Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: How New Yorkers Dress for Summer Weekends

For many New Yorkers, when temperatures hit 90-plus, the concrete is radiating heat, and the feral energy in the air is as potent as the scent of hot garbage, the dream answer to this question is: “Getting out of the city.”

It doesn’t so much matter where you’re going, as long as there is sun, fresh air, and some kind of nature to be enjoyed. Bonus points if there’s a body of water to dive into, to swim and soak your urban worries away.

All week, you look forward to sneaking away on Friday (or Thursday, if you’re lucky), with your weekend bag, your beach read, and your sunscreen in tow. You pack your bag and off you go. There’s a certain energy to the eve of a summer weekend, as people begin their journeys out of town. Maybe you’re heading to the Rockaways for the day, or the Hamptons for a long weekend. Maybe you’re going to a wedding in Martha’s Vineyard or eagerly awaiting your first New England lobster roll of the summer. No matter the destination, the anticipation is almost as extreme as the heat.

Nowhere is that buzz more potent than at the city’s many transportation hubs. With that in mind, photographer Amir Hamja traversed the city over two shoot days, heading to Grand Central Station, Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, a Rockaway Ferry stop, a Hampton Jitney stop, and the East River Blade helicopter and seaplane base, to capture how New Yorkers (and visitors) dressed for their weekend commutes.

Hamja says that most of the people he photographed were heading to places like East Hampton, Provincetown, Martha’s Vineyard, and Upstate New York. Amid all of his running around, Hamja says, “The best part was trying to find the people.”

One challenge was trying to figure out who was coming and who was going amid the chaos of travel. Hamja says he looked for people who were dressed like they were ready for train, helicopter, and ferry rides, and quickly learned how to spot the weekend trippers.

“Some people, you can tell they’re like, ‘I want to get out of the city this weekend,’” he says.

When it came to their travel outfits, people took different approaches that show the range of New Yorker style. Some commuters went for all-white outfits, fitting their glowing ensembles in before Labor Day.

Others went for flowy summer dresses and button-downs that could double as beach cover-ups. Many seemed dressed for maximum comfort, while others looked ready to step off the train and head straight to a winery or summer barbecue. Some came straight from work—no time to shed the office wear.

Some seemed to wing it, rushing to catch their train, bus, or helicopter, while others clearly have their weekend trip routines down pat. The commuters came prepared with lunches, golf clubs, totes, beach chairs, umbrellas, and dogs. Their footwear ran the gamut from sneakers to sandals, wedges, loafers, and high heels. Some read their books, or tuned out their fellow travelers with music.

One constant, however? “Everyone was on their phone,” Hamja says. We can only hope that once that last Slack message was answered and last email was sent, the commuters turned on Do Not Disturb and enjoyed some fun in the sun.