| With a little practice, this could be you. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times | | | New York City is a surf city, so it’s high time for us to get you out on some waves. | | | Before we head to the beach, how are your adventures going so far? We want to hear your stories. Send your tales, tips or whatever you have to summer@nytimes.com. And don’t forget to share Summer with friends; here’s the sign-up link to send around. | | | Surfing N.Y.C. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times | | | Your first thrill occurs on the A train, after you pass J.F.K., when the ground drops out from under you and your subway car soars above a sparkling Jamaica Bay. It won’t be the last time you magically float above water either. That’s because you’re getting off at the Beach 67th Street station in Rockaway for a surf lesson. | | | Walk down the bleached road to the beachfront and turn right on the boardwalk to find Locals Surf School, a tent on the beach framed by a stand of surfboards and a wet suit-strung fence. | | | Founded in 2012 by two Rockaway natives named Mike, the school is an entry point to New York City surf culture. Their instructors, who have built their lives around this community, share their passion with newcomers by offering year-round lessons for surfers of all skill levels (including first-timers). | | | A solo session ($100) lasts an hour, and two- and three-person group lessons ($120 and $85 per person, respectively) last two hours. Surfboards and wet suits are provided and covered in the cost. No matter the length, expect your class to go by fast — time flies when you’re on the board. | | | Beginners get a session on the sand, learning board anatomy and practicing the “pop up,” then it’s straight to the water for the real deal. More experienced surfers, meanwhile, receive more tailored instruction, which can include video analysis and a feedback session. | | | On weekends, you can expect heavy crowds on the sand, so schedule an early lesson to beat the masses. You’ll be glad you did: Surfing early leaves the rest of your day free for a taste of the beach life, and that’s pretty sweet. | | | Pro tip: If you want to learn how to consistently catch waves, better handle your board or increase your ocean confidence, consider buying a package of lessons. You’ll save money, and your lessons will never expire. | | | You'll most likely want more than one sticky bun. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times | | | Rippers, about a 15-minute boardwalk stroll from the surf school, is one of the closest and Rockaway-iest places to reward your sore surfing self with some quintessential beach food. You come here for uncomplicated burgers and cheese fries and admirable soft serve; micheladas and frequent outdoor live music are a nice bonus. | | | Rockaway Beach Bakery is a true local joint, quietly selling some of the city’s best baked goods. Once upon a time, the chef and owner, Tracy Obolsky, was the dessert mastermind at fine-dining destinations Esca and North End Grill. But the lure of daily surfing near her Rockaway home proved too strong to ignore, so she opened her own place in 2017. The intensely buttery sticky buns are a personal favorite, but just about all of the American-style cakes, cookies and croissandwiches are worth trying. Tracy’s surfing obsession has turned her charming bakery into a regular stop on surfers’ routes. Very Rockaway. Very cool. | | | "Epic Journey of Radness," the day's theme and this cocktail's name. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times | | | Rockaway Beach Surf Club may have the coolest-looking bar in the neighborhood, a film scout’s dream of hanging surfboards and nautical paraphernalia; the staff also mixes a piña colada that’s much better than it needs to be. This and a black bean-plantain taco and maybe a margarita afterward make for a splendid way to watch the setting sun at the bar’s outdoor tables. | | | Connolly’s is where you should go when you’re ready for a break from the great outdoors. An Irish pub in a three-story beach house that feels a bit like rolling up to a frat party, the interior is mercifully air-conditioned, dark in that lovely pub way, and not at all fratty. Avail yourself of the slushy machine for brain-freezing mudslides and piña coladas with maraschino cherries and all. | | | Drop in for a coffee. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times | | | Locals Collective, the Mikes’ latest business venture, offers the ultimate refuge from the sun and a nice reward for your exertion. This airy cafe space decked out in surfboards and houseplants offers tasty coffee and all-day-cafe grub, and perhaps more important, a bathroom, Wi-Fi and A/C. | | | Rockaway Beach around 75th Street is the closest spot to keep your fun in the sun going after your lesson. Lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | | | Stop by Red Hook for TankerTime, when the moored oil tanker Mary A. Whalen welcomes guests to its deck for free. On weekdays, visitors are invited to hold meetings on the ship, and on the second Sunday evening of every month (except this month, when it’s happening on the third Sunday, the 21st), regulars bring instruments for onboard jam sessions. And any time the barge is open, the deck is likely to be decked out with hammocks, maritime books and craft supplies for kids. Bring your friends, or even better, out-of-town visitors. | | | Block off your Thursday for a dose of culture with Cocktails at Cooper Hewitt, a weekly outdoor arts series on the Upper East Side. Each week, a different performing arts group takes to the terrace, bringing music and dance to the design museum. As the event’s title promises, cocktails (and snacks) are available for purchase, and your ticket also grants you entry to the museum starting at 5 p.m. Now, all you need is an excuse to leave work early. | | | Quench your thirst at a watering hole on the water. “It all gives you a sense of summer and good health,” writes Peter D., a Summer reader. He recommends the outside bar at the Loeb Boathouse, overlooking the Lake in Central Park, where you can watch the rowboats and gondolas, or the Boat Basin Cafe, overlooking the Hudson River, where you can catch a good view of the sunset. | | | Share your favorite seasonal thing to do at summer@nytimes.com, and your idea might be featured in our next newsletter. | | | Tonight through Saturday: The Mark Morris Dance Group performs at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival. This performance falls in the “mostly” bucket, with choreography set to Erik Satie, Robert Schumann and Charles Ives. | | | Thursday: For all you Long Islanders, there’s an illustrated talk with the National Geographic photographer Ami Vitale at the Southampton Arts Center at 7 p.m. | | | Thursday through July 27: See free classical theater in yet another unexpected location, with Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. The Drilling Company is performing “Romeo and Juliet” in the Clemente parking lot at 114 Norfolk Street at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the month. | | | Friday: The Québécois folk group Le Vent du Nord is bringing its sweet melodies (and button accordion and hurdy-gurdy) to Bryant Park. | | | Tuesday: The Museum of the City of New York is screening “En el Séptimo Día,” a film about an undocumented bike courier and his Sunset Park soccer team, on its terrace. | | | Don't keep Summer to yourself. | | |
