More vibes, less vibe-coding: How the Luminary Labs team is finding joy and inspiration.
Summer arrives with a promise of rejuvenation — longer days that stretch into golden evenings, the magnetic pull of being outdoors, and the particular lightness that comes when the season shifts. Yet between work deadlines and family logistics, it’s easy to let those warm months slip by without truly savoring them.
This year, the Luminary Labs team decided to skip the complicated bucket lists and elaborate planning. Instead, we’re sharing the small discoveries and simple pleasures that actually make summer feel magical. Here are a few ideas for things you can do next weekend, next month, or whenever the mood strikes.
Arts and culture
Anna Pierce is enjoying summer concerts: “Nothing fills my cup like live music on a warm summer night. This summer, I plan on taking full advantage of New York City’s incredible concert culture and refreshing my music library. There is something magical about a concert. It’s a moment to experience an artist and their music IRL, to sing along with a stranger and watch a crowd turn into a sea of waving arms. From arena tours to 10-person DIY shows, live music helps people feel connected and be present in the moment.”
→ NYC has several free outdoor concert series, including BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn and City Parks Summer Stage. On rainy summer evenings, check out who’s playing at Baby’s All Right or Union Pool. For peak summer vibes, Anna recommends the rooftop at Elsewhere.
Logan Cummings is watching outdoor performances at Little Island: “I love theater of all sorts, but during the summer, sitting in a cool, dark building can sometimes feel like a missed opportunity to be outdoors. That’s why I’m excited to explore Little Island’s summer performance series with a variety of music, theater, opera, and dance performances in an outdoor amphitheater. Little Island is a beautiful and functional addition to New York’s riverside and what better place is there to take in a world-class artistic performance?”
→ Little Island is hosting 100 performances and making them accessible: Each ticket is $25.
Andrew Wallace is committing to two favorite NYC activities: exploring the city by bike and visiting museums. An exhibit exploring the legacy and impact of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair provides an opportunity for both: “The Queens Museum is actually located on the grounds of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, in a building that formerly housed the United Nations from 1946 to 1950. It’s a destination in itself, and the fairgrounds are fun to explore by bike or on foot. In returning to one vision of the future from 60 years ago, I hope to find a new perspective on today’s challenges and possibilities.”
→ Check out the “Billion-Dollar Dream” exhibit and plan your visit to the Queens Museum.
Parks and recreation
Allana Edwards is also heading to Queens, where she’s checking out smaller, lesser-known parks: “Queens is the largest borough and has a lot to offer that people often forget about. I haven’t spent enough time in Queens and I’m looking forward to finding novelty and fun experiences in my own city. I am also exploring new recipes; I want to learn a few new dishes, and plan a successful picnic in one of these parks.”
→ Learn more about NYC parks in Queens.
Greg Remsen is hosting outdoor gatherings: “Inspired by Amanda Litman’s newsletter, my partner and I resolved to host more social gatherings. So far, we have managed to organize at least one per month. I am looking forward to bringing these moments of connection into the great outdoors for barbecues, picnics, book exchanges, and beach days. Frequent gatherings bring together previously disparate groups of friends who now have opportunities to reunite and reduce any perceived pressures to attend any single party or event. By taking things outside, you gain an opportunity to explore public spaces that your city offers, parks, beaches, and transportation systems help bring people together. The disappearance of third places was a persistent topic in my urban planning master’s program, and I am always thinking of creative ways to remedy it.”
→ Other newsletters offer low-effort ideas for creating social moments: Rosie Spinks has “a formula for getting more people in your life,” and Patty Smith shares insights from creating a “stoop coffee” tradition.
Rebecca Meyer is spending time at the beach: “On the hottest days of the year, I love biking down to the Rockaways, where I’m rewarded with exceptional arepas and a cool dip in the ocean. I won’t pretend that New York City’s beaches are relaxing — this isn’t the Caribbean. In the summer, the city’s 14 miles of public beaches come alive as New Yorkers from across the five boroughs flock to the water. The result is an electric (if chaotic) scene: people of all ages claiming a few square feet of shoreline, vendors dragging coolers of beer and coco helado, speakers blasting music from all around the world. It may not be a restful retreat, but I don’t live in New York for the peace and quiet; I’m here because I love my community of friends and neighbors who choose to call this city home.”
→ Start planning your summer with this list of the beaches of New York City and the broader metro region. And if you’re interested in the nerdier side of the city’s coastline, check out Beyond the Boardwalk: a report from NYCEDC on how New York’s beaches are engines of economic activity, cultural memory, and public life.
Janna Gilbert is enjoying nature in all its forms: “I have recently begun to marvel at the beautiful simplicity of nature, and appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful world (watching apocalypse-themed television might have contributed to this). I hope to go on hikes to great lookout spots with my family, spend time in our fruit and vegetable garden with my daughter, take long relaxing bike rides, go for runs on railtrails and other natureways, and even just enjoy a quiet book by the woods listening to the birds sing and the chipmunks scamper. When you are on the top of a mountain, you can be reminded how small you are and how vast the world is – which helps put problems and concerns in perspective.”
→ Find parks across the country through the National Parks Service. Use All Trails to find great outdoor activities nearby, as well as detailed maps for hiking. Rail trails are great for biking and running, and offer an inspiring example of reimaging public infrastructure.
Lessons and classes
Sara Holoubek is catching a few waves and taking surfing lessons: “This is my second season learning to surf. I’ll make weekend trips to the Rockaways to get my feet (literally) wet again, and then spend some time in Rio de Janeiro. My goal this summer is to learn to read waves better. I spent 20 years watching surfers from the same beach in Rio de Janeiro. Not once did I ever consider surfing. It felt out of reach. Something I couldn’t do. That is, until I started meeting women who started surfing in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. It’s never too late to start something new!”
→ Find surfable waves near you. In New York City, Locals Surf School offers a variety of lessons in the Rockaways. (Sara recommends taking the subway there –– there’s nothing like spotting someone with a surfboard on the train –– and the ferry back home for an extra boost of summer adventure.) You can also try an indoor surf park, like Skudin Surf in New Jersey. In Rio de Janeiro, head to Arpoador where you can find Paulo Dolabella and his team for lessons and equipment.
Jessica Hibbard is learning a new language: “The most popular apps haven’t worked well for me, so I’m finally signing up for classes to learn and practice French with other humans. I’ve noticed that bilingual and trilingual friends have access to different worlds and different versions of themselves. While I have no expectation of achieving fluency or even proficiency, I’m excited to gain a new perspective and extra confidence when traveling to new places where English isn’t the dominant language.”
→ L’Alliance New York offers a huge range of French classes and lessons — for kids and adults, online and in person. Look for similar organizations focused on a language or culture of interest in your own area, or challenge yourself with an app like Duolingo or Babbel.
Harrison Diskin is taking pottery classes: “If last summer was #Brat Summer, this one is officially #Craft Summer. The tactile experience of digging your hands into cold clay is a wonderful grounding exercise for a weekend morning. Chase that down with a macchiato and you’ve set yourself up for a perfect summer Saturday.”
→ Many studios offer pottery classes in New York; a few options include the 92nd Street Y, BKLYN CLAY, Supermud Pottery, and BrickHouse Ceramic Art Center.
Tactile experiences
Winnie Chang is shopping for stationery and sending handwritten notes: “I enjoy spending time on activities that help me slow down, reflect, and get in touch with my creative self. One of the ways that I do that is by browsing stationery stores and then spending a bit of time writing cards and letters to family and friends at a local coffee shop or at the park. It’s a fun and personal way to share some love, spark connection, and let someone know I’m thinking of them — no matter how many miles apart we may be. For me, writing letters is an act of love and a meaningful way to express my gratitude. It’s also a fun way to be creative, and to curate items that I can share with others. I enjoy searching for interesting stickers, stamps, bookmarks, and other small collectibles to include — things that remind me of the person I’m writing to.”
→ Look for stores, events, and workshops dedicated to stationery and cardmaking. Stationery and gift shops in New York include Greenwich Letterpress, niconeco zakkaya, From Here to Sunday, and Yours Truly, Brooklyn; Secret Riso Club and the South Street Seaport Museum host DIY workshops and events.
Cameron Fox is using a mechanical typewriter instead of writing by hand or typing on a laptop: “A couple of years ago, I bought a mechanical typewriter — a Remington Quiet Riter with Miracle Tab. As soon as the weather turns, you can find me clicking and clacking away in parks around Brooklyn. There’s something deeply satisfying about a mechanical object, a tactile connection that’s lost with an electronic keyboard. The words feel so much more personal, and even when something goes wrong (often!), the troubleshooting process is fascinating. Plus, it’s a great way to make new connections: Spend an hour typing in a public space, and I can almost guarantee someone will approach you (a little bemused, a little amused) to ask about the strange, anachronistic thing in your lap!”
→ Websites like Typewriter Wiki or the r/typewriters subreddit are a great place to learn about typewriters before browsing Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Craigslist to find models for sale. In New York, Gramercy Typewriter and Ridgeway Typewriter are good sources for service and supplies.
Bella Li will be scouting sample sales for a wearable tactile experience. “There’s nothing quite like summer fashion in New York — standing in line with an iced matcha in hand, flipping through the brand’s lookbook, and dreaming about potential designs at a discount makes for the ultimate retail therapy. Sample sales spark creativity in your style — they’re the perfect blend of adventure and discovery. You never know what gems you’ll uncover, and the great prices make it easy to take risks and try pieces outside your usual comfort zone.”
→ Find a sample sale by checking The Stylish City’s comprehensive weekly list. 260 Sample Sale hosts sales at multiple locations, featuring brands such as Khaite, The Row, and Oscar de la Renta.
