Summer is upon us, and as the heat and humidity settle in like a sweaty handshake, I realized that there are things I love about summer in NYC, and things I really, really hate.

Love: Street fairs, especially when they are in or near my neighborhood. Even if I don’t partake in the various foods and items for sale, I love walking down the middle of a normally heavily-trafficked avenue and enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds.

Hate: The aftermath of the street fairs. Though cleanup is usually pretty quick, the trash carelessly discarded by people in the middle of the road isn’t so great.

Love: New Yorkers get the hell out of the city on the weekends, allowing those of us who don’t like the Hamptons or Connecticut or the Jersey Shore to enjoy a less crowded environment.

Hate: Instead of New Yorkers in those normally crowded areas, there are tourists. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Which brings me to the next point.

Love: Tourism increases, making the city’s businesses earn money. Yay! (Seriously, I totally love showing people around New York and think it’s awesome that so many people visit. However, there are some small annoyances, such as…)

Hate: Seriously, do you need to walk in groups 7 people wide and then stop in the middle of the sidewalk to look up at a tall building? There are people behind you who need to get somewhere, thankyouverymuch.

Love: Free events all over the damn place. I can’t even keep up with them anymore, there are so many.

Hate: The crowds at the free events. Admittedly, I should get over it.

Love: Taking refuge from the heat in air-conditioned stores or restaurants.

Hate: Stores or restaurants that turn their air conditioners up to full blast and leave their front doors wide open to blast the air out onto the sidewalk to entice people to come inside. Hello, wasteful! I shun businesses that do this, no matter how good the icy blast feels as I walk past with a big giant potential-blackout-shaped chip on my shoulder.