Crew shmew. This week we kept our sweater vests at home and took to the Central Park Lake in a pair of old, weathered rowboats. The goal: to flex our lats, lap the tourists, and enjoy the last of these warm sunny days in the heart of the urban jungle we call home. After ever-so-ungracefully climbing into the boats, our two sea captains took the helm— and clearly they had done this before. The ladies lounged, laughed, and swooned (after all, no boat ride is complete without an authentic Italian serenade). But after clearing the iconic Bow Bridge and stopping in on a family of sun-loving turtles, it was time for the women to take control. While some of us fared better than others (so counterintuitive, right?!), the confusion quickly fizzled when we found our rhythm— and realized plunking the entire oar into the water wasn’t exactly effective technique. We switched rowers a couple more times (seriously, NO sudden movements!) and then kicked back to take in scenery. On our right, an oil painter and his muse à la Titanic (fully clad, thankfully), on our left a very successful first date. And straight ahead: the stunning Dakota building and the picture-perfect twin towers of the San Remo (we’ll let you know when Greatist HQ moves on up to Central Park West). The slow and steady simplicity of row boating may not make for the most high-octane workout, but when it comes to slowing down in the city, it more than did the trick. Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse is open to the public April through November, weather permitting. Photo by Cris Magliozzi