Places Vidiot Wants to Go

Spiral-bound community recipes and antiquarian gems mingle at this small East Village shop.

A replica of a 7th-century church hides in plain sight in the middle of the concrete jungle.

The famous facade of Grand Central Terminal hides a regulation tennis court—and it's not the first one.

Surrounded by low rise buildings and partially converted into an auto body shop, this marble archway is the only vestige of a forgotten Manhattan estate.

This open-air mosaic gallery honoring an English artist took hundreds of volunteers more than seven years to create.

The next-door homes of two very different musicians, George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix.

Colorful murals by Jean Cocteau hide within this peaceful London sanctuary.

This studio was home to David Bowie's first single, even if it did turn away the Beatles.

A sculpture outside London's oldest cathedral honors the Mohegan chief who died while petitioning the king.

This humble historic facade hides a history of boozing and the gentlemanly sport of rat-fighting.

A Ukrainian church canteen doles out hearty fare in an East Village basement.

This Manhattan museum houses one of the largest collections of Spanish art and manuscripts outside of Spain.

The greatest real estate coup of all time.

Set sail on a small scale.

Manhattan's Thirteenth Avenue was made on landfill then deliberately destroyed — apart from one small, obscure block.

This knockout museum lies in a sleepy corner of London.

A collection of machines designed to break things for science.

A bronze bust commemorates the heroism of the secret agents who led covert operations against the Nazis.

The plunge pool is a surviving relic of a rowdy royal residence.

You don't have to be an ambassador to dine like one.

This Russian bar-restaurant lies within a three-story underground bathhouse.

This 220-year-old house is a reminder of New York City's Dutch past.

This giant boulder is sandwiched between apartment complexes in upper Manhattan.

Behind a grungy bodega facade, a Poblano family serves rich, home-cooked meals.