As countless Matthew McConaughey flicks would have us believe, New York City in the summer is the perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous. And no matter if you have champagne tastes…(or champagne tastes on a beer budget, as they say down south), you’d be hard pressed to find a girl who’s heart doesn’t beat a little faster at the thought of an outdoor movie in the park complete with a picnic featuring all her favorite foods. Read on, and before you know it, you’ll be starring in your own romantic comedy.
Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/bryantparknyc
The Films
Outdoor flicks in the summer are not only free, but plentiful. They do tend to fill up fast, so if you’re intent on getting a place on the lawn front and center, we suggest heading out early to set up camp. But inching in at the back can be just as fun…it is, after all, all about the atmosphere, not so much the movie. Some of our favorite outdoor film series for summer 2013, day by day, are:
Monday
Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Coney Island Flicks on the Beach
Wednesday
RiverFlicks For Grown-Ups (Free popcorn!)
SummerScreen
Outdoor Cinema At Socrates Sculpture Park (Foreign Flicks!)
Thursday
Movies With A View
Friday
Films On The Green (French Films!)
Intrepid Summer Movie Series
The Food
After you’ve nailed down your film, now onto packing the perfect picnic. For late night movies, I tend to opt for easily grazable foods that don’t require utensils and Tums rather than full on Shake Shack. A trip to Trader Joe’s will knock out the staples in one quick trip: a baguette, mini-cheeses, some strawberries or grapes, and a little something chocolate. And to earn extra bonus points, be sure to pour a bottle of her favorite vino ahead of time into a water bottle (there’s a pretty strict no-glass rule in most public parks. Probably a pretty strict no-alcohol rule too, but remain classy and all will be fine.) Throw in some hand sanitizer and napkins, and you’ll be shooing for the boyfriend-of-the-summer award.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/groups/hipsterism/pool/
The Cost
Films are free, and a proper noshing picnic (including a bottle of 2 buck Chuck) can be done for under $20.
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
