New York

I start my day in Tribeca with a great cup of coffee at Laughing Man Coffee & Tea. This charming coffee shop is the brainchild of actor Hugh Jackman, who thought of opening it after visiting Ethiopia and befriending a coffee farmer.

Spend an afternoon solving mysteries at the Mysterious Bookshop, a great bookstore specializing in signed first-edition and limited-edition crime and espionage novels.

This casual and energetic Italian tavern serves celebrated chef Andrew Carmellini’s soul-satisfying takes on Italian cuisine.

In the spring, summer and fall, Greenwich Street becomes an open-air market where vendors from New York and New Jersey sell fresh vegetables, fruits and baked goods.

After a long day of walking, relax on the grass, take a bike ride, or stroll through Rockefeller Park’s sculpture garden, ornamented with sculptures crafted by New York artists.

Head to North Moore to see this still in-use firehouse that was also used as a location for Ghostbusters starring Bill Murray. Memorabilia from the movie remains in the interior space to this day.

Enjoy a late-afternoon cocktail at New York’s premier champagne bar. If you’re in the mood for a snack, try my favourite hors d’oeuvre, the sweet garlic-stuffed duck meatballs served with a demi-glace sauce, fig purée and Sriracha chilli.

End the day with a wonderful dinner at one of my favourite Tribeca restaurants. Nobu is known as the “innovator of new style Japanese food.” Enjoy a unique selection of sushi, sashimi and other Japanese classics with a modern twist.

Not in the mood for Asian cuisine? With an emphasis on health foods and artisanal execution, chef David Bouley’s flagship restaurant, Bouley, is the epitome of fine dining. Enjoy different menus every season.

For a late nightcap, feel like a local at Walker’s Pub, which has been around since 1987. Gothamites may be losing some of their older neighbourhood taverns, but as long as the doors stay open at Walker’s, a slice of Tribeca’s grittier past will remain.