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No waterfront property? No problem.
BY GENEVIEVE RAJEWSKI
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When heat and humidity combine for maximum oppressiveness, the only reliable remedy is to find a little H2O. Sadly, rare is the city dweller with unlimited access to waterfront property or a private pool. But with some creativity, there are still ways to celebrate — not suffer — the sultry weather. For those with outdoor space, consider adding a pool. At Target, you’ll find the Family Swim Center Pool ($29.99), a deep, inflatable pool with extra-wide walls sturdy enough for lounging. Add light beer or cocktails and you (and up to three friends) won’t want to get out until the sun goes down. It takes a while to inflate, so be sure to invest in an air pump. Target has a good selection, including a Coleman electric pump ($28.89). To splash old-school-style, pick up a Color Wave Slip ’N Slide ($19.99) at Target. Target also has a Splash Triangle ($7.99) that hooks up to a hose and sends water shooting into the air. If you lack even the bare minimum of outdoor space, you can always go public. Revel in the sun at the Colonnade Hotel’s rooftop pool ($35 per visit). Or cross the river to Cambridge and swim at the Royal Sonesta pool ($15 per visit), which has a retractable roof and overlooks the Charles River. If all else fails, consider Revere Beach (on the MBTA Blue Line) or one of several MDC-operated pools. Your local YMCA or gym may also have a lap pool. Whatever the public setting, turn to Speedo Authentic Fitness for streamlined protection such as swim goggles ($13–$17), nose clips ($5), and ear plugs ($5). Of course, you can always create your own aquatic oasis indoors. Monroe Salt Works has several options for making bath time more fun, including a balloon-powered wooden boat ($4.50) and little squirters ($2.50) — impossibly cute, pudgy rubber puppies, pigs, bears, penguins, and chicks. For a hard-core cool-down, choose a bathtub full of ice ($40/five 40-pound bags) from ACME Ice Company to quickly turn your apartment’s climate from tropical to arctic. Though the heat often brings out the worst in people, again, water can help. If the loser in the adjacent work cube won’t stop singing Nelly’s "Hot in Here" suggestively, the Shop at the Union has a miniature-fire-extinguisher squirter ($1.75) that’s perfect for cooling unwanted arduous advances. Where to find it: • ACME Ice Company, 100 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, (617) 547-7300; www.acmedryice.com. • Colonnade Hotel, 120 Huntington Avenue, Boston, (617) 424-7000; www.colonnadehotel.com. • MDC Pools and Revere Beach, www.state.ma.us/mdc/activ.htm. • Monroe Salt Works, Copley Place, 10 Huntington Avenue, Boston, (617) 236-0045. • Royal Sonesta, 5 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, (617) 806-4200; www.sonesta.com/boston. • The Shop at the Union, 356 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 536-5651, ext. 175; www.weiu.org/index.php?page=86. • Speedo Authentic Fitness, Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 267-7325. • Target, various locations; www.target.com.
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