What You Need to Do in NYC Before Summer Ends

by  Karen Gardiner | Aug 13, 2014
New York City skyline
New York City skyline / Sean Pavone/iStock

We're into our last few weeks of summer, but before you start dusting off your coats and settling in for the winter, let's wrap up the season in style with one last go around of all the things that make a New York summer great.

Last Rooftop Cocktail
A whole host of new rooftop bars have opened in the city this year. One of our favorites in Manhattan is The Roof at the new Viceroy hotel where you can enjoy cocktails created by the Gerber Group ($18) in a setting that is designed to evoke a luxury yacht and looks out across Central Park. Over in Brooklyn, we love the Sheltering Sky at the McCarren Hotel and Pool where the terrace looks out across the Manhattan skyline and cocktails ($15) are the creation of Charlotte Voisey, a two-time Golden Spirit Award-winner at Tales of the Cocktail. To really make the most of it, you can take a dip in the hotel's outdoor swimming pool ($45-55 for non-hotel guests).

Last Free Concert in the Park
Celebrate Brooklyn closed out its 2014 season in Prospect Park last weekend, but Central Park's SummerStage still has a few more free events before packing up for the year. You will likely need to start lining up early for this weekend's Blood Orange show, but if you don't make it to that one, you can catch the season finale, La Mega's seventh annual Tropical Fest with Latin DJ Alex Sensation. All of SummerStage's free shows are on a first-come, first-served basis, until capacity is reached.

Last Free Outdoor Movie
While a few places will be continuing their free outdoor movie programming into September and even, in the case of Brooklyn's Habana Outpost, into October, most screenings are wrapping things up at the end of this month. On August 18 you can be terrified by The Shining in Bryant Park, on the 20th you can watch Top Gun in an appropriate setting under the flight deck at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, and on the 31st you can see Skyfall at South Street Sea Port. Younger moviegoers in the outer boroughs can enjoy The Lego Movie in Staten Island's Westerleigh Park on August 29, and Despicable Me 2 in Brooklyn's Brower Park on August 30.

Last Free Dip in a Public Pool
New York City's public outdoor swimming pools are open only until September 1. For Olympic size lanes, Art Deco design, and spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, head out to the Astoria Pool in Queens. In Manhattan, the John Jay Pool sits at the edge of the East River offering views of Roosevelt Island. Whichever pool you choose, remember to bring water and a towel, as well as a lock for storing your valuables.

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