The Brooklyn Flea is another treasure trove of odd finds, cool artifacts, and handmade goodness. If you're looking for inspiration or just something cool to hang on your wall, you can probably find something here. And if all that treasure hunting leaves you hungry, you are in luck--there's a delicious assortment of local food vendors and artisans there too.

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.

If you are looking for extraordinary studio-space, rental and awesome customer service included: this is your place to have your photo-shoots happening! There is also a lot of attractive outdoor options in the area around Greenpoint.

Cute and eclectic, The HiHi Room serves a variety of comfort foods with vegetarian options in a chill atmosphere on a bustling street in Brooklyn. 

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