Summer's ending! Here's how to make the most of its last days

Photo credit: Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (Ryan Thatcher)

Have an ice cream at the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck

The popular Big Gay Ice Cream Truck only operates through October, but customers can enjoy treats such as the Salty Pimp (vanilla soft-serve drizzled with dulce de leche, sprinkled with sea salt and dipped in chocolate) and the Bea Arthur (vanilla soft-serve with dulche de leche and Nilla wafers) yearround when the brick-and-mortar shop opens this Saturday. 125 E. Seventh St., 212-533-9333

Enjoy a grown-up snow cone at Cascabel or La Biblioteca

There’s nothing like a snow cone to remind you of those blissful days of summer vacation. Cascabel on the Upper East Side offers vanilla, blueberry-pomelo, horchata, mango valentina, ancho chili and lime snow cones, served with or without tequila ($2-$4) through September. La Biblioteca serves its treats — hibiscus, strawberry and tamarind varieties, with tequila, of course — year-round. ($15 each). Cascabel Taqueria: 1542 Second Ave., 212-717-8226; La Biblioteca: 622 Third Ave., 212-808-8110

Savor lobster at the Mermaid Inn or Mermaid Oyster Bar

At either of these establishments, you might just feel like you’re still on the Cape. Outfitted in antique harbor maps, nautical charts and maritime prints, the eateries evoke the feeling of New England fish shacks. The lobster sandwich ($26) is available yearround, served on a grilled bun with a side of Old Bay Fries. Also, every Sunday night is Lobsterpalooza, where $24 gets you a pound and a quarter of lobster with grilled corn on the cob and red bliss potatoes. Mermaid Inn: 96 Second Ave., 212-674-5870 and 568 Amsterdam Ave., 212-799-7400; Mermaid Oyster Bar: 79 MacDougal St., 212-260-0100

Have a pint at BeerParc

This was the summer of the beer garden, and the trend isn’t going to end once Labor Day hits. One of the city’s most popular gardens, situated behind FoodParc, will stay open at least through late October. BeerParc currently has five food stands, including Soi 29, Edi & The Wolf, Ed’s Raw Bar and Pat LaFreida’s DogParc. All that chow can be washed down with Magic Hat #9, Radeberger Pilsner, Tucher Helles Hefeweizen, Brooklyn Lager or Southampton Publick House Double White Ale ($6 each). Eventi Hotel: 845 Sixth Ave., 646-600-7140

Have a tropical-style cocktail at the Hurricane Club

Want to feel like you’re on an island in Polynesia? The Hurricane Club does the trick. Try one of the restaurant’s indulgent frozen drinks made with pisco ($11). Shareable cocktails are served in watermelons and coconuts. 360 Park Avenue S., 212-951-7111

Eat soft-shell crabs at Grand Central Oyster Bar

While soft-shell crabs have all but disappeared from NYC restaurant menus, the Grand Central Oyster Bar will serve them, weather permitting, into late September. 89 E. 42nd St., 212-490-6650

Have a margarita on the roof at Lucy’s Cantina Royale

This midtown spot has a Baja, California-style bar on the roof, complete with hanging surfboards and tables made of boards. Frozen margaritas ($9) are served year-round, and heat lamps can keep you toasty. 1 Penn Plaza, at 34th St., 212-643-1270

Eat in the year-round garden dining room at Cafe Colette

It just might be the closest you’ll get to a backyard meal here in the city. This Williamsburg eatery features a year-round garden dining room encased in greenhouse glass, complete with heat lamps. The room is decorated with edible plants, including giant bushes of rosemary, lavender and purple basil. Dishes include grilled lambribs with harissa ($14) and cocktails such as the summery Johnny Colada (a take on the pina colada, but with rum, pineapple, coconut, Fernet Branca and bitters, $10). 79 Berry St., Williamsburg, 347-599-1381

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