AH New York: Summer...is that YOU?!!?!

Although I was born here in NYC, my family moved to Florida when I was still in elementary school. Growing up in the Sunshine State almost demands that I love summer. Thankfully that worked out alright for me. (side note: the only pictures I took on this entry are the ones that have my kids in them. ;-) )

I LOVE summertime. I love sunshine. I love the big, overly pompous summer thunderstorms.  I love EVERYthing about the beach, from the obvious: seashells, soothing sounds, immensity of the ocean...   To the not so obvious: I love sneezing salt water from my nose the day after (ha. sorry if that's TMI), I love finding grains of sand in my hair even after washing it a gazillion times.  Why? Because they are reminders that the ocean is still out there and I can go BACK as soon as possible.

Yet, in this season of life, you know what I love most about summer?  The vibe here in Hamilton Heights.  It's incredible!

The music gets turned up (at ALL hours of the day or night), and the people seem to laugh louder. Everyone's sitting on the steps in front of their buildings.

Old men bring their domino boards out and challenge all these young "whipper-snappers" with their pants down to their knees to a serious game.

And when it gets really hot people open up the fire hydrants. I remember my first reaction to seeing this: "Oh NO!! What about conservation?! This is soo baaaddd..."  But then, as the years/summers passed, I started to watch (without judgement) what happened when the hydrants were open. Enjoying the cold water running in the streets is not limited to the children. Old ladies bring out lawn chairs right at the edge of the sidwalk and let their feet run in the water. Men wet "trapitos" or little wash cloths and mop off their sweat. Cars passing by get free washes. Most people (well, everyone that doesn't own a  multi-million dollar townhouse/gorgeous brownstone) don't have central A/C. If they do have a window unit, it quickly spikes up their electric bills. So, because most people in the neighborhood are always trying to save a buck or two, they rarely use them. So where do they go for relief from the unrelenting heat?  Outside. In the shade. Hopefully by an open hydrant.

Yesterday, the thermometer read 90!!! I could smell summer in the air. The sidewalks in our little neighborhood were packed with people wearing a lot less clothing then they should have been wearing. I could feel it.....Summer - is that you?!?!  And then I saw it....

Please don't call Child Services, even though it seriously looks like my two girls are going to keep running to the right and into 4 lanes of traffic zooming up and down Broadway. They even hesitated when I told them they could walk across the street and get their feet wet. Their faces said, "Really? Our slightly over-controlling, borderline OCD mother is going to let us do something spontaneous?"

Finally I showed them where they could play in the water from a safer spot.

 

I loved hearing their shrieks and watching them muster up the courage to get more and more wet.  We sloshed our way back to our apartment, dried off and ate some ice cream. Maybe if we act like it - summer will stay around for a while.

I love this city.