If You Can’t Stand the Heat … We’ve Got Some Suggestions

As fireworks danced across the sky on the Fourth of July, the Earth heated up at record levels.

The period from July 3-5 quite likely was the three hottest days in Earth’s modern history, scientists said; on July 4, global average temperatures reached 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest day on Earth since at least 1940. (Records are made to be broken: Almost the entire Northern Hemisphere is again — or still — experiencing a nasty heat wave.)

The spell set the tone for a steamy July in New York City, where your local ice cream parlor turned into the city’s hottest club.

Temperatures are unlikely to cool off anytime soon, so here’s a little advice for August: structure your days around beating the heat. Go to a museum. Or a movie. But if you’re tempted by one of the outdoor events below, make sure to stay hydrated!

Recommendations

Chef Kayla Philips’ residency at Cherry on Top in Brooklyn (Aug. 2-27)

“One of the most talented young chefs in New York reimagines the whole dinner menu around her origins in the American South combined with Mexican and Indigenous flavors of the Southwest.” — Russell Markus, Brooklyn-based private chef and owner, essential herbs

Darrel Ellis: Regeneration at the Bronx Museum (Through Sept. 10)

“A posthumous survey of a greatly underappreciated local artist at the Bronx Museum is one not to miss. Ellis’s touching experiments in photography, painting and drawing are a treasure.” — Gary Carrion-Murayari, Kraus family senior curator at the New Museum

D.J. Pablo Romero at Sun Sets at the Met (5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m., Aug. 27)

“Watch the sunset over Manhattan’s skyline with cocktails in hand. It’s a super relaxed scene and great for people watching. With some luck, you can catch a nice breeze off the park. Free entry with museum admission.” — Ruairi Curtin, owner, the Penrose, Albert’s Bar, Sweet Afton, the Bonnie

Brooklyn Beach Sports Festival at Coney Island (10 a.m., Aug. 6)

“Come by to watch local athletes compete in old-school calisthenics like push-up and pull-up competitions, or bring your family and play some cornhole or sand pickleball. The highlight of the event is a tug of war competition.” — Sue Donoghue, commissioner, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

And if you’re looking for restaurants and other dining spots to enjoy this season …