As we enter May and the weather starts to get warmer, there is an air of positivity about what the summer will bring. In general I love the change each season brings, but after more than a year of living through the pandemic, this summer feels extra special. Now that almost all of my close friends have received the vaccine and we can soon comfortably sit in parks without a chill in the air, I am more than ready for all that will happen in the coming months! New York started to open up again in mid-May, and while I will still remain a little cautious and nervous about COVID ramping up again, I feel overall pretty comfortable with socializing in person again.
Below is a list of a few events or activities that I hope to attend or do this summer:
The stage at Ample Hills all ready for the comedians to perform 
Pete and I ready for the show
Ample Hills Standup A La Mode – If you know me, ice cream is my absolute dessert, if not food item, and when paired, with comedy, it is a recipe for a great night! Pete and I went to the Standup A la Mode event once and we had an awesome time! For only $10, you get a scoop of ice cream and over an hour of stand up comedy that was pretty funny. Ample Hills in Gowanus, Brooklyn, hosts these events most Friday nights at 7pm and 8:30pm. Both Pete and I thought the line up was fantastic and we were both laughing throughout. Plus, I won a sweatshirt! Each person who liked the Instagram page at some point during the event was put into a raffle. I was surprised at the end of the night that I was the winner! To purchase a ticket visit their website here.
Shakespeare in the Park – After a year without theater, I am so ready to see live performances again. For this reason, I am very much looking forward to seeing this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Merry Wives! Beginning July 6 through August 28, the production will be performed at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. I have a feeling of giddiness thinking about sitting in that theater again to watch actors and the crew put on a show again. For more information about the free event, here’s the link.
A spaghetti donut I had to see to believe. Kind of weird but also pretty tasty. 
This bubble waffle I tried at Smorgasburg was insane and insanely good! 
The waffle deserves a closeup
Smorgasburg – Each summer (outside of the pandemic), visiting the food and drink vendors at Smorgasburg is quite a treat. There are two locations in Brooklyn (Prospect Park and Williamsburg) that should be reopening soon as COVID regulations are updated and a location in New Jersey City will open on May 29th. From pasta, tacos and pizza, bubble waffle ice cream cones and fried cookie dough, pressed juices and lemonades, and so much more, there are tons of options for a tasty outing. Most of the vendors are cash only, so make sure to have a few dollar (or $20) bills with you (which I actually like because it forces me to only spend the cash I bring with me). To stay up to date on when the BK locations open – here’s a link to the website and you should also follow their instagram.
Picnics at the Park – I love and appreciate the experience of a warm afternoon at the park, a fun spread of food and drinks, and catching up with my friends. I currently live close to Prospect Park but after I move in late June/early July, I will be closer to Central Park. Either location (along with many other parks in the city) are awesome spots to feel the atmosphere of New York after being cooped up inside throughout the winter.
Me at the Peak of the Bull Hill Trail Hike 
Hikes – One of my favorite activities recently is to take the Metro North up to one of the small towns north of Manhattan to explore and take a hike. Over Labor Day last year, Pete and I went up to Cold Springs, NY to do the Bull Hill Trail. It was pretty tough but doable and the view of NYC from the peak was beautiful. Plus, the town at the bottom is really cute. There were plenty of food options including an ice cream parlor that we took some time to enjoy. This year, I hope we can try the Breakneck Ridge Trail that I have heard is pretty tough but satisfying to complete.
A training run in Williamsburg, VA 
Me before a rainy training day 
Me at the end of Summer Streets at the Brooklyn Bridge
Marathon Training – Along with with picnics in the park, I am looking forward to lots of runs throughout the city parks this summer . Since the 50th NYC Marathon was cancelled in 2020 and I was given an entry through New York Road Runner’s 9+1 program, I was given the option to run in 2021 and I took it! On November 7th, I will be running the streets of New York’s five buroughs and I am equal parts excited and nervous. I have a lot of training to do and part of that will hopefully be done during the Summer Streets events that will hopefully be organized this year now that COVID regulations have eased a bit. For the first 3 Saturdays of August, the streets are blocked off along 72nd Street, Park Avenue, and Lafayette Street between Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge and different vendors and performers lined the streets. During my training for the first time I ran the NYC marathon in 2018, I attended each week (even though it downpoured the first two) and loved seeing the city in a unique way. I have a lot of tough runs ahead of me but I’m looking forward to the feeling of accomplishment I’ll feel at the finish line.
Along with the events above, there are so many other plans I hope to make for this summer – movies I want to see (In The Heights is at the top of my list), restaurants to try, museums I’d love to visit, and friends I’d love to connect with. If you know me, I love my downtime and relaxation, but I love an organized schedule with events I can look forward to and this summer will definitely allow for that!
What events are you planning attend? Do you have any suggestions of fun things to do this summer that I should add to my list? If you like what you’ve read, please like and follow this blog! 🙂
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