This park sits halfway between my apartment and my studio. I spend a a lot of time hear sketching and making phone calls. The trees are beautiful during spring and fall.

Extra Chinese Restaurant. Have the ChongQing Wings if you Dare.

Perfect cocktails, chicken fat rice, and a REAL fireplace. One of the coziest spots in Greenpoint, particularly in the winter. Its "off the beaten path" location keeps out the bridge and tunnel goons, so you're likely to meet actual locals. Good for dates, solo thinking, or a small group. 

“We wanted to create a place where people felt at home, somewhere that people came back to often and the quality of the food shone.” – Rose Carrarini. Rose Bakery was created by Rose Carrarini and her husband Jean Charles. Great place to sit and chat with a friend, definitely try their scone with butter + jam and stroll around Dover Street Market afterwards.

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.