If the city beat gets a bit too loud, refresh yourself in the oasis of Central Park. The Big Apple happens to be the center of the known universe and the most exciting city in the world. Just ask any of the 40-million people who will visit this year. In warm weather, New York comes out to play, with outdoor music and theater, boat rides, parades, festivals, and dozens of other ways to celebrate the season.
Central Park blooms each summer with free entertainment.
The free Hudson River Festival through August 31 features art shows, entertainment, and music in riverside Wagner Park, the esplanade in Battery Park City, and the courtyard and Winter Garden of the World Financial Center. Little Italy's San Gennaro Festival fills Mulberry Street with rides, entertainment, a parade, and a religious procession. Free 90-minute guided downtown walking tours of New York old and new are offered every Thursday and Saturday at noon, leaving from the steps of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green, Tel. Participants from 35 countries parade in colourful costume to contagious musical rhythms for the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade in Brooklyn September 3. Food stands offering Caribbean specialties line the route.