This summer has been like no other with such pleasant weather, almost like L.A. and the streets have never been so clean, probably similar to Seattle.

When I think about an average summer in NYC, the first thing which comes to mind is riding the subways, standing on the 100+ degree platforms, riding in cars with no air conditioning and my favorite...being surrounded by all sorts of body odor.

Prior to this summer when traveling by foot, one is usually accompanied by stinky sidewalks drenched with the lovely scent of Le Summer de Garbage, and of course the continuous "drought situation". Due to the shortage one should be recycling H2O by using one pot of water for cleansing, cooking and drinking.

Not to mention, the fire hydrants being used for cooling off by soaking people in the streets.

Although, I've only been soaked by 4ft to 6ft street-waves while hanging-ten on a sidewalk waiting for a light to change in the pouring rain.

During the average NYC summer, there's always the one friend who comes up with the brilliant idea of attending the Bryant Park Summer Film Series...hell no, I'm sticking with the freezing cold art houses...even if they are always sold out. The outdoor events on the piers are nice with steady breezes blowing in from the ocean via the Hudson River, even though the breezes can be a bit warm at times, a breeze is still a breeze.

In fact, I can't remember so many restaurants providing outdoor seating.

Last summer we were keeping track of 'restaurants with the best air conditioning' and The Crooked Tree, a tiny crepes place with two enormous sized air conditioners was by far the coolest.

The summers can be unbearably hot but still one of my favorite past times is at the end of the day when returning home to an overheated tiny apartment which never seems to reach a comfortable temperature, therefore being subjected to "the stoop" to help survive the heat.

Time spent on a stoop seems to transform a hot night into a beautiful summer evening by; providing interesting conversations, the only time of year to sit down with neighbors (unless you have a co-op), relaxation, entertainment, catching up on books and moments thinking "I wouldn't rather be anywhere else right now".

The heat is what brings everyone out. Come September the cool breeze begins to blow the "time is of the essence" way of life back into high gear, and the neighborly conversations resume until the following summer.

With the pleasant weather this summer, I recently realized that I hadn't spent any time on the stoop and I have yet to find out which color Ken in #13 decided to paint his bathroom.

The clock is ticking leaving about a month left to enjoy some quality stoop time.