I like coming down here with friends when the weather permits and drinking on the beach or on the rocks when the tides come in.

What's not to like with a place that has a Sandwich named after Jonah Hill and hand-drawn signs in the window?

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).

Going for a stroll on Atlantic Beach is a fall Sunday must. I rarely go to the New York beaches in summer because of the crowds, but standing on an empty, windy beach is a total mind soother. Make sure to take a peek at the Miami-colored Catalina Beach Club. Beaches close mid-September.

When I moved to NYC in the summer of 2009, my wife Hannah and I went straight to Central Park and the Belvedere Castle. It was the first time I fully grasped that I lived in New York and it felt euphoric standing on that hill. For me this place is still a romantic symbol and reminder of the spirit and essence of the city and the reasons I live here.