Good news for New York City’s beach lovers: all eight of the public sandy ocean fronts will be open for swimming as of July 1.

The city’s 14 miles of beaches have been closed since March to curb the spread of coronavirus. Swimming hours will be 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with lifeguards on duty. Social distancing precautions will be put in place and NYC Parks Ambassadors will distribute face masks to those who arrive at the beach without.

“New Yorkers have worked hard to fight back this virus and to put us back on the path to a safe reopening,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This summer is still unlike any in our history, but now, we will all have the opportunity to cool off and swim at our cherished beaches.”

Raphael Steinberg has worked as a landscape gardener for over 20 years.  He has worked for many clients with particularly small outdoor areas, which is often the case in NYC.  As such, has become quite the expert in the design and maintenance of miniature gardens.

Today, based in Rishon LeTzion, Israel, Steinberg’s expertise and focus are on the creative element in designing and building gardens. Since he is a fan of ponds, he will encourage his clients – where practical – to install one.  “In Israel there is talk of water shortages so people’s natural inclinations steer away from having a pond.  But what they do not realize is that ponds do not take up that much water and that waterfalls use recycled water.  This means there is very little waste.  Further, the tranquility this kind of landscaping achieves is tremendous.”

One aspect of Steinberg’s work is finding the balance between the creation of a functional garden while beautifying it.  “This can be challenging to say the least, especially when there is a space limitation,” Steinberg explains.  “However, I really enjoy it as I believe that the outdoors is so important and can have such potential to be a huge part of a relaxing day.”

Raphael Steinberg has found that during the coronavirus crisis and lockdown, he has taken on more clients and his current clients have expanded their needs and desires.  “It makes sense really,” he explains.  “If you think about it, with people spending so much more time at home, they want the best possible environment so home improvement is more commonplace.  Add to that the difficulty in having any kind of outdoor activities and they seek to transform their garden into a Zen place of being and they seem to love my creative and imaginative ideas. It’s the perfect, healthy escape.”

The city that never sleeps is currently taking a nap. All the things that make New York City the vibrant, exciting, and enchanting place that it is have modified their programming and reaching customers despite the current restrictions. There are plenty of the city’s finest haunts and jaunts available to enjoy virtually.

Social distancing, school lockdowns, and stay at home orders have made the days of the week virtually indistinguishable. Rosé Mansion makes sure you launch your weekend off right by offering virtual happy hours every week! They even have customized Zoom Backgrounds so you can feel like you are in your favorite mansion room. No happy hour is complete without a glass of wine, and Rose’ Mansion has got you covered. They will deliver a 6 or 12 pack of wine—produced by small businesses—right to your door. And while down your drink you can feel good about giving to charity too: 100% of the money from the online sales go toward paying the staff and reopening the bar.

If you are missing the sounds and beats of New York, you can check out the Music for the Soul of NYC’s Health + Hospitals Heroes. This new series brings inspiration and comfort to the 43,000 staff at NYC’s 11 public hospitals and their patients. It is providing paid work for musicians and features professional NYC musicians performing songs requested by health workers and patients at NYC public hospitals. Music for the Soul is livestreamed on NYC Health + Hospital’s Facebook page every day from noon-1pm.

Thought Gallery is live-streaming hundreds of talks, lectures, performances, and cultural events to enjoy. If you like to curl up with a good book, The New York Public Library is offering access to more than 300,000 FREE e-books and e-audio books during this crisis.