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It’s hard to resist romping in one of Northern Manhattan Parks dozen or so shower sprays, as evidenced by the author’s own quick, refreshing frolic in the water. Photo: Stuart Dean
by Nancy Bruning
Quick—what do a dog’s tongue, a wet bandana around your neck, the sweat dripping down your back, and the shower spray at Highbridge Park have in common?
They are all dandy ways to keep cool and, in case you were curious, physics tells us why. Physics, the science of matter, energy, force, and motion, tells us that when water evaporates it changes from a liquid to a gas. The water molecules need energy to do this, and as they float off your skin they take it from your body in the form of heat. Our bodies have a great self-cooling system—our pores produce water in the form of sweat! All those millions of sweat molecules evaporating, each taking away a tiny amount of heat really add up, and so your body feels cooler.
When air moves across the surface it increases the rate of evaporation. (Dogs, by the way, have few sweat glands and cool themselves by panting to help the water evaporate from their tongues.) But sometimes, even with a fan or a breeze, our natural body process can use a little help.
We need to add water!
Quick Fixes
Your body radiates heat from your head, hands, feet, and ears, so aim to cool those parts and the rest of you will thank you.
- Wet your head. There goes the expensive blow-out, but since you lose a lot of body heat from your head (that’s why we wear hats in winter), this can make a tremendous difference in your comfort level. As an alternative, just splash some cool water on your face and neck.
- Wear a wet bandana on your neck or forehead (headband style).
- Place an icepack on the back of your head.
- Wear a wet t-shirt or wet your clothing and sit in front of a fan.
- Run cold water over your hands and wrists for a few seconds. This works at home or at any water fountain or sink when you’re out and about.
- Stick your feet in a bucket of cool water—gradually add ice cubes. A friend of mine uses those plastic boxes designed to hold shoes—one per foot—the perfect size and shape for this.
These tips help, but let’s face it—they are not that much fun.
If you want to laugh and feel cool at the same time, nothing works better than an outdoor spray shower. Lucky for us, Northern Manhattan has lots to choose from. Note: Local playground rules apply also for spray showers—adults must be accompanied by children. For further information, contact Jennifer M. Hoppa at (212)795-1388 x 300.
OUTDOOR SPRAY SITES
Manhattan
Highbridge Park, Manhattan
West 155th Street & Dyckman Street, Edgecombe Avenue & Amsterdam Avenue
CPF Playground: W. 172nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue
Quisqueya Playground: W. 180th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
Adventure Playground: W. 165th Street and Edgecombe Avenue
Wallenberg Playground: W. 189th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
J. Hood Wright Park Playground, Manhattan
West 174th Street and Fort Washington Avenue
Jackie Robinson, Manhattan
West 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue
J. Hood Wright Park, Manhattan
Ft. Washington Avenue and Haven Avenue, West 173rd Street to West 176th Street
Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan
Dyckman, Hudson River, Harlem River S
Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan
Anne Loftus Playground: Riverside Drive, Dyckman and Broadway
Jacob Javits Playground: West 192nd Street and Ft. Washington Avenue
Monsignor Kett Playground, Manhattan
West 204th Street, between Tenth Avenue and Nagle Avenue
Riverbank State Park, Manhattan
679 Riverside Drive
The Bronx
Highbridge Park, The Bronx
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., at West 170 Street
Cedar Playground, The Bronx
West 179th Street, between Cedar Avenue and Sedgwick Avenue
Merriam Playground, The Bronx
West 168th Street, between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and Merriam Avenue
Fire hydrants too are a great way to provide a shower spray even closer to home and there are no children-only restrictions. However, hydrant use requires a Department of Environmental Protection permit which is issued at DEP's discretion. ($55.00 every 30 days, plus $13.50 per day it is actually used-- call 311.) Your local fire station has sprinkler caps. Please note that many hydrants are "locked" with special locking caps and they may not always be opened for use with sprinkler caps.
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