Growing up I’d go to Staten Island a lot due to how close it was to my hometown. It wasn’t until I went back as an adult that I realized the uniqueness of this place, the outdated but also artistically beautiful aesthetic of the island, and appreciated it more. Plus the food (lots of diners and Italian food) is great and people watching is also pretty interesting.

Cobble Hill Cinemas is a cozy little neighborhood theatre. It has all the charm Brooklyn has to offer, screening new releases as well as selected independent films.

No, it's not a butcher shop. It's a destination sneaker spot with the best selection of Vans!

Grand Central is big and beautiful and it also periodically hosts free cultural events - poets at typewriters custom-composing poems on demand - or Alvin Ailey dancers performing in Artist, Nick Cave's horse suits!

Offering 20% off on current “indie bestsellers” (and 10% off picks from their well-read staff), you can still get a good deal while supporting one of the city’s last independent bookstores. They also carry an impressive selection of magazines and literary journals that you can flip through in their café. McNally’s event calendar is packed with appearances and readings by authors like Zadie Smith and Chris Kraus, but they're perhaps best known for their in-store printing press and self-publishing services.