Outdoor space is precious, especially in NYC. If you live in an apartment or building that includes access to a yard, deck, balcony, or rooftop, you will be envied by those of us with none of that.
I, personally, envy you. I have little in the way of outdoor space. Just a skylight with which to view the sky, a fire escape too rickety and small for purposes other than escaping fires, and a cement "front yard" that is made unpleasant and unusable by its proximity to an angry Italian woman wielding a kitchen knife.
It's wise to share your outdoor space liberally if you've got it. This will help keep your friends feeling friendly towards you. I'm lucky to have some very friendly friends. Several have marvelous rooftops.
I shared a lovely picnic dinner with friends on one of these rooftops in Brooklyn last week. We supped on fried green tomato BLTs, grilled vegetables with feta and vinegar, green bean salad with soy-encrusted almonds (which I toted over, as pictured above), and two kinds of ice cream with shortbread.
The evening left me grateful for rooftops, sunsets, summer vegetables, great views, and generous friends. I haven't been that relaxed, happy, and satisfied in a number of weeks.
I promise I'll return the favor and invite people over to hang out and BBQ in my front-stoop's cement "yard" again (which used to be a yearly event) just as soon as someone disarms my alarming elderly Italian neighbor. Until then, don't tell me you have a yard/roof if you don't want me in/atop it.
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