35 Things We Love About Summer in Lower Manhattan
It’s summer in New York, and hoo boy, does it feel like it! We’ll admit that having to shower immediately after our commute isn’t the best part of living in the city, but summer here does have a special energy that you won’t find anywhere else, humidity be darned. The season is particularly lovely (bearable?) in Lower Manhattan, where we’ve got everything from water views (and breezes!), to shady parks, to rooftop concerts, to patio bars where you can cool off with a tasty frozen drink. To celebrate the sunshine and sweat stains, here are 35 of our favorite things about summer downtown. Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @downtownnyc when you’re doing your favorite summer activity in the neighborhood!
- Hanging out up high at rooftop bars like Bar Tontine, Leonessa and Highwater Rooftop
- Escaping the heat at the Elevated Acre
- Grooving at the Alliance’s free lunchtime concert series
- Rooftop concerts at Pier 17
- Riding bikes along the Battery Bikeway, West Side or East River Greenway
- Dirty fountain sodas from Cool Sips
- Taking a breezy boat ride on “Clipper City” courtesy of Manhattan by Sail
- Doing literally anything on Governors Island, Lower Manhattan’s unofficial backyard
- Catching an outdoor movie at the Oculus
- Catching an indoor (air-conditioned!) movie at Regal Battery Park, Alamo Drafthouse or IPIC Fulton
- Throwing back brews at the Oculus Beer Garden
- Patio dining and drinking at outdoor spots across the neighborhood
- Cooling off at the Playscape splash pad at Battery Park
- Doing a cold plunge at Spa 88
- Sipping cocktails and yacht-peeping at Brookfield’s Portside
- Waving “hi” to Lady Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry
- Hopping on the ferry to Rockaway for some beach time
- Ice cream!
- Joining the outdoor party on Stone Street
- Shopping in central air-conditioning at the Westfield Shops at the Oculus, Brookfield Place, Printemps or Century 21
- Hopping on the free Downtown Connection bus for a climate-controlled ride to the next downtown destination
- Getting some schooling at one of Lower Manhattan’s several museums, including the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Mercer Labs and the National Museum of the American Indian
- Taking an undersea ride on the Seaglass Carousel
- Enjoying the breezy lawns and fountain spray at City Hall Park
- Indulging in an ice-cold affogato at Da Claudio
- Checking out the summer programming at Rockefeller Park
- Rubbing shoulders with fellow bookworms at McNally Jackson Books, the Mysterious Bookshop and Brookfield Place’s “Beyond the Pages” series
- Pride!
- A fancy night out at Gitano NYC (be sure to wear your chicest summer ‘fit)
- Dinner and a show at PAC NYC
- Watching the July 4th fireworks from Manhatta, the Tin Building or the One World Observatory
- Playing tourist at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty
- Shakespeare performances at Castle Clinton
- The reopening of Wagner Park on July 19
- Walking through the downtown streets that feel 10 degrees cooler and breezier than anywhere else in the city (whether true or not) — thank you to the skyscrapers!
