This park sits halfway between my apartment and my studio. I spend a a lot of time hear sketching and making phone calls. The trees are beautiful during spring and fall.

Going for a stroll on Atlantic Beach is a fall Sunday must. I rarely go to the New York beaches in summer because of the crowds, but standing on an empty, windy beach is a total mind soother. Make sure to take a peek at the Miami-colored Catalina Beach Club. Beaches close mid-September.

By chef Ignacio Mattos, it’s just great,.

City Island is a seaside town in the Bronx. Known for its fishing, seafood, and main street it is a self-contained working-class haven. The buildings range from late 1800's houses to 1960's storefronts, and you can smell the ocean everywhere on the island. Restaurants and local pubs dot City Island Ave, and even the few empty storefronts stay vibrant. 

The crown jewel of the Queens Museum is a nearly 10,000-square-foot architectural model of the city originally built for the 1964 World's Fair.