Summer in the Big Apple through the years?

A 9-year-old boy stays cool on the hottest day of the year by climbing into a fountain at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn.

When the weather gets warm, it's important to stay hydrated any way possible ... which is the reason why this man is attempting to drink from a New York City fire hydrant in 1961.

You have to hand it to New Yorkers ... whether they're reading the paper under conveniently placed showerheads or burying themselves in ice coolers, they're always resourceful when it comes to beating the heat.

Rainy weather is a welcome relief for one woman, who happily braves a downpour while waiting for the bus during a particularly hot day in 1947.

An enormous, ten-foot-high copper water sculpture sprays water in the East Village, immediately turning a heat wave into a block party.

High temperatures in New York City aren't only reserved for the summer months. Late September of 1989 saw a heat wave that had this pooch looking for a way to escape the humidity as he rested on a windowsill on West 53rd Street.

Slacking on the job? Daily News photographer Ed Clarity takes a breather while doing a job at Rockaway Playland in June 1948. He'd be sinking into lethargy if it weren't for those tubes!

Block party! A crowd on Seigel Street in Brooklyn gets wet and wild in August 1938. No word if the people watching on the sidewalk ever joined in on the wet fun.

Everyone, including this adorable (not to mention fearless) pup, needs a refreshing dip on long, hot summer days. Here, a group of children look on as a pooch jumps into the Harlem River at 155th Street in July 1941.

Where was the AC? Stifling temperatures make people do crazy things, like sleep in their cars for relief. In 1947, two men decide to beat the heat by taking shelter in their automobile, leaving the doors hanging wide open.

Two youngsters attempt to beat the sweltering New York heat by creating a makeshift bed on an 11th Street building fire escape during the summer of 1948.

We all scream for ice cream in the summer. Taking a lick from a cool ice cream cone -- as this man does in July 1952 -- is one of the great pleasures of summertime.

1939's New York World's Fair provided some very scandalous entertainment. Here, girls from the Congress of Beauty play cards in between their shows during a steamy night in May 1939.

Fashion sure has changed through the years, but one thing remains a constant: As the temperatures get higher, the hemlines get shorter. One woman rocks a barely-there mini dress a la 1968 while a gentleman decides to forgo trousers altogether.

No shirt, no problem! Iron worker Thomas Enright tries to find a cool breeze as he relaxes atop the 38th floor of the Socony-Mobil building still under construction in June 1955. The city was sweltering that day with the mercury reaching a high of 87.1.

When all else fails, dunking your head in the nearest fountain is sure to keep you cool ... at least so says this fellow, who decided to take that very approach when temperatures crept above 90 degrees in 1957.

He's got the right idea! A youngster has a blast fiddling with a fire hydrant on 45th Street and 10th Avenue in 1959

Talk about the cat's meow! There's nothing like cracking open a nice cold drink on the roof to escape sweltering temperatures ... this man brought a feline friend along with him!

Who says you need a swimming pool? One creative child decides to go for a full-body dip on 101st Street and Manhattan Avenue in July 1949.

Now that's the way to read the Daily News! A man anchors his beach chair in the Newark Bay to enjoy the Sunday paper and a bit of sun in June 1949.

Feeling the heat? Having a bucket of cold water dumped on your head like this swimsuit-clad woman is one sure-fire way to cool down.

As the mercury climbs, New Yorkers will do just about anything to stay cool. With the dog days of summer fully underway, see how the Big Apple has battled the heat through the years ... When temperatures hit 101 in the city, it's time to hit the beach. Here, crowds of people flock to Brighton Beach in Brooklyn on a particularly scorching day in June 1980.