I had been living in Brooklyn Heights for some time and Long Island Restaurant has been closed for as long as I could remember. Then one day, the sign was lit up and not long after the new owners had resurrected the spot with the promise to the previous owners the name and sign never changes. Order "A Martini" from the menu. It's divine. As are the french fries. They're double fried.

The design and photography floor at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Union Square.

I often run to this place and I love this perspective on glittering Manhattan and the feeling of coolness in the air from being so close to the water. To sweat and breathe and see this view of New York gives me a sense of being in this great City.

Unlike a lot of neighborhoods the sidewalks in this area are often still paved in the original slate slabs. You can see “extra” pieces sometimes chained up outside like this…. Why pour concrete?

Coney Island is the best for everything - the beach, the rides, the beer - but mostly for the Skee Ball. It's incredibly addicting, affordable and satisfying (depending on your aim).