From Rockaway days to absinthe nights, August in NYC invites you to slow down and savor. Discover what we are loving, styling, and bookmarking this month.
A monthly curation of what we are loving, sipping, styling, and seeking—before summer slips away.
Long weekends. Linen everything. And one final stretch of sun-drenched indulgence before autumn.
August has a way of softening New York City. There is less rush. Less noise. Even the heat moves slower, like the season knows its time is almost up. It is rooftop season at full tilt, but it is also day trips, extended lunches, and train rides that end at the water’s edge.
This month’s bookmarks are tinted with sea salt and citrus: a beach bag we love, a French SPF with a serious glow, and a cocktail worth chasing to the Rockaways.
☁️ August Weather Notes
Average Temps: Highs of 81–87°F [27–31°C], Lows of 67–73°F [19–23°C]
Hot, humid, and often still—August holds warmth long after sunset. Keep it breezy with gauzy layers, hydrating mists, and cool surfaces. Umbrellas for sun, not just rain.
📍 Place We Are Visiting
Rockaway Beach via NYC Ferry
There is something quietly luxurious about arriving by boat, especially when the destination is a stretch of sun, sand, and salt air just outside the boroughs.
Skip the subway. Ride the ferry from Wall Street to Rockaway and set up near Beach 67th or 106th. Think beach tacos, rum punches, and surfboards—optional, but highly recommended.
Pro tip: Go early. Nap under a straw hat. Stay through golden hour as the boardwalk turns to gold.
🛎️ Looking for an elevated beach day? Pair it with a spa session, rooftop cocktail, or overnight stay at The Rockaway Hotel & Spa.
💼 Things We Are Buying
Cesta Collective Lunchpail Bag
Handwoven in Rwanda and finished in New York City, this bag blends quiet craftsmanship with city polish. Made from locally sourced sisal and trimmed with soft leather. It is structured enough for a weekday lunch in SoHo and relaxed enough for a ferry ride to Rockaway.
This is the summer bag that does not scream for attention—it simply works. For farmers markets, beach escapes, or Sunday errands, when you still want to feel pulled together.
And if you are more of a tote person? We also love their Canvas Tote—roomy, minimal, and made for city errands that turn into seaside escapes. Both styles feel purposeful, elevated, and built to last.
🔗 Shop the Lunchpail Bag
🔗 Shop the Canvas Tote
📖 What We Are Reading
Outline by Rachel Cusk
Cool, clear, and quietly transformative, this novel unfolds like a conversation you did not expect to change you—but somehow does. Set in Athens and written in crystalline prose, it is a masterclass in interiority, identity, and listening deeply.
There is no heavy plot here, just presence. The kind of book that lingers long after the last page, like perfume on skin.
Best paired with solo travel, quiet train rides, or an afternoon spent people-watching with purpose.
🎧 What We Are Listening To
BKLS August Playlist: Sea Level
Smooth, salt-tinged, and quietly transportive—this playlist moves like water. Expect Balearic rhythms, Brazilian soul, and dreamy electronica with a breeze.
It is made for grocery runs that feel like movie scenes, solo walks with no destination, and long, golden afternoons that fade into something slower.
You will find it saved under BKLS Playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.
The Sea Level BKLS Playlist
Available on Apple Music and Spotify.
Tracklist:
- “Mais Que Nada” – Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66
- “Soft & Wet” – Prince
- “Sweetest Taboo” – Sade
- “Mystik” – Tash Sultana
- “Home Again” – Michael Kiwanuka
- “La Vie en Rose” – Grace Jones
- “Varanda Suspensa” – Céu
- “Sunsetz” – Cigarettes After Sex
- “Breathe” – Télépopmusik
- “Sunset Lover” – Petit Biscuit
🔗 [Listen on Spotify] | 🔗 [Listen on Apple Music]
💄 Beauty Pick of the Month
SVR Sun Secure Blur SPF 50+
A French pharmacy favorite that earns its cult status. This broad-spectrum SPF offers serious sun protection with a satin-skin finish—and doubles as the best makeup primer you did not know you needed.
It blurs imperfections, layers seamlessly, and leaves no white cast behind. Just clean, velvety skin that looks like it is glowing from within.
Throw it in your beach bag. Keep one in your city tote. This one really does the work.
🍽️ Where We Are Dining
Maison Premiere – Williamsburg
📍 Location: 298 Bedford Avenue — Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Old-world charm with absinthe glamour and one of the city’s most memorable oyster selections. Maison Premiere is part oyster bar, part New Orleans garden reverie—and entirely a ritual.
Come for the chilled seafood tower. Stay for the chandeliers, the back garden, and the kind of martinis that make time bend.
This one is featured in our National Oyster Day guide for a reason. If you have not made it part of your summer, now’s the time.
🍷 What We Are Sipping
Espresso Margotini at Margot – Fort Greene
📍 Location: 69 Lafayette Avenue — Fort Greene, Brooklyn
A late-summer flirtation between espresso and passionfruit. Margot’s Espresso Margotini takes the classic in a brighter, more playful direction—with your choice of spirit, passionfruit liqueur, and coffee liqueur.
It is chic, tropical, and just a little unexpected. Think breezy date nights, gallery openings, or rooftop toasts that turn into something slower.
Pair with candlelight and conversation.
🎵 Vibe of the Month
Like salt on skin and quiet confidence—August is for leaning in, not holding on.
This month shifts the rhythm. The city slows just enough for stillness to find you. It is not about the chase—it is about the savoring. Long walks. Lingering meals. Everything softened, stretched, and a little sun-kissed.
🔗 Bookmark This
The BKLS Guide to Al Fresco Dining in NYC
From sidewalk cafés to secret courtyards, this guide is your key to dining under the August sky. Whether it is a solo brunch in Fort Greene or a twilight dinner in the West Village, these spots turn outdoor dining into an art form.
Fresh air, good lighting, better cocktails. Save it. Use it. Repeat.
August in NYC
August is the month for staying up late, leaving early, and letting summer lead. The rules soften. The light lingers. Even the city feels like it is exhaling.
Whether you are savoring the stillness or chasing that one last rooftop moment, August reminds us: pause is a power move.
Until next time—
Eat the oyster. Wear the linen. Let the day decide.
— The BKLS Team
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