The Bronx Botanical Garden is a place my father and I have been going to since I was a child. Here's a photograph I took of him here. It has hundreds of species of trees and flowers. Sitting in the middle of the Bronx, it's most recognizable as a green oasis from the grays and concrete of city life. 

Best sicilian slices in all of Brooklyn. Tasty creamsicle as well.

Their coffee—all brewed from carefully sourced Nicaraguan beans—is truly delicious.

Andrew Tarlow's Diner is a neighborhood institution and pioneer of gratuity-free establishments in Brooklyn. This place serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner in an old converted dining car under the Williamsburg bridge. A seasonal menu of fresh, New American style food that changes daily.

I love this place. It’s almost always empty. I can think here, and look at the New York City skyline which is amazing and exciting and always inspiring and reminds me of how lucky I am to live here.