July in New York - What to do and the weather (2023)

HOT! With the arrival of July in NYthe streets become an oven.

But New Yorkers are not slowed down by the thermometer and July is one of the liveliest months of the year: it tastes like vacations, long days and a thousand and one plans.

If you visit us at this time, prepare your sunglasses, look for a hotel with air conditioning, and take good note of everything you can do in July in New York!

🌞 Guide to summer in New York. If you visit us at another time, in this guide and in our New York calendar you will find a lot of ideas for each month.

Weather in New York in July

July is a very hot monthnot so much because the temperatures are very high, but rather because of the humidity and heat that float in the environment and that are maintained even during the night.

But makes up for it with long days where you can organize a thousand and one plans!

temperatures

• Temperatures in July in New York They range, on average, from 21 to 29 degrees Celsius.
  It does not seem exaggerated, but due to the humidity, many days the wind chill is more than 30 degrees.
  Can consult the forecast for your trip in apps from your mobile (we use Google Weather) or in AccuWeather.
• the days are very long: the sun rises before 6:00 a.m. and sets after 8:00 p.m., so you can make the most of your trip and make a lot of plans in the same day.

What to wear in New York in July

• What clothes to wear. To visit New York in July, take the most summer clothes that you have and with which you feel comfortable: dresses, short-sleeved shirts, very light shorts or long pants...
  But also take at least one piece of long sleeve, like a finite cardigan or jacket. The reason is that, in museums, subways and other closed spaces, they put the air conditioning so high that it is freezing cold.
  You will also need comfortable and cool shoes, sun cream and sunglasses.
  If you want to watch movies outdoors in the parks or organize a picnic, also take a towel or blanket that you can use to sit and eat dinner on the grass. If you don't have one, you can always buy it once in New York at a Target-type store.
• In our guide to weather in New York and what clothes to wear depending on the season you have more information about the temperatures.
• Prepare your suitcase to travel to New York with our list, and download it for free so you don't forget anything!

Accommodation in New York in July

And what about hotels in New York in July? As you surely imagine, July and August are very high season for tourism and it is common for prices to be through the roof.

Although it is possible to find offers, especially if you search well in advance:

Find your hotel in New York

What to do in July in New York

Here you have a compilation of plans to enjoy July, from the most typical to exhibitions and special proposals for this year.

All plans are current at the time of publication of the guide, but as there may be last-hour changesalways consult the official website that we link to you.

Typical July Plans

• free kayaking (the whole month). Do you dare to paddle down the Hudson River or the East River? The city docks host free kayak sessions all summer long.
• SummerStage (the whole month). This famous festival runs throughout the summer with concerts in Central Park, in the Rumsey Playfield area. Most of the concerts are free, and there are food and drink bars on the dance floor, bleachers to sit down… A good atmosphere!
• Free concerts throughout the city (all month). In addition to Summerstage, in July you will find several concert series in places like Bryant Park, the Rockefeller Center... In the link we will tell you about our favourites.
• Fireworks at Coney Island (Friday). Every Friday in July and August at 9:45 p.m., the Coney Island amusement parks launch a free fireworks display. We tell you more in the Coney Island guide.
• Outdoor cinema in the parks (the whole month). From June to the end of August, in New York parks you can enjoy outdoor movies. Take a blanket and a picnic and spend a night at the movies in iconic places like Bryant Park or Brooklyn Bridge Park.

• Shakespeare in the Park (the whole month). Two Shakespearean plays are performed for free every summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.
  It's one of New York's most beloved summer traditions, and since it's free, getting tickets can be difficult, but it's worth a try!
• A baseball game (all month). Until October, you can cheer on the Yankees or the Mets in their stadiums in Manhattan and Queens. Here we tell you how to go to a baseball game in new york.
• Independence Day Fireworks (July 4, 2023). The most important holiday in the United States is celebrated in style in New York, with the fireworks display Macy's 4th of July Fireworks. An experience that is added to barbecues, concerts, gatherings of friends...

• eating competition hot dogs from Nathan's (July 4, 2023). One of New York's wackiest July traditions, contestants compete to see who can gobble down the most Nathan's hot dogs at this celebrated event, which takes place at the coney island neighborhood and is broadcast live on TV.
• Manhattanhenge (July 11 full sun, July 12 half sun). Twice a year, at sunset the sun aligns perfectly with the Manhattan street grid, forming an image from a movie.
  You have to look west (direction Hudson River / New Jersey) from straight streets like 14, 23, 34, 42 or 57. The exact time is announced a few days before on the Natural History Museum website.

• New York Restaurant Week (Dates to be announced in 2023 | July 18 – August 21, 2022). To make themselves known to the general public, some of the best restaurants in New York offer fixed-price menus. The perfect occasion to savor the city!
• Dip in the pools of New York. If you are traveling with children and want to give them a break from the heat, in New York there are several free public swimming pools (yes, surely crowded, as is usual in the city).

*Photo of Manhattanhenge: © Wendy

Special plans for 2022

In addition to the typical plans in New York, this year you can also enjoy:

• The Friends Experience (until September 2022). If you're a Friends fan, you still have time to discover the settings and secrets of the series in this temporary exhibition, which recreates places like Monica's apartment in detail. Here you can buy tickets and here we tell you our experience.
• Stranger Things Experience (until September 2022). Coinciding with the broadcast of the fourth season of the series, you can discover the scenes of stranger things and visit El Otro Lado in this temporary exhibition organized by Netflix. Here you can buy tickets and here we tell you how it is.
• Star Wars: The Fans Strike Back (until September 2022). If you are a fan of Star Wars, you can visit this exhibition of the saga, with hundreds of collectibles, figures, costumes... Here you can buy tickets on the official website.
• Banksy exhibition (until September 2022). If you are intrigued by Banksy, at the exhibition Building Castles in the Sky you will be able to see some of his original works up close. Here you can buy tickets on the official website.
• Candlelight Concerts. These are concerts of various genres (jazz, classical music, poptributes to groups, film soundtracks...) that take place in different settings of the city, from churches to hotels, the candlelight. Here you can see the next.
• Summer for the City at Lincoln Center (until August 14, 2022). Free music, dance and performances at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side all summer long.
• Disco Skating at Rockefeller Center (until October 31, 2022). After removing the ice skating rink, this year Rockefeller Center inaugurates Flipper's, an ice skating rink vintage a little smaller that will remain in the square until October.
• DiscOasis in Central Park (until October 1, 2022). Skate to disco music at Central Park's new retro rink. ohHere we show you the experience!
• Lou Reed Exhibition (until March 4, 2023). If you're a fan of Lou Reed, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts opens the first major exhibition of material from his archive, Caught Between the Stars. In addition, like all its exhibitions, it is free.
• 'Sharks'at the Museum of Natural History (until August 2022). Do you love sharks? In the new exhibition of the Museum of Natural History you will be able to see life-size models and discover everything about these animals. Here you have our museum guide and here you can buy general admission + 1 exhibition.
• Henri Matisse at MoMa (until September 10, 2022). The MoMa museum will bring together the works of the painting The Red Studio, by Matisse, for the first time since they left the painter's studio. Here you have our guide to MoMa and here you can buy tickets.
• Whitney Biennial (until September 5, 2022). The Whitney Museum's prestigious art biennial returns with dozens of works and artists in Quiet as It's Kept. Here you have our guide to the museum and here you can buy tickets.
• 'In America: an Anthology of Fashion' at the met (until September 5, 2022). The second part of this exhibition on fashion will arrive at the Metropolitan Museum presented by the very famous Met Gala, which will take place on May 2.
• Jean Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure (until September 2022). If you like Basquiat, this exhibition, organized by his family, will feature more than 200 works by the artist that have never (or almost never) seen the light of day.
• Events at Hudson Yards (the whole month). Hudson Yards Mall and its stores host several special events each month. Take a look at the calendar to see if you match any.

Other great plans in New York

In addition to the July celebrations, in our New York calendar you'll find endless more proposals. Here are some ideas to whet your appetite:

And you, have you been in New York in July? Did it seem like a good time to discover the city?

New York guide updated May 2023 and first published June 2015.