Smelling is not the best sense. It probably comes in third after seeing and hearing. Those senses are both much superior.
But, feeling is also really cool-- so maybe smelling and feeling are tied, who really knows.
The point is, though, that when a smell assaults your olfactory system, you can't really escape it. Holding your nose is fine, but it only works for so long, and usually produces a lot of snot.
When things have intense smells in the city, we notice. It's the same when things smell great. We notice that too.
So here it is: the definitive ranking of summertime smells in New York City-- from best to worst.
1. The ocean
And the subsequent salt water in your hair.
This is obviously the best summer smell, and the ocean is obviously the best part of the summer.
With the wind whipping through your hair and the swirl of seawater all around, sitting in front of a roaring ocean while its waves break is the best way to experience summer, hands down.
[anad]
So, stroll the sand. Collect seashells for your romantic prospect. Swim in the ocean and then lie down on your towel.
See if you can avoid getting any sand on yourself at all. We know that won't be possible, but it's still cool, because you'll still be enjoying the definitive best summer smell.
Luckily, NYC is encapsulated by plenty of beaches for you to visit this summer.
2. Flowers
Flowers smell amazing. That's just a fact. When the heat permeates their petals, they smell even better.
From the Highline to this city's Botanical Gardens, there are lots of glorious nature spots in NYC sprouting with summertime flowers for your nose's pleasure.
And soon, we'll have the LowLine for your smelling pleasure, and that'll be even more dope.
3. Fresh-cut grass
If you've ever find yourself strolling through Central Park, Madison Square Park, Prospect Park, or any of NYC's other luscious, foliage filled parks right after the grass has been cut, you know what we're talking about.
Fresh-cut grass is as appealing to our noses as a big, juicy steak is to a hungry puppy. Which means very, very appealing.
Those gorgeous, fresh-cut lawns in all our gorgeous, grass-filled parks almost make us okay with how much the city takes from our paychecks and taxes. Almost.
4. BBQs
What's that sizzling noise? Is that the sound of turkey burgers, beef burgers, kebabs, and hot dogs frying on the grill? We thought so.
[anad2]
The smell of fresh, tender, succulent meat grilling right after it's been lathered with a thick helping of barbecue sauce (you can't beat Sweet Baby Ray's) is a sure sign it's summertime.
Just ask your rumbling stomach whether it smells good or not. Your stomach will tell you yes, ten times out of ten.
5. Rain
Although rain can suck, and is notorious for ruining rooftop parties, boat rides, and parades, it does have the tendency to alleviate the heat at the end of an unbearably hot day.
The smell of rain-soaked sidewalks on a sweltering July day can smell pretty lovely. Especially since we need the rain to bring down the heat, nourish our lovely plants and trees, and replenish our rivers.
We're just saying, rain doesn't suck that bad. The post-rain smell is pretty great. Just be careful about walking underneath air conditioners, unless you want to be drenched in air conditioner drip.
,6. Sunscreen
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Sunscreen isn't the most fragrant, nor aesthetically pleasing of smells. Yet, the smell of sunscreen tends to provoke positive associations of day camp, the beach, childhood, swimming, and being happy and outdoors.
[anad]
Also, wearing sunscreen means your short term protecting yourself from sunburn and long term protecting yourself from skin cancer.
So while we don't expect any companies to start marketing sunscreen perfume anytime soon, we don't totally hate this smell. It usually means we're outside, happy, and having fun.
7. Chlorine
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Though chlorine doesn't smell excellent, smelling it still usually means you're at the pool. So, let's put it this way.
You're going to shower right away because you hate the way your hair smells. But you won't go to extreme lengths to not smell this smell, and the fact that you're smelling it usually means you're having fun.
So no, you don't want to smell like chlorine. But when it does happen, it basically means you had a great day in a pool. So we tend to not totally hate this smell.
8. Body Odor
So body odor does have a bad smell aesthetically. We know that.
No one wants to smell B.O., and therefore, no one wants to have B.O.
We all have a memory of someone on a high school sports team who just didn't understand the concept of deodorant, and the sheer mention of this person's name is usually enough to produce a shudder.
But if this is how you smell, you're probably exercising, and that's a plus, right? The worst thing is smelling other people's body odor, the smell of which is notorious for making NYers pass out in yoga classes.
9. Pee
It's so unfortunate that the sticky, pungent smell of pee is so much worse in the summer.
It's even worse on sidewalks and in subway platforms.
[anad2]
This applies to all bodily excrements, so we'd really appreciate if you could be extra meticulous about picking up your dog's poop in the midst of the summer. Thanks.
Love, everyone in NYC ever.
10. Garbage
Ew.
The smell of day old garbage cooking on a sweltering NYC sidewalk is definitely the worst part of summer in this city.
No, we don't wish we were still bundling in seven layers and slipping on ice. We're glad it's summer. But we hate smelling hot, steaming sidewalk garbage.
At least we're not alone in this, right?