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Best Summer Fun Along the G Train

By Heather Holland | July 13, 2012 8:29am | Updated on July 13, 2012 8:51am
The G train is one way to get to summer activities in Brooklyn.
The G train is one way to get to summer activities in Brooklyn.
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DNAinfo/Theodore Parisienne

BROOKLYN — It’s shorter than the platform, it’s slow, and it never seems to arrive at a decent time, but this summer, the G train is a magic carpet of sorts, heading for the hottest events in Brooklyn — and even a few in Queens.

Long Island City-Court Square Stop: Warm Up for the Summer

LONG ISLAND CITY — A series of outdoor concerts featuring experimental live music, sound, performance and DJS will be taking place at MoMA PS1’s courtyard every Saturday this summer.

Beginning July 7, the annual series, called Warm Up, will be set in a temporary urban landscape in the venue’s courtyard. Also, M. Wells Dinette will be cooking its cafeteria-style food in the courtyard all summer long.

This year’s Warm Up line-up includes Todd Terry, D3, Matthew Dear, MJ Cole, Photek, Floating Points and Just Blaze. Four to five performances happen each Saturday.

MoMA PS1, located at 22-55 Jackson Ave., is open from 2-9 p.m. and admission is $15, and includes all PS1 exhibitions and Warm Up. Long Island City residents receive one free entry for themselves with proof of residency. For more information, visit momaps1.org/warmup.

21st Street Stop: Live at the Gantries

LONG ISLAND CITY — Live at the Gantries is a series of free summer concerts held at Gantry Plaza State Park, featuring a diverse line-up of Queens-based musicians.

The concerts take place every Tuesday through Aug. 14, at 7 p.m., just in time to watch the sun slip behind the Manhattan skyline. Gantry Plaza State Park is located at 49th Avenue and Center Boulevard, on the East River.

This year’s line-up includes Latin jazz, big band sounds, a bluegrass string band, an Asian trio, an Andean music ensemble, and Irish flutes and whistles.

For more information, visit liveatthegantries.com.

Metropolitan Avenue Stop: Union Pool, Minus the Pool

WILLIAMSBURG — Upon the first few steps, Union Pool looks like any dimly-lit, red-tinted bar in Williamsburg, but it’s in the spacious patio where things get hopping during the summer.

Every other Saturday until September, Union Pool, located at 484 Union Ave., sets the stage for outdoor music performances and DJs for its seasonal series dubbed “Summer Thunder,” The patio comes complete with an outdoor bar, a taco food truck, and a pond — which is converted into a fire pit during the winter.

The line-up for the next installment of Summer Thunder, taking place on July 21, includes Bubbles, Teen, and Test House.

Each event begins at 3 p.m., admission is free.

Carroll Street Stop: Get Your Groove on in Gowanus Grove

GOWANUS—Gowanus Grove, an outdoor party spot in the former Brooklyn Yard site at Carroll and Bond Streets, will be holding dance parties with live DJs this summer.

At the Sunday series, also called “Mister Sunday,” DJs Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter will once again be taking the reigns at the spinning tables in the half-acre lot known as the Gowanus Grove. 

The events will feature food, music and beer until 9 p.m.

General admission is $13.50, including an online booking fee, but ticket prices are reduced for early birds or if you rsvp before 5 p.m. on the day of. To rsvp, email mister@mistersaturdaynight.com. For more information, visit mistersaturdaynight.com/category/mister-sunday.

4th Avenue Stop: Roller-skating and Disco at the Brooklyn Lyceum

GOWANUS — Air out your bell-bottoms and sequins for two nights of Roller Skating and Disco Dance at the Brooklyn Lyceum on July 21 and August 25.

For only a $5 admission, enjoy a whole night of roller-skating and dancing. The roller-skating portion of the event will take place from noon to 6 p.m., and the dance party runs from 6 p.m. to midnight. If you’ve got the energy, stay for both.

To buy tickets in advance, visit brooklynlyceum.wazala.com.

15th Street-Prospect Park Stop: Celebrate Brooklyn!

PROSPECT PARK — Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival is landing in Prospect Park again this summer, and the park’s band shell is only a minute’s walk from the G train 15th Street Station.

From June through August, the band shell will be showcasing a diverse line-up of legendary, current and up-and-coming artists. This year’s Celebrate Brooklyn! Line-up includes Hot Chip on July 18, Wilco on July 23 and 24, Sigur Ros on July 31 and M. Ward on August 7.

All concerts are free admission with a $3 suggested donation. For more information, visit www.bricartsmedia.org/performing-arts/celebrate-brooklyn.

Fort Hamilton Parkway Stop: Prospect Park on Horseback

KENSINGTON — Take a trail ride on horseback through Brooklyn’s last remaining piece of native woodlands.

Kensington Stables, only a gallop away from the Fort Hamilton stop of the G train, offers 3-5-mile trail rides through Prospect Park. The trail begins at the Park Circle entrance, alongside the lake, through Nerthermead Arches and the Midwood.

Riders of all levels, ages 11 and up, are welcome, though depending on everyone’s experience the ride may include walking and trotting.

An hour’s ride is priced at $37 per person. For younger children, ground assistance service is available at a price of $57 per child. Doubles are not permitted, and advanced registration is advised.

For more information, visit www.kensingtonstables.com.