NEW YORK CITY — A social life can be a tough thing to build in the city, but it’s easier if you know where to be.
To that end, DNAinfo.com New York compiled a list of places to meet new people and, maybe, spark a late summer romance.
No matter what you’re into, let these winds of fate guide you to that person you’ve been dying to meet.
Volunteering at Prospect Park's Celebrate Brooklyn! music festival is one way to meet local, like-minded people, while giving back to the community and having fun.
"Most of Celebrate Brooklyn's team are civic and community minded neighbors that wish to support our mission to bring performing arts to the masses," said Erin Bennett, volunteer coordinator of the event.
"In addition to the 'doing good for your community' feeling everyone gets, there is also getting to meet new people, building a résumé, networking for employment, earning education credits and more.
The unique part of volunteering for Celebrate Brooklyn is that we provide these benefits in a fun, performing arts setting."
MANHATTAN
Drink, play and jam
GREENWICH VILLAGE — Whether you’re a musician looking for a playmate or a jazz fan seeking a fun place to meet a new face, Fat Cat bar won’t disappoint.
Fat Cat bar, located at 75 Christopher St., is packed with games and activities to do all night. First thing through the door, guests are greeted by a group of Scrabble boards to the left, billiard and ping-pong tables in the back, comfy sofas to the right and live jazz bands until midnight.
Every night, beginning at 12:30 a.m., the stage is opened up to any musicians in the audience for up to three hours of live jamming. It doesn’t matter what instrument you play, as long as you keep to the jazz genre. Vocalists are also welcome.
There’s a cover charge of $3 after 6 p.m., all ages are welcome except on Fridays and Saturdays after 10:30 p.m., when the bar is reserved for people ages 21 and up.
For more information, visit www.fatcatmusic.org/index.html.
Muay Thai Kickboxing Match at Pier 84
HUDSON RIVER PARK — A good old-fashioned fight is one way to bond with other adrenaline junkies. Fortunately, you don’t have to be in the ring to get the rush.
Hudson River Park is hosting a Muay Thai kickboxing match at Pier 84 on Aug. 7, dubbed “Rumble on the River.” For the event, the park is inviting amateur Muay Thai boxers from the New York area to battle it out. Unlike regular kickboxing, Muay Thai is a type of martial art that involves unarmed combat — and that means matches can get pretty vicious.
Rumble on the River is free and open to the public with special ticketed VIP ringside seating available at fridaynightfights.com. Pier 84 is located on West 44th Street, on the waterfront.
For more information, visit www.hudsonriverpark.org/events/rumble-on-the-river.
BROOKLYN
Beach volleyball at Pier 6
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — People tend to flock to the waterfront during the summer, and what’s a better way to break the ice than a game of beach volleyball?
Brush up on the fundamentals of beach volleyball in a series of free clinics held at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The clinics will cover the basics and also touch on more advanced techniques like serving, setting, spiking, passing and diving.
Participants will meet at the pier every Wednesday and Thursday through Aug. 29. The sessions run from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. for children and 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. for adults.
For more information visit, www.brooklynbridgepark.org.
Meet, walk and swim at the shore
ROCKAWAY BEACH — Somewhere along this five to seven hour walk, you’re bound to make a friend.
Join Shorewalkers for a hike and swim along the Rockaway Beach on Aug. 18.
Shorewalkers is a non-profit group dedicated to preserving New York City’s surrounding shores, and it hosts walking tours of the city’s coastline all summer.
This particular walk begins at Beach 116th Street, runs down to Beach Fifth Street and then returns back to the start. The walk is easy-paced and lasts between five and seven hours.
Meet at the 116th Street subway station at 11 a.m. Participants are asked to bring lunch, water and a bathing suit. The walk will be cancelled if there is any rain, and rsvp is required. Cost is free.
To rsvp, email edwardleibowitz@yahoo.com or call (201) 332-1709. For more information about Shorewalkers and a schedule of walks, visit shorewalkers.org.
Group bike riding in Ditmas Park
DITMAS PARK — Brooklyn By Bike is a group made up of passionate riders who like to ride together. Every week, the group schedules bike rides in Ditmas Park, and they’re always looking for new faces.
The next ride is scheduled for July 27, from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Participants are asked to meet at the corner of Cortelyou and Stratford roads. Routes are not pre-planned, and participants decide where to go shortly after the ride starts. Ditmas Park has many small streets, so the rides are usually stress-free.
To rsvp, email brooklynbybike@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.brooklynbybike.com.
Volunteering in Prospect Park
PROSPECT PARK — Volunteering is one great way to meet local, like-minded people with a focus of giving back to the community.
BRIC Arts, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for art in Brooklyn, is seeking volunteers for its Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series, held in Prospect Park.
BRIC’s Celebrate Brooklyn! is looking for volunteers who can be outdoors rain or shine, and who enjoy working with people. Volunteers will be tasked with providing information, conducting surveys and greeting festival attendees, among other activities.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and willing to commit to at least 5 hours for each show. All volunteers get discounted food from the on-site concessionaire, and those who volunteer for ten or more shows, will be invited to the end-of-season party at the end of the summer.
For more information, visit briconline.org. To sign up, call (718) 855-7882.
Concerts on the water
WILLIAMSBURG — When a new concert venue opens in Brooklyn, it is sure to attract the masses. Bump shoulders with other music fans this summer at Williamsburg Park, which opened its doors for the first time this month.
Shows run through the end of September, and the line up for August includes: An Evening with CAKE on Aug. 10; Jane’s Addiction on Aug. 17; Antibalas with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings on Aug. 18; My Morning Jacket with Shabazz Palaces on Aug. 19; and Sublime with Rome, Cypress Hill and Pepper on Aug. 24.
Most shows have a ticket charge, but there are free shows at the venue throughout the season. Tickets to all paid shows will be available via Ticketmaster.com. Tickets without a service charge are available at Best Buy Theater Box Office by calling (212) 930-1950, and at Sound Fix Records located at 44 Berry St. in Williamsburg.
Williamsburg Park is located at 50 Kent Ave., on the waterfront.
For more information, visit Williamsburg Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WilliamsburgParkBK.
BRONX
Tour graffiti, make graffiti
BRONX — Get to know fellow artists with a very specific medium in mind: graffiti.
This summer, Hush Tours, a touring company that features real hip-hop legends as tour guides, is hosting an interactive bus tour of this graffiti-laden city and an opportunity to make a mark of your own.
On Aug. 7, join hip-hop legends like Grandmaster Caz and J.D.L., for a tour of the city’s best graffiti and guidance on purchasing all the equipment and spray paint you need to make your own.
This four-hour bus tour will pass through the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn, and includes over 25 different murals, paint shops, Art Deco storefronts, Train Yards, 5pointz, and more.
The event begins at 10 a.m. and the cost is $58. Participants are asked to wear comfortable shoes and to meet at Harlem USA, located at 2309 Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Tickets should be bought in advance at www.zerve.com/hiphoplook/graffiti.
For more information, visit hushtours.com.
QUEENS
Make a friend out of thin air
LONG ISLAND CITY — Circus Warehouse, located at 53-21 Vernon Blvd., is offering open level flying trapeze lessons nearly everyday this summer, and you never know who you’ll meet at the next class.
These open sessions are geared toward beginning flyers and those with minimal experience, but a few seasoned flyers tend to drop by too. The classes begin with the basics of take-off, and may move on to somersaults and dismounts, depending on how fast the students pick up the skills. For those willing to attend more than one class, the pros will also teach students how to layout a routine.
Classes fill up fast, so potential pupils are asked to sign up early. Each class costs $55, but there are discounts for purchasing classes in bulk of five or 10.
For more information, visit my.circuswarehouse.com.
STATEN ISLAND
Shape up and meet someone
SILVER LAKE PARK — Whether you’re training for a marathon or have never done a push-up in your life, this judgement-free bootcamp is the perfect way to meet a new face while toning your body too.
Fitness trainer Teresa Kramer will take you through a high-energy workout at some of Staten Island’s most scenic locations like Clove Lakes Park and Silver Lake Park. The two-month work-out, called Teresa’s Bootcamp, combines challenging cardio and strength training exercises, but don’t worry about looking foolish, because Kramer tailors every exercise to match individual’s fitness levels.
The summer session runs from July through September, and new members are always welcome. Bootcamp at Clove Lakes takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:15 a.m.; and at Silver Lake on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. Each class is a little over an hour long and campers are recommended to bring, although it’s not necessary, a yoga mat, towel and work-out gloves. Cost is $10 per class.
For more information, contact Teresa at (718) 419-1698 or visit the Teresa’s Bootcamp on facebook at www.facebook.com/teresasbootcamp.
