My wife and I went to the incredible Philip Johnson Glass House, just outside of New Canaan. We thought it would be just the house, but turned out to be a garden of architectural gems. Highly recommended.

Stay Chez Frank at Silvermine Tavern in neighbouring Norfalk, CT. Great place.

philipjohnsonglasshouse.org/
199 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT 06840
+1 203 594 9884 x0
Google map: bit.ly/quizxs

www.silverminetavern.com/
194 Perry Avenue Norwalk, Connecticut 06850 +1 (203) 847 4558
Google map: bit.ly/oykPDu

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A few years ago, the last rollerskating rink in NYC closed. It was tragic for me, because I'd just received rollerskates for my birthday. Since then, I've nearly killed myself skating in Central Park and have attended a roller disco at a weird hotel. But now rollerskating's back! This week, the High Line Rink opened below the High Line at West 30th and 10th Avenue. The 8,000 square foot outdoor rink is only open until September 26, so get rolling! Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for children under 13. It's open every day - from 11-10 on weekdays and 11-11 on weekends.

thehighline.org/news/2011/07/21/coming-soon-new-outdoor-roller-skating-rink-under-the-high-line
+1 (212) 500-6035
Google map: bit.ly/qw3N8I

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There's not really anything glamorous about Staten Island. It's NYC's bastard borough. But the Staten Island ferry that ushers 60,000 people to and from Manhattan every day offers a beautiful view of the city. And it's free! The ride starts at Whitehall Terminal in downtown Manhattan (take the R, W, or 1 train to Whitehall Street-South Ferry) and then drops you off at St. George Terminal in Staten Island. I'm not recommending you hang out in Staten Island. It's residential and can be hard to navigate on foot. Get off the ferry and board the next one to Manhattan. You can take in the views and even sip wine or beer while you do it. Just don't end up overboard.

www.siferry.com/
1 Bay Street, Staten Island, New York, United States
+1 718-876-8441
Google map: bit.ly/pK9ZFp

Amanda is our Been there local for New York. You can check out her page here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/new-york-local-amanda-green.jsp and her own NYC blog here: www.noisiestpassenger.com/

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I went to the MoMA (pronounced Moe-ma) website to try to figure out how to describe its latest exhibition, "Talk to Me," and I can't really figure it out. It's about design and where utility meets personal interaction and communication. It features 194 pieces. Uh, it looks cool? It really does. The museum's open every day in the summer and late on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. You can check out "Tall to Me" until November 7, and if you go to MoMA on a Friday from 4-8:30 you get in free. MoMA's located at 11 West 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/talktome/
11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019-5497
+1 (212) 708-9400
Google map: bit.ly/p0S27z

Amanda is our Been there local for New York. You can check out her page here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/new-york-local-amanda-green.jsp and her own NYC blog here: www.noisiestpassenger.com/

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People argue all the time about which cupcakes are the best in NYC. Let me settle it: Buttercup Bake Shop. It used to have locations on the East and West sides, but sadly, only one remains. You'll have to venture to 973 2nd Avenue (between 51st and 52nd Streets). If you're not into cupcakes, you can also order banana pudding, cake slices, or muffins.

buttercupbakeshop.com/
973 2nd Avenue (Between 51st and 52nd Streets)
New York, NY 10022
+1212 350 4144
Google map: bit.ly/qARNOu

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NYC's in the middle of a heat wave, but New Yorkers still love relaxing outdoors in the summer. The River to River Festival brings free events to local parks every day. Last Friday, I saw dancers and trapeze artists downtown near the World Trade Center site. This Friday, anyone can see "Henry V" at Battery Park or watch dance performances and an exhibit inspired by the iconic artist Jules Feiffer. Check the calendar to see what's going on near you.

www.rivertorivernyc.com/blog/welcome-2011-river-river-festival

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Twelve-year-olds aren't the only ones who giggle when ordering a plate of balls at a restaurant. We can all do it at Meatball Shop, a restaurant devoted to... Meatballs! Diners get a dry erase menu and marker and can pick and choose from an array of meatballs and sauces. I suggest ordering a handful of different meatball sliders -- my favorite are beef with spicy meat sauce. (I'm boring I know.) You can also order sides and desserts with your balls. There are two Meatball Shop locations -- one on the Lower East Side at 84 Stanton Street and another new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at 170 Bedford Avenue. Be prepared for a wait. It's worth it.

www.themeatballshop.com
84 Stanton Street 10002-1420
+1212 982-8895
Google map: bit.ly/oRaGpb

170 Bedford Avenue
Google map: bit.ly/oKqH5L

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If you want to cool off like a local -- and aren't a germophone -- take a dip in one of the city's 54 public outdoor swimming pools. They're free and open each day from 11am to 7pm. If you want to stick around before or after your swim, you'll probably be close to a handball court, playground, or at least a nice bench in the shade. Bring sunscreen!

www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/pools

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They say there are eight million stories in New York City. Some of the best ones are told at monthly Moth storytelling events. Moth slams are held at various venues in Brooklyn and Manhattan. At the start of slams, would-be storytellers put their names in a hat. If you're one of the 10 called, you get five minutes to share your take on the night's themes from memory. (Previous themes include Transformation and Revenge). The stories start at 7:30 and slams always sell out and have limited seating. Get in line early for a good spot.

themoth.org/events

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I'm a recovering musical theater junkie, but even the cool kids love a good Stephen Sondheim musical. On July 21 at Brooklyn's Prospect Park Bandshell, not only can you watch the classic New York City musical "West Side Story," you can sing and dance in it, too. Choreographer Lawrence Goldhuber will teach the crowd some moves and song lyrics will be displayed on a giant outdoor screen. The show starts at 8 pm, but you can get stake out a spot starting at 7 pm. Get ready to rumble!

www.nyc-arts.org/events/13879/west-side-story-dance--sing-along
Google map: bit.ly/oIdF94

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The inside of Alaska is pretty wild yet very easy to access thanks to good roads plus unlike most remote locations, it is also very safe compared to most wilderness areas with emergency services just a phone call away (we had to go to the doctor with a sick child). Renting an RV means you can travel into the back country without forgoing your creature comforts! Kids will love sleeping above the front seats on the bunks, and the separate bedroom with queen sized bed gives you privacy and comfort. Got more kids, no problem there are models that sleep as many as 10! We travelled with toddlers but it is suitable from newborn to teens.

We rented from Alaskan RV's in Ancorage, though there are multiple outlets. You can fly via Seattle in approx 15 hours from the UK (Seattle is well worth a two day stopover) or why not do as we did and take the state ferry from north of Seattle to Seward south of Ancourage - its takes eight days and only runs once a month but its something you'll never forget.
Google map: bit.ly/qIEag3

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When the children's plea for a 'proper holiday', ie one involving flying rather than camping, became deafening, we booked flights for Boston in the USA, hired a car for the duration of our stay and a hotel for the first night and set off. For two blissful weeks we visited beaches and Boston and the Ben and Jerry's factory. We were offered a husband for our oldest daughter on the Mayflower, walked some of the Appalachian trail and saw moose, a bear and eagles. At no point (except on our first night) did we book ahead, but everywhere we found clean and comfortable hotel rooms, with helpful staff who often allowed all of us (two adults and four children) to squeeze in one room or could provide us with a suite. This worked so well, that two years later we visited California (another brilliant destination) and two years after that we again went to New England, but this time with 7 people, as my elder son's girlfriend joined us too.
Just make sure you hire the biggest car available and book for your first night. We also booked for the end of the holiday while we were in Boston with seven, as we particularly liked the accommodation we found. The cost of living in the States ensured that, once we were there, our costs were low. Even now, eight years on, this is still the holiday of their childhood memories. I would recommend it to anyone.

www.bostonusa.com/
Google map: bit.ly/l42vER

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In a world where most music is just hop, skip and a click away via a download, the magic of going to a store and purchasing a CD or a record is easily forgotten. Not at Amoeba Music - this is the world's largest independent music store and it an absolute joy to spend time there. You can literally spend hours flicking through row after row of every genre of music you can think of. They have a neat system that scans the barcode of a CD and brings up the tracks at a listening post, allowing you to listen to basically anything and everything in store. The staff are very knowledgeable and the store itself also hosts free gigs with really high calibre performers such as Elvis Costello, The Roots and DJ Dangermouse. If you find yourself in LA, I recommend setting aside an afternoon to wander about in the cavernous musical awesomeness that is Amoeba. They also have smaller (but still massive!) branches in Berkeley and San Francisco.

6400 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 900
www.amoeba.com/
Google map: bit.ly/lUp3fh

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I've got a summer sweet tooth, so I'm heading to Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn soon for an ice cream sundae served up 1950s style at alas, 2011 prices. Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain at 513 Henry Street is an old-school soda fountain with a counter, jukebox, and unpretentious sundaes, floats, local pickles and jams, and yes, even some real food. My mouth's destination: the Sundae of Broken Dreams, a vanilla and caramel sundae full of salty, crunchy pretzel pieces. Ah, the simpler times! Check hopstop.com for directions to a retro dessert. Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain is open most days from 10-10.

brooklynfarmacy.blogspot.com/
513 Henry Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
+1 718 522 6260
Google map: bit.ly/j7CVev

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Last week, I mentioned a closing exhibition of Laurel Nakadate's "365 Days: A Catalogue of Tears." If you didn't get to play voyeur to a year's worth of pictures of the artist crying, you're in luck. There's an even bigger exhibition of Nakadate's work -- including the weepy stuff -- at MoMA PS 1 in Long Island City, Queens. PS 1 is the place for contemporary art in NYC. The quickest way to the museum is the 7 train to Queens from Times Square or Grand Central. Get off at the 45th Road-Courthouse Square stop, exit at Jackson Avenue, and walk one block to 46th Avenue. The museum's located at 22-25 Jackson Avenue and 46th Avenue and is open Thursday through Monday from noon to 6 pm.

ps1.org/exhibitions/view/321
22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
+1 (718) 784-2084
Google map: bit.ly/mmn3zk

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The folk singer Ani DiFranco once called New York the "city that never shuts up." It's true. There's so much street noise and people noise and I-can't-even-hear-myself-think noise. You can escape it all ... outside of NYC. Or if that's too extreme, check out the Central Park Conservatory Garden on Fifth Avenue at East 105th Street open each day from 8 to dusk. The beautiful gated spot is divided into French, Italian, and English sections and full of flowers and benches. Sports equipment, bikes, boomboxes, and cellphones are prohibited, so bring your camera and bask in the quiet. When you're done, you can walk down Fifth Avenue and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim, and more.

www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/north-end/conservatory-garden.html
Fifth Ave & 105th St, New York, NY, United States
+1 212 860 1382
Google map: bit.ly/iZjob0

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New York is expensive and I'll say it, often overrated. When you go to a bar or restaurant, you pay for the scene. But if you just want to get silly drunk on fruity, crazy-colored margaritas, consider the chain Dallas BBQ. There are locations all over, but I tend to stick to the ones in Chelsea or the East Village. I wouldn't advise ordering the food, unless you're trying something small to stave off a hangover. (There are much better, pricier places for barbecue. The offerings at Dallas BBQ are mediocre at best.) The restaurant staff won't rush you if you decide to drink a Texas-sized margarita and hang out with your friends. They won't even get annoyed when you can barely leave the place once you're done, either. I may or may not speak from personal experience(s).

www.dallasbbq.com/
261 8th Avenue
+1 212 462 0001
Google map: bit.ly/lZcGPQ

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If you're the kind of person who tears up when someone else does, you might need to bring some tissues to Laurel Nakadate's "365 Days: A Catalogue of Tears." For a year, the artist took a photograph of herself crying - clothed, naked, at home, in public, and so on. Though some will doubt how sincere the art is, crying's personal, not to mention cathartic. The free exhibit closes on June 25. View it at the Leslie Tonkonow sixth-floor gallery at 535 West 22nd Street near 10th Avenue. It's open on Tuesday-Saturday from 10-6. While you're that far west, check out the other small galleries on 22nd Street. You'll bound to find some art to appreciate.

www.tonkonow.com/

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Last year, NYC's five boroughs were blessed with temporary public pianos as part of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" exhibition. (Yep, I know it started in London. And it was amazing!) Now the non-profit organization Sing For Hope has provided 88 new pianos for the public to play until July 2. The pianos have been decorated by local artists. The artist Olek crocheted the piano in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood. Last year, I recorded my friend Paul Sahner (video link: vimeo.com/13130922) jamming in Central Park. I'm ready for take two!

pianos.singforhope.org/

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Different parts of Manhattan used to have tent cities of homeless people. But if you see tents in city parks this summer, it's because some New Yorkers won an online lottery with the Urban Park Rangers program. There are generally 30 spots open at a time in parks in all five boroughs. This year, I'm aiming for a night under the stars at Central Park. If "roughing it" proves difficult, I know I won't be too far from civilization. In fact, I could order Chinese food to my tent!

www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/urban_park_rangers/pd_ur_program_registration.html

www.karenkristian.com/storage/tumblr_l2ykdoSxoT1qz9rw0o1_500.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1274899314725

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