lovely in the summer, with the added benefit of tubing on the Esopus River). For day trips, head to Storm King for art and green grass, or Long Beach for an easy beach experience. You could also take a voyage inside your own mind. We’ll be hanging out in Bay Ridge all day on July 18, for The Total Bay Ridge Immersion, which is a great excuse to explore the neighborhood. Send postcards from wherever you end up with this sweet app that takes the photos and addresses you already have access to on your phone, and turns them into instant correspondence, no stamps required.

Ice cream flight, anyone? Photo: Milkmaid Ice Cream

Ice cream flight, anyone? Photo: Milkmaid Ice Cream

Here’s the essential summer gear you’ll need for beach, park, picnic and everything in between. You may also want to upgrade your bicycle accessories.

We have so many summer book recommendations that you may have to carry a few over through fall. We sought out favorite titles from some of our favorite authors; we’ve got a True Crime list for anyone who can’t wait for new episodes of Law & Order and CSI; for frothy pages best scanned poolside, check out our Beach Reads; or, if it’s insight and the long arm of memory you seek, these Memoirs may be just the thing. Finally, we have five Rock and Roll Reads, a stellar collection of Summer-inspired Cookbooks, and YA titles that are actually worth reading as an adult. Phew!

Summer is not just for beachgoers and bookworms–there’s tons of fun to be had outdoors, a lot of it for free. Check out our summer concert calendar, or our schedule of all the free outdoor movies happening around the borough. Meet your pals at a new outdoor bar, or while the day away in a park, whether or not you’re planning on hitting a tennis court.

Or, just make it your mission to sample iced coffee concoctions and ice cream confections, all summer long.

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