With weekend temperatures predicted to soar as high as 32 C in our fair city, it's gonna be a scorcher this weekend.
So how are you going to beat the heat? Never fear, we've rounded up the top 5 ways to beat the heat in New West.
Read it, and stay cool!
1. Take the plunge.
You know you want to. Get yourself to one of the city’s awesome outdoor pools – Hume Park or Moody Park (above) – and just enjoy it. Both pools are open for public swims in the afternoon and evening. Check out full schedules here. And they’re cheap: kids under four are free, kids are $1.60, teens are $1.80, seniors are $1.70 and adults are $2.20. Weekends are FREE for everybody. Yes, you read that right. Free.
2. Eat ice cream!
There are a wealth of wonderful ice cream options in the city. Whether your taste runs to hand-crafted gelato (Tre Galli, pictured above), frozen yogurt (Menchie’s), maple twist soft serve (Anny’s) or a range of interesting locally produced, small-batch ice cream from Rocky Point (now available at Rain City Juicery), there’s something in a neighbourhood near you! Check out our roundup of the top spots for ice cream in the city.
3. Get splashing.
The city has some great spray parks, and kids and adults alike can enjoy splish-splashing to their hearts’ content at such favourite venues as Hume Park (above), Queen’s Park and Ryall Park. The newly renovated Moody Park also has some water features. Our personal favourite? Queen’s Park, because of the lovely treed, shady surroundings (not to mention the concession stand where you can grab an ice cream bar, popsicle or frozen lemonade).
4. Hit the waterfront.
You have two choices on this front: You can either take to the beach in Port Royal and actually get yourself into the water, or you can enjoy the “urban beach” at Westminster Pier Park. Though you can’t actually swim at Pier Park, you can spend some lazy time in the hammocks, enjoy an ice cream from Eats at the Pier and cool off in the misters (above) – or head over to River Market for the air conditioning and excellent food options (including the above-mentioned gelato). You’re living on the river, people – enjoy it!
5. Two words: patio party.
If you don’t have a patio of your own, never fear. There are plenty of appealing patios around the city where you can eat, drink and escape the heat. Some favourites include Brown’s Social House in Sapperton, the Paddlewheeler, Wild Rice and/or Longtail at River Market (or, for that matter, all the outdoor seating at River Market generally), the Castle Neighbourhood Grill, Hub Restaurant, the Boathouse, the Met … pick your favourite and go stake out a table right now.
Got another idea we haven’t mentioned above? Share it! Email Julie, [email protected].
