The glorious orange gates in Central Park in 2005.

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.

A good flat white is hard to find but this is one place in NYC that has coffee that tastes like it does back in New Zealand.

Simply, the best ice cream in New York.

I don't go to the movies much but when I do I love coming here... they have the best of the independent and international films and it's the last of it's kind in New York.