I was feeling a little down the other day and I knew there was only one thing that could cheer me up: Going to Little Italy.

But not the Little Italy you’re probably thinking of; I’m talking about the one in the Bronx.

Arthur Avenue has more than a dozen Italian food shops and restaurants that have been passed down from family members for over 100 years.

Plus there is an incredible indoor market where you can stock up on everything from cappicola to cannoli to these beautiful green Cerignola olives.

Everything is fresh, legit and delicious.

There are tons of restaurants but this was my favorite concept. You walk up to the counter, tell them what kind of fish you want, and they pile it on a plate with lemons. Top it with one of a dozen condiments they have out and eat it right there.

Of course I had to stop for gelato. This was pistachio, but please note that it’s not fluorescent green. It actually tasted like nuts.

More international flavor.

It seems like there’s some ginormous neo-Gothic church on every other corner in Harlem. But I liked these little churches that are tucked into the blocks.

You’ll see a lot of the brownstone churches painted white like this to show where the sinning stops.

They all have really awesome handpainted signs and their own little character quirks.

The Church of the People had a nice yellow theme going.

This one was amazing, housed in an old stable.

I guess what they say is true: You really can find God everywhere.

More Harlem and elsewhere.

I swear, it was like a rainforest in Central Park yesterday.

Everything is blooming.

When the sun cut through the clouds the ground sizzled.

The Sheep Meadow was covered in hundreds of robins. All hopping around, chirping and snacking.

This guy came out looking for a snack, too. He was completely oblivious to my presence.

Afterwards I stopped by here to practice my new routine to “I’m Coming Out,” as usual. Later I was surprised to learn the story behind the Diana Ross Playground had to do with another rainy day in Central Park.

More supreme shots.

When I lived in Hollywood my address was followed by 1/2. Everyone always asked, what does that mean, you got half of an apartment? You know, like a John Malkovich kind of thing.

The houses located on Dennett Place in Carroll Gardens get full integer addresses, but half doors.

Are you just supposed to duck when you go through them?

Or are they secret portals that lead into another person’s subconscious? Thanks to Sarah for pointing out this small wonder.

More one-size-fits-all Brooklyn.

A lot of people have asked me what I’m listening to as I walk around New York. The answer is nothing, because I prefer the rapturous sound of the city. But I realized today there are some songs that keep popping into my head as I walk. Please don’t make fun of me.

“The Breaks,” Kurtis Blow
There’s a scene in Beautiful Losers where Steve Powers is talking about coming to Manhattan for the first time in the 80’s and he turns a corner and boom! There’s a police car on fire. Then this song starts playing. Not that I’m an advocate for violence or vandalism, but sometimes I walk around New York wishing I could see something like that.

“Around the World,” Daft Punk
Good driving beat. But for some reason I can never remember the lyrics.

“N.Y.C.,” from the musical Annie
A lesser-known song from the musical that was not featured in the movie (but it was featured in the 1999 remake). I know it because I probably listed to the album by the original Broadway cast every day until I hit puberty (and let’s be serious, quite often after that, too). My entire life, Annie is how I envisioned New York—even though it took place during the Depression. I was like, whoa, living in New York sucks but Daddy Warbucks’ place looks pretty sweet.

“Walking on the Moon,” The Police
One day I was thinking, so, what are some songs about walking, anyway? And this was the first that came to mind.

Ghostbusters original score, Elmer Bernstein
This is another movie that introduced me to New York when I was a kid. There are so many locations featured in the film that I walk by one almost every day. And they still freak me out. The Ray Parker, Jr. song didn’t stick in my head, but the rest of the instrumental music that plays throughout the movie did. I didn’t know that Elmer Bernstein did the score! Amazing!

“Living for the City,” Stevie Wonder
Another nice driving beat, appropriate for illustrating my plight to succeed in urban life.

“To Be Real,” Cheryl Lynn
Oh, come on! Like you haven’t sung that to yourself before.

“Yeah,” Usher
I am pretty sure this stems from my first trip to Europe in 2004 where I was shocked to learn that no matter where you go in the world, everyone is listening to the same damn song. From then on it has been burned in my brain whenever I’m walking somewhere new.

“Time to Pretend,” MGMT
This is one of the best songs of the year, period. The hook is like my pump-up song in the morning.

“This Is It,” Kenny Loggins with Michael McDonald
Make no mistake where you are.