Patch Picks: Five Ways to Beat the Heat

As July melts into August, western Pennsylvania heats up—and not in a good way.

Steamy, sticky and totally unbearable, a neighborhood like Forest Hills can feel more like Mumbai. Area residents slog through the humidity in the hopes that air conditioning is right around the corner, and some people, if only for a moment, wonder if winter wasn’t so bad.

Well, there are plenty of ways to stay cool this August, and none of them require a beach, or even leaving the immediate vicinity. Here are some super-local suggestions for beating the heat.

Rose’s Ice Cream

If we all scream for ice cream, we scream especially loudly at Rose’s Ice Cream, because it’s so conveniently located. After the kids run around the playground (cater-cornered), or we finish a jog in the park (directly across the street), or we finish a tennis lesson (at the courts down the block), Rose’s awaits with bountiful cones and confections at the corner of Forbes and Braddock avenues.

The Beer Cave

If you know Six Pax ‘n Dogz, you know the place is famous for two reasons: a meaty gamut of hotdogs and the Beer Cave. On a sweltering summer day, there are few pleasures more welcome than a dip in the Cave—a frigid antechamber stocked with brews from around the world. Not sure what to pick? Not ready to start perspiring again? Take all the time you need.

Thai Iced Tea

Perhaps the greatest dessert that is not technically a dessert, Thai iced tea is described by my girlfriend as “sugar in a glass.” This super-saccharine beverage is the color of sunset and tastes like the tropics. Available at in Edgewood and in Regent Square.

Indoor Workouts

By mid-summer, people get weary of the blazing sun. They want to work out, but they start freaking out about sunburns, dehydrations, and the threat of heat stroke. Luckily, indoor gyms are the same temperature year-round, and locals have plenty of places to choose from. There’s , the massive complex in Edgewood Towne Centre. For a deep stretch, there’s , and for women wary of chauvinistic gym rats, caters to all-female clientele.

The Pool

Whether you like to dog-paddle around or breaststroke some serious laps, the Aquatic Center in Forest Hills has everything you need. But this is no run-of-the-mill public pool; the Aquatic Center offers every kind of swim lesson, from basic classes for children to private coaching and lifeguard training. Forest Hills may be a fairly landlocked neighborhood, but you can still take a good dip.