Bee Scene: Fun in Midtown? It can happen!

Even more exciting than the presence of an actual spring in NYC this year is the variety of outdoor summer activities that will soon be upon us. I dont know about you, but the release of the summer schedules always renews my love for New York.

Here are a few events that just happen to be located in Midtown, but some are local favorites and all are definitely worth your time.

Stop by Times Square (no, really) on Monday, June 2 starting at 5 p.m. for a culinary festival that will feature food from Midtown eateries. Taste of Times Square will be held on Restaurant Row, a strip of West 46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues that contains more than 15 restaurants offering a variety of ethnic cuisines. Admission is free and restaurants charge a few dollars for samplings from their menus. Then you can dance off the calories with free swing dancing lessons from Swing 46 Jazz & Supper Club.

One summer, when I was in search of all things free, I found myself at Rockefeller Plaza at 8 a.m., standing 50 feet from James Taylor as he sang “You’ve Got a Friend” at the Today Show Concert Series. This summer series attracts a huge audience and is best viewed from the very back row with an iced coffee. Let the tourists sweat it out in the crowd. This year’s roster includes such new and old favorites as Paula Abdul , Coldplay and Rihanna. Don’t forget your umbrella, ella, ella, in case it rains. (I couldn’t resist!)

Have a good morning in Bryant Park with Good Morning America’s Concert Series, where I once saw Motown legend Stevie Wonder rocking out on the piano. (I wish I had that kind of energy before 9 a.m.) GMA will be kickin’ it old school with performances from Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper and Boyz II Men, among others. They’ll also include a performance from the Broadway cast of Rent, which is closing in September.

Sure, you’ll be elbowing tourists for a view of the stage and fighting to take camera phone pictures, but I can tell you there’s no better start to your day than to hear live music on your way to work.

Come back to Bryant Park on Monday nights for their hugely popular HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival, where movies are played outdoors on Monday evenings on the lawn. The film festival begins Monday, June 16 with a twilight viewing of Dr. No. The key to getting a spot on the lawn is to show up very early, so start sweet-talking your unemployed or work-from-home friends now to see if they’ll save you a spot on their blanket! Perhaps bribe them with dinner from ‘wichcraft, which offers lawnside dinner service at the event. Simply find a space to sit in the park, place your order and ‘wichcraft will deliver to you on the lawn. Dinner will go well with that bottle of wine that you’re sure to sneak in.

It’s ok to periodically tap your inner tourist, if only to remind you why you moved –and stay– here. Shh, go ahead. I won’t tell anyone.

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