Every year around this time I start to feel like I'm the only New Yorker left in NYC. I was on a Fifth Avenue bus yesterday and it sounded like the Tower of Babel (even more so than usual). My family and I actually love sticking around the city in the summer because there are so many wonderful things to do, many of them FREE. And I was reminded of that as we put together our Free in NYC Kids Guide this week. This brand-new guide lists no-cost things to do and places to go in the five boroughs throughout the year, but the section on free summer fun is particularly robust. So the next time you're trying to plan a no-cost NYC outing, you know where to look.

Of course I can't deny the appeal of a quick summer getaway. In addition to checking our NYC Day Trips Guide for inspiration, it's worth perusing our regional sites for ideas. Our Westchester site just rounded up 25 things to do in Pelham; our New Jersey site profiled the Watchung Reservation; the annual Sailfest hits the water near New London this weekend, Connecticut and blueberry picking is on at farms throughout the tri-state area. If you do go out of town, be sure to download a few of these apps to keep preschoolers busy in the car, on a plane or even if you just need a few minutes to yourself at home.

And a quick shout out on behalf of our Long Island site, which is on the hunt for a few good bloggers. If you're an LI expert who fits the bill, we encourage you to apply!

Here's what else we covered on our NYC site this week, including details about a new drop-off summer playdate program by Project Playdate that Mommy Poppins is co-sponsoring.