During my first years in New York, summer, for me, always started with the seals.
John V. Lindsay East River Park on the Lower East Side was, for many years, home to a series of fountains and fountains scattered among several bronze sculptures. Every year, when the weather is t-shirt, I take a walk along the East River and into the city center to check if the water features are on. If the fountains water my beloved seals, I decide, summer has come.
When a large part of the park closed this year because climate resilience project hotly debated, my pilgrimage is over. And in my hunt for a new wildlife ritual, I considered turning to real-life animals, making the city their home.
New York City’s zoos are great attractions for you to build a day around. Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn is not home to seals, but to sea lions, which can be seen in three training sessions daily. Or have an early lunch in the Bronx, then head to its zoo to watch the penguins being fed any day at 3:30 p.m., and go around town for dinner.
Looking for an option with no admission fee? The Audubon Association hosts a number of free events throughout the summer to introduce people to the city’s birding community. On Friday night, it will introduce a family friendly walking birds at Riverside Park in Manhattan. And on Saturday morning, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation will hold a hawk watch at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. And the Bronx Zoo offers free limited admission every Wednesday.
If you’re willing to walk a bit from Broad Channel MRT station, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is home to countless species of birds and sea life that you might not realize you shared the city with. You can combine the trip with a visit the beach to the Rockaways.
Perhaps you need the soothing caress of an animal to comfort you amid distressing news, such as your newsletter partner’s upcoming trip to Los Angeles (Goodbye, Julia!). On Sunday, Green Meadows Farm in Brooklyn there are soft alpacas, llamas, sheep and other animals ready to pet – as well as a barn for selfies, so have your hashtags ready.
If that’s air conditioning you’re looking for, the New York Aquarium off the boardwalk at Coney Island has you covered. The aquarium has been rebuilt since it was built hit by Hurricane Sandy in 2012and this month, it reopened fully for the first time since the storm.
With the reopening, “Sea of Change” The exhibit, which offers a close-up look at seafloor creatures, will be open to the public, bringing visitors firsthand with penguins, otters and – naturally – seals.
DISH
Seeing animals in person is a pastime for most people, but for another group of New Yorkers, enjoying them on a plate is quite another. Fortunately, thanks to an abundance of global culinary offerings and a shift in dining to more plant-based dishes, vegan food is still alive and well in New York City. We mentioned Cadence’s vegan food, but here are some of my other favorites for fat-free lunches and dinners.
If you’re craving the Caribbean through an innovative vegan lens, give it a try Aunts et Uncles in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean neighborhood. This casual restaurant created by Nicole and Michael Nicholas, a husband and wife team, is the perfect place to meet friends and share veggie rolls and lobster rolls.
Thanks to the explosion of the plant-based meat substitute market, it is now possible to have fast food without animal products. One of the best places to visit is Jerell’s Btr Brgr, on a busy stretch of 6th Avenue in SoHo. With a venerable vegan burger and waffles, Jerell’s is a fun option after a night out – open until 4 a.m. on weekends.
Ethiopian cuisine is also a great option for a vegan meal, and two great options are Abyssinia in Harlem and Bunna coffee shop in Williamsburg. Wasn’t fully vegetarian in the past, but it does have a great $21 veggie combo served on pork patey bread.
Good food restaurant Dirty candyRun by chef Amanda Cohen, has been serving innovative vegetarian dishes on the Lower East Side since 2008. During that time, it has won numerous awards and recognition not only for its innovative dishes. but also for Cohen’s pledge for fair wages and to speak out about tough issues in the restaurant industry. The seasonal menu changes frequently, so it’s a place you’ll want to visit again and again to sample the products and techniques Cohen is using.
Any list of vegetarian options in New York would be incomplete without it NY Dosas, run by respectable Thiru Kumar since 2001. Head to Washington Square Park at the corner of West Four and Sullivan, Monday through Saturday, to watch him execute the order of dishes with potatoes, spices, and veggies with efficiency hypnosis. The special dosa Pondicherry, with soft potatoes and desiccated coconut, is my favorite. (Kuma’s Instagram account, @NYDosaAlso an interesting follow-up.)
Other events
Spend Saturday with over 50 vendors representing the cuisines of 20 countries and dozens of local arts and crafts merchants in Bronx Night Marketheld during the summer.
Take down the city’s underworld with NYC Subway Tour on art and history from Sunday to July.
Escape the city to the open space of Storm King Art Centerboasts 500 acres of outdoors and outstanding sculpture available to visit from Wednesday to Monday.
With 28 acres of woodland, gardens and riverside views, Wave hill is in full bloom with activities and exhibits for anyone looking for an oasis in the summer sun.
Patrick Hays contributed reporting.
