This is a great day-trip in the summer and early fall. The dunes make the beach feel secluded and the empty houses at the old army-base makes you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. Once we bathed there in late September during a combined picnic and photo shoot. It’s also a good little bike ride from the subway in Far Rockaway.
Nothing is more quintessentially New York than a diner. This eatery not only serves excellent, traditional diner fare, but does so in an eclectic environment that mixes Baroque decadence with Midtown grit.
Sometime in 2016 Sprout Home garden center sprung a second, even larger space on Grand Street. Like many of the converted warehouse buildings in the neighborhood, this space offers a soaring ceiling, exposed rafters, and the warmth of unfinished brick walls. All this serves as a lofty and inviting backdrop to the real stars—the plants (!) of all sizes and species. This verdant space (complete with a stunning, fresh-cut "flower bar") is cleverly curated to feel more like a botanic garden, than your typical nursery. Incredibly you could take it all home with you! Oh! And while you’re there, don’t forget to choose a planter from their inspired selection. They have a gorgeous pot for every plant and plant-lover, no matter how green(ish) your thumb may be.