Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

You probably wrote off summer a couple of weeks ago, didn't you? Well, you still have about an hour to go for one final summer dip or host one last summer barbeque. Fall officially begins at 5:18pm Eastern time. [USA Today]

Summer Is Only Over If You Say It's Over | The summer season will be over shortly. Beach communities will empty out, bathing suits will be stored away in the back of the closet, and bulky sweaters will reemerge. Depressing, huh? Donald Trump is going to cheer you up! As you can see here, just because summer is "officially" coming to a close doesn't mean you can't pretend otherwise. [TMZ]

The Heat's Rising | So much for this being a cooler summer than years past. The temperature will reach a high of 93 degrees today—making it the hottest day of the year thus far—and tomorrow and Wednesday's highs are expected to be close to 95 degrees. The city issued its first heat advisory of the season today, which means the Post now has a good excuse to publish photos of bikini-clad girls "cooling off" in the ocean. Both will probably be discontinued when the heat wave passes later this week. [NYP, NYDN]

The Stinkiest Day of the Year | Today will go down as one of the hottest of the summer—thus far, at least—so if you can sneak out of your office and head to Central Park, this would probably be a good day to do that. Of course, this also means that the NYC is officially ten times smellier today, as the 93-degree temperatures take a toll on the four-day-old Chinese food sitting in the trash can on your corner. What can you do about that? Nothing, really, which may explain why the Daily News has decided to instead focus on how to make sure your husband or wife doesn't notice the scent of the man or woman you've been having a summer fling with:More

Over the past couple of weeks, Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall has asked a few figures in fashion about their plans for the summer. What Chanel Iman, Fern Mallis, Thom Browne, Minnie Mortimer Gaghan, and Bonnie Morrison had to say below.

Chanel Iman
Model and co-host of MTV's House of Style
Q: What are you doing this summer, Chanel?
A: I'm still trying to decide what I want to do. I just had an amazing vacation in La Jolla, California and it was crazy. It was me and my best friend—I brought her along with me. We went paragliding in the sky and it was so much fun. So I want to do something crazy and wild. Like jump out of a plane or something.
Q: Are you an adrenaline junkie?
A: I guess you could say I'm an adventurist.More

It seems a handful of downtown art galleries have decided to close up for the summer "to take advantage of the downturn and its lower rents," and plan to simply pick up where they left off and resume operations in the fall. Now there's an idea for those of you who are bored out of your minds at the office and would love nothing more than to take a really long vacation and return to work in September: More

Obama Family Vacation Revealed? | If you're planning to spend the summer on Martha's Vineyard, your vacation may turn out to be a bit less peaceful this year. WWD reports that the Obamas are thinking about visiting the isle for a little R&R this summer: "Secret Service agents have been spotted casing Martha's Vineyard for what is said to be a late-August two-week getaway. The First Family's destination is believed to be East Chop, the sleepier side of Oak Bluffs." So when you see helicopters in the sky, paparazzi hanging out on the beach, and the occasional motorcade streak through Edgartown, now you know why. [WWD]

This is normally the time of year when people start making plans for the summer and lock in their rentals in the Hamptons. Not this year. Last month, The Real Deal suggested the number of rental transactions was down by as much as 80 to 90 percent compared to last year at this time; today the Post offers up examples of prospective renters offering owners as little as half the official asking price. Things may very well get worse as nervous renters wait to see if prices fall further, and owners become increasingly desperate to take the first real offer that comes their way. In other words, don't be surprised if six recent college grads end up turning ex-Lehman COO Joe Gregory's $32 million Bridgehampton home into a booze-soaked share house.

Amid all those reviews of mediocre bars, advice from repellent "dating experts," and lists of places to throw darts in Flushing, every once in a while Time Out NY offers up something truly useful. This week, they answer a question that has probably been on your minds for years. How on earth do you open one of those fire hydrants on a really hot summer afternoon? For, like, those days when your Olympic-size pool is "undergoing repairs."More

Sure, it's summer in New York, that one time of year when even the clutziest office-dweller gets a yearning to head outdoors. But why be boring and play tennis or golf like everyone else? Skip the sports that require skill (which you probably don't have anyway!) and try something new. Badminton? Croquet? Bocce, perhaps? Nobody will know if you're any good, because they've probably never played the "sport" themselves, so you'll almost definitely be able to impress your friends and colleagues with your unique athletic exploits. At the very least, with some of these activities, you're sure to become the de facto expert on the subject once the Olympics start next month!

After the jump, our rundown of the best alternatives to a game of pickup basketball.More