Sizzlin' Summer

So what makes summer special? Sure, it’s hot and sunny (mostly), and the kids are out of school, but if you’re reading this, you’re probably not a “kid” (despite what irate callers insist whenever we run a nude photograph). Probably a lot of you haven’t been in school for some time now, and yet whenever Memorial Day rolls around a little touch of that giddy last-day-of-school feeling bubbles up, right? Why is summer special? What is it that makes the rules seem different for this season, when you can maybe be a little more indulgent, a little more carefree, for no other apparent reason than it’s summer?

Well, it’s growing season, which means grass to cut and strawberries to pick. And it’s swimming season (or at least it is by July—the pool’s still a little chilly for us in early June) and outdoor-music season and the season for everyone to wear a lot less clothing, which is always interesting. Even if you have to put on a tie or pantyhose and go to work every day, there’s something about summer that’s different. Other than the sweat.

There is, one could say, a certain interlude quality to summer, even if you’re not out of class for three months. And whatever form your interlude takes, City Paper has you covered with our annual Sizzlin’ Summer issue. In these pages, you’ll find stories on the city’s beleaguered rec centers (p. 14) and on the unexpected ties between summer love and fireflies (p. 50). You can read about summers at the black beaches of the past (p. 62) or on the drinky beaches of the present (p. 82) and the never-ending summer of Ocean City’s DJ Batman (p. 26). You can read about the mini rock-climbing opportunities Maryland has a good bit of (p. 38) or about sno-ball stands, of which it also has quite a few (p. 95). You can listen for the secret sound of summer (p. 76), or stay in a dark bar and drink a cold draft beer (p. 109). And in between, you’ll find the various sections of the Sizzlin’ Summer calendar, jammed with places to go and things to do. It’s your summer—go nuts.

The Sizzlin’ Summer calendar was wrangled by Wendy Ward with help from Michael Byrne, Laura Dattaro, Lee Gardner, Joe MacLeod, Bret McCabe, and Max Robinson.