The Ear Bar has been in New York longer than any of us. In a city of vacuous fleeting trendy bars the Ear Bar (which is really called the Ear Inn but I've never called it that) is the real deal.

Coming back from from New Haven, we got off at Grand Central and he took me down one of the concourses to the place with the vaulted ceiling. He stood at one corner and I stood at another and we whispered into the walls, our voices drifting across to each other.

Otherwild carries a little bit of everything: small-batch beauty products, artist-made ceramics, witchy necessities like incense and sage, punchy graphic tees, and everyone’s favorite feminist activity book: The Cunt Coloring Book. The LES shop is a great place to find unique gifts, but it also bills itself as a community gathering place.

The best freshly pulled noodles. My favorite is braised pork with noodles in broth, celery and cilantro add a delicious freshness. Perfect for a cold day.

Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (of Central Park), Prospect Park is where I go running in better weather and find an endless supply of flotsam and jetsam for casting in projects all year round. Thickets of trees, hidden paths, and rolling hills are an endless source of inspiration.