New York Dearest
The guide, $35

Seasonal · Summer · 2026

My summer bucket list.

In my order, from my own visits, updated September 2026. 16 places.

Summer in New York City is my favorite season in the city, which I realize is a controversial opinion given that the subway platforms in July are essentially saunas and that walking anywhere between noon and 3pm in August requires a level of personal commitment that I respect more than I usually demonstrate.

But the city opens up in summer in a way it does not during the rest of the year. The parks fill, the outdoor concerts start, the rooftops are accessible, and the energy of millions of people who live somewhere with bad winters and have been waiting for this since March becomes genuinely palpable. Here is what I want you to do before September.

Antonina PattizI went to every one · how I decide
  1. SummerStageEvent · Central ParkSummerStage in Central Park is one of the best things about summer in New York and it is free.
  2. Celebrate BrooklynEvent · Prospect Park, BrooklynAlso largely free, also worth checking, and the park in summer is one of the most beautiful places in the city to spend an evening.
  3. Shakespeare in the Park (Delacorte Theater)Theater · Central ParkShakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park is a New York summer institution that has been running since 1962.
  4. Bryant Park Summer Film FestivalEvent · Midtown/Bryant ParkIt is free and it is very good.
  5. Rockaway BeachPark · QueensRockaway Beach in Queens is my favorite.
  6. Riis ParkPark · QueensRiis Park adjacent to Rockaway has a more local feel and excellent volleyball.
  7. Coney IslandLandmark · BrooklynIt is more of an experience than a beach day but it is a specifically New York experience that I think is worth doing.
  8. Governors IslandPark · Lower Manhattan HarborI go at least twice every year and it never feels like enough time.
  9. SmorgasburgMarket · Prospect Park/WilliamsburgIt is the largest outdoor food market in the United States and the quality of the vendors is consistently very good in a way that outdoor food markets are not always.
  10. The High LinePark · Meatpacking District/ChelseaIn summer the plantings are at their best and the views of the Hudson and the city from the elevated path are genuinely excellent.
  11. Downtown Boathouse at Pier 26Other · TribecaThis is a thing that exists and I am slightly frustrated I did not know about it for the first several years I lived here.
  12. Roosevelt IslandLandmark · Roosevelt IslandThe tram itself is an experience that New Yorkers take for granted and tourists find remarkable; it travels 3,100 feet over the river and has been running since 1976.
  13. Rooftop at the Williamsburg HotelBar · Williamsburg, BrooklynGo to the Rooftop at the Williamsburg Hotel for the best views of Manhattan from Brooklyn.
  14. 230 FifthBar · FlatironGo to 230 Fifth if you want the Empire State Building directly in front of you.
  15. Crown Shy rooftopBar · Financial DistrictGo to the Crown Shy rooftop at 70 Pine Street in the Financial District for something that feels less touristy and has very good cocktails.
  16. Statue of Liberty FerryLandmark · Lower ManhattanMost people who have lived in New York for years have never taken the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

Antonina’s summer bucket list, 2026

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The places on this list can show it. It links back here, so a reader sees the whole list and how it was made. No fee.

The full guide, with the ones that didn't make it and why: NYC Summer Bucket List. What to Do Before September.