What better way to spend a summer day than by messing about with boats in the middle of Central Park? While such diversions are often overlooked by busy New Yorkers, it remains one of the most delightful ways to relax in Manhattan. Rowboats can be rented at the Loeb Boathouse, and if you don’t want to risk getting wet you can always head further east and set a model sailboat afloat on the miniature–sized Sailboat Lake.