Lyd writes 19 Apr 2009 01:18 pm
First Day of “Summer”
Yesterday marked the first day of summer here in New York. Yes, summer in April. I say that because spring in New York consists of a few perfect yet scattered days in April and May. I feel like it’s always either really hot or really cold, which is depressing since I much prefer fall and spring to winter and summer. Anyway, summer kicked off yesterday. The Fort Greene flea market reopened for the season, as did Cafe Habana Outpost. And the temp very nearly reached 80 degrees. So, you see, there were many reasons to be out and about.
The parks were overflowing with people in shorts and sundresses. Groups of friends were picnicking. It was a day when that communal spirit of New York was pulsing.
We seized the opportunity to behold the low hum of our first hot afternoon. A few of us met in East River State Park and enjoyed “the beach” (where the East River meets the shores of Williamsburg), the revelers, and the views of Manhattan. Then we had a Mediterranean snack at an indoor-outdoor restaurant in north Williamsburg, before G-training to Long Island city to take in a midtown sunset. The views were spectacular. The sun setting behind the skyline and the reflections on the river were breathtaking. I’ll never get sick of looking at this city’s silhouette.
From there we had a bite to eat before getting a random group of friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends together for drinks at Pacific Standard.
As much as I hate the humidity and summer here in general — I’ll always remember these warm nights in the city, when you don’t need a jacket even when wandering home at 1:30am, when packs of friends roam the city, when there’s always something else to do before calling it a night, when new faces and new places help you find your sixth wind.