Edition: U.S. / Global

Country Pleasures on City Streets

Published: August 19, 1994

O .K. So this was the summer you would save money by forgoing a half-share on the Jersey shore or a rental in Columbia County. You'd get by on the generosity of friends, you reasoned last spring. And you could take advantage of a deserted metropolis where museums and movie theaters could be enjoyed on weekends without fuss.

But invitations to weathered cottages and sandy bungalows have dried up, you've overdosed on culture and all New York City stretches before you like a sea of concrete. Admit it: You'd kill to hear a cricket.

Take heart. With some planning and a little suspension of disbelief, you can have your country weekend without leaving New York City's borders. There are gardens to weed and farmers to chew the fat with, there are boats to row (or just drift in) and egrets to spy in the marsh. There are even places to refuel that can transport diners to the Adirondacks, Vermont, even Iowa, restaurants that have recreated the homey simplicity of the country, or at least an idealized version of it, minus the flies and vinyl tablecloths.

Here is a guide to a weekend of bucolic charms and bosky sensations that aren't sandwiched between hours of irritating traffic. You'll need a few things: a straw hat (to set the mood), a pair of comfortable walking shoes and a modicum of money for public transportation and meals. And to preserve the illusion, don't look up at skyscrapers or argue with cabdrivers. Friday

First, it's time to decompress with a stroll in CARL SCHURZ PARK along the East River, between 84th and 90th Streets in Manhattan. A well-kept secret of Upper East Siders, Carl Schurz is an enchanting place, with flower beds, stone arches, wrought-iron fencing and a quiet promenade. At one end, an artist works at his easel; at the other, two young men play acoustic guitars for the small parade of pedestrians, baby carriages and dogs.

Lean over the railing along the river. (The Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, tucked beneath the promenade, can't be seen or heard.) Tugs and speedboats ply the churning, swirling waters. Directly ahead is the old stone lighthouse at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island. There is a trace of salt in the air as the setting sun paints the clouds peach and lavender.

Nearby, there's no better place than the restaurant SARANAC, at 1350 Madison Avenue, near 94th Street, to ease into an outdoorsy weekend. Named for the cold, deep lake in the Adirondacks, Saranac is cozy and rustic, with a wood-slat canoe and an antique toboggan mounted on the ceiling and a big stone hearth by the door. A mural of a lake scene fills one wall, while a map of the Adirondack region is painted in bright blue and yellow over the bar.

On summer weekends, Saranac offers a New England clam bake for $19; it comes with clam chowder, steamers, shrimp, corn on the cob and Key lime pie. On the regular menu, there is comfort food like chicken pot pie and banana bread pudding. Saturday

It's time to get your fingernails dirty.

There are many ways to achieve this in New York City. Community gardens, flower beds in city parks and sidewalk trees all need tending, and there usually isn't money for full-time, professional staff. Volunteers are not only welcome, they're prayed for, like rain.

The NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION links volunteers to continuing projects throughout the city (212-360-1309). TREES NEW YORK, a nonprofit organization that plants and protects trees, has enlisted more than 3,000 "citizen pruners" and is looking for new helpers (212-227-1887). Another private group, GREEN GUERRILLAS (212-674-8124), sends volunteers to community gardens. OPERATION GREEN THUMB (212-788-8059), a city agency, will refer volunteers to gardens in their communities.

Before the sun rises too high in the sky, head to RIVERSIDE PARK, a long finger of land along the Hudson on the Upper West Side. Riverside has always been overshadowed by Central Park, the city's flagship and a tourist attraction, but volunteer groups have adopted different sections.

On a Saturday morning a dozen people are toiling between 103d and 108th Streets. Under a canopy of sweet gum, oak and elm trees, with the slate-blue river to the west, they wield rakes, trowels and clippers, removing rubbish, pulling up unwanted saplings or "weed trees" and planting pachysandra. The soil, dark as espresso, actually offers up more earthworms than bottle caps.

"I have a real yen to get my hands in the dirt," said Charlotte Levine, a retired administrator, as she purposefully pruned a mock orange bush. "It's a way to give back and be outdoors and be happy."

After bending over and tugging weeds all morning, you can freshen up and travel south to FRIEND OF A FARMER, at 77 Irving Place near 18th Street, close to Gramercy Park, for brunch. Crates of watermelons, red onions and potatoes are scattered about for agricultural effect, and wooden ceiling fans rotate overhead. Everything, from the cheddar cheese and apple butter omelette to the pumpkin pancakes, comes on miniature cast-iron skillets.