As the Lovin’ Spoonful sang more than 40 years ago, it’s Summer in 
the City – New York City, that is. 
In a place whose cup runneth over with experiences, though, summer is best experienced by venturing beyond Manhattan. Here we’ll 
stay within a couple of hours 
of the Big Apple, covering the 
summer essentials. Summer nights in Manhattan under the bright lights, roaming from bar to club 
to Broadway show and back again, is standard procedure. But the best summer experience in New York City is the famed Central Park.
 

More than 840 acres in size, each twist and turn of the landscaped architectural icon – meaning virtually everything from trees 
to stones to ponds was placed by people, not nature – takes visitors 
to a separate sense of pleasure. Leisurely strolls are expectedly abundant, accented by the verdant beauty of strategically-placed 
trees, lawns and pathways, and accentuated by interesting tales 
of their surroundings.
 

The Great Lawn, for example, is 
not merely the quintessential picnic spot. During the summer months, the lawn hosts free concerts by The Metropolitan Opera and The New York Philharmonic. Yet even this mass of grass was not original to the park. Rather, it was built to replace 
a reservoir rendered obsolete when Manhattan revamped its water system back in 1917.
 

As the opera and philharmonic exemplify, Central Park in the summer is a haven for the arts. Its famed SummerStage is a musical melting pot, summer-long ingredients being global sounds both famous and unknown. Be it party music from the Middle East and Africa to beats from Mali and Haiti, these shows are free and get to the heart of the city’s soul as few other locations can. Almost every night in June and July, the park’s Delacorte Theater hosts the 50-plus-year institution known as Shakespeare in the Park. This year the repertory group will perform 
The Winter’s Tale and The Merchant 
of Venice, with free tickets available for evening shows under the stars.
 

The arts adorn the park in other ways as well. The Mall and Literary Walk, going down the centre of the park, is one of its few formal features. Framed by shade-granting elms, the path is watched over by statues of literary giants such as William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Burns. Elsewhere in the park rest wonderful statues of Robert Louis Stevenson – where children can gather for free storytelling shows – and Alice in Wonderland, 
a favourite for youngsters to climb. It’s a short jaunt to the famed Bronx Zoo, but a fun stop is the Central Park Zoo. This is not a mere petting zoo stop – though one is included. Exhibits feature polar bears, snow leopards, monkeys, and sea lions – to name 
a few. A great stop for animal lovers big and small.
 

Want to venture from Manhattan? Coney Island in Brooklyn is a living, breathing time capsule, drawing all who enter it into a bygone era of carnival wonder long since overtaken by massive thrill-focused amusement parks. The beach-front neighbourhood boasts circus acts, game booths, and festivals such as the Mermaid Parade, and shows ranging from concerts to burlesque acts that liven up any night.
 

Of course, the park maintains its 
own thrills as well. There’s still no more fun rollercoaster in the world than the legendary Cyclone, a wood-railed classic whose hundering echo cuts a swathe through even the sound of the bustling boardwalk 
and the nearby Brighton Beach community. Deno’s Wonder Wheel – a 400,000lb, 150-foot-tall ferris wheel that stands as the centrepiece of the park, which, while fun during the day, really should be experienced at night for the full effect – not to mention the view of Manhattan’s glorious skyline.
 

Pizza may be the must-have quick-grab food in New York, 
but Coney Island stands as the exception. That’s because Nathan’s, where the hot dog originated, began here and remains nearly a century since its creation in 1916.
 

Friday night fireworks displays remain a Coney Island hallmark, and it’s a worthwhile venture to stop at the neigh-bouring New York Aquarium before venturing in.
 

Manhattan may be home to many of the rich and famous, but when the entitled city-dwellers seek to escape skyscraper clutter, they venture to eastern Long Island and The Hamptons. This stretch of beach towns along the southern fork of Long Island is comprised mainly of summer rental homes and cottages, bridged by the occasional multi-million dollar celebrity mansion.
 

The string of beaches run the gamut from beach sports and tailgating at Sagg, Flying Point, and Main Beach, to romantic seclusion at Gibson Beach and a bike path – there are rentals available – along the relaxing Wainscott Beach that you can ride to tour the local mansions.
 

Fine restaurants abound in the Hamptons, with East by Northeast in Montauk – the island’s easternmost point – 
and Mezzaluna AMG among the best. But perhaps the most fun food experiences are picking your own fruit at the numerous lush and tantalising orchards 
in the area, or taking to one 
of the abundant fishing vessels, particularly out of Montauk, which range from the relaxing 
to the thrilling, depending on your catch.
 

A quick note, though, about 
the Hamptons. If you’re driving, be prepared for a slow slog once you get near the area, as only one road cuts through it. One way in, one way out, making for a slow go in the rush of summer. Mass transit is available, and worth considering.
 

Madison Square Garden may be dubbed ‘the world’s most famous arena’, but if you’re looking to see a major music 
act, look up the Jones Beach Theater. This 15,000-seat amphitheatre draws top current and classic-rock acts, which perform on a stage separated from the mainland and built atop the bay for a floating stage effect. On a starry, summer night, there is no better venue anywhere to enjoy a concert followed by a boardwalk stroll that is the essence of the summer experience.

Lower Hudson Valley

Elsewhere in this feature we take you east of Manhattan. 
If you care to go the other way, venture upstate to the Lower Hudson Valley. This historic region was a vital cog in the American Revolution, prompting the development of West Point military academy, the plans for which Benedict Arnold – who had been appointed commander of the site - famously tried to give to British forces.
 

Today, West Point and the surrounding region are feverishly protected by historians and region residents alike. Cruise boats along the Hudson River provide relaxing views of castles 
in the area. The stunning landscape and summer hues are best 
and most excitedly seen from a hot air balloon, which 
are available in abundance throughout the valley. Of course, 
if you care to go by foot, the Appalachian Trail weaves through the area’s beauty via countless hiking routes. For the more adventuresome, whitewater rafting and mountain climbing are nature’s way of calling you just a little bit louder. The Hudson Valley was the USA’s first wine-producing region.

As New York grows into prominence in the global wine world, wineries 
such as Whitecliff and Brotherhood – both on the west side of the Hudson River – draw tasters from all over. The vineyards and tranquil walks about the quaint villages of the area are fine complements to a modern art-lover’s paradise – the Storm King Art Center, which covers 500 acres of landscaped lawns, fields and woodlands, the sky the backdrop for its exhibition 
of modern sculpture, which encompasses stone and metals. The sculptures are affected by changes in light and weather, 
so no two visits are the same.
 

Immortalised by Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the village of the same name boasts several famous landmarks including Philipsburg Manor, the Old Dutch Church, and ‘Kykuit’, the Rockefeller family’s estate – just some of the historic homes and estates worth taking in during your visit. There’s no Headless Horseman riding through – unless you come on Hallowe'en, of course – but there is one of the most bucolic settings anywhere in New York.