Summer Fun for the whole famn damily

First the party, then the requiem. Despite the oppressive heat, summer may be my favorite season in New York. Why is this season different from every other season? Because in this season we party outside. Let's start with some spring and food porn (JWay thinks I should be a food photographer). I hope there'll be many festivities where we can get those two in the same frame. Insofar as the summer has gone so far, I've somehow ended up in Williamsburg more times in the last week than I've been in the last year. I've gone recently for DuMont Burger, M. Shanghai, My Moon, and Royal Oak. And I will be returning soon for Team Queen's Release Party at Galapagos (Weds 10), Fun, and hopefully trivia night at Pete's Candy Store.

This brings me to you kids in the peanut gallery. This may be my last summer in New York for a while (I'm leaving in late summer to go to grad school for 2 years in Beantown -- don't worry, I'll still visit, my fam's still here), and so I have a long list of things to do. And I want you to do them with me. So I started making a list of things to do below. E-Mail me and let me know what you'll be joining me for:

(check back here for updates and/or comments)

Explore Neighbs and New York places I haven't visited yet: Broad Channel, Jamaica Estuary, The Rockaways, Wave Hill, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Roosevelt Island (not by tram, sadly), Van Cortlandt Park, Randall's Island, Arthur Kill (incl. the Boat Cemetery and sundry other urban grunge), and possibly Fire Island.

Quiz nights at the slipper room (mon, LES) or pete's candy store (tues, Wburg) even though i'd probably suck at it

Do an outdoor movie (Bryant park), opera (Central park), and concert (summerstage, castle clinton [B&S, Okkervil River, Hold Steady, TL+Rx], siren fest at coney, or prospect park [New Porn, Hop Fu])

nightlife comma more of it. some ideas: Mehanata, see DJ Hutz or Gogol Bordello (if they're here), new bklyn gay spots (fun, cattyshack, dragon lounge) including maybe a barcrawl on atlantic ave, seeing indie bands in okay or shitty overcrowded venues on Ludlow or some loft somewhere)

Art: Galleries, AMNH (i've never been; and the Darwin exhibit's spose to be good), MoMA (i haven't been enough), the whitney biennial, PS1's urban playa (should the DJs be good)

Funky Ice Creams: Il Laboratorio (Honey Lavender), Tempo Presto (Orange Cardamom), The Chocolate Room (Strawberry Honey), Cones (berry flavors, ginger) and perhaps a Chinatown Ice Cream Factory t-shirt for kitsch value. And sweets too: Lady M is high on the list.

Parades: i've still never seen PR-day (I've always gone to Portugal/Brazil Day in Newark instead). Maybe i'll walk in gay pride with betsy this year. hmm.. nah.

I'm already nostalgic about the summer that hasn't happened yet.