By Sharon Feiereisen

The end of Labor Day Weekend and the beginning of Fashion Week may signal the end of summer for many New Yorkers, but there are still a good two weeks left to soak up the sunny weather and take part in downtown summertime shenanigans.
Here’s a look at 10 things to check out downtown before summer ends:

Kayaking on the Hudson
You may not want to swim in it, but thanks to the volunteer-run, nonprofit organization Downtown Boathouse, you can kayak on the Hudson free of charge through mid-October. Head to Pier 40, where every weekend and holiday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and every Thursday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. you can take a kayak out for a 20-minute paddle inside the protected enclosure in front of the boathouse (no experience is required). You’ll get life jacket along with some tips on paddling, and there are lockers, a changing room, and shower and hose to rinse off at the pier.
Downtown Boathouse, Pier 40, downtownboathouse.org

Hester Street Fair
Hester Street Fair has built an incredible reputation for launching small businesses from coast to coast (they recently unveiled their highly anticipated Indie Design Market in Los Angeles), and now through October, while the weather is still warm, you can eat and shop the racks of the fair’s vendors outdoors. Expect a mix of vintage wares, up-and-coming designer brands, and niche food vendors selling everything from alcohol-laced cupcakes to specially sourced artisanal coffee.
Hester Street Fair, Essex Street, 917-267-9496, www.hesterstreetfair.com

Shape Up NYC
While there’s no denying the appeal of the likes of SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp, for the days you don’t feel like shelling out $30-plus, Shape Up NYC offers free fitness classes for adults and kids—including aerobics, African dance, cardio abs, kickboxing, yoga, Pilates and zumba—at dozens of locations, with all classes taught by expert instructors.
Shape Up NYC, various locations, www.nycgovparks.org/programs/recreation/shape-up-nyc

Stargazing on the High Line
Let your inner astronomer shine (brings back childhood memories, doesn’t it?), thanks to the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, which is sponsoring Stargazing on the High Line, every Tuesday through October at 7:30 p.m. Gaze at the stars, planets, moon—and who knows, maybe a shooting star or two—using high-powered telescopes. Astronomers from the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York are also on hand to offer insights on what you’re observing.
Stargazing on the High Line, between Little West 12th and West 14th streets, 212-206-9922, www.thehighline.org/events/all/2012/9/every-tuesday-stargazing-on-the-high-line

Common Ground
Common Ground is the Public Art Fund’s latest group exhibit, featuring 10 international artists whose work will be on display through November. The Public Art Fund has been peppering Manhattan with outdoor sculptures for over 30 years, and their latest exhibition is among their most memorable yet. The sculptures, displayed next to City Hall, reflect each artist’s interpretation of what a civic monument means today; i.e., as opposed to in the past when sculptures were predominantly heroic representations of men. Responses range from an engraved granite stone (Christian Jankowski) to a giant inflatable ketchup bottle (Paul McCarthy).
Common Grounds, City Hall Park, www.publicartfund.org/CommonGround/home.html

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Trapeze School New York
Ever wish you could soar high up in the sky? Through October you can do just that at one of the many flying trapeze classes hosted outdoors at Pier 40 (Hudson River Park) and Pier 16 (South Street Seaport) by Trapeze School New York. Whether you’re looking to fly away your worries, challenge your body with a unique workout or simply have an out-of-the-box experience, the school has you covered with classes for all levels (two hours; $50-$70), as well as intensive multi-session workshops for the most committed of flyers.
Trapeze School New York, Pier 40, 212-242-8769; Pier 16, 917-797-1872. Visit newyork.trapezeschool.com for more information.

New Amsterdam Market

New Amsterdam Market is held every Sunday through December in a sheltered outdoor site fronting the Fulton Fish Market. Their curated selection of vendors includes produce, fruit, fish, meats, dairy, breads, cheeses and a variety of specialty-product purveyors (think dry unfiltered varietal ciders and artisanal jams). The market also hosts a number of special events including Eat Your Vegetables! with chef Arthur Potts Dawson on Sept. 9 and the first annual East River Moon Festival on Sept. 30. This year, for the first time, they’ve got valet bike parking, so you can take advantage of the remaining days of summer and bike to the market.
New Amsterdam Market, 100 Peck Slip, 212-766-8688, www.newamsterdammarket.org

Madison Square Music: The Studio Series
Every Saturday from Sept. 15 through Oct. 6 at 3 p.m., you can enjoy a free concert in the park. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the yearly Studio Series event and includes folk, blues and Americana concerts set amid the park’s breathtaking fall foliage—not to mention conveniently located by Shake Shack for those feeling indolent about packing their own picnic basket. Performers this year include Jim Lauderdale, the Honeycutters, Rory Block and Heritage Blues Trio.
Madison Square Music: The Studio Series, Madison Square Park, www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/mad-sq-music-the-studio-series-lineup

‘Ghosts in the Machine’ at the New Museum
Spread across the New Museum’s three main galleries, “Ghosts in the Machine,” which runs through September, examines artists’ relationship with technology and how technology can transform subjective experiences. Over 140 works are included, ranging from films and sculptures to paintings and drawings, all by contemporary artists spanning the last 50 years.
“Ghosts in the Machine,” the New Museum, 235 Bowery, 212-219-1222, www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/ghosts-in-the-machine

Feast of San Gennaro
The 86th Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which celebrates the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants, will take place in Little Italy from the 13th to the 23rd of September. In addition to parades and various religious processions, you can expect the likes of a cannoli-eating competition and live musical performances along with lots of food vendors and cooking demonstrations.
Feast of San Gennaro, Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston and Grand Street between Center and Mott, www.sangennaro.org

By Sharon Feiereisen

Man about town and CEO/founding partner of StyleCaster Media Group Ari Goldberg has long been immersed in the Downtown fashion and social scene. Now, in partnership with Ford Motor Company and the 92nd Street Y, he is spearheading the inaugural State of Style Summit. We chatted with Goldberg about the much-buzzed-about event and his Downtown Fashion Week standouts.

Can you tell us about some up-and-coming designers we should keep an eye out for this Fashion Week?
Fashion design is one of the most competitive industries, so it’s great to see high-quality talent emerge Downtown. Among the standouts showing their collections Downtown this season are Christian Cota, Yigal Azrouel, Band of Outsiders and Dannijo.

What are the hot editors’ lunch spots around Milk Studios?
I’d expect to see a bunch of the editors hanging out at Soho House, Pastis and Chelsea Market.

Do you have suggestions if you have an hour to kill between shows?
If I’m near Milk Studios and have some time to kill, I’ll just head over to Soho House and knock out a few emails or wander aimlessly through the Meatpacking District and soak up the influence that New York Fashion Week has on the streets and how it’s affecting the style of real people.

One-stop-shop for a fashion emergency?
Uniqlo.

What’s your two-minute spiel on the State of Style Summit? Who should go and why?
The days of the fashion dictatorship should come to an end. It’s great to have teamed up with 92Y to present the counterpoint narrative to Fashion Week. This one-day summit will democratize fashion; anyone who is passionate about style and cares about its future should be there.

During New York Fashion Week, restaurants, clubs and lounges engage in a veritable bullfight as they compete to attract designer presentations, after-parties and various other celebrity-studded promotional events. Here’s a look at where the glitterati will be holding it down during the week’s festivities.

Le Baron
32 Mulberry St. (at Mosco St.), clublebaron.com.
It took two years and a temporary Bowery pop-up, but this Paris import is finally open (albeit unofficially). Already legendary as a fashion favorite in Paris, expect the highly anticipated nightclub to boast a super-tight door (there have been rumors of passwords) and, given that it’s owned by André Saraiva, who was involved in both The Beatrice Inn and Kenmare, the glossiest of the Downtown cool set.

Boom Boom Room at The Standard Hotel
848 Washington St. (betw. Little W. 12th & 13th Sts.), standardhotels.com/new-york-city.
Boom, Top of the Standard—whatever you want to call it, Andre Balazs’ boite may have some newbie competition but it’s undeniably still a hot spot sure to attract some of the week’s most high-profile events. Also worth an honorable mention is Le Bain, the hotel’s second rooftop haunt opened with help from Le Baron’s Saraiva.

Catch
21 9th Ave. (betw. Little W. 12th & 13th Sts.), catchnewyorkcity.com.
While Tenjune may be well past its heyday, EMM Group hasn’t lost its magic. Proof positive of this is Catch, already slated to open in Miami, which not only boasts above-average eats but a consistently star-studded, glass-enclosed lounge.

W.i.P. (Work in Progress)
34 Vandam St. (at Varick St.).
There are countless places in Manhattan worth busting out your iPhone camera for, but few to the extent of this basement club located below Greenhouse. With every square inch, including the concrete staircase, outfitted with an eye-catching array of rotating artwork, it’s the perfect space for outside-the-box-thinking Downtown designers.

The 40/40 Club
6 W. 25th St. (at Broadway), the4040club.com.
It may have been temporarily shut down by the Department of Health just a day after its flashy reopening, but the mere promise of potentially spotting Jay-Z will likely make The 40/40 Club an after-party go-to. Did we mention that the renovation set Mr. Carter back $10 million? Now there’s someone who knows the meaning of “Big Pimpin’.”

1OAK
453 W. 17th St. (betw. 9th & 10th Aves.), 1oaknyc.com.
When it slowly morphed into the stereotypical Meatpacking meat market, the astute folks behind this five-year-old hot spot realized it was time for a change. Now, after briefly shuttering, the space has been completely renovated and re-opened to coincide with the flashy 1OAK debut at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

Sons of Essex
133 Essex St. (betw. Rivington & Stanton Sts.), sonsofessexles.com.
Courtesy of The Eldridge’s Matt Levine, this recently opened restaurant is likely to edge out nearby competitors like Beauty & Essex with its swank décor, hopping bar scene and cozy leather banquettes. Plus, we all know that, when it comes down to it, no fashionista can really resist a killer grilled cheese and some mac ‘n’ cheese.

The Electric Room at Dream Downtown
355 W. 16th St. (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.), dreamdowntown.com.
Nur Khan is back on top with his new basement hot spot, which developed an immediate reputation for its unbeatable post-1 a.m. scene. Unfortunately, mere plebeians have a near nil chance of getting in. (Insider tip: If you can’t get to Khan, try your luck cozying up to his svelte producing partner, Cristina Civetta.)

Red Egg
202 Centre St. (betw. Hester & Grand Sts.), redeggnyc.com.
We can thank Red Egg’s Simonez Wolf, who is also behind Madame Wong’s, for the city’s current pop-up obsession. With a Chinese-Peruvian menu and dim sum sans carts served throughout the day, this is guaranteed to be the chicest spot for fashion folks to indulge in both chicken feet and martinis.

Physique 57
If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that fashion industry folks take staying in shape seriously. Unfortunately, come Fashion Week, many aren’t able to find time for their regular workouts. To that end, industry fave Physique 57 now offers two condensed workouts: Physique Express and ARMed & fAB.

The studio has also released a book, The Physique 57 Solution, and its co-author, Tanya Becker, underlined that “all the exercises in the book as well as any of our six workout DVDs can be done at home. Some of our signature exercises include The Pretzel, which targets the entire seat, abductors, hamstrings and obliques (also known as the muffintop area), and Thigh Dancing, which targets the quadriceps and core.”

Staying in shape, however, is as much about exercise as it is about a healthful diet. Becker underlines that it’s imperative to keep alcohol intake to a two-drink maximum and remember to hydrate with water between those drinks, adding, “Try and stick to wine instead of hard liquor (more calories) or beer (causes bloating), and remember to have some crudités or fruit before you go to an event.”

“Snacking before,” she said, “will fill you up so that you don’t overindulge at the events. When you first get to the event, drink seltzer or water. By staying hydrated, you will be less likely to go for carbs.”