Little Island is a unique New York City park designed by Thomas Heatherwick with landscape architect Signe Nielsen. The green space is the first of its kind in Manhattan. The structure of the park is made up of 132 concrete “tulips” at different heights, creating grassy hills and offering views of Manhattan and New Jersey.

Barcelona was definitely a bucket list destination for me and it did not disappoint. It is the vibrant and historical home of the most stunning architectural styles ranging from Gothic structures to Gaudi wonders. Barcelona is cosmopolitan and has an international feel with plenty of great restaurants, tapas, nightlife, parks and public areas.

Some 600,000 permanent residents call Green-Wood Cemetery home. Inspired in part by the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Highgate Cemetery in London and Mount Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts, it was founded in 1838 by Henry Evelyn Pierrepont and designed by David Bates Douglass, and was one of the first rural cemeteries in America.

I thought it would be cool to just do an “East Side” post to show the true diversity of the Big Apple.

A look at the West Side of Manhattan, showing the diversity of the Big Apple’s West Side.

When I took the ferry from the airport via the Grand Canal, which runs through the heart of the city, I started to fall in love with the enchanting city, and knew this bucket list destination was not going to disappoint. Venice is incredibly unique with 117 islands, 150 canals, over 400 bridges and no cars. Venice, Italy is mostly known for its canals, but I will tell you it is an architectural photo walk. The city’s architecture reflects so many influences including Byzantine, Islamic, and Gothic.

This post covers the safe, vibrant, culturally rich Old Havana. Havana is the largest city in the Caribbean and in 1982, was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The architecture exhibits a blending of many styles from Art Deco, Neoclassic, Baroque and ugly utilitarian. Many main buildings in Havana have been restored to their original glory, while others are showing signs of the slow process of restoration.