While the current trend in noodles may well be ramen, this bafflingly-named Japanese restaurant just ten minutes from my apartment specialises in udon. Unless you are my friend Diego Zambrano it will probably take you several visits to get through all the things you need to try on the menu - the gyoza are otherworldly, the sushi 'tacos' clever enough without being silly. New York has thousands of awful Japanese places; this is not one of them. It's super nice to come in on a Sunday night and eat at the bar next to curmudgeonly old guys barking at each other in Japanese.

Beach approachable by public transportation and can be connected with a visit of MOMA PS1 Art Installation (Katharina Grosse House) Also less crowed than other beaches in NYC.

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.

The Bronx Botanical Garden is a place my father and I have been going to since I was a child. Here's a photograph I took of him here. It has hundreds of species of trees and flowers. Sitting in the middle of the Bronx, it's most recognizable as a green oasis from the grays and concrete of city life. 

Great gallery space in Brooklyn/Bushwick with oftentimes pop-up-exhibitions like the picture above during the opening of @preludeprojects