Beat The Heat: Where To Cool Down For Free In NYC

NEW YORK, NEW YORK — New York City is set to simmer. Suffocating heat is pushing the mercury close to 100 degrees this weekend, prompting the National Weather Service to issues a hazardous weather warning.

So it's important for city dwellers to know how to cool down – for free.

If you want to ease the cost of running a/c units at full blast, or if you need to run an errand and need a respite from the brutal sun for just a few minutes – Patch put together a list of places where you can get an icy blast of air for nothing.

Manhattan

You've seen them around town: A random plaza in the middle of two buildings, a closed-in atrium at the base of an office building, a public place you can sit in without having to buy anything. Manhattan is full of privately-owned public spaces. Here are the locations of some of them.

180 Maiden Lane

Neighborhood: South Street Seaport, Lower Manhattan
What: A newly-renovated indoor atrium plaza in Lower Manhattan just across the street from the East River. Enjoy waterfront views or check out curated artwork as you lounge in the ground-floor sitting area, visit the coffee bar, grab a smoothie at the juice bar or cool down with some gelato as you relax in cold-air bliss.
Where: Maiden Lane at South Street

Westfield World Trade Center
Neighborhood: Lower Manhattan
What: It may be difficult to find a place to rest your legs when it's packed with tourists, but you can browse through more than 100 indoor shops or sit down for a bite to eat in this 365,000-square-foot Manhattan mammoth.
Where: Greenwich Street near Fulton Street
Hours: Open 24 hours, though restrooms are typically closed in the evening.

Grand Central Terminal
Neighborhood: Midtown East
What: The main concourse of this busy transportation hub can offer a quick getaway from the sun’s hot rays. Take a break indoors and remember to look up for some star-inspired ceiling artwork.
Where: East 42nd Street at Park Avenue
Hours: 24 hours

New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Neighborhood: Midtown
What: Browse through research collections and rare books or take a load off and connect to the building’s free Wi-Fi.
Where: Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

American Folk Art Museum
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
What: Explore the world of self-taught art in a climate-controlled environment. This is one of the few New York City museums where admission is always free. If you’re looking for something different, here’s a list of other free museums across the city.
Where: Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue between West 65th and West 66th streets
Hours: Open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 12 to 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays, 12 to 6 p.m. Closed on Mondays.

If you’re looking for something a little more low key, duck into one of these shopping malls or retail stores for an icy cold escape.

Manhattan Mall
Neighborhood: Midtown
What: Stop into this indoor mall for some shopping therapy or take a stroll for a reprieve from the heat. There’s also a Starbucks inside in case you find yourself in need of cold refreshment.
Where: Herald Square, West 33rd Street near Sixth Avenue
Hours: Open 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays.

The Shops at Columbus Circle
Neighborhood: Midtown
What: Discover one of Manhattan’s more bougie shopping centers, complete with free Wi-Fi, more than 40 retail stores and 10 restaurants.
Where: Columbus Circle near the Central Park main entrance where Broadway, 8th Avenue, Central Park South and Central Park West all intersect
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Of the thousands of smaller stores in Manhattan, Duane Reade, Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are your best bet for a driveby cooldown, boasting so many locations.

Brooklyn

BRIC House
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
What: Find some shade in the media center, two performance spaces, gallery, art exhibition spaces, lobby or cafe at BRIC, the “leading presenter of cultural programming in Brooklyn.” If you’re seeking solace somewhere else in New York, here is a list of all the free museums across the city.
Where: Fulton Street at Rockwell Place, entrance is on Rockwell Place
Hours: Hours vary for each part of the museum. Click here for more information.

Here’s a look at the shopping malls and retail stores in Brooklyn that can act as shade-filled sanctuaries when you just can’t take the heat.

Atlantic Terminal Mall
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
What: An enclosed urban retail center in the heart of northeast Brooklyn. Stop into Guitar Center and test out some instruments, or browse through stores like Target and Uniqlo.
Where: Flatbush Avenue at Atlantic Avenue
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fulton Mall
Neighborhood: Downtown Brooklyn
What: This blocks long outdoor mall may not be indoors, but you can still drop into one of the dozens of stores on this Fulton Street strip between Boerum Place and Nevins Street to cool off.
Where: Fulton Street between Gallatin Place and Smith Street
Hours: Open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Gateway Center
Neighborhood: East New York
What: This may be an outdoor mall, but it does have one thing Fulton Mall doesn’t: Really. Giant. Stores. Get lost in air-conditioned wonder at Raymour and Flanigan, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot and others. Some may call this the perfect escape for a long-term cooldown.
Where: Gateway Drive at Vandalia Avenue
Hours: Individual store hours vary. Click here for more information.

Here’s another unique way to hide from the heat in Brooklyn: an independent bookstore. Keep reading for more information.

WORD Bookstore
Neighborhood: Greenpoint
What: An independent bookstore that also hosts book groups, readings and discussions, along with craft workshops and other events.
Where: Franklin Street at Milton Street
Hours: Open seven days per week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Though Brooklyn may not have as many chain stores as Manhattan, it appears that Dunkin’ Donuts can still be your safe haven from the unbearable heat, with more Brooklyn locations than any other retailer in the borough. Click here to find the closest one to you.

Queens

One Queens museum is currently offering free admission to all New York City residents. In a heat emergency, this generosity may be the perfect solution to all your sweaty dreams. Take a look at what you might find there.

MoMA Ps1
Neighborhood: Long Island City
What: A nonprofit Queens extension of the Museum of Modern Art that houses experimental art. Wi-Fi is available. Admission is temporarily free for all New York City residents courtesy of the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation.
Where: Jackson Avenue between 46th Avenue and 46th Road
Hours: Open every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 to 6 p.m.

Shopping can offer an escape from a troublesome day, but in the heat of summer, it can provide something else: air-conditioning. If you find yourself in Queens on a particularly sweltering day and need a break, duck into one of these shopping centers for some relief.

The Shops at Atlas Park
Neighborhood: Glendale
What: This indoor, mixed-use shopping mall with at least 50 stores offers some prime shade and cool air.
Where: Cooper Avenue at 80th Street
Hours: Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Queens Center
Neighborhood: Elmhurst
What: An indoor shopping mall similar to The Shops at Atlas Park, featuring wheelchair rentals and free Wi-Fi.
Where: Queens Boulevard at 90th Street and 59th Avenue
Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you’re into books, this next shop may be the perfect place for you when you’re hot, sweaty and just need a breather.

Topos Bookstore Cafe
Neighborhood: Ridgewood
What: Enjoy free Wi-Fi and baked goods at this bookstore that buys, sells and trades books with customers for cash or store credit.
Where: Woodward Avenue at Putnam Avenue
Hours: Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.