Philadelphia: Hot Town: Summer In The City

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Hot Town: Summer In The City
July 15, 2009

By: Caitlin Connors - caitlinc@aycmedia.com
Caitlin Connors was the design editor at Philadelphia Style for two years before finding the job of her dreams as the editor at AYC Media. Connors enjoys pretending she's a graphic designer, driving with the top down and swimming at night. She also plans to write a book someday. About something. Something really good.

This town is getting hot. As the summer swaggers on and the sidewalks heat up, you'll find just as many people on the streets and in the parks. We know that just because the temperature rises doesn’t mean that we have to run away to the nearest beach. There’s plenty of trouble to get into without buying an overpriced plane ticket or shore house. Here are few ways to enjoy summer in the city next month.

5. Channel Gene Siskel
Summer is the time to see blockbuster movies no matter where you are. So escape the heat, grab a large Coke and 3-D glasses and check out Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (which will be in 3-D after July 29 due to the bickering lawyers of Transformers claiming the 3-D license for summer). For those of you tired of prequels, sequels and trilogies, be sure to catch our current favorite Rtiz flick, Away We Go with John Krasinski (and take notes on how to have the perfect relationship). And the unexpected great summer flick? The Proposal. We laughed almost as hard as we did in Role Models (I know, crazy), but Sandra Bullock doing Lil Jon's "Get Low" with Betty White? Priceless. We're also exctied for Julie & Julia, Funny People and Rob Zombie directing Halloween II. Browse the summer movie calendar.

4. Become a Bartender
Toast to the summer and learn how to make some tasty cocktails this season. You can study online from the comfort of your unemployed-butt-impressioned couch, or head to Philadelphia Bartending School near the Main Line where you can mix and play with other wannabe tenders.. When you're ready to show off, throw a house party or get set up as a guest bartender at Mission Grill, Public House or The Bayou. You get to invite all your friends, play Tom Cruise a la Cocktail for one night, and keep all your tips! If you'd rather just do nothing and pretend, you can play the Bartender Game without having to socialize whatsoever.

3. Find Nemo
Just because you’re not at the beach doesn’t mean that you have to be deprived of water completely. There’s plenty of splash to be had at local lakes, rivers and water parks. Hit the Camden Waterfront for a day at the Aquarium and then boat watching on the river, or fish with buddies (you can go fishing with a former U.S. Army Veteran in the private lakes near Philadelphia for $125 for two people or even schedule an overnight fishing trip). Our favorite plan for this August is taking sailing lessons on the Schuylkill (if you'd rather just enjoy sailing without actually, you know, doing anything, you can get a sailboat charter and enjoy your mimosa and sunset, even if it isn't BVI). If you’re looking for a little more excitement, unleash your inner child at Clementon Park's Splash world (win two tickets here), where you can cool down and enjoy water rides.

2. Act Like a (Really Cool) Tourist
Assuming that you’re not a tourist (if you are its totally fine) you probably think that you know your beloved city pretty well. Believe it or not, there are plenty of landmarks that even the most pride-filled local has never laid eyes on. If you have that look of shame on your face, then Google some popular tourist spots, grab your camera and go crazy in the city. We recomend drinking tea at the Japanese Tea House in Fairmount, picking up a volleyball game in FDR park, seeing beautiful sail boats being made and released at the Seaport Museum (or even take boat-making classes) taking a Hidden City tour, picnicing at the Kaskey Park botanical gardens and ponds on UPenn's campus (if you're willing to drag yourself away from the Smokey Joe's bar) and making out in the red lights of a real submarine. To get e-mail updates about out-of-the-ordinary activities or creative day trips to take in the area, click here.

1. Sing-A-Long
What’s better than blasting your favorite album from your favorite artist? When your favorite artist blasts those songs in front of you, of course. Summer is the season for tons of tours, club gigs and music festivals. While big names like Beyonce and Green Day may cost you a pretty penny, festivals like Popped and Welcome America are more affordable and just as enjoyable. So, turn off that radio and go check out some live music. If you have to take the stage, we recomend doing so at Yakitori Boy with a bottle of sake, in an inclosed room. If you want to take the real stage, the one at World Cafe Live, get there Monday at 7:30pm for open mic and bring some friends for support.

Other summer activities of note: Farmer's Market shopping (our fave: Fitler Square and its honeycomb), playing in fire hydrant streams, gardening in our community garden (there are open plots in Locust Park) and eating soft serve ice cream with hard chocolate coating.

What do you like doing in the city in the summer? Know any secret spots I missed? Send me an e-mail and let me know!