Just by sitting on a bench and drinking a coffee in the park, I can be entertained by so many performers and some crazy people.

If only places can speak...yet they have their own language with their texture, smell, vibe, mood...new york is waking up 

This is a tiny street with a lot of character and can be often missed. I love the little brick houses and coloring of the street.

The Christmas light House in the Bronx is a neighborhood fixture that is hard to miss. It is decorated year round with life size statues and is painted  bright pink. Though it draws most of its audience during the holidays it is an anomaly throughout the seasons. Such a bizarre place with such exuberant colors and vibrancy attracts an artists eye and will draw you in.

The oldest still-operating restaurant in New York City, still in the family of the original founders. At Christmastime, it's decorated to the nines. Go with a big group: portions are large and the wine flows liberally. Look for the little buttons on the walls: in the old days, the mafia would hang out in the back room, and if diners saw the cops come in, they'd press the buttons so the mafia guys could run out the back.