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.

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Finally, I have a forum to write about one of my absolute favorite activities: happy hour!

I know, I know. I’m supposed to write about “events.” But doesn’t planning a mass gathering where everyone drinks affordably qualify as an event? Yes, I think so.

Now that summer is approaching, bars are accommodating the drinking crowds by offering some thirst-quenching specials. I polled many of my libation-loving friends and they offered up their favorite cheap drink joints. (This is what you call “blog-phoning it in” when your flight to New Orleans leaves in a few hours!)

And now, I present to you many frosty reasons to leave work on time.

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Tired of seeking out fun new activities for you and your crew? Let the activities come to you! My social life would be nonexistent if not for the plethora of e-mail alerts I receive every week in my inbox.

One of my longtime favorite lists is Hipster Travel, written by my pal Evan, who I met years ago at an (now defunct) organized social drinking club. (Don’t judge - it’s where I met all my NYC friends!)

Sign up for Hipster Travel and you’ll be sent a weekly e-mail that is chock full of activities, ranging from gallery listings and dance parties to food festivals and free alcohol events. Evan searches for the week’s best offerings and compiles them into one massive e-mail that usually takes me 10 minutes to read. (Mostly because I’m adding so many events to my calendar.)

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Over the past week, there’s been a lot of press surrounding street artist Keith Haring, whose 50th birthday would have been on May 4th. Haring died from AIDS-related illnesses in 1990 at age 31 and devoted his life to creating art in public spaces around New York City, living up to his belief that art should be accessible to all.

I first remember seeing Keith Haring’s artwork as a teenager in the early 1990s, when it was animated for MTV’s use in public service announcements about AIDS, when the HIV/AIDS epidemic was at an all-time high.

For your own tour of Keith Haring artwork around NYC, start here at neighborbeeblog! Last week I wrote about walking tours. In keeping with that theme, here’s where you can stroll about and see Keith Haring’s work –for free– all over New York City.

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As cities go, New York is pretty good in terms of public art. Sure, historically there have been some issues—Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc was removed from the financial district in the 1980’s for a litany of absurd reasons, but the city also allowed Cai Guo-Quiang (currently having a retrospective at the Guggenheim) to explode fireworks in a ring above Central Park, and Roxy Paine’s conjoined gleaming silvery trees brought a bit of wonder to the bleak landscape of Madison Square Park in winter.

This July, Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, in cooperation with The Public Art Fund and NYC, is bringing a spectacular new project to Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan—4 waterfalls. Some spewing out of tall scaffolding, and one, sure to be my favorite, will be cascading from beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. A waterfall coming out of a bridge—how crazy can you get?!

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Now that the weather is mostly mild (if you ignore this upcoming rainy weekend), it’s time to think about taking advantage of all the ways you can spend your free time outdoors. As someone who has walked most of Manhattan and loves this city’s history, I thought it’d be nice to share my favorite walking tours.

At a recent dinner party, I met an animated group of guys who are the father-and-sons team known as The Levys’ Unique New York. They picked up on my fondness for New York history and reeled me in with stories about one of their most popular tours, which explores the Lower East Side’s seedy history. I jokingly suggested that they rename the tour: “Jews, Boobs and Booze.” They laughed nervously. Maybe I should leave the tour names up to them.

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Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the comedic stylings of Greg Johnson.

Why Greg Johnson? Well, for exactly three years now, Greg’s been holding down Friday nights at Rififi, and he’s celebrating tonight with a blowout anniversary show. A mere sampling of tonight’s lineup: Greg, stand-up legend Todd Barry, The Daily Show’s John Oliver and Best Week Ever’s Nick Kroll. All for a mere $5.

So check out this sampling of Greg’s material, then see you tonight at 8 pm at Rififi (332 E. 11th St, between 1st and 2nd Aves). Can’t make it tonight, so you’d prefer to stalk Greg at some later date in the future? Check out his blog or mayhaps his MySpace page .

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Imagine a place where you can eat and drink all you want, it’s not a holiday and no one will look at you funny for stuffing your face. I call it… heaven.

Actually, it’s called Brooklyn Eats . Sponsored by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, this food, wine and beer tasting event will take place next Wednesday, April 30th at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

While on the event was on hiatus last year, the last Brooklyn Eats in 2006 contained an amazing 44 food participants. With Brooklyn boasting more than 1,000 restaurants in its fine borough, one can only imagine that there will be an even bigger selection this year.

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Since this weekend is supposed to be crappy and completely unlike the awesome weather of last weekend, we at neighborbee blog thought that we’d offer up something fun (and free!) to do when you’ve emptied your DVR and run out of Rock of Love 2 reruns.

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Workspace residency program provides studio space and support for a diverse group of selected emerging artists and writers. Starting this Friday and ending on Sunday, LMCC will open its 15,000-square-foot Tribeca studio space to the public during Open Studio Weekend.

Visitors will be able to see a showcase of the work completed by the 20 Workspace artists and writers during the nine months of their residency. Events include fiction and poetry readings, as well as film and video screenings. (For a full schedule, click here .) As we mentioned, all events are free and open to the public, but make sure you RSVP .

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Lou Ferrigno - New York Comic Con - April 18th, 19th & 20th - the Jacob Javits Center
More photos available via RandomNightOut.com

UPCOMING NIGHTLIFE ON NEIGHBORBEE:

Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School
Saturday, April 26 2007
Lucky Cat Lounge - 3:00PM-6:00PM
245 Grand St, btw Driggs and Roebling in Williamsburg

Absintheology Event
Monday April 28th from 7:00pm - 11:00pm
The Bowery Hotel - 335 Bowery
RSVP required

Quentins Anonymous Spring Party
Wednesday April 30th from 7:00pm -10:00pm
Obivia - 201 Lafayette Street @ Kenmare (1 block South of Spring)
RSVP required

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