Michael Karelis

It’s summer in the city! That means it’s time to hit the best beaches, lounge in parks and drink in rooftop bars. It's also the perfect time to enjoy a cold, creamy treat. Ice cream provides surefire salvation from our summer humidity woes, but with the crop of new, unusual flavors out there, you need to be careful what you order. Here’s what the Time Out New York staff thought of some of the city’s more surprising frozen treats.  Featured flavors (in order of appearance): Matcha green tea from MarieBelleTomatillo from CoppeliaKale cookies and cream from By ChloeGuinness from CATCHKalamansi lime from HakkasanLucuma from La PulperiaRockin Rye from OddFellowsMolé from Dos Caminos

Christmas in NYC means its time for holiday markets, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies and a flood of new Christmas window displays. But if that's not enough to get you in the spirit, the holiday cheer engineers of the Dyker Heights Christmas lights will certinly crank up your yule-tide joy. Every year after Thanksgiving, residents of this quaint Brooklyn neighborhood adorn their homes with bright, colorful lights. Some chose to create elaborate scenes while others opt for tastefully hung LEDs. The illuminated streets of South Brooklyn draw thousands of visitors as well as an annual Christmas lights tour. It's no wonder the beloved yearly spectacle has become known to many as Dyker Lights. Photographs: Teddy Wolff  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

The West Indian–American Carnival Parade and pre-parade party J'ouvert are decades-old New York City traditions. They celebrate the best of Caribbean culture and provide ample fun and festivities for the third leg of a long Labor Day weekend. This year was no exception as scores of people filled Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for the colorful dancers, authentic cultural cuisine and live music. Check out our photos from the festivities to relive the excitement and get inspired to try more of the best free things to do before summer ends on September 23. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the West Indian Day Parade

After stuffing our faces with BBQ and enjoying some quality time outdoors and at the beach, it was time to light up the sky. Roughly 3 million of us gathered along the edge of the East River in Manhattan and Brooklyn for this year's 4th of July fireworks show. The New York skyline has never looked so stunning! RECOMMENDED: Full coverage of the 4th of July in NYC

Just like pizza, late night delivery and a walkable lifestyle, the local bodega is one of the top things New Yorker's miss while away from the city. These tiny shops provide convenient access to everything from cereal to bathroom cleaners. And while the clerk behind the counter may appear to be running the show, there's often a feline friend supervising the whole operation. The bodega cat lives a quiet life of chilling out amongst the cheetos, napping on or near the register and providing an adorable addition to any shopping experience.   Bodega cats are such a part of NYC life that public radio station WNYC had an entire video series devoted to them. See below for photos of our favorite bodega cats and videos from the WNYC series: Bodega Cats in Their Own Words.

The Brooklyn Museum, one of the top attractions in Brooklyn, turned up the volume in celebration of their Rise Of Sneaker Culture exhibit by hosting a dance off. For about an hour, the sundrenched lobby was the sight of various flips, kicks, spins and hat/shoe tricks. MC'd by Aaron Francois from Brooklyn based media and arts organization Mindlezz Thoughtz, the event served as a platform for emerging young artists to strut their stuff. By the end, spectators, who may have originally intended to browse some of the museum's 100 best paintings, jumped in and busted out their own moves. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the Brooklyn Museum in NYC

Taking in New York’s amazing fall foliage and gorging on the city’s best pies and holiday offerings isn’t the only way to enjoy the season. The New York Botanical Garden train show is a great way to celebrate the holiday season and let your inner child come out and play. The G-scale locomotives breeze past iconic New York sights like the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and Rockefeller Center on nearly half a mile of track. There’s also a short film and mulit-sensory grand finale to top off the magical experience. RECOMMENDED: Read our full New York Botanical Garden guide

It must only be November by a technicality. Yesterday's funny Halloween costumes were a top fall fashion choice for numerous runners in the New York City Marathon. As silly as it may be, it's great to see people get their money's worth from their Halloween and Comic Con costumes! RECOMMENDED: See all NYC Marathon coverage

The 4th of July is around the corner, and New Yorkers are gearing up for fireworks, cookouts and all the best beaches. But while some of us pack our picnic baskets and beach bags, others are preparing for rapid-fire frankfurter consumption at the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. In the spirit of this yearly tradition, we challenged nine Time Out New York staff members to a one-minute version of the contest. Watch the video to see how our amateur eaters stack up to the male and female champions Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, respectively.

At street level, the city can feel a little overwhelming, but rise a few hundred of feet in the air, and everything falls into perspective. The struggle to find an affordable apartment, the daunting task of choosing the best restaurant for your picky in-laws…they become trivial matters best left for those folks on the ground. And while a rooftop bar may get you a little closer to serenity, there's nothing like a good look down from above the concrete jungle. See what the city looks like from up high with these incredible shots from the team at New York on Air. RECOMMENDED: See more New York photo galleries

The New York skyline is one of our city's most glorious, iconic features; there simply isn't another skyline in the world to match it. And it's changed massively over the years—Manhattan hasn't always been home to swanky rooftop bars and modern luxury apartments. And while the city is brimming with attractions and super cool events, sometimes it's nice to just take in the scenery. Here’s a look at how the New York skyline has evolved over the last century. RECOMMENDED: See more New York photo galleries

New York's bridges are a hugely important part of our urban landscape. Scores of frenzied commuters, taxi drivers, tourists and wonderers venture cross their spans each day. Whether it's the Verrazano to Staten Island or the Triborough to the Bronx, it's hard to understate the role our bridges play in keeping us connected within the boroughs and beyond. As a sight often taken for granted, this selection of photos will remind you just how varied and attractive the city's bridges can be. RECOMMENDED: See more New York photo galleries