Summertime in the City: 7 Most Stunningly Gorgeous Waterfront Hangouts in NYC

One of the best parts about summertime in New York City is hanging out outside. Obviously. Aside from wearing sundresses, flip flips, and shorts, hanging out outside has other perks. Like, the fact that you can find yourself a body of water, lay out a towel or blanket, and chill all day long. Or if you?d like your hangout to be a bit more active, you can hop on a kayak and paddle around one of NYC?s bodies of water. Being beside the water is an excellent way to feel exhilarated and alive, and living in NYC is a great way to make that happen. Since, you know, we have a lot of public hangout spots with waterside access. Want to find out where the 7 most stunningly gorgeous waterfront spots are in NYC? Read on!

With hundreds of delicious, special, carefully curated food vendor options, Smorgasburg has got to be the greatest waterfront hangout option in NYC. It?s open outdoors every weekend from 11 a.m. through 6 p.m., in Williamsburg at 90 Kent Avenue on Saturdays, and at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sundays. Both locations offer glorious, sun sparkling water, and a completely breath taking view of the Manhattan skyline. It also offers more than enough amazing food to make you faint, with enough dizzying variety to make you faint twice. They also offer a drinking section, and if you go on Sundays you can walk over the Brooklyn Bridge after you eat and drink your fill. Smorgasburg has also launched two new locations, Coney Island and Seaport, and will open a Queens location on July 11th as well.

Chilling on Manhattan?s East Side? Looking for a spot to hang and watch the East River? Finding a stretch of grass along the East River Esplanade, laying out a blanket, and catching some rays is the perfect way to spend a hot summer afternoon. Pier 15 has an Upper and Lower Deck which is excellent for sunbathing. Pretty much any spot along the river is excellent for hanging, strolling, jogging, or biking? although beware that the path doesn?t exist between 34th and 60th Streets, and that it dead ends at 125th Street.

Brooklyn Bridge Park has a ton going on this summer, from the Metropolitan Opera to Summer Reading Storytime, to public art displays that you?re welcome to touch. It?s also encompassed by lush foliage, gorgeous trees and flowers, and of course, the East River. The Park offers Wednesday night tours which are interactive, dynamic, and covers the park?s history, sustainability, and design. This park is also excellent if you?re just looking for a daytime location to spread out a blanket, read a book, and marvel at some really tall skyscrapers. Of course, if your out-of-town pals are in town visit, you?ll have to walk them over the Brooklyn Bridge, and then you can spend the rest of the day relaxing and catching rays in this park.

At Prospect Park, you can bike beside the water, boat on the water, and sunbathe beside the park?s 26 acre lake. You can also head to the Boathouse to visit the Prospect Park Audubon Center, a carefully restored natural habitat, the first of its kind in an urban park. Prospect Park also hosts Celebrate Brooklyn in the Prospect Park Bandshell every summer, which is New York?s longest-running free outdoor performing arts festival. Or, you can just come chill out beside the water and soak in some summertime rays.

Love everything about boats? Seeking a spot to rent a kayak and spend your day happily splashing through the summertime water? The North Brooklyn Boat Club is dedicated to getting you in a kayak, a sailboat, or a canoe on the waterways bordering Greenpoint/Williamsburg. Public Paddles are totally free. Walk-up participants can join a trained guide for a boat ride on the water, usually from NBBC?s docks to the East River. If you?re looking to boat more seriously, you can become a member (annual membership is $40) and use the boats and equipment outside organized paddles.

A fountain, an urban farm, the Bosque Gardens, a labyrinth, plus the Garden of Remembrance and an amazing view of both the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty make Battery Park an ideal location for your summertime waterside hangout. If you want to hang out and tan beside the river, or see the Statue of Liberty without having to pay to ride the ferry, you should come hang here. Battery Park also has an extensive bikeway for biking, strolling or jogging, and their restaurant, Table Green, will offer satiating, organic food that you can enjoy while watching the Hudson River pulse against the shoreline.

Promoting public access to the water for all, The Downtown Boathouse is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free public access to the Hudson river through public kayaking programs. You can join their weekly public class and learn various kayaking skills, or you can join their free weekend kayaking at Pier 26 on the weekends, and paddle around the Hudson River for up to twenty minutes. Whatever you choose, this is a top-notch water bound destination for your summer, and is sure to leave you energized and loving life.