A landmarked modernist interior designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. The former Four Seasons restaurant has been reopened as The Grill. Make your way to The Bar situated at the top of the famous staircase, beneath Richard Lippold’s iconic ceiling sculpture. It is a destination in New York City's architecture and cocktail culture.

Cafe Mogador has been serving modern takes on traditional Moroccan dishes for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner in the East Village since 1983.

This outpost of Seattle coffee is an excellent place to get your morning cappuccino, afternoon macchiato, or just some beans to take home. I lived in Seattle for 6 years before moving to New York and at first I was afraid the coffee here wouldn’t measure up, but lucky for me there are plenty of great places. Picking a favorite wasn’t easy!

The jetties along Rockaway Beach are one of my regular destinations when I can get out there. I grew up in a Coast Guard family and spent a fair amount of time around the ocean and surfing. I still like to get in the water and this is the first Atlantic-exposed beach on Long Island as you start to get out of the city. When it comes to the environment, constructions like these can be contentious things but they also make for a series of interesting surf spots. Its got a lot of New York metro qualities you might expect including the Subway making its stops a couple of blocks back from the water.

City Island is a seaside town in the Bronx. Known for its fishing, seafood, and main street it is a self-contained working-class haven. The buildings range from late 1800's houses to 1960's storefronts, and you can smell the ocean everywhere on the island. Restaurants and local pubs dot City Island Ave, and even the few empty storefronts stay vibrant.