Lovely Italian restaurant with a beautiful backyard. I usually have the Orecchiette Salsiccia Broccoli or the spaghetti Vongole.

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.

Death & Co is my favorite place for delicious cocktails and small bites. Their truffle mac and cheese and lobster rolls are delicious and love just about every drink on their whisky menu.

This park holds a special place in my heart because it has been like a backyard for me over the years. It is also named after the Secretary of State who negotiated the purchase of Alaska. There is even a Togo sculpture that reminds me of home. The bench strip doubles as a downtown runway.

Be warned: you’ll want to buy everything in this beautiful, minimalist store.