My New York Summer

I love summer. But not as much as how I love New York in the summer.

The Hudson River is a parade of sailboats and ferries, kayaks and jet skis. Central Park’s sheep meadow transforms into a giant sun worshiping haven with sparsely clad city denizens sprawled on its vastness. The baseball diamonds, the basketball and tennis courts and the playgrounds are bursting with activity. Riverside Park is filled with skaters, runners and bikers and it seems the city is once more so alive.

I love that Sundays mean passing by the Gourmet Garage to get some baguettes and boursin cheese, a bottle of water and some juice and then heading for Central Park with the Times and a picnic blanket where the rest of the day would most likely be spent. I love that the street fairs become a regular weekend jaunt and the best way to figure out where they are camped is to see where traffic is snarled. I love that the fashion statement is beautiful with summer eyelet dresses, sleeveless blouses, flirty light skirts and shoulder-baring halters. I love that it is a city that lavishes everyone with compliments on the way they look, the dress they wear or the color of their polish. I love that everyone in the city during the summer has a smile on their face.

I love that I can wear my shades again – ALL of them. I love that I can wear lip gloss and get away without lipstick during the daytime because well, lipstick is just too heavy for summer.

I love that all my weekends are filled with activities all through September but especially in July when Nicole will be coming to visit. I love that every weekend I will stuff my face with the hamburgers and hotdogs and ribs that my friends will grill on the barbeque and that every time at the end of the day I will feel guilty because I know I’ve just gained 1,000 pounds. And then by the time we say goodbye we are excitedly making plans on who will bring the margaritas next week.

I love that there is daylight until 9PM and that it just encourages for more to get accomplished - strolls, shopping, movies, and just simply hanging out on the bench at the pocket park at Tudor City during lunch time.

And when the heat and humidity builds up, I love that I can come home to my micro-apartment of a home and chill in front of a humming air conditioning unit. And that later in the evening, as if nature’s way of balancing things out, with the roll of thunder and a flash of lightning, the city will be drenched in a summer storm to clean out all the built up remnants of our festivities and then by morning, all will be perfect again.

Yes, I love that New York is perfect despite all its faults. It is perfect.