Apart from Dia Beacon, in Beacon (upstate New York about an hour away from Grand Central Station) and also the Judd Foundation in Soho, this institution is absolutely one of my favourite places to visit and it is located in Long Island City, Queens. It showcases sculpture in the broadest sense and has an incredible building that used to be a workshop that refurbished and fixed subway cars. It has been running since 1928 and when you visit you will definitely see why that is.

This botanical garden is massive. If you like to be surrounded by foliage, bring a picnic on a nice day.

My second-favorite outdoor-place in Manhattan. The abandoned 1.6 km rail tracks running above Chelsea down to the Meatpacking district were turned into an above-ground park. Perfectly nice place for sitting in the sun, reading, relaxing, having lunch in some green spot in the city. Nice views at the Hudson River, New Jersey, the Statue of Liberty (little small from there but still visible) and the architecture around Chelsea.

Nature is the only thing I sometimes feel that I miss in the city and though I love going to Central Park and Prospect Park it’s still a bit of a hike for everyday life. Thankfully there’s a ton of small gardens and parks all around the city and in the summer some of them turns in to secluded hideouts. My favorite is cramped in between 6th avenue, a playground and another street but it still feels like (almost) being in a little forest when sitting there.

This quaint shop boasts an artfully arranged and tastefully curated selection of jewelry, pottery, books and art. I have to keep myself from going there too often, because I have trouble leaving without making a purchase.