Life's a Picnic!
Summer has finally arrived. Typically, when summer in NYC comes rolling in, I most look forward to dusting off my dancing shoes and heading to Lincoln Center for Midsummer Night Swing. Partner not necessary as NYC will undoubtedly supply. Or, heading to Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell to spend the evening sipping on a glass of rose (BYOB) and listening to some top notch classical music. And of course, being transported back in time to the 1500-1600's, watching the great works of William Shakespeare performed by top NYC actors at Shakespeare in the Park.
This year, however, with the world-wide pandemic still in full form, summer will look a bit different. Still, we New Yorkers are getting creative when it comes to making the most of our city and summer nights. With social distancing there is no better time to whip out the old picnic blanket. Picnicking in the open air of Central Park has always been a favorite of New Yorkers, but this summer, I've noticed that many of us Picnickers have seriously upped our game.
After months of staying inside, when the weather finally began to warm up, I immediately started perusing Amazon for some grade-A picnic supplies:
I needed a great, sustainable picnic blanket that was thick enough to not become wet or cold under our bodies but still screamed summer.
I also needed something that could serve as a cooler and a basket, ideally on wheels... definitely a job for my favorite all-purpose Zuca Bag.
Lastly, after all the time indoors, I found myself dreaming of days from my childhood spent summering in Vermont. We had a great hammock in our back yard that I spent endless hours on. Central Park has some fantastic clusters of trees. On one of my many strolls around the Jaqueline Onassis Reservoir, I spotted the perfect place for a picnic, with trees surrounding the grassy opening, lending shade, and what would make for some truly unforgettable hammocking. Wise Owl Hammocks are super easy to setup and they hold up to 500 pounds-- meaning more than enough support to hold me, my fiancé, and my pup Beau.
We had our first official picnic of the summer a few weeks ago and we are hooked! We have been spending hours outside, playing our favorite games (mine’s Scrabble!), and eating great food. Socially distant-- but still so satisfied. Our friends and neighbors stroll by and say hello, we have our favorite music playing. It is truly heavenly. If you haven't yet found your socially-distanced sweet spot, I recommend finding a patch of green somewhere, grabbing a blanket, your favorite beverage, a good book or some elevating music, and treating yourself to a picnic. I'm already dreaming of the next one.
Here are a few more picnic-perfect items I love:
