Make sure you know the size of your party when you arrive, or the formidable looking bouncer may give you a hard time at the door (they prefer no standing inside, all parties must be seated), but once you’re in, the drinks are fantastic and the staff is friendly and accommodating. In addition to cocktails, Pouring Ribbons features an impressive selection of Chartreuse.

Long afternoon naps rarely happen here, sadly. But I never stop fantasizing.

The oldest still-operating restaurant in New York City, still in the family of the original founders. At Christmastime, it's decorated to the nines. Go with a big group: portions are large and the wine flows liberally. Look for the little buttons on the walls: in the old days, the mafia would hang out in the back room, and if diners saw the cops come in, they'd press the buttons so the mafia guys could run out the back.

The New York Earth Room is an interior sculpture by the artist Walter de Maria that has been installed in a loft at 141 Wooster Street since 1977. Go see!

A museum and sculpture garden in the Long Island City section of Queens, New York City, designed and created by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi.