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.

Growing up in a small town surrounded by nature, life in the city becomes difficult sometimes. Prospect park is a great place to take a deep breath and refresh. Seeing the horizon there eases my mind.

Paris in Brooklyn, etc. I have to try hard not to say 'Garçon.' But either way, 'monsieur' would be more appropriate; proper French waitstaff, proper French food.

I buy gigantic dry-aged steaks and 1.5-inch pork chops here. The staff is really friendly and helpful.

Seasonal salads, sweet and savory treats, and great coffee. It's probably my most common lunch spot when I work from home and they also offer catering if I'm too nervous to cook but want it to feel homemade.