A faux European lane smack dab in downtown L.A.

A spiritual retreat in the heart of Los Angeles offers stunning gardens and a labyrinth to lose yourself in.

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

A look into the Church of Scientology's deeply unfavorable view of psychiatry.

A castle that was built stone by stone by an eccentric journalist.

A prohibition-style speakeasy takes up residence in the last Victorian residence in Hollywood.

Rainbow-hued local gem in Venice.

One man's homage to the sun continues to grow like a glass fractal.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

This Dutch Colonial home is the oldest remaining farmhouse in Manhattan.

A beautiful collection of architectural ornaments rescued from demolished New York City buildings.

Nature and beauty amidst pollution and industrial wreckage.

A no-frills cinephile haven known for showing offbeat, underseen films.

A staggering collection of photographs depicting medical, social, and historical change.

This small and serene place for quiet reflection on Staten Island was built in China based on the gardens of the Ming Dynasty.

Two New York rooftops are home to the largest rooftop soil farms in the world.

This plot of old-growth forest is the largest surviving remnant of New York City's original woodland.

Thriving meadows span a rooftop in one of Brooklyn's most heavily industrialized neighborhoods.

A collection of fanzines, recordings, and documents detailing the rise and influence of the feminist punk movement.

A discreet little stairway on St. Nicholas Avenue leads to a quaint and unexpected cobblestone street of 19th century wooden rowhouses.

A charming "tea atelier" hidden away in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

The oldest living tree in Manhattan comes shrouded in sinister legend.

“Invented in Key West, Perfected in Brooklyn."

This enormous Hindu temple in Queens serves incredible dosas in its basement canteen.