PEAK SUMMER MADNESS
July 2025 Power Ratings
It's July in New York. The subway platforms are saunas, the sidewalks are lava, and everyone's pretending that sitting on a rooftop drinking $20 cocktails is somehow better than air conditioning. This month we're rating the things that make summer in NYC either unbearable or unexpectedly brilliant. From overpriced ice cream to the sublime pleasure of a perfectly timed fire hydrant, we're covering it all.
July 2025 Power Ratings
It's July in New York. The subway platforms are saunas, the sidewalks are lava, and everyone's pretending that sitting on a rooftop drinking $20 cocktails is somehow better than air conditioning. This month we're rating the things that make summer in NYC either unbearable or unexpectedly brilliant. From overpriced ice cream to the sublime pleasure of a perfectly timed fire hydrant, we're covering it all.
This month: 47 submissions from 23 contributors
⚠️ OVERRATED ⚠️
The High Line
An elevated cattle chute designed to separate tourists from their money while they admire gentrification from above. Congratulations, you walked on concrete 30 feet in the air. Revolutionary.
Voting
The sacred ritual where you choose between two people who wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire, but hey, at least you get a sticker. Democracy in action, folks.
Katz's Delicatessen
A $30 sandwich experience where you pay premium prices to be yelled at by someone's grandfather while standing in line longer than a Soviet bread queue. The pastrami is fine.
SoHo Shopping
A outdoor mall masquerading as culture, where you can buy the same overpriced garbage available in every other city, but with more aggressive street canvassers.
Rooftop Bars
Pay $18 for a cocktail that tastes like disappointment while pretending the Manhattan skyline makes up for the fact that you're essentially drinking in a fancy parking garage.
"Authentic" Ramen
Wait 2 hours to slurp noodles in a basement that smells like feet, all while convincing yourself this is somehow more meaningful than the perfectly good ramen at your local place.
💎 UNDERRATED 💎
Bodega Cats
The only honest employees in NYC. They don't pretend to care about your day, they just catch mice and judge you silently. Respect.
Staten Island Ferry
Free transportation with million-dollar views, frequented by people who actually live here. No influencers, no tourists asking where the bathroom is every five minutes.
Complaining About the MTA
The city's true unifying experience. Rich, poor, young, old — we all hate the subway with equal passion. It's beautiful in its own dysfunctional way.
Corner Store Chopped Cheese
A sandwich that costs $4 and tastes like childhood, made by someone who calls you "boss" and actually means it. This is peak NYC cuisine.
Walking Really Fast
The ultimate New York skill that no one talks about. Dodging slow walkers is an art form that should be taught in schools.
Laundromats
Accidental community centers where you can people-watch, contemplate life choices, and occasionally witness beautiful human moments between spin cycles.