Photo taken in Maspeth. "My dad, Ralph Mrowka’s Volkswagen loaded up with longboards for a trip to the beach. Taken in Maspeth queens circa 1960’s." Photo courtesy of Tara Mrowka.

Photo taken at Paul's Boat Yard, 560 Minnieford Ave, City Island, Bronx. "Living in the Bronx so close to City Island, my father and uncle took to boating. We belonged to a boat yard called Paul's that had a small beach and dock that people today would call a patio. It was a humble affair and nobody would dream of calling it a yacht club. As air-conditioning was not a thing back then, the boat club offered respite from the heat of the apartments. (The picture is in color because my father was a photographer.)" Photo courtesy of Jennifer Pfaender.

Photo taken at Sheepshead Bay. "Playing chess on the street." Photo courtesy of Harold Cohen.

Photo taken at Coney Island. "Coney Island about 1943. Uncles in the Navy with girlfriends." Photo courtesy of M Prlain.

Photo taken at Central Park. "Here's a photo of my grandmother (Helen Wangerman Walsh) circa 1930 or late 1920s, keeping cool in a straw hat, shorts & halter top in Central Park." Photo courtesy of Melissa McTague.

Photo taken at Washington Square Park "Washington Square Park circa 1958 I think. That is me." Photo courtesy of Robyn Roth-Moise

Photo taken at Fire Island "Fire Island with my mom putting sunscreen on me and family friend." Photo courtesy of Robyn Roth-Moise

Photo taken at Henry and Market Streets under the Manhattan Bridge. "Cooling off on a hot July day - NYC style!" Photo courtesy of Henry Chu

Photo taken in the Bronx. "Italian mom on a bike in the Bronx. 1948." Photo courtesy of M Prlain.

Photo taken at Century Playground. "Century Playground in Brighton Beach, aka the Seal Park." Photo courtesy of Eliza Rinn.

Shade makes all the difference on a hot summer day. New Yorkers have long gathered under shade trees in parks and walked on the shady side of the street to beat the heat. Shade can also be portable. A parasol or a wide-brimmed hat make time spent in the sun more tolerable. A sun canopy or umbrella makes a trip to the beach safer and cooler. However it can be found, shade provides the relief necessary for New Yorkers in the summertime.

Photo taken at Coney Island. Courtesy of Katie Godowski.

Photo taken at Coney Island. "Summer Love Love is in the Air." Photo courtesy of Maya Zeleny.

Hot weather changes how New Yorkers behave, inspiring people to search for new ways to cool off in the summertime. As one journalist observed during a 1925 hot spell, “the only relief” in the city “was in water, wherever it could be found.” Water—whether it’s the fountains, fire hydrants, rivers, outer-borough beaches, public baths (both floating and on land), or public pools—could transform a sizzling summer day into a cool afternoon. Source: “Nation’s Death List 300,” New York Times, June 7, 1925, 1.

Photo taken at Coney Island. Courtesy of Eliza Rinn.

Photo taken at Central Park. "My grandmother (Helen Wangerman Walsh) & a friend in breezy summer dresses at Central Park, early 1930s--probably a Sunday after going to church, otherwise they wouldn't have worn dresses & dress shoes to the park. I love this photo because it shows one of the park's great rock formations." Photo courtesy of Melissa McTague.

Photo taken at Outside of Washington Baths in Coney Island. "Here’s a picture of my cousin Lois and myself taken around 1956-1957? outside of Washington Baths in Coney Island. I was 8-9 and Lois was 7-8. It was at the end of the day. In the background was a building that housed Shatzkins knishes. It was then the famous Child’s Building My cousins and I had a routine that we followed every Saturday in the summer. My mother and I would take the D train to Coney Island from our East Broadway stop in Manhattan. My cousin Lois, my cousin Marty and my Uncle Hy and Aunt Lily would be coming also on the D train but they lived further uptown near the 2nd Avenue stop. We would meet under the Tilyou Theater on Surf Avenue at around 10. We would then proceed to the baths for a fun filled day consisting of swimming, playing ping pong and shuffleboard and playing on the separate enclose beach area that they had. At a certain time we had lunch in their outdoor dining area. I remember collecting mission soda bottle caps to play skelzy. At the beach area I always played running bases with my Uncle Hy and cousin Marty. In 1956 Marty was only 4. I remember it was a big graduation day when Marty was old enough to shower and go in the steam room with me and my uncle on the men’s side. Late in the day my father Sol would arrive. He worked in the garment center usually 6 days a week. We would meet him outside. In the picture we may have been waiting for him. Then we would have our following eating routine which would consist of knishes at Shatzkins and hot dogs at Nathans. We would sit on the barrels that Nathans had outdoors. We didn’t play any the games that the carnival barkers had but we would go in the bumper cars. By 8 or so we would all go home on the D train but before we did my father would buy the daily news and mirror and I would either read the sports section or the comics. We were all pretty exhausted and we slept soundly those evenings." Photo courtesy of David Bellel

Photo taken at Rockaway Beach. "My grandma Helen Madej Mrowka (right) with a friend or relative relaxing in the shade under the boardwalk of the rockaways. Most likely taken in 1950’s." Photo courtesy of Tara Mrowka.

Photo taken at Rockaway Beach. Courtesy of Kitty Katz.

Photo taken at Orchard Beach. "My grandfather, uncle, and father at Orchard Beach, 1938." Photo courtesy of Claudia Keenan.

Photo taken at Coney Island. "Lifeguard Warmup, Coney Island, Brooklyn." Photo courtesy of Ellynn Short.

Children play in a wading pool at Owl's Head Park located at 67th Street and Colonial Road.

Spectators enjoy the action as swimmers and boaters navigate the surf at Midland Beach.

The caption provided reads, "Reporter Kenneth Johnston broke an egg on the steps of Borough hall in order to fry it. The experiment failed ..."

Three toddlers play with in inflatable pool in the middle of a heat wave. As the image caption reads, "In the...old summertime--It paid to be young today and small enough to fit into a toy pool, like Evan Kottler and Richard Kronick of 235 and 225 Adams St. and Sarah Rubinton of 270 Jay St., as the head wave went into its seventh day."

This photo was taken from the pier at the end of Coffee Street, in Red Hook Brooklyn, also known as the Louis Valentino Pier. The Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty are in the background. According to the caption provided: "Taken on August 2, 2002, shortly before the worst thunderstorm to hit NYC in 10 years. I was with a friend and we met a bunch of young men who were diving off the pier. The sun was setting and the storm hit about 30 minutes after this picture."

Since the mid-1900s, the city has distributed fire hydrant spray caps to residents. These fittings reduce hydrant streams from more than 1,000 gallons per minute to 20-30 gallons per minute, preventing waste, drops in water pressure, and flooding.

Beachgoers enjoy the Manhattan Beach tennis courts, Brooklyn, undated (ca. July 1917).

Three women cool off on the edge of the swimming pool at Steeplechase Park, Coney Island.

The provided caption reads: "How to keep cool on a warm day--Go fishing in Prospect Park Lake as did Roberta Hammel, 11, her sister, Peggy, 9, and Terry Chwielewski, all of 81 MacDougal St."

Bathers cool off in the Coney Island surf.

A man and a boy take a cool drink from an open fire hydrant, around 28th Street and 11th Avenue, with the Empire State Building visible in background (1931).

Coney Island beach. A group of people relax on the beach with one person sitting in a folding beach chair and a baby carriage in the right foreground.

A young couple enjoys the surf at Midland Beach.

Beachgoers enjoy the surf at Manhattan Beach.

The photograph caption reads: "Small fry beat the heat -- Emilio Pastrawa, 8, does it the old-fashioned way by holding hot feet under stream of cold water from fireplug near his home at 18 Dennet Place."

Children splash in the wading pool at Marine Park while parents keep watch from behind a fence.

The photograph caption reads: "Where there's water there's a way--Five sizzling sprouts beat today's heat from the bottom up as they settle back in play pool at McDonald Park, Jay and Tillary Sts. Left to right, Rose Fantasia, 3, and Alfred Dambrosio, 2, both of 171 Bridge St., and Carole Shargel, 5, Paula Nesenman, 4, and Diane Azuz, all of 177 Sands St." Note: The location is actually McLaughlin Park.

Swimmers enjoy Harlem's Colonial Hill Pool with Sugar Hill in the background.

A group of children cool off at Colonial Park Pool in Harlem.

A summertime photo of Colonial Park Swimming Pool with Sugar Hill in the background.

Six women sit at table on Coney Island Beach playing cards.

A photograph of a youngster helping his friend satisfy her thirst. The caption reads: "Temperature boost--Thomas O'Neill, 2, of Stratford Road, offers manly assistance to Lourie Young, also 2, of 15 Stratford Road, at [Prospect Park] parade grounds fountain as mercury climbed to record-breaking figures."

The photograph caption reads: "Here's how they beat the heat--Mrs. Herbert Charner of 3801 18th Ave. cools her tootsies as husband forgets oars and weather on Prospect Park Lake."

The caption provided reads: "Scene at Coney Island. May 4, 1930."

Shade and [water](https://mm.urbanarchive.org/li/ea413100-eede-41ca-a94d-66d53e5febdb) provide a cool oasis in midtown Manhattan on a hot summer day.