Ah, the Times. You’d think that a paper that does a summer-drinks special every year (this time, about the resurgence of blender drinks) would take it as a given that folks like to get their drink on during these months. But no: Today, Cara Buckley offers up a trend piece so hilariously obvious it could’ve appeared in The Onion. She writes, “With bars on every corner, and — thanks to buses, subways or cabs — no need to drive after the drinking is done, New York City, for Mr. Treanor, is like a giant — and boozy — college campus. And this is never more true than in the summer.” Crazy, right? Maybe she better rephrase that, in case it blew your mind.

New York City is somewhat of a drinker’s paradise year round, but a certain extra layer of permissiveness seems to infuse the city in the summertime, along with a wellspring of opportunities to get sloshed, slightly or mightily.

Still not convinced this really goes on? Okay, well:

Various New Yorkers roundly agreed that theirs was a ‘drinking city,’ where people work and play hard, and often live like Peter Pan, putting off the trappings of adulthood, like marriage and children, for as long as possible. But there were disagreements over finer points, like whether people drank more in the summer, or just more openly.

For her part, a girl by the name of “Boozeabeth” (whose “Boozey” ring qualifies her as an expert) recommends outdoor patios. Good call, Boozeabeth! If you’re just now learning about the phenomenon of outdoor drinking, may we recommend a rooftop or a waterfront bar, also?

Ah, the Heat, the Crowd, the Park, and the Booze [NYT]