How To Survive (Maybe Even Enjoy?) A Heat Wave

When Joe Rao’s five-day forecast is nothing but hazy, hot, and humid, it’s time to seek refuge. Looking for some shady places to beat the heat? Try the tree-lined hiking trails at Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining; the 3.5-acre stroll gardens at the Hammond Museum; or the Greenburgh Nature Center’s various forested walking trails. If trees aren’t enough of a respite from the sun, cool off at any of the county’s four public pools: Playland in Rye; Saxon Woods in White Plains; Tibbett’s Brook Park in Yonkers; and Willson’s Waves in Mount Vernon. Or, head indoors to suck up some free air conditioning and enjoy some lazy downtime. Try low-key activities like catching up on the NY Times Best Sellers list at any of the county’s 38 local libraries, or your favorite local bookstore. Or, up your culture quotient and check out the Katonah Museum of Art’s perfectly named-for-a-heat-wave exhibit, ICELAND: Artists Respond to Place. And if (heaven forbid) your air conditioning conks out in the midst of a heat wave, Westchester County runs cooling stations at most senior centers and community/recreation centers.