Unlike a lot of neighborhoods the sidewalks in this area are often still paved in the original slate slabs. You can see “extra” pieces sometimes chained up outside like this…. Why pour concrete?

Going for a stroll on Atlantic Beach is a fall Sunday must. I rarely go to the New York beaches in summer because of the crowds, but standing on an empty, windy beach is a total mind soother. Make sure to take a peek at the Miami-colored Catalina Beach Club. Beaches close mid-September.

Part of the Marlow restaurant group, Diner is one of the more casual / rustic options. The menu changes daily and is written out (most likely upside down by the wait staff) on your table or the back of a receipt. The only constant item is the burger, which to be honest, is one of the best in the neighborhood. If they have a breakfast sandwich for brunch, get that. The fried chicken sandwich (with dark meat) is also a favorite. They make scrambled egg dishes better than most. Dinner is solid all around (they crush a steak for two). Homemade ketchup and dijon mustard are on every table, so regardless of what you get, these two condiments are worth the visit. 

Taco Chulo is a great Mexican restaurant that has a good selection of tacos and burritos and of course has interesting blends of margaritas. I probably eat here at least once every other week.

A museum and sculpture garden in the Long Island City section of Queens, New York City, designed and created by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi.