A place for when you only have a day and your soul needs the smell of an ocean breeze and to feel sand between your toes. You can watch all the craziness of Coney Island from across the water.

I love that there's a museum dedicated to American art, founded at a time when American artists were underappreciated. The exhibitions are curated with a broad but discerning eye, and the architecture is spectacular. In my experience it's typically much quieter than the obvious choices like the Met and the MoMA - although both are remarkable, there's something I love about the scale and style of the Whitney.

Favorite brunch in Greenpoint. Get the caesar salad, the salmon gravlax, tortilla and pancakes. You can do no wrong.

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.

This is the rooftop of my building. I come up here daily with my dog or friends to get 'fresh' air, see what's happening in the streets, or to catch sunsets and the occasional sunrise. My landlord has been trying for months to put a stop to our rooftop access, but every attempt he has made thus far has been futile.