New York is one of the few American cities where the weather really makes a difference. Minneapolis may be colder in the winter, and Atlanta may be more muggy in the summer, but in those cities, the outdoors is sort of a waiting area between cars and buildings. New Yorkers brave the elements every day, and the weather changes the way we move. During the winter, the closest bodega is my preferred bodega, but in the summer, I can’t stand to be inside long enough to ride the subway.

In Delirious New York, Rem Koolhaas describes how the lights in Coney Island gave the resort a sort of second sun, and made the night just as alive as the day. But that second sun is contingent on warm weather. Friday night was beautiful, and at around 8:00, I saw a concentration of people reminiscent of midtown at rush hour crossing Third Avenue at Astor Place. These people weren’t rushing to work; they were rushing to play. New Yorkers with means are eager to leave the city during the summer months, but the rest of us get to experience New York at its most vibrant.

Related to warm weather: If you’re ever hanging around Carroll Gardens with nothing to do, I recommend stopping by