Somewhat off the beaten Williamsburg-track, Brooklyn Art Library is nestled on a mostly residential street. It’s home to tens of thousands of artist sketchbooks known as “The Sketchbook Project”. Over 100 countries are represented and their “collection houses books from small communities in Mongolia next to professional illustrators from New York.” You can donate one of your very own! All the sketchbooks have been cataloged for easy searching of their vast shelves, by artist and subject, and visitors are invited to browse what feels much like a hands-on museum. The Art Library also remains one of the few places to find art supplies (while limited) in the neighborhood, and if you’re in the market for a special gift (including books, totes and the cutest retro pennants) for your favorite art-lovin’ bibliophile, you might just get lucky here.

This bright and upbeat matcha spot in NoLIta, with its millennial pink and green color scheme, are what Instagram dreams are made of. In addition to your standard hot or iced matcha lattes, Cha Cha Matcha’s menu also offers trendy and healthful twists, like the addition of ginger and turmeric, or their rainbow “Divine Drink.” Oh, and did we mention you can order matcha soft-serve (which you can combine with flavors like acai, tangerine, or lavender) year-round?

1st Thursday of every Month from 6-9PM, I like to visit New York Art Center curated by Shane Townley, founder & director of the center and NYA Gallery. This is creative art public space in Tribeca where you can meet established, emerging artists, curators from all over the World and a nice and professional team of NYA Gallery and Gallery 104 - Lucy McCarron, Tony Huffman, Estefania Ochoa, and others - and introduce yourself to them. My solo exhibition New Tech Girls - Bikini Issue will open to the public on Thursday, July 4th with a reception the following week on Wednesday, July 10th from 6-9pm. The show will remain on view until Sunday, July 21st. Visitors may see my works during regular gallery hours: Monday through Sunday, 12-5pm.  -------------------------- On the photo: Olga Feshina's booth at NYAFAIR at New York Art Center May 02 - May 05 2019

The Christmas light House in the Bronx is a neighborhood fixture that is hard to miss. It is decorated year round with life size statues and is painted  bright pink. Though it draws most of its audience during the holidays it is an anomaly throughout the seasons. Such a bizarre place with such exuberant colors and vibrancy attracts an artists eye and will draw you in.

This is a great park, from free concerts to summer to the Brooklyn flea markets over the weekend or take the ferry across the river. Rain or shine I never get sick of that view.