Urban Escape: 7 Photos New York City Slickers Will Love

By Cristina Cianci

Since moving to New York City for the first time this past summer—post-college shenanigans, of course—I've learned a few new things about the city, while others were like a trip down memory lane from yesteryear.

1. Nothing compares to that feeling of pride in downtown Manhattan, especially in September.

2. It’s still one of my life goals to jump down from a fire escape. This one was my grandpa’s in Little Italy.

3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side never disappoints for inspiration. I can get lost for days, which I did on this day and wound up on the roof.

4. My morning view ensures I never take this life for granted or too seriously. I pinch myself daily.

5. Brunch, brunch, and more brunch. Three times a day if needed, and, most certainly, per weekend. I found this is a gem of an alley in the Lower East Side after eating at Freemans.

6. Always carry an umbrella, or run to the nearest Duane Reade to invest in one, or else you will Mary Poppins down Third Avenue. I learned this lesson the hard way during a typhoon this past June.

7. Tar Beach should be your new favorite beach in the summer. Become familiar. No more Jersey Shore. Rooftop barbeques, beer, new friends, and kiddie pools are to the Atlantic Ocean as bottle caps are to sea shells.

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