A City Summer

Many of my summer weekends have been spent traveling to the rural and beachy 'scapes of Maine, but there is something very appealing about summer in the city. The empty streets (everyone's in the Hamptons or on the Cape), feeling like you have this cavernous concrete edifice to yourself (I think this is more true of NYC than Boston, which is a haven for summer tourists). The heat bakes your skin -- warmth trapped by the tall buildings. The smells -- good or bad -- vibrantly waft through the air. I am picturing a steamy summer night, sitting on a fire escape -- it's too hot to actually be in your apartment -- down below on the street a young man from Julliard plays a selection from Rusulka on his violin. Maybe it's cliche and there's a saxophonist emulating Miles Davis. You sip a crisp, clean gin and tonic or mojito, the condensation from the glass spilling cool relief onto your sweaty hands and arms. There's a special peace in a moment like this that only a city summer can, ironically, afford.

The Happy Days blog features a post and cool sketches by artist Michael Arthur that explore his experience of NYC during the vacant month of August. Enjoy!


Images by Michael Arthur.