Summer in the Slope

Summertime and the living is, well, if not easy, at least filled with the small pleasures (and some travails) that spell its arrival in Park Slope.

Nothing says summer like a phone call to J&R Appliance on Seventh Avenue to schedule the cleaning and installation of our apartment’s air conditioner.

I mean, wasn’t the summer of 2010 a sizzling heat wave from start to finish and I took more ice cold showers than I care to remember?

And speaking of warm weather: nothing says summer like an iced hazel nut coffee with whole milk and Splenda from sipped through a straw.

Nothing says summer like a trip to the basement to unlock the bikes for the first time in ten months certain that the tires need air and the gears WD 40.

And where is my bike helmet anyway?

Nothing says summer like the smell of barbecued hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs, wafting through the window of my bedroom, which faces the backyards of Second Street, where brownstone dwellers just love their weekend barbecues.

Nothing says summer like going through my closet and drawers to locate long forgotten summer clothing. Do I still even like last year’s tank tops and print dresses?

And while we’re on the subject, are my upper arms (and upper thighs) anything like presentable?

Speaking of my upper thighs, nothing says summer like a delicious frozen yogurt from the new frozen yogurt place with the portentous name. , An American Yogurt Company, newly opened on Fifth Avenue near Third Street, features yogurt made from antibiotic and hormone-free milk from an Upstate dairy, strained in the shop and sold both fresh and frozen, with a delicious variety of toppings.

Nothing says summer like browsing the windows of local shoe stores like , DNA, , and Good Footing for the latest in sandals and comfortable shoes for sultry sidewalk days.

Nothing says summer like the elementary, middle and high school graduations, which will take place in June in sweltering school auditoriums around the neighborhood. Just listen to those programs flapping as fans. And to kvell a little, on June 22, my own Eighth grader will graduate from The New Voices School.

Nothing says summer like a panicked Google search for day and sleep away camps and programs that still have space for teenagers who say they just want to hang out (i.e. doing Facebook) all summer.

And speaking of privileged Park Slope teenagers: nothing says summer like the sound of phone calls ricocheting between between parents and well-connected friends trying to secure summer internships and jobs for their college-age children.

Nothing says summer like window boxes on limestone and brownstone windowsills filled with this year’s crop of colorful annuals from and other garden shops around the neighborhood.

Nothing says summer like the first day the Parks Department turns on the sprinklers in the Third Street Playground, which is, for me, a bittersweet Proustean cookie for all the days spent watching my kids cool off when they were young. Sniff.

Nothing says summer like the start of stoop sale season. How many copies of "What to Expect When You’re Expecting" and "The Nanny Diaries" will I see on sidewalk tables this year? But, really, who can stop themselves from stooping to stoop? There could be some really wonderful thing I’ve just gotta have…

Nothing says summer like the overstuffed garbage pails after the street fairs on Seventh Avenue and Fifth Avenue and the smell of garbage spoiling in the heat.

That said, nothing says summer like those aforementioned street fairs and the smell (and taste) of Elote, that staple of street fair cuisine, roasted sweet corn with cheese and lime juice.

Nothing says summer like the arrival of this year’s schedule in the mailbox. The poster-sized calendar is already magneted to my refrigerator and the following al fresco, free concerts are already circled in magic marker: On June 16, I plan to attend Hal Wilner’s Freedom Rides Project, a multi-artist concept show celebrating the music of the Civil Rights movement with Roseanne Cash, Toshi Reagon and other special guests.

On July 8, I refuse to miss Los Lobos with its seductive mix of traditional Latin rhythms and earthy rock and roll. On July 15, I will indulge my passion for gospel music when the great Shirley Caesar fills the park with her powerful — and spiritual — vocals.

On July 21, there’s a West Side Story Dance and Sing-along with the movie. Can you imagine? I was wondering how they were going to top last summer’s Purple Rain sing-along.

On July 23, I’m psyched to reconnect with The Feelies, a band I enjoyed in the East Village days of my twenties, who will be playing from their first live album in 23 years. 

And on August 4, I’ll be there when a newly restored print of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, surely a silent cinematic masterpiece, will grace the screen accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra.

Nothing says summer like the announcement of Piper Theater’s production of The Miser by Moliere, which runs July 7 through July 22 on the synthetic turf field in Washington Park on the Fourth Avenue side of the . 

This must-see production featuring Damian Young and directed by Welker White is being called a mash-up of the 17th century and the 21st using sound, music and video.

Nothing says summer like the idea that it might be easier to park the old Subaru as wealthy Park Slopers vacate the neighborhood for Wellfleet, the Hamptons and other summer destinations.

And speaking of cooling off: Nothing says summer like a German-style summer beer called Kolsch with lemon in a frosty, tall glass sitting outside at talking to a friend..

Nothing says summer like taking the time to kick back and relax in this neighborhood we call home.