The glorious orange gates in Central Park in 2005.

My friends, Dee & Ricky, recently opened up their own restaurant at the ripe age of 24 in the Clinton Hill neighborhood. I stop in here every now and then for the roti. Also, there's a really cool (Nigeria-owned) sandwich & smoothie spot next door that is not pictured.

This is my favorite bar in the city: original cocktails, an unpretentious crowd and live jazz.

Having the experience of owning and running a coral reef aquarium (and frequenting this particular shop about once a week) - I was sad to hear it closed it's doors. Their reef display tank was always amazing. These pictures were taken from PetCo at Union Square (I also used to go there for my saltwater needs).

Offering 20% off on current “indie bestsellers” (and 10% off picks from their well-read staff), you can still get a good deal while supporting one of the city’s last independent bookstores. They also carry an impressive selection of magazines and literary journals that you can flip through in their café. McNally’s event calendar is packed with appearances and readings by authors like Zadie Smith and Chris Kraus, but they're perhaps best known for their in-store printing press and self-publishing services.