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If your New Year’s resolution died a quiet death months ago, but you still want to make your mark in 2012 – make a musical summer resolution with Soundcheck! 

On August 6, 13 and 20, New Yorkers will have access to about seven-miles of Park Avenue, without cars, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park.

Our Summer Stuff series continues with a look at more fun ways to enjoy summer in the city. This week, Chef Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar tells how to pick, prepare, and enjoy summer seafood—from lobster to oysters to clams. She's the author of Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie: Three Generations of Recipes and Stories from Summers on the Coast of Maine, written with Deborah Di Clementi.

There's been a venue change for the free summer concerts promoted by Jelly NYC. In past years, the pool parties in McCarren Park and at the Williamsburg waterfront got indie fans and hipsters rocking out. But this summer, when the fest moved to Floyd Bennett Field near the Rockaways, sparse attendance forced a change of plans.

Each summer, weather forecasters start tell their audiences how hot it is according to the thermometer and how much hotter they feel, based on the heat index.

Our Summer Stuff series continues with a look at fun activities to do in New York City! New York Magazine Strategist editor Jon Steinberg and Time Out New York senior editor Amy Plitt give us a rundown of places to go, things to see, and even some food to eat if you’re feeling adventurous!

Do you have a favorite summer activity in New York City? Leave a comment to tell us about it!

An air conditioning unit has lately been the hottest -- or coolest -- commodity around town. But to the dismay of many overheated residents looking to buy or replace a broken AC unit, they've all but sold out in area retail stores.

All this month, we're celebrating summer music at The Takeaway. Each week, a different musician is sharing his or her favorite songs of summer. Today's guest is Casey Spooner, of the Fischerspooner, a New York-based electronic duo. Spooner's solo album, "Adult Contemporary," is currently available. He's been working with a new group called Husk. You can download their first single, "Werque it Wow" for free here. Spooner has also been co-producing the "Ladies and Gentlemen" video blog series for Imagine Fashion.

With the temperature in New York City heating up to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s going to take a lot more than a bottle of ice water and a good air conditioning unit to keep you cool and composed. Here are our top ten suggestions for taking advantage of this week’s heat.

We continue our Summer Stuff series with a look at the best picnic foods! James Oseland, editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine, tells us how to create, pack, and enjoy summer picnics. We’ll also talk about simple summer meals, at home or to-go. Check out some great summer recipes, below!

Do you have picnic suggestions—favorite picnic foods or spots? Let us know!

The Tugboat Pegasus and the Lehigh Valley Barge no. 79 docked at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Thursday for Tug and Barge Week, which features boat tours, performances and talks open to the public.

Adam Feldman, theater critic at Time Out New York, discusses regional summer Shakepeare productions. Check out the list below for links to local Shakespeare fun and feel free to add a comment if we missed your company!

Adirondack Shakespeare Company | Boomerang Theater Company | Brave New World Repertory Theater  | Classical Theater of Harlem | Curious Frog Theater | Hip to Hip Theater Company | Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival | Hudson Warehouse | Inwood Shakespeare Festival|Manhattan Shakespeare Project | New York Classical Theater | Pulse Ensemble Theater | Resonance Ensemble  | Royal Shakespeare Company | Shakespeare in Central Park | Shakespeare in the Parking Lot | Shakespeare on the Sound | Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey | Theater 2020

The wind is rushing after us, and the clouds are flying after us, and the moon is plunging after us, and the whole wild night is in pursuit of us; but, so far, we are pursued by nothing else.

—Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities"

On Wednesday, 54 outdoor pools will open their doors for summer swimming and sunbathing. There will be four fewer pools open this year and all pools will close two weeks early. Plus: See a list of our favorite city pools.

Many Americans appear determined to go on a vacation this summer despite their anxieties about the economy. But they will have to make an extra effort to find savings, with gas prices and air fares both higher than they were last year.

It's time to disregard your mother's advice about waiting 30 minutes between eating and swimming. Because at that rate, you may never take a dip in the ocean at Rockaway Beach in Queens. This summer, the boardwalk offers a new all-star lineup of gourmet eats for beach-going epicures. Check out a slideshow of new eats here.

The summer has arrived. Our kids have been let out of school. The sun still hangs low in the sky when we leave work. Our heavy sweaters and thick coats have been pushed aside for sleeveless shirts, shorts, and airy dresses. We seek refuge from the heat under the shade of trees in the park, or by the ocean at the beach. The smell of grass permeates the air. The familiar sound of the ice cream truck never seems to be that far away during the day, replaced at night by the songs of crickets.

Summer is all of these things and so much more. We want to know, what sights and sounds mean summer to you? Download the Takeaway iPhone App to send us photographs, video, and audio of the things that signify the summer to you. We'll play the audio on air, and post your videos and photos to our website.

Any desire for a quick round of "Heart and Soul" on your lunchbreak? Can do. Sixty decorated uprights and 28 grand pianos were set up on street corners and parks across the city's five boroughs on Thursday as part of "Pop Up Pianos." The public art and music program, run by the Sing for Hope organization, is now in its second year.

Concerts and rooftop movies might be popular summer entertainment mainstays in the city, but the long days and muggy air also promises a wealth of new theater productions. Check out the list of plays you can catch this summer. From puppets, to comedians, to Shakespeare, there is something for everyone.

Although some city slickers head for the hills during the summer — to the Hamptons, to Fire Island, to the Shore or to the Catskills — most music fans agree that New York City's outdoor summer concert fare can not be beat. Here are some of the myriad musical happenings we'll be at this summer.