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Things to Do in New York in Summer

A summer's day or eve in NYC can be exceptional, when warmer temperatures lure friends and lovers to drink and dine al fresco, enjoy an outdoor concert, or take a cruise. Kids are off from school; the streets and trains are hopping with families from around the world. If you're looking for things do in NYC this summer, we've rounded up some perennial favorite events, plus new exhibits and concerts that offer something for everyone. 

Summer in NYC: Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center

Midsummer Night Swing Lincoln Center

(6/21-7/9) Put on your dancing shoes and get set for the summer's hottest dance festival, now in its 28th year! Pick your style of danceswing, Latin, disco, or silent disco (headphones replace speakers for the soundtrack). The evening begins by Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park. For $17, grab your honey and enjoy a dance lesson, followed by a couple of sets by hot bands, including Charenga America (7/1), Bobby Rydell featuring City Rhythm Orchestra (7/6), and The Allen Touissant Band (6/25). After you've worked up a sweat, cool down with a drink and enjoy some Hill Country Barbecue. midsummernightswing.org

Summer in NYC: Pride Month

Pride Flag

June is LGBT Pride Month in New York, to commemorate the June 28, 1969 riots centered around Greenwich Village's Stonewall Innwhich recently received landmark status in the city. Festivities peak the last week of the month. NYC's Pridefest takes place 6/26, but read our Guide to NYC Pride 2016 for info on additional celebrations around the city. nycpride.org

Summer in NYC: July 4th

NY Fireworks

(7/4) Macy's 4th of July Fireworks turns 40 this year! Fireworks will be set off from the Brooklyn Bridge and from barges in the water below. The best viewing spots will be from Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, and along the east side of Lower Manhattan. Macy's fireworks show will also be televised on NBC at 9pm. You can also catch the show from the water with New York Water Taxi, or for a special occasion, indulge in a July 4th Dinner Cruise aboard the Spirit of New York (21+).

Summer in NYC: Star Trek and the Star Fleet Academy Experience at Intrepid

Star Trek Star Fleet Academy at The Intrepid

(7/9) Beam me up, Scotty! Star Trek and the Starfleet Academy Experience opens at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, in conjunction with the TV show's 50th anniversary. The experience features interactive activities and unique technology, including Leap Motion, voice recognition to communicate in Klingon, a Medical Tricorder table with RFID sensors, planet projection mapping, holograms, and a target game using Star Trek's iconic phasers. You can also see Star Trek's shuttle Galileo on display through 12/16. intrepidmuseum.org

Summer in NYC Manhattanhenge

Manhattanhenge

flickr/Schmuel

Four nights a year in the summer, NYC's street grid is treated to a sunset phenomenon called "Manhattanhenge," a term coined by Neil deGrasse Tyson (director of AMNH's Hayden Planetarium) as a play on Stonehenge, when the sun aligns with the stones during the summer solstice. The sunset synchs with Manhattan’s east-west numbered streets, creating beautiful photo opportunities. This summer, the full sun will be visible on the grid on 5/30 at 8:12pm, and on 7/11 at 8:20pm. The half sun will be visible on 5/29 at 8:12pm, and on 7/12 at 8:20pm. Prime locations to view the phenomenon are wide cross streets such as 14th, 34th, 42nd, 57th, and 79th. For the best view, get there half an hour early. There will also be a discussion on the phenomenon at the Planetarium on 7/12 at 7pm. amnh.org

Summer in NYC: Crocs Exhibit at AMNH

Siamese crocodile at the American Museum of Natural History

(5/28) Kicking off Memorial Day Weekend in NYC, AMNH welcomes an exhibit with bite: Crocs: Ancient Predators in a Modern World at American Museum of Natural History. This isn't just a snappy, fun exhibitthere are fossils and life-sized dioramas (one is of "Gomek", the largest living saltwater crocodile, who was nearly 18 feet and weighed almost 2,000 lbs!)live crocodiles are also on display! Pictured above are a pair of Siamese crocodiles. There are also cute, very active alligator hatchlings, a Western African Dwarf crocodile, and a Central African slender snouted crocodile. The exhibit is filled with interactive, informative stations where kids can learn "Croc speak," how to tell a croc from an alligator, and much more. AMNH is open daily from 10am-5:45pm. The exhibit will run through 1/2/17. amnh.org

Summer in NYC: Summer of Hamilton at N-YHS

Summer of Hamilton at New York Historical Society

(7/1-9/5) Following the incredible success of Hamilton on Broadway, the New-York Historical Society is launching the Summer of Hamilton, a packed slate of programming devoted to America’s first Secretary of the Treasury. With events, historical artifacts, film screenings, and more, you won’t want to “throw away your shot” (sigh, sorry, tickets to the sold-out Broadway show are not included!). Kicks off the July 4th weekend. nyhistory.org

Summer in NYC: Cruises

Circle Line's Hello Brooklyn

(Ongoing) Nothing like a cruise and a cocktail to embrace hot NYC summer days and nights. There are various options: NY Water Taxi offers Happy Hour and Saturday Night Dance Cruises; Circle Line recently launched its Hello, Brooklyn cruise, and for the kids and speed freaks, they also offer The Beast (May-Sept), cruising at 45mph; Spirit of New York has Hot Latin Moonlight and Boozy Brunch cruises, and more. Bateaux New York offers elegant, glass-to-ceiling dinner cruise options. 

Summer in NYC: Concerts

summer concerts

Summer in NYC means lots of great concertsboth indoors and out; there's the annual Governors Ball at Randall's Island (6/3-6/5); comedienne Amy Schumer makes her debut at MSG (6/26); Mumford & Sons, Paul Simon, and Bob Dylan play at Forest Hills Stadium; Radiohead play two nights at MSG (7/26-7/27), Sting and Peter Gabriel share the bill both MSG & Jones Beach (6/27, 6/24, respectively), and the annual Afropunk Festival takes place in Brooklyn, with Ice Cube, TV on the Radio, and more in the lineup (8/27-8/28). Check our online calendar for more concert info. You can also read here for more information on this summer's lineup at outdoor venues.

Summer in NYC: Ghostbusters Virtual Reality Experience at Madame Tussauds

Ghostbusters Madame Tussauds

Who ya gonna call? Madame Tussauds brings the new Ghostbusters to life with state-of-the-art technology, authentic props, costumes, a vehicle, gadgets, and more. You will be spooked as you move through elaborate scenes inspired by the film. After exploring the iconic Ghostbusters Headquarters, guests get to experience first-hand the epic finale, in which visitors take part in a ghost hunt of their own, saving New York City from a paranormal villain. madametussauds.com.

Summer in NYC: Fringe Festival

Fringe Festival

Fringe Festival/Facebook page

(8/12-8/28) New York’s most expansive annual festival is FringeNYC—a multi-site extravaganza of 1,100+ music, drama, comedy (theatrical, sketch, and standup), dance, vaudeville, and other performances. This year marks its 20th anniversary, don't miss out! nycfringe.org

About the Author

Linda Sheridan is the Managing Editor for City Guide. She is a lifelong New Yorker, has written for the New York Daily News, and loves travel, writing, music, and space.

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