| The campsite comes with a view. Stephen Speranza for The New York Times | | | Camping might be the ultimate way to celebrate summer. Did you know that New Yorkers can camp in their backyard? (In the broader sense, of course.) Read on for details. | | | This is what camping in N.Y.C. looks like. Stephen Speranza for The New York Times | | | The next time someone asks you about your weekend plans, here’s a line that will wow them: “I’m going camping on Staten Island.” | | | Yes, this is a thing you can do, and yes, it is awesome, all thanks to Camp Gateway — Staten Island, a former military base on the island’s eastern tip that’s now run by the National Park Service. | | | On this grassy complex by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, seven campsites and a gazebo overlook the tidal strait that separates Staten Island from Brooklyn. And with just a $30 reservation fee, you can secure an outdoor adventure without leaving the city. | | | Check-in starts at noon. Once you're squared away, you can set up camp with up to six people and make your little plot your own. Though you’re still in the city, with the plumbing to prove it, you’ve come here for escape, so treat this like real camping: Stick close to the campsite, and make your own fun. That means reading, playing cards and lawn games, going swimming at the nearby beach, and cooking at the communal grill or your site’s individual fire ring, which comes equipped with firewood (but not matches, so be sure to toss some in your bag). | | | Other items to pack: a tent, sleeping bag and pillows, of course, but also, sunscreen, bug spray, a headlamp, portable phone chargers and towels for swimming and showering in the open-ceilinged stalls. Also include in your provisions some instant coffee or cold brew, since the surrounding area is light on caffeine. | | | After a day of outdoor activity, you’ll rest easy in your tent, taking in the sounds of birds singing, the breeze wisping through leaves, and the occasional passing plane from Newark. City and nature unite. | | | By car: This is the best option if you’ve got more camping gear than you can carry comfortably. Drivers will receive a parking pass when they arrive that reserves one spot. More are available upon request. | | | By ferry: The most scenic option. Take the big orange boat from Whitehall Terminal, and grab a spot on the right side for Statue of Liberty views. Then when you come ashore, take the S51 bus to the Battery Rd/Air Force Reserve stop, which is a 10-minute walk from the campsite. | | | Pack light, and pick up takeout Jeenah Moon for The New York Times | | | Since camping and restaurants don’t exactly go hand-in-hand, this week we’re sharing some primo places to pick up supplies for a D.I.Y. picnic. | | | New Asha, one of the many restaurants that caters to Staten Island’s large Sri Lankan population, is within walking distance (or a short bus ride) from the St. George Ferry Terminal. Chef and owner Vijayakumari Devdas keeps a half-dozen intricately seasoned curries in a steam-table setup for easy takeout in plastic pint containers, and they should keep just fine for a few hours without refrigeration. Potatoes and leeks in a mellow coconut sauce is a dark-horse favorite of ours; so too is the meaty (but meatless) jackfruit curry that should be canned and sold nationwide as pulled pork. | | | Phil-Am Foods, a Filipino specialty market, is handy for any last-minute sundries you might forget, but is also a must-visit for its ample selection of prepared and preserved foods. Snag some squishy pan de sal rolls or a cake of steamed bibingka. Add some tinned mackerel, a pint of tangy chicken adobo or voluptuously offal-tastic dinuguan, and a vividly purple ube cake for breakfast in the morning. Or with sufficient notice, Phil-Am’s catering operation can fry up a half-tray of spring-roll-like lumpia for your crew. Or a whole roast pig. You do you. | | | B.Y.O. beverage for the boat ride Stephen Speranza for The New York Times | | | Alcohol isn’t allowed at the campsite, but did you know that drinking from an open container on the Staten Island Ferry is totally legal? Take advantage of this free, 30-minute “booze cruise” by bringing a bottle of wine. Some chilled albariño (see our wine critic’s excellent bottle recs) pairs perfectly with the salty spray of the bay. | | | A 19th-century fort in the foreground and Manhattan in the distance. Stephen Speranza for The New York Times | | | Fort Tompkins, usually closed to the public, opens for hourlong tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Just show up at the visitor center, about a 10-minute walk from the campsite, and follow a park ranger through the thick granite walls. Even if you can’t make a tour, it’s still well worth a visit: The fort is stationed at a lookout with striking views of the Verrazzano, the Manhattan skyline and the Battery Weed below. | | | South Beach is also blessedly close to your tent. It resembles other New York City beaches, only with different views and much lighter crowds, even on weekends. You can take a dip where the beach begins, about three minutes on foot from the camp, or for better beach and fewer flies (and a boardwalk with a bathroom), walk about 10 minutes south. You can also hop on a Lime or Jump Bike to travel down the boardwalk faster. Just be sure to download the apps in advance, and don’t forget to bring a towel. | | | The Alice Austen House is your field-trip option. Walk or bike the mile and a half through residential neighborhoods to the restored Dutch farmhouse that housed Alice Austen, a boundary-pushing photographer in the Victorian era who had a female partner for more than 50 years. Your spin through the house will be quick and inspiring; prolong it with a sit in the yard by the water. | | | Need a moment of quiet amid your packed summer schedule? Join the monks and nuns of Buddhist Insights for a free meditation. On most Mondays in the Rockaways, most Tuesdays in Crown Heights, and most Thursdays in the East Village, this monastic group from Arverne, Queens, leads open Buddhist meditation classes. Donations are welcome but not required; come once or make it a regular practice. | | | If you’ve ever sneaked into a second movie at the theater, you’ll appreciate Lincoln Center’s 50th Mixtape series, where double features are screened for free on Thursdays into September. This Thursday, the bill includes “Come Drink with Me” (6 p.m.) and “The Assassin” (8 p.m.), and there are new titles every week. As with any movie, come early for your choice of seats, and bring a friend. | | | So far, Summer readers have suggested visiting a night market in the Bronx, going on a brewery crawl in Queens and canoeing in Brooklyn. But this week, our reader idea goes a bit out of bounds. Mel G.’s favorite thing to do in N.Y.C. this time of year? “Leaving,” she wrote, quite succinctly. Well, Mel, we’ve got good news for you: Next week’s game plan goes beyond the five boroughs. Until then, here are eight ideas for day trips from New York City, no car needed. | | | Got a great idea? Tell us at summer@nytimes.com, and your favorite thing to do might be featured in our next newsletter. | | | Friday: Take out a rowboat for free in Van Cortlandt Park any time between 4:30 and 7 p.m. | | | Saturday: The Luminal Theater’s Cinema Block Party is equal parts film and celebration. From noon to 10 p.m., catch works of independent black cinema (including several movies by local filmmakers) for free on Tompkins Avenue and Madison Street in Brooklyn. | | | Saturday: Hear Marco Weibel D.J. in the lobby of the Ace Hotel and maybe make a friend or two. He’ll be spinning until 2 a.m. | | | Sunday: Renowned astronauts and performers are participating in “One Giant Leap,” a New York Times event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and humankind’s first steps on the moon, at The Town Hall. Get tickets here. | | | Monday: See Butterboy, a standup comedy show at Littlefield in Gowanus that’s hosted by Jo Firestone, Aparna Nancherla and Maeve Higgins. The first 75 ticket holders will get a coupon for a free taco at nearby Parklife. | | | Tuesday: Rooftop Films is screening 10 shorts about love on the roof of the William Vale in Williamsburg. Come with a date or fly solo; you’ll love the view, at the very least. | | | Any time: Visit Storm King Art Center, then read this article about the eight-person crew that maintains New York’s largest sculpture park. | | | Don't keep Summer to yourself. | | |
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