New York, New York: A guide to summer in The City

Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z, Bad Bunny, and Taylor Swift have all sung about it. It’s the backdrop for countless films, musicals and TV shows, the scenery for endless romcoms: New York City (The Big Apple, the city of dreams) is world-renowned for Christmas and the festive season. But what about the city in the summer?

This summer I travelled to the States to visit my family, and I can confirm that the city is still as magical in the heat of summer. New York is without a doubt an inspirational city whatever the season. The melody of car horns honking, sirens wailing, and subway trains rattling provide a distinct soundtrack, truly making it the city that never sleeps.

Real New Yorkers are much more approachable than you might think

I stayed near my family in Queens, one of the five boroughs in New York City. Staying in Queens makes the concrete jungle of Manhattan much more manageable, as Grand Central Station is only one Subway stop away. Famously Peter Parker’s hometown, I was especially excited to be in Queens because this was the week that Spider-Man: Brand New Day was released. And it was, well, amazing. 

Now, I will admit I was a bit worried about taking the subway. But it turns out, apart from inspiring Chappell Roan, the subway is extremely easy to use. 

Image: Lauren Marples / The Boar

In Manhattan, the air shifts from smelling like cologne to cheese to weed to fried food within minutes. It is a city that certainly keeps you on your toes – literally, because much like in London, people walk extremely fast to get from A to B. And it’s a common preconception that New Yorkers can be slightly… abrasive. But I would argue that this is an assumption based on films, because real New Yorkers are much more approachable than you might think! It’s easy to forget just how different American culture is from British culture. It’s not just cars driving on the wrong side of the road; it’s the street signs, the yellow school buses, tax not being included in prices of anything, and service workers saying, “have a good one!”

Image: Lauren Marples / The Boar

And being in New York is honestly just like the films, Spider-Man could swing through any street and it wouldn’t look out of place. Inevitably, New York is the home of Spider-Man. All 3 Spider-Man franchises utilise the city as a backdrop for their films: Tobey Maguire delivers pizza from Joe’s Pizza, a real pizza place that you can visit. Andrew Garfield writes “I love you” in webs on the Brooklyn Bridge in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. And, of course, there’s the fight scene on the Statue of Liberty towards the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Advice from local New Yorkers is to take the Staten Island Ferry which runs every hour from Manhattan to the Island, and is completely free

There is so much to see in New York, so it’s helpful to know which sights you want to visit first. Now, Times Square is hectic! There is a reason that it is the most visited tourist attraction in the world. My advice? Stay far away from it if you can, it is overcrowded and hardly an attraction at all. Instead, advice from local New Yorkers is to take the Staten Island Ferry which runs every hour from Manhattan to the Island, and is completely free! This trip will provide you with a view of Lady Liberty herself, but you can also take another ferry to Ellis Island – at a cost – for a closer look at the statue.

New York is of course the home of Broadway: Hamilton, West Side Story, and In The Heights are all set in the city. As a book lover, I was very eager to visit the bookstores, and there were plenty of options. Barnes and Noble and The Strand offer a large range, and (bonus) they are air conditioned! There are also plenty of museums in the city. Perhaps the most famous is the American Museum of Natural History. As a huge fan of the Night at the Museum films, this visit was top of my list. 

Image: Lauren Marples / The Boar

The gardens (Washington Square, Madison Square, Union Square… the list goes on) provide a break from the skyscrapers, a spot for lunch, and a chance to watch squirrels, birds, and dogs. New Yorkers absolutely love their dogs, and they are everywhere – in the supermarkets, in the elevators, and on the sidewalks. Undoubtedly, the most famous of parks is Central Park. And in the summer months, the Delacorte Theater presents Shakespeare in the Park, free performances of Shakespeare plays. This summer they were showing Romeo and Juliet, and The Winter’s Tale.

New Yorkers cannot survive without coffee, hence one article reporting the city having over 1,700 coffee outlets

Now after all that walking, you’ll need to refuel. Here are some of the most popular things to eat and drink while in The Big Apple: New Yorkers are BIG on bagels. They absolutely love them. And for a good reason, New York bagels are delicious. Pizza is also famous in the city. If you want to try being a real New Yorker, ask for “a slice”.

Image: Lauren Marples / The Boar

The traditional “cup of joe” is the fuel of the city’s residents. New Yorkers cannot survive without coffee, hence one article reporting the city having over 1,700 coffee outlets. Whether you take it hot or iced, there is so much customisation with flavoured syrups and different types of milk. This trip, I tried my very first “cold brew”: a coffee brewed with cold water, poured over ice. It tastes much stronger than an iced coffee from the UK. I soon realised there’s a reason it’s called “ordering”… you must assert your coffee order, and I ended up forgetting to ask for milk in my coffee. 

I would definitely recommend a trip to The Big Apple during the summer. There is so much to see and do, and the food is absolutely delicious. A true feast for all of the senses.