When I first moved to New York, enamoured by its parks and museums and design firms and restaurants and bars, I never imagined that there could be much more to its geography than that. How wrong I was. My first drive across the George Washington Bridge was jaw-dropping - the cliffs of New Jersey are astonishingly tall, covered in a dense thicket of trees. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Drive up 87 to the Catskills or the Adirondacks and you'll witness the Hudson River winding its way through spectacular scenery and unforgiving seasons. Now I can't get enough; just two hours up the road, it's like the city never existed. Perfect recuperation after a long week.

Great mid-eastern food in Chelsea/Flatiron/NoMad/whatever you call that area.

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

Hands down the best wood fire pizza I've had in Brooklyn. Great for a date or if you're feeling fancy schmancy. (Also, don't sleep on the caesar salad here.)

Best fried chicken ever, and the speakeasy downstairs is incredible.