The ultimate NYC summer bucket list (2024)

Get ready for another summer of fun in the sun! New York City beaches arenow open for swimming and sunbathing. From the popular Jacob Riis Park Beach to The Bronx’s only public beach, we've got a detailedround-up of where to soak up the sunthis summer.

Sixopen-air night marketsare popping up around town this summer, from the Bronx to Brooklyn and Manhattan to Queens. Plus, the Vegan Night Marketand Latin Night Market are back! We've rounded up details on all six, so grab some cash andmake plans to eat locally—and deliciously.Here's the full rundown.

We'll be real with you, the only ups and downs we want to be weathering this summer in NYC are on a rollercoaster. Thankfully, the thrill rides over at Coney Island's Luna Park, the largestamusem*nt park in New York City, are open dailyfor the season.

Catch iconic coasters like the family-friendlyTony’s Express, that 90-degree-dropper the Thunderbolt and, of course, the“Big Momma” of Coney Island, a.k.a. the landmark Cyclone.

Along with those beloved amusem*nt-park staples—as well as the timeless charm and nostalgic noveltiesthat make Coney Island, well, Coney Island—the seaside theme park will also welcome several new rides and upgrades for summer 2024. One high-profile debut is theElectric Eden Raceway,New York City’s first sustainably powered go-kart attraction.

The beloved Movie Nights series is coming back toBryant Parkthis summer with Paramount+. Screenings will take place every Monday at 8pm from June10 throughAugust 12.

Be warned, though: the screenings are very popular and Bryant Park recommends getting there at 6pm in order to snag a good spot, but we suggest getting there even earlier, perhaps by 5pm,when the lawn opens for picnicking.

New York's summertime smells tend to get a bad rap: hot garbage, sweat, vape smoke and other olfactory offenses. But there's one place in the city where you can go this summer to breathe in the delightful herbal aroma of lavender.

Catch a ferry to Governors Island where you'll find the NYC Lavender Field in all its purple glory. The field is free to visit and definitely worth adding to your summer in NYC bucket list. June, in particular, is the perfect time todrop byas the plantsburst into a wave of color.

Unsurprisingly given the city's landscape, the NYC Lavender Field is the only lavender field in the city. When you visit, you'll get a chance to strollalong gravel paths through dozens of lavender bushes.More than 500 plantseruptin an ombre wave of color—royal purple, pastel gray, brilliant grape and bluish silver.Every single one is gorgeous.

WatermarkBarhas transformed into thetropically-themed Watermark Beach. Expecta full season of fun at Watermark Beach, which will be gussied up for the warm weather withInstagram-ready tiki decor, seasonal drinks and twinkling lightsfor when the partystretches into the nighttime hours.

And this summer, the al fresco experience will introducenew cabanas and a curated new co*cktail program, in addition to large-formatCooler Packages, which will allow guests to have their canned and bottled drinks ready on ice as they visit.

One of the most anticipated events at the Met is their annual Roof Garden Commission, an art series in which the New York institution chooses one artist to use the coveted space as their canvas.

This year’s commission, which was just unveiled today, sends a playful yet extremely poignant and timely message about children who find themselves in war zones.The exhibition,titledAbetare, is on view through October 27; it's included with general admission.

The artist,Petrit Halilaj, was born in war-torn Kosovo in 1986 and had to flee his home during the Yugoslav Wars in 1998. He lived with his family in a refugee camp in Serbia for a year, where he drew pictures of war scenes that he had witnessed back home.The sculptures on the roof were inspired by doodles Halilaj found at the school he attended in Runk, Kosovo before it was demolished in 2010.

Whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or an ally, it’s time to celebrate Gay Pride in NYC. Party at the Pride March, take a gay history walking tour, see a show, enjoy live music, and so much more.

Sometimes you’ll feel very tall, sometimes very small, and sometimes in awe of it all at this newNew York Botanical Gardenexhibit that celebrates the magic ofAlice's Adventures in Wonderland. With a variety of botanical and artistic exhibitions throughout the Bronx garden’s 250 acres, “Wonderland: Curious Nature” encourages visitors to get “curiouser and curiouser” around every turn.

See a massive white (well, actually green) rabbit made entirely of plants; explore an enchanting English garden with delightfully weird flora; climb through a rabbit hole; hang out in a house made of mycelium bricks; and much more at this sprawling exhibition.Wonderland: Curious Natureruns through October 27, 2024, and will evolve with each season.

Though it's now more than 150 years since the first publication ofAlice's Adventures in Wonderland,the delightful story with itsheroic protagonist feels just as fresh as ever—especially at New York Botanical Garden with itsenchantingscientific and artistic twist on the story.

Transport yourself to the verdant countryside of Sweden without ever leaving Manhattan. On the longest day of the year,soak up theextra hours of sunshine at the Swedish Midsummer Festival in honor of the summer solstice.

This annual outdoor celebration held on June 21at Rockefeller Park is the largest Swedish Midsummer Festival in New York City. Expect gorgeous decor making the perfect backdrop for photos. It's free to attend and packed with fun activities, like flower crown-making and dancing around the maypole.

On select Friday nights this summer, the Intrepid Museum opens its doors for free (tickets are usually $36/adult), allowing visitors to explore the museum and enjoy free after-hours programming. Free Fridays run on the last Friday of the month(June 28, July 26 and August 23).

On Free Fridays, visitors can explore the museum free of charge and enjoy after-hours programming.Doors open at 5pm and close at 8:30pm.

While you're there, be sure to check out the fascinating exhibit "Apollo: When We Went to the Moon." With archival speeches, historic documents, and incredible space equipment, the exhibit whisks visitors back to the 1960s, an era when humanity first ventured into the unknown.

Thisfree outdoor French film festival is back with asports-themed lineup in honor of the Olympics in Paris this summer. The festival is hosted byVilla Albertine, andthis year’s edition features 11 French films with English subtitles across Manhattan and Brooklyn parks. Expect a mix of classic and contemporary movies, all on the theme of “Sports on Film.”

"The lineup proves that sports films, a stereotypically American genre, are very much alive and thriving in French cinema," event organizers say.

All screenings will be subtitled in English, free and open to the public. Screenings begin at sunset. Here's more about each film and exact show locations.

Lincoln Center is gearing up to launch thethirdannual Summer for the City festival. From June 12 through August 10, New Yorkers will get to attend over 200 free or choose-what-you-pay eventsthat span a variety of topics, genres and locations.

You can read through the entire calendar rightherebut standouts includevirtual reality experience The Dream Machine, which features five distinct game-like interactive performances;a night of opera and drag with two superstar queens fromRuPaul's Drag Race, Monét X Change and Sapphira Cristál;and a silent disco night as part of India Week with DJ Rajuju Brown.

Black Restaurant Week returns to New York City and the Tri-State area for its fifth year.Kicking off onJuneteenth, a.k.a. Wednesday, June 19, the annual campaign celebrates “the diverse tastes of African American, African, and Caribbean cuisine throughout the country," with budget-friendly menu selections at restaurants, bakeries,cafés, food trucks and more throughoutthe five boroughs, as well as New Jersey townships.

From June 19 through Sunday, June 30, you can frequentup to 80 participating venues, includingRed Rooster Harlem, Cascade Jerk, Twins BBQ Co., Collective Fare, Tamarind Island, Voila Afrique, Misfits Nutrition, Brooklyn Blend, Negril Village, Lee Lee's Baked Goods, The Real Mothershuckers and many more.

Check out theBlack Restaurant Week websitefor the full line-up of participating New York and New Jersey restaurants, and get ready to eat very well.

Little Island, the beautiful 2.4-acre elevated park that sits above the Hudson River on Manhattan's west side, is offering a lineup of star-studded performancesthis summer. Performances will kick off on June 1 and close out on September 22, spanning the realms ofmusic, dance, theater, opera, comedy, jazz, pop and funk.

Just as exciting is the debut of The Glade, a brand new co*cktail lounge opening on the island that will be offering a selection of beers, wines, co*cktails and mocktails to be enjoyed anywhere throughout the park.

You can learn more about Little Island's full summer programming and get advance tickets to the bigger performances on theirwebsite.

Hudson Yards puts on a great series of free events for everyone, every summer.

This summer series called “Backyard at Hudson Yards Presented by Wells Fargo” is curatedby The Bowery Presents and returns huge acts likeKeke Palmer, David Archuleta, Brynn Cartelli, Chayce Beckham, Ray Bull, and more.

A complete schedule of Backyard at Hudson Yards presented by Wells Fargo programming and events can be found at theBackyard at Hudson Yardspage.

Hopping on a boat and cruising New York's natural harbor is one of the best parts about summers in the city, but there is so much about the history of our waters that the majority of New Yorkers isn't aware of—including the existence of a plethora of abandoned islands dotting the East River, many of which serve as safe havens for local wildlife.

One brandnew boat tour wants toteachNew Yorkers about these hidden islands by actually taking them there.

The Urban Naturalist Tour: Abandoned Islands of the East River is organized by Classic Harbor Line andwill depart from Chelsea Pier 62 at 6:45pm on seven Sundays throughout the summer. These tours offer a chance to admire wildlife andlearn about NYC's history.

Ticketsto the Urban Naturalist tour start at $124 per person. Tours are scheduled for June 16, 24, 30 and July 7, 14 and 21.

Public spaces come alive with free outdoor theater in New York City in the summer, and especially with the plays of William Shakespeare.

The top destination, of course, is usually the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, where the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park presents excellent productions that among New York's best things to do in the summer. That series is on hold this year for long-needed Delacorte renovations, but luckily you can still enjoy plays by Shakespeare and other classical masters elsewhere in the city: in Harlem and Brooklyn, at Battery and Riverside Parks, even in a Lower East Side parking lot.

You might be surprised by the magic that can come from wonderful words, inventive actors and a mild summer breeze.

Here's our full list of free outdoor theater.

Tap your toes and enjoy the music at the13th Annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, with performances running from June 1 through early July. The festival pops up at major venues across NYC including Sony Hall, Town Hall, Brooklyn Bowl, and SummerStage in Central Park.

This year's performances include: Wynton Marsalis performing a residency at the Blue Note; Yo La Tengo with the Sun Ra Arkestra at Sony Hall;Ghostface Killah with The Soul Rebels at the Blue Note;Antibalas with Hailu Mergia at Sony Hall;Jazz Is Dead at Sony Hall;Bombino with Etran De L'Air at Sony Hall; and Os Mutantes at Brooklyn Bowl. Plus, see sets fromAndra Day, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ozomatli, Soulive, Victor Wooten and many more.

Here's the full lineupwith ticketing info.

Art nerds can’t wait until the Whitney Biennial, which happens every two years. It’s always a gigantic showcase of some of the coolest, newest, and most provocative art at a big New York City museum. It’s the Whitney Museum of American Art’slandmark exhibition series and the longest-running survey of American Art, on view through August 11.

This year, the Biennial is themed “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and features thework of 71 artists and collectives. It doesa lotin this iteration. The survey examines rapidly advancing technologies and machine learning tools; the body and subjectivity as it pertains to queer identity, body sovereignty, motherhood, the aging body, and the trans body; material agency and the use of unstable media;and lots more.

Overarching is the focus on “the real,” an extremelypresent topic these days with the onslaught of incorrect ChatGPT answers, horrifying deep fakes and art made byAI.

Shop 'til you drop at FAD Market, a curated fashion, art and design pop-up marketplace, which is back for 2024. Expect to see your favorite makers plus brand new creatives to help you live smarter, gift better and support local businesses.

FAD—which stands for Fashion, Art and Design—takes over different venues with a horde of independent vendors and creators.Admission is free and dogs are welcome!

Here's the summer schedule:

— June-October (third weekend of the month): Governors Island Market
— June 22-23: Summer Market at The Invisible Dog Art Center
— July13-14: Summer Market atEmpire Stores in Dumbo
— July 27-28:Summer Market atThe Invisible Dog Art Center
— August 10-11: Summer Market atEmpire Stores in Dumbo

Smorgasburg, the food bazaar spectacular, isback for 2024 with dozens of great local vendors across three locations.

In fact, with more than 70 vendors, it's the largest Smorgasburg lineup since 2018!Vendors this year willserve upfragrant Ethiopian stews, Hawaii-style street comforts, explosive pani puri, potato puff poutine, and lots more.

SmorgasburgWTC runs on Fridays; Williamsburg is on Saturdays; and Prospect Park is on Sundays.Each locationis open from 11am-6pm and operates weekly through October.

Eat your waythrough Japan without ever leaving New York City at JAPAN Fes, the massive foodie festival, which is back and bigger than ever for 2024. The organization is hosting30 outdoor events this year stretching through November in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Event organizers say it's the largest Japanese food festival in the world, attracting 300,000 visitors and featuring 1,000 vendors every year.

Expect dishesincludingtakoyaki, ramen, matcha sweets, yakisoba, karaage, okonomiyaki, and lots more. They're even hosting a ramen contest and a konamon contest this year to crown the best of the bunch.Vendors hail from New York City, as well as other states and other countries.

Here's thefull listof dates and neighborhoods.

In theresonant words of A$AP Rocky, "The nails, the kilts, the pretty-boy swag, the pearls—I think it's just being comfortable. I just express myself with fashion, and what's fly is fly." What's fly is "Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry" at the American Museum of Natural History, a new show that features dozens ofincredible necklaces, rings, watches, chains, and more worn by some of the biggest names in music.

A few highlights include T-Pain's Big Ass Chain necklace, Ghostface Killah's eagle arm band, Nicki Minaj's Barbie pendant,Beyoncé's nail rings, Cardi B's nipple covers, and Slick Rick's crown. While the pieces are a sight to behold up-close, the exhibit carries a much deeper meaning, especially as New York City wraps up its50 years of hip-hop celebrations.

Seethe exhibitnow at the American Museum of Natural History with general admission, which is pay-as-you-wish for New Yorkers.Find it in the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals on the first floor.

Take your movie-going experience to the next level this summer at Rooftop Cinema Club. The experience offers a chance to watch a movie on a Midtown rooftop with vegan popcorn, classic theater candy, and craft co*cktails.

This season's rooftop movie schedule includes classics likeWhen Harry Met Sally,Dirty Dancing,Grease,Mean Girls,Clueless, and so much more. Also expect special programming for Star Wars day, AAPI Heritage Month, Black Music Month, and Pride Month. Plus,it’s adding a Saturday Cereal Club andMimosas& Muffins Sundays.Get tickets here.

Turns out, pickleball was not just a passing fad.

Doubling down on the popularity of the sport, CityPickle's 14-court pickleball installation is back at Central Park's Wollman Rink.The experience offers players of all skill levels the chance toreserve courtsor partake in open play sessionsbetween 8am and 9pm daily.

The city’s most beloved free summer concert series is back with a stellar line-up featuring nearly 85 free and benefit shows in Central Park, plus neighborhood parks across the five boroughs.

The 2024SummerStagelineup includes T-Pain, Snail Mail, Madison Cunningham,Corinne Bailey Rae, The Metropolitan Opera, Counting Crows,Ghostface Killah,The Gaslight Anthem, Trixie Mattel and Amanda Lepore, and more.

This season is all aboutcelebrating incredible music from around the world with artists like The Aussie BBQ, Colombian music star Fonseca and Spain’s captivating new flamenco singer Israel Fernández, Sidonie and the Balkan Paradise Orchestra.

All shows are free except the benefit concerts.Here's thefull schedule and ticket info.

Bryant Park's Picnic Performances will bring the best of NYC to the stage, including the New York City Opera, Jalopy Theatre, Carnegie Hall,the Harlem Chamber Players, and the American Symphony Orchestra.

TSQ Liveoffersa series of 80 free, open-air performances all over Times Square. It's basically a giant, free outdoor event festival with programs presented by the likes of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Soul Summit and more.

Expect dance workshops by Ailey Extension, weekly DJ sets, and a new series called Street Lab that willfeature pop-up activations for entire families focusing on all things art.This year's full lineup can be found righthere.

The Rooftop at Pier 17 is planning a packed summer of musical performances with more than 60 outdoor shows.The panoramic views, the chill vibe, and the stellar acoustics make it a truly special spot to see a show.

The sixthSummer Concert Series on The Rooftop at Pier 17 features more than 60 artists in genres from rap (Isaiah Rashad) to rock (Social Distortion) to electronic (Electric Callboy) and more. Plus, there are several bands on the roster that will make Millennials swoon with nostalgia (like Taking Back Sunday, Something Corporate, Two Door Cinema Club, and Mayday Parade).Get tickets here.

Can’t afford a tropical vacation? Hitch a ferry to New York’s car-free island, and once you’re there, get a tan as you chill in one of its hammocks.

New Yorkers can look forward to walking, running, biking, picnickingand birding throughoutthe sprawlinggreen space on the island. Visitors can also bring their bikes or rent them to use on the island via Blazing Saddles or Citi Bike atSoissons Landing, Yankee Pier and Picnic Point.

A season of incredible shows is before us at Forest Hills Stadiumfor its2024 season.

Expect a variety of genres on the stage, from EDM to rock to folk and lots more.Among the performers are Pitbull, Tiesto, Kings of Leon,Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Avett Brothers, and The National with more to be announced.

Tickets are available through AXS; head tothe Forest Hills Stadium websiteto make your purchase and findmore information.

Ever wanted to touch one of the dresses at the Met? Or how about smell it? At last, now's your chance.

The museum's new exhibit, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," takes a multi-sensory approach allowing visitors to smell, touch, and hear the clothing, not just look at it. With more than 200 garments from the 1600s to today, the exhibition isthe largest and most ambitious in theCostume Institute's historyin terms of range and scope.

Here arefive things to expect from the exhibit, which is on view through September 2.

Torch & Crown Brewing Company'ssummertime pop-up is back at Union Square Pavilion.This year it returns not only withlocally brewed beers but also a slate ofevents and programming to the open-air NYC Parks’ concession venue in Union Square Park.

Along with new and returning draft options (from their flagship Almont Famous to crisp lagers like Tenement), the beer garden will feature a revamped food menu this season, overseen byExecutive Chef Michael Citarella—expect bar-food staples likehomemade pizza, fried chicken sandwiches, and burgers.The seasonal venue will feature both indoor and outdoor dining, so you can enjoy beers and bites rain or shine.

If you want to feel like you’re in a tropical paradise, head to Jamaica—the one in Queens, that is. Yacht Rock Charters is offering rides on their schooner, a sailing vessel that looks like it was plucked straight out of a history documentary, as well as their Tiki Boat called the RockTiki.

According to captain Jarad Astin, RockTikiis NYC’s first-ever tiki boat. As temperatures warm up, it's ready to take you on one of the most unique experiences you can have in NYC.

RockTiki and the schooner sail out of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which is a much chiller experience than what you might find sailing along the city’s river or beaches. Jamaica Bay offers plenty of opportunities to see wildlife, and it’s an important stopon the migration path for many birds along the Eastern seaboard. If you get lucky, you’ll be able to see osprey, white ibis, peregrine falcons, and more.

Pricingfor RockTiki begins at $490, bookablehere.

For more than a century, the Statue of Liberty has offered inspiration as a beacon of freedom, equality, and democracy. And for just as long, she has also served as an inspiration for tattoo artists.

A new exhibit at City Reliquary, a jewel box of a museum in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, features vintage Statue of Liberty tattoos.Asthe first show devoted to Lady Liberty ink, it also traces tattooing history in NYC since the 1800s. "Liberty the Tattooed Lady: The Great Bartholdi Statue as Depicted in Tattooing" is now open through January 12, 2025.

The exhibition spotlights antique flash, vintage photographs, drawings, and otherephemera that show how Lady Liberty has been apopular subject in tattooing for as long as she’s stood in New York Harbor. You'll even get to see vintage tattoo art that's never been on display before.

One of the city’s most beautiful summer traditions is on its way, and you won’t want to miss this free viewing experience.

Manhattanhenge, the phenomenon when the sun sets along with Manhattan's grid, making it appear like the orange orb is sinking between the skyscrapers, occurs every summer. It's a special time when pedestrian traffic slows, and everyone's temporarily aware of their surroundings to observe the gorgeous natural occurrence.

See "full sun on the grid" Friday, July 12 at 8:20pm and"half sun" on Saturday, July 13 at 8:21pm.

Here's when and where to observeManhattanhenge.

If there's one placewhere you will consistently hit the Tulum-meets-Miami theme without leaving New York City, it's Gitano Island. And after a few months off for its annual cold-weather hiatus,the waterfront restaurant and lounge located on Governors Island is officially back for summer 2024, offering up another season of modern Mexican eats, mezcal co*cktails and stunning skyline views.

The beachy lounge—which first brought its Mexico-by-way-of-Manhattan vibes to New York with Soho'sGitano Garden of Love—first debutedon Governors Island in May 2022, and now is back for its third year. A five-minute ferry ride from Downtown Manhattan, the 27,000-square-foot venue is an instantly transporting one,done up with a jungle's worth of lush greenery and 350 tons of actual sand.

Every Tuesday, this dreamy affair gives you an astronaut-worthy view of the stars from the high-powered telescopes of the Amateur Astronomers Association. And here we all thought we couldn't gaze at constellations in New York City! Stargazing at the High Line runs from sunset to 30 minutes before the park closes each Tuesday.

Just in case you're worried you'll have no idea what you are looking at, the AAA leads the star-spotting expeditions, pointing out celestial bodies above the park. Follow the High Line’s Twitter feed (@highlinenyc) for updates in the event of inclement weather.

If you find yourself walking around the Seaport in need of some respite, we've got just the solution for you: a newly expanded set of three outdoor lawnsthat are part of the 26,000-square-foot Lawn Club Terraceat 1 Fulton Street.

The Terrace featuresa trio of outside spaces that are open rain or shine and join thenine others that make up the Lawn Club as a whole. When you make a patio reservation, you'll getTV screens to watch any program plus a "lawncierge" that we suspect will take your food and drink orders while making the whole experience that much more enjoyable.

For decades, the Tenement Museum has been dedicated to telling stories of New York City's immigrants, migrants, and refugees. Andan important part of understanding that story is through food.

The museum used to host a popular series of food tours, buttourswere canceled amid the pandemic. Now, after a four-year hiatus, the Tenement Museum’s popular walking tour Foods of the Lower East Sideis back, exploring 150 years of immigrant cuisine.

The food tour covers 10 stops athistoric neighborhood sites with five tastings from localLower East Side vendors, offering diverse cuisines from Eastern Europe to Italy and Puerto Rico. All-age tours are available on Saturdays for $55/person. Expect a half-mile walk over the course of 90 minutes.

On a day when it's too hot or too rainy to be outside, head to NYC's newest movie theater.

With a full restaurant, craft co*cktails, comfy reclining seats and even more bells and whistles, this new movie theater in Hell's Kitchen elevates the movie-going experience.LOOK Dine-in Cinemas is now open in VIA 57 West, the pyramid-shaped building located at West 57th Street and 11th Avenue.

New York City is full offree art thatyou don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals andphotographs can be foundin its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings. Locations such as theHigh Line,Central Park,the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Cadman Plaza inBrooklynand Socrates Sculpture Park inQueensand other NYC locales all haveawide variety of pieces awaiting you, from massivesculptures to eye-popping murals.

This "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from Londonoffers three nine-hole golf courses across 23,000 square feet under 20-foot-high ceilings.For those new to the game, "crazy golf" is a British spin on mini-golf, but it's for a 21-and-over audience since craft co*cktails are served by caddies on the course.

At Swingers NoMad, expect six co*cktail bars with signature classic co*cktails from London and D.C., as well as 12 co*cktails created specifically for NYC, private rooms you can rent, an opulent clubhouse and four gourmet street food vendors—Sauce Pizzeria, Miznon, Fonda and Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.

Ice cream is at the center of this 20,000-square-foot museum that'll make the cold treat even more fun (who knew it'deven bepossible?). Across 13 multi-sensory installations, visitors to the museum will be able to interact with fun elements likea three-story indoor slide, the all-pink Celestial Subway, and a newadd-on where guests can build their own edible slime.

Even better: The sweet treats along the way. Yes, we're talking about unlimited ice cream throughout the museum. For adults,check out some fun themed co*cktails as well.

Two sprawling outdoor tempered infinity spa pools looking over Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jerseyare open atQC NY,the luxury spa thatlaunched on Governors Island.Each pool features proprietary underwater hydro seats and loungers that massage, relax, increase lymphatic circulation and revitalize the body and mind. Yes, theyareheated as well.

What better way to take advantage of New York’s gorgeous waterfront views than by actually getting on the water at one of the best boat bars in NYC? From docked summertime icon the Frying Pan to sailing-the-Hudson dinner cruises, get your outdoor drinking and outdoor diningaboard one of these lively boat bars.

Book a champagne and cheese cruise.

New York's summertime smells tend to get a bad rap: hot garbage, sweat, vape smoke and other olfactory offenses. But there's one place in the city where you can go this summer to breathe in the delightful herbal aroma of lavender.

Catch a ferry to Governors Island where you'll find the NYC Lavender Field in all its purple glory. The field is free to visit and definitely worth adding to your summer in NYC bucket list. June, in particular, is the perfect time todrop byas the plantsburst into a wave of color.

RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in NYC this summer

Unsurprisingly given the city's landscape, the NYC Lavender Field is the only lavender field in the city. When you visit, you'll get a chance to strollalong gravel paths through dozens of lavender bushes.More than 500 plantseruptin an ombre wave of color—royal purple, pastel gray, brilliant grape and bluish silver.Every single one is gorgeous.

The garden is home to four different varieties of the plant,all grown without chem­i­cals or pes­ti­cides. They're main­tained by volunteers from Earth Mat­ter, a composting organization, which has run the field since 2017.

"A healing space for the community, pollinators and the earth.

TheLavender Field's co-manager Sarah Lehrich describes it as "a healing space for the community, pollinators and the earth."

Thoughthe field is just a short ferry ride from Manhattan, this fragrant, lush oasis feels worlds away. Thegarden overlooks Buttermilk Channel at the island's South Battery.When you get off the ferry, you'll walk about 10 minutes to the field.Head towardSt. Cornelius Chapel and then you'll soon seethe purple blooms.

While the experience is certainly Instagrammable, we recommend taking a few precious, phone-free moments to really stop and smell the flowers.

While you're planning a Governors Island adventure, we also recommend making a reservation atGitano Islandfor Mexican food and great views. Plus, treat yourself to a pampering session at QC Spa, a luxury Italian spa that's set to debut a major expansion in July.