Congratulations! The school year is over and you're ready to celebrate by doing as much as possible within the next few months. If you've been thinking about what to do this summer, then look no further! Here are five cheap and fun things to do this summer that will provide memories for life. Don't forget to take a few friends and some snacks, and just enjoy yourself this summer--you earned it!
1. Six Flags
Is it 70 degrees on a Wednesday and you have no plans? Bring $65 and come to Penn Station, and you've got yourself a round trip to Six Flags. According to the call center, the lines tend to be shorter during the middle of the week! Bring yourself and a few friends, and you have the ingredients for an incredible, memorable day. Try to get on the bus headed to the amusement park around nine a.m. to avoid the lines around noon and maximize your roller coaster time! Okay, so Six Flags itself isn't in New York, but it's easily accessible from the city. I've done it multiple times, and each time is just as fun as the last--nothing beats having the wind slap at your face while you're whizzing by at 70 mph, doing back flips and holding on for dear life.
2. Visit the MoMA.
The lines tend to get longer in the summer, but don’t let that stop you! There are many seasonal pieces of art that are incredibly interesting to look at. If you're into weird stuff in general, then the MoMA is definitely a spot to hit up. You can stay for hours just walking around the various galleries trying to understand what the art is about (good luck!), or you can just pop in for an hour to see a Van Gogh. If you don’t plan on staying in the MoMA for long but want to enjoy the city, pay special attention to the next one.
3. Avoid Times Square like The Plague.
Seriously. Being hot and sweaty sucks. Being hot and sweaty surrounded by thousands of others who are also hot and sweaty is even worse. People like to think Times Square is this wonderful place where everything is amazing and all that, but when you've lived in New York City your whole life, you know that that facade fades away incredibly quickly. There is so much the city has to offer, and in no way is Times Square representative of that fact. Check out the Lower East Side or Dumbo if you're looking for somewhere fun and trendy.
4. Think Long Island is a bust? Go upstate and camp in the Adirondack Mountains.
The Adirondack Mountains has some of the most scenic views that New York State has to offer. It's just over a five-hour drive with light traffic, but it's definitively worth it if you're a fan of nature and experiencing the outdoors. It's a relatively low cost trip that provides an experience like no other. If you want to wake up at the peak of a mountain and go canoeing in beautiful lakes after lunch, then this is the place to go--away from the noise and pollution on Long Island.
5. Road Trip!
You want to leave New York, but only for a single day? The best possible place to go is Philly. A few months ago, my friends and I were hungry for Philly Cheesesteaks one night, and the next day we drove out there! It's about a two-hour drive, but it's definitely worth it. The city is filled with so much history dating back to the founding of our country. You can go see things like the Liberty Bell, or the boarding house where our Declaration of Independence was signed. You can also walk around hundred-year-old neighborhoods that were populated by immigrants from all over the world. Each neighborhood has its own unique culture and history. In Philadelphia, with a short drive you can go from a neighborhood where mom & pop shops have been selling food for years, to the center of a thriving business district that has its own feel I've never experienced before. If you're looking for a short, one-day road trip that’s super affordable, Philadelphia is your best bet.
