Connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn Heights, this iconic bridge is an architectural marvel…read moreknown the world over. Completed in 1883, this suspension bridge with its visually familiar stone arches has been featured in many Hollywood blockbusters including: Spider-Man, The French Connection, Enchanted, Sex and the City, I Am Legend, Cloverfield, Godzilla, Deep Impact, Moonstruck, and Sophie's Choice. Fun fact: in order to prove its safety, P.T. Barnum once crossed the bridge with 21 elephants. Today, this bridge averages nearly 29K pedestrians and over 103K vehicles PER DAY. Although I've been in NYC a handful of times, I've only ever walked across this bridge once in my life. Started on the Manhattan side and made my way over to Brooklyn, before walking it back over to Manhattan. All in, took me about 20mins with multiple stops for photos. On both ends of the bridge, you'll find a variety of merchants hawking their goods. Although there is substantially more on the Manhattan side than Brooklyn. A lot of the vendors will carry the same goods, but the prices are not all made equal. I recommend walking a bit deeper in if you spot something you like to see if you can find it cheaper. You can always double back if you cannot find it again. The pedestrian promenade is pretty wide and accommodates a pretty heavy flow of foot traffic, with plenty of room to stop to take pictures. And speaking of pictures, you'll definitely be treated to gorgeous, unobstructed views of the Lower Manhattan skyline and the East River walking in either direction. There is also separate protected bicycle path which is great in preventing collisions between pedestrians and cyclists. Come here on a beautiful day like I did and enjoy the extra cardio while soaking up the view. It's definitely worth it and something you should do at least once when visiting NYC.

Finally accomplished my walk across the Brooklyn Bridge during this quick day trip to NYC…read more The walk itself was easy, elevated above the road, but a bit crowded starting from the Manhattan side. Along the way I passed hawkers selling their tourist trinkets, knockoff bags, food and drink. However once past the first bridge tower then the crowds started to thin out and was quieter as headed down towards the Brooklyn side. The bridge is an icon and the walk brought me closer to its distinctive design. Views were beautiful and clear that Friday afternoon. Periodic signs provided the bridge history. Overall finished the walk across in less than 30 minutes.

The Oculus is a beautiful representation of the New York spirit. It is a shopping center, an…read morearchitectural landmark, a transport hub, and a historic piece honoring NYC. It's a part of New York as much as Grand Terminal or Penn Station is. Oculus gets busy on a daily basis because of all the things I mentioned above. The shops in the Oculus are nice and tend to be on the higher end of a price range. You have a variety of selections from Apple Store to luxury brands. The service at any store is pretty representative of what the Oculus aspires to be; excellence. It's beautiful and bright and at its core, a beacon of hope.

I go through the Oculus almost every day and it has really become part of my routine. It is great…read morefor catching so many different trains and it makes getting around the city feel easy. I usually pass through when I am heading to Eataly or taking the Path, and I always end up stopping for something. I love the yogurt place there and the Häagen Dazs is another favorite. Yesterday I went with my niece and we had such a nice time. We walked around, got ice cream, and did a little window shopping. It was simple and fun, the kind of visit that feels relaxed and unplanned. The whole space is bright, open, and clean, and there are so many stores that you can always find something to look at. It is one of those places where you can grab a treat, pick up something you need, or just stroll for a bit. I never get tired of going through here.

Of course this spot gets crazy busy with tourists. I've been a few times and it's worth it to see…read morethe bridge from this angle, especially if you're a first time visitor to NYC area. Makes for great photo backgrounds. To me, it's just one of those "must experience" moments. Do yourself a favor, experience it!

DUMBO Washington St. & Water St…read more Brooklyn, NY 11201 This historic site is located in the heart of DUMBO. This precise location has also appeared in movies such as 187, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Once Upon a Time in America. When you reached the cobblestone intersection of Washington Street and Water Street, be sure to admire the Manhattan Bridge in between two buildings. (If you look closely, you can also see the Empire State Building between two pillars. Due to its popularity, a lot of tourists congregate here to view the site. If you need a picture without bystanders in the background, it is recommended to arrive on a weekday or early weekend morning. In addition to viewing this site, there are plenty of places to eat or shop for souvenirs. It is also walking distance from Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Bridge. Overall, this is a scenic section of Brooklyn and you can easily spend several hours here. #dumbo #dumbobrooklyn #downunderthemanhattanbridgeoverpass #washingtonstreetandwaterstreet

Fort Greene "is The Joint" I'm guessing my older more famous cohort Spike would say of his old…read morestomping grounds. I took this part of the hood for granted growing up. Later learned that the tower was a memorial for our Revolutionary War fallen veterans. George Washington snuck away from the Redcoats in the middle of the fog to avoid defeat in one of the many Revolutionary W battles. Spike Lee had a store The Spike Lee Joint selling clothing hats etc from his line at the time from the 80's to I believe 90's. Tennis courts in Fort Greene Park. Also the park was the site of the gauntlet gang initiation scene in The Education of Sonny Carson. Brooklyn Tech. The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Barclay's, Junior's, The Albee Square Food Court, and countless excellent restaurants. Oh. And don't forget the Clock which used to be one of the tallest structures in Brooklyn before the 2000's and the Chase Building that looks like something from Lord of the Rings. It is a residential area with beautiful brownstones. Truly an awesome neighborhood

If you ever need to test the durability of a backpack, just spend a day at Fort Greene Park. Mine…read morehas now survived three unexpected dirt slides, one collision with an overenthusiastic golden retriever, and a near-disastrous moment where I thought I lost my sketchbook in the grass. (It was under my leg. Typical.) I originally came here to get some work done, but that plan derailed when I got distracted by a group of people practising acrobatics on the lawn. Watching someone casually flip through the air while you struggle to open a granola bar puts things in perspective. They fell a few times, laughed it off, and tried again--like failure wasn't even a thing to consider. I respect that. One day, a woman with calloused hands sat next to me and began carefully arranging leaves on the bench beside her. She sorted them by colour--deep reds, crisp yellows, tired browns--before pressing each one flat against the wood as if committing them to memory. A breeze came through and scattered her careful work, but she only smiled and started again. I almost asked what she was making, but some things don't need a final form to have meaning. Five stars. Come here if you need space to think or if you want a reminder that the world is full of people quietly working on things that matter to them.

Even though it was closed because it's under construction I was able to go into the entrance and…read morethey still had the palm trees up and I was able to see through the mesh covering to see how beautiful the seating area is and it's still going to be an amazing place to sit and have lunch or dip into away from the rain. It stated they will be reopened by this year in the summer maybe the end of the summer. I can see it will be worth the wait

Nice place to sit and chill over coffee. The breakfast croissant was very good. Very spacious and…read morethe waiters were attentive. Nice ambiance.

Don't look for this work of art. It's not there. If you were lucky enough to see it, write a…read morereview. It's pretty cool if you stare and stare. Then all of a sudden you realize what you're looking at! My photos are from April 14, 2016. It was a beautiful Spring Day. I am enjoying reminiciing about today during the Arctic Blast!

"Van Gogh's Ear", a public art sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, is in place at 30 Rockefeller…read morePlaza, right across the street from the entrance to Sak's 5th Ave. The sculpture, by the same duo that brought us the Prada Marfa Store in the middle of the Texas desert, is a tribute to the ready-made style of Marcel Duchamp. The sculpture is a 30 foot tall swimming pool, taken out of its normal context and displayed in its side with a diving board built in at the top. One of my favorite elements are the working lights on the inside left and right of the pool sculpture. Being that it's out of context - a recreational object in the middle of a commercial center - it creates a sense of longing and desire for recreation over industry and gives you an off-kilter feeling (why am I going to work when I could be swimming!). Overall a great piece of colorful public art at placed I a great spot for the perfect season. The piece is on display from April 13th though June 3rd, 2016. Catch it while you can!

I counted only 95 steps. Still plenty of steps. The panoramic views are partly obstructed but…read moreyou'll see the tops of some well-known buildings.

Beautiful stairs. If you are around the area, it is a nice place to climb up these stairs & get…read moresome exercise and get amazing views of the area. Overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but will sure make a visit if I am nearby.

I thought this venue was so cool. An old elementary school auditorium. We watched the Hot Sardines…read moreperform here and it was fabulous. Definitely a fun and different place to see a show, overall good experience. And it's on a nice strip of gorgeous restaurants/bars for any pre or post festivities! Check it out, see what's playing. Port Washington itself is absolutely stunning so it's worth it with that alone. Go early and check out the area.

Landmark on Main Street , located on Main Street in Port Washington is a cultural arts theater …read more It is in an old historic building that was renovated to use for the Arts as a non profit. What a great place to have in small town USA! I have seen amazing concerts there, this year alone: ranging from Ian Anderson, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Darlene Love, Paul Reiser, David Bromberg, Andrea Markovicci For one of the shows, I had injured my knee and couldn't walk easily. The staff went out of their way to make sure I was able to access a seat with a cane. I am so grateful to them for making an aisle seat happen for me. Every show gets better and better! Can't beat Landmark anywhere else on Long Island! Parking can be found on the street and across the street at the Library. There are about 40 seats in the balcony and another 350 in the orchestra. Every seat is comfy and gives a wonderful view of the very large stage.

I liked the view from the top of the stairs and I managed to get some good photos from there…read more FYI- the very top is closed due to some incidents The staff were mostly amazing and very kind The only complaint I have is the elevator operator constantly promising you they would load your group next and then proceeding to skip you Normally I wouldn't mind but since we were exhausted going up and down multiple times and the fact that the elevator took 4 minitues to get back up made us want to get on it early

We could see the Vessel while on a boat tour of Manhattan, so naturally it sparked my interest…read more We headed to Hudson Yards in hopes of going up to The Edge viewing platform as well. But, it was closed due to rain, lightning and near zero visibility. The rain also ruined an attempt to experience the Vessel itself, which is essentially another viewing platform. Further research revealed that safety netting was installed from level 3 and up, and the top 3 levels never reopened after multiple s*icides. OVERALL: Maintain it as an art piece, not as a money-making vantage point.

Why would you want to visit or stay in a neighborhood that Patti Smith says feels a living museum?…read more Hugged by Greenwich Village at the north (Houston), Little Italy to the eat (Lafayette), Tribeca and Chinatown to the south (Canal), and Hudson Square to the west (6th Ave), the farmland turned into an affluent enclave, with the highest concentration of cast-iron architecture in the world in the 1800s. As the rich moved north, the district became NYC's premier retail, entertainment, and "hospitality" corridor (1850-1880) to industrial manufacturing center, especially garments and textiles (1880-1960) to target for demolition for a highway project. But then the artists came in, the reports claimed the area was vital, and preservationists protected it, allowing it to become the international center of the avant-garde art world in the 70s and 80s. Today, the neighborhood allegedly functions as a major upscale international shopping district, despite the fake handbags on blankets on the illegal sidewalk sales. I got a good deal on a Kartier watch. So, the vibe is rigid, geometric, heavy iron meets Belgian cobblestones, for a grounded and old feeling in contrast with the soaring ceilings, oversized windows, and wide open floor plans that flood the area with pale, northern light, which gives it the historic but chic museum feel. Plus, there is a lingering cool factor, a quiet swagger, rooted in the creative rebellion. If SoHo were a cocktail mixed from southern California neighborhoods, it would be 40% Los Angeles Arts District (structurally and historically), 34% Abbot Kinney/Venice (hyper-curated indie retail and open-air runway feel); 25% Old Pasadena (living museum feel), 1% Hollywood (the touristy-heavy trashiest parts locals avoid). But, my wife and I love it because of the location and the many shops, restaurants, experiences, and bars within a square mile. Check my reviews on Dominique Ansel, Trader Joe's, Polo Ralph Lauren, Uniqlo Soho, a Target boutique, Lucia Pizza, McDonald's, Aviator Nation, 260 Sample Sale, Softside, $1.50 Pizza, and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Plus, within walking distance: Hamburger America and Emily (Greenwich Village), Prince Street Pizza, Thai Diner, and 7th Street Burger (Nolita), Solita Soho Hotel, Ceres, and L'Industrie Pizzeria (Little Italy), Au Cheval, All Blues, and Best Western Soho Hotel (Chinatown), and the Ghostbusters Fire Station, Roxy Hotel, and Bubby's (Tribeca).

Put on my walking shoes and off I am to SoHo. Shopping at unique boutiques. Feasting my eyes with…read morestimulating street art and art galleries. Savoring at enchanting coffee shops and iconic restaurants. I love it here! CHEERS!