Growing up in a small town surrounded by nature, life in the city becomes difficult sometimes. Prospect park is a great place to take a deep breath and refresh. Seeing the horizon there eases my mind.

For oysters & libations. The comprehensive oyster menu changes depending on what they can get that's fresh. If you know anything about oysters or just plain like them, this is without question the spot. Currently my favorite oyster (not always on their menu) is the Skookum.

This little French-Morroccan restaurant is a perfect place for meeting artist friends and, of course, great escargot.

Giant dinosaurs. And the rest of the museum is great if you also like giant whales and outer space and especially the life size dioramas of animals and cave people, which might be the very best Art in all of the city. Sigh.

This quaint shop boasts an artfully arranged and tastefully curated selection of jewelry, pottery, books and art. I have to keep myself from going there too often, because I have trouble leaving without making a purchase.