Whether you prefer a straight shot of tangy espresso or a few sweet sips of a blended coffee drink, chances are you love coffee.

Not only is this bittersweet drink one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, its active ingredient — caffeine — is the most popular psychoactive drug.

We recently visited a coffee farm in Costa Rica, one of the world's most desirable locations for growing and harvesting the crop.

The coffee plants here, just like those across the globe, face a big challenge: All of them are sourced from just a handful of original Ethiopian plants, meaning they're genetically similar and highly vulnerable to climate change.

Take a walk through a Costa Rican coffee farm and see how the threatened but valued crop goes from berry to brew:

UP NEXT: What caffeine does to your body and brain

SEE ALSO: 11 health benefits of caffeine, the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world

Our drive to a coffee farm called Cafe Monteverde took us up a mountain on a dirt road for about an hour and a half. On our way, we got some breathtaking views of the area's rugged, hilly terrain and gorgeous forest cover.

The region of Monteverde, where a lot of Costa Rica's coffee is grown, is a misty, cloud-enshrined area about three hours from San Jose, the capital. The humid, shady climate is ideal for growing coffee plants, but the drive to reach it can be a challenge if you're not familiar with the roads.

My partner (right) and I were introduced to the farm by Felix Salazar (left), a nature photographer born and raised in Monteverde who also works on the farm and gives tours in his free time. Felix walked us through the rolling green fields where the coffee for Cafe Monteverde is grown.

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Remember "Monument Valley," the delightful mobile puzzle game that was once featured on "House of Cards?" 

Here's Frank Underwood showing how it works:

It costs $4 on the iTunes App Store, and it's worth every penny. "Lara Croft GO" is a "Tomb Raider" version of "Monument Valley" in every way but name. Which is to say: "Lara Croft GO" is a delightful puzzle game, it costs $5, and you should buy it today.

Not convinced? Check out what the game is like below.

A lot of love went into Lara Croft and the world of "Lara Croft GO."

Right from the jump, the game is a looker. The game's menu, even, is full of artistic detail that draws you in. It's appropriately themed for the original "Tomb Raider," with various tools of the trade standing in for standard menu options like settings and changing Lara's outfit. Ms. Croft has changed a lot over the years, and "Lara Croft GO" enables you to choose the Lara you like the most.

The motif extends through to level selection as well, with an explorer's notebook standing in for a more standard menu.

As you complete levels, Lara's sketch of her progress fills out. Here's an example from part-way through the "Maze of Snakes" levels, which introduce — you guessed it — lots of snakes.

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Between perfectly seasoned meat, fresh salsa, and flavorful cheese, a great taco can be hard to find.

So we asked our friends at Foursquare to dig through their troves of user data and compile a list of the best taco joints in the US.

Because the site allows users to save and favorite venues they love, Foursquare was able to track down which tacos diners are raving about most across America.

To create this list, Foursquare included the top-rated location of various chain restaurants in the US — subsequent locations were removed.

From a Pittsburgh food truck to Austin's famous Torchy's Tacos, here's where to find the best tacos this side of Mexico.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best burger joints in America, ranked

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50. Fuel City — Dallas, Texas

801 S. Riverfront Blvd.

Fear not: Just because Fuel City is a gas station doesn't mean you can't trust the tacos. This pit stop at the intersection of I-30 and I-35 is open 24 hours and home to some of the best tacos in Dallas, serving up authentic Mexican flavors, including barbacoa, chicken fajita, and picadillo. It's cheap, too — only $1.40 a pop.

49. Juan in a Million — Austin, Texas

2300 E. Cesar Chavez St.

Start your morning off on the right foot with a breakfast taco from Juan in a Million. Foursquare users exalt the Don Juan: Brimming with potato, egg, cheese, and bacon, it's the perfect mix of protein and flavor to keep you full — and happy — all day.

48. Taco Bamba — Falls Church, Virginia

2190 Pimmit Drive

Tucked into a strip mall behind another strip mall, Taco Bamba is truly a hidden gem. The spot's namesake taco is a must-try: steak and chorizo loaded with grilled guacamole and crispy chicharrones. But don't be afraid to try the lengua or tripa (beef tongue and small intestine, respectively) either, though. Foursquare users praise them as some of the best choices on the menu.

Switzerland probably isn't the first country you think of when it comes to startups in Europe. The country's high cost of living has probably put off some tech startups, but there's a surprisingly vibrant startup scene in Zürich and other cities.

We collected some of Switzerland's most exciting technology startups and ranked them by the amount raised, headcount, and how cool and original they are. 

12. Gamaya helps farmers check their crops using drones.

Gamaya is a Lausanne-based startup which fits drones with a hyperspectral imaging system. This type of imaging can give scientists information about the type of ground, vegetation, and even building materials used.

Drones are then flown over fields and industrial farmers can accurately measure the health of crops and their environment.

The company was started in 2014, but their devices are already being used by farmers across Europe.

Total amount raised: $800,000 (£521,000)

Headcount: 7

11. Gbanga makes video games that use real-world location data.

Gbanga is a Swiss video game developer founded in 2007. It has worked with larger companies to create promotional apps, including "IKEA PAX Packer" and "Gross. Stadt. Jagd" with Mercedes-Benz. 

Gbanga makes many of its apps using a core technology that matches social gaming with real-world environments. Players can even make their own games using Gbanga's "Puppetmaster" API.

Total amount raised: Unknown

Headcount: 8

10. TrekkSoft helps tour providers and activity companies get digital.

TrekkSoft is a website builder and booking application which helps tour guides and activity holiday providers start running their businesses online.

Companies using TrekkSoft can take bookings through smartphones, and can also use the platform to accept payments, making the entire process quicker and easier.

The company was founded in 2010 and now has over 200 businesses using its software.

Total amount raised: $3.4 million (£2.2 million)

Headcount: 24

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Every year, EA Sports comes out with a new edition of its super popular "Madden NFL" game. And I've bought each new version since 2010. 

I'm not unlike a lot of people. Many Madden fans buy the new game each year, even if it may seem like very little has changed.

But the question is why? The game is very similar from year to year. In fact, the biggest change this year was the menu system, and not the in-game stuff at all.

So why pony up $60 for a video game every single year if it's essentially going to give you the same benefits as the previous year's game?

It's a good question, and a recent development in "Madden" games has actually made me begin to reconsider this practice completely.

I used to buy the new 'Madden' every year because I want the new NFL rosters, tweaked to perfectly replicate the actual game in real-time. I've had many people who play video games ask me what it is about simulation sports games that I enjoy so much. Some people don't see the draw of playing a game designed mimic real life when the very point of video games is to escape the real world. But for me, a hardcore NFL fan, reality is my thing in sports games.

But now EA Sports has started including a section of the game where players are allowed to create, upload, and share roster files. That has led to some very motivated people updating rosters themselves that anyone can download. So you don't need to buy the game for the rosters every year, necessarily. That puts even more stress on the game makers to innovate the game in new ways to get more copies flying off the shelves.

However, there are plenty of other great improvements in Madden games that have made the upgrade worth it over the years. Most probably don't realize it, but the game gets progressively better each year.

Here's a look at the biggest changes EA has made to Madden that kept me coming back.

MADDEN NFL 10 sported what they call a "Pro-Tak™ animation technology" which made the physics of the game more realistic. Big gang tackles felt more like big gang tackles and running the ball up the middle was a chore with all those defensive linemen closing in on you. Running the ball was VERY hard in this game.

Madden 11's big innovation was in play calling. They rolled out a "Gameflow" feature where the coach told you what plays to run. I wasn't a huge fan of this, and I think many other fans weren't either. "Madden" fans like to have control.

"Madden NFL 12" added a lot of online elements, and tried to engineer a little more player psychology with player hot and cold streaks.

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If you like coffee and bourbon separately, you owe it to yourself to try coffee-infused bourbon. 

And guess what? Making it is as easy as mixing bourbon and whole espresso beans and waiting patiently for six hours. 

I first tried coffee-infused bourbon in the aptly named Cold-Fashioned at The New York Edition hotel's Clocktower restaurant. It uses the infused bourbon to mimic the taste of cold-brew coffee without weakening the drink, which is a play on an Old-Fashioned. 

Here's an unbelievably simple guide to making coffee-infused bourbon to drink straight up or in a Cold-Fashioned.  

You only need two things to make coffee-infused bourbon: half a cup of espresso beans and a 750 ml bottle of bourbon.

Combine the beans and bourbon in a plastic container to infuse for six hours at room temperature. You definitely want to use espresso beans for this — they have a darker roast and are less bitter. The Clocktower head bartender Luis Hernandez uses beans from Ecuador.

Once the bourbon has been strained, it's ready to serve. If you don't feel like fussing with a cocktail, it's absolutely fantastic on its own. The earthy coffee flavor is so perfectly balanced by the spicy bourbon, and the infusing process gives it a creamier mouthfeel.

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Cities are built for humans.

But if you look at the layout of most of them, it looks like they're made for cars.

Especially in the world's most populated places. In São Paulo, Brazil — which boasts over 10 million residents — a third of the people travel by car, another third takes public transit, and another walks. Yet cars take up a majority of the roads and public spaces.

Seeing that, a Brazilian urban planning collective called Urb-i set out to demonstrate that imbalance and show off examples of more people-friendly design. They scoured Google Street View images to find the most stunning public space transformations from around the world. The results give us hope that our cities are becoming more beautiful places to live.

We are a society "addicted to cars," according to the four young founders of Urb-i.

Traffic lanes and parking take precedent over green spaces and outdoor seating. People traveling on foot are quarantined to tiny sidewalks.

It just doesn’t seem fair. Fortunately, the founders of Urb-i — Carolina Guido, Fernanda Mercês, Rodolfo Macedo, and Yuval Fogelson — have an addiction of their own ...

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If you're an Amazon Prime subscriber with an Apple or Android device, you can now download movies from Amazon Instant, the company's streaming video service that's similar to Netflix.

This is perfect if you're on a plane or in an area with a spotty internet connection.

Here's how to download Amazon Instant videos for offline viewing on the iPhone. It's a similar process on Android.

If you don't have the app, download it for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Open the Amazon Instant app and find the video you want to download.

Tap the icon that looks like an arrow pointing down.

Wait for the download to finish.

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From the man in the moon to Greek gods among the stars, humans have long been discovering familiar forms in the heavens.

There's a word for this phenomenon of seeing patterns that don't exist: pareidolia. And it's all psychological.

While this mind-trick may have served some evolutionary purpose, like helping us recognize mountian lions in the bush, it also leads to some pretty crazy interpretations.

Here, we offer some of the best examples of pareidolia with help from humanity's most powerful telescopes.

SEE ALSO: The sharpest photos of Pluto were just released and point to why there is a mysterious heart on its surface

CHECK OUT: Something strange happens in our brains when we see the man in the Moon

The stunningly beautiful butterfly nebula was created by a dying star that became extremely hot. It shines brightly in ultraviolet light hidden from view by a dense cloud of dust that resembles a butterfly's wings in this image taken by Hubble in 2009.

When NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft was circling Mars in 1976, it spotted this unusual image of what looks uncannily like a human face in a region of the planet called Cydonia.

But when NASA's Mars Global Surveyor flew over the region again in 1998 and 2001, sharper images revealed the face to be a natural land form.

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Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders are holding meetings this week to discuss unifying the island after decades of division.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus — a 1,300-square-mile area that only Turkey recognizes as an independent state — has been disputed territory since war broke out in 1974.

With optimism growing, there's hope that one of Europe's most notorious ghost cities, Varosha, will see its first residents since its 45,000 inhabitants fled 41 years ago, Jonathan Gorvett of The New York Times reports.

These modern-day photos of the desolation gives you a sense of what has become of the town.

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The resort town was considered "the French Riviera of Cyprus" in the early 1970s, with high-rise hotels and pristine beaches.

Source: BBC

When Turkey sent troops into northern Cyprus in the summer of 1974, Varosha's overwhelmingly Greek Cypriot population left.

After a ceasefire was reached, Varosha found itself under Turkish control.

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Devin Shomaker came up with the idea of a rooftop vineyard when he was still studying viticulture at Finger Lakes Community College in upstate New York.

That was back in the beginning of 2013, and Shomaker has been working on the idea ever since.

Over two years later, it's become a reality: Rooftop Reds, the world's first commercially viable rooftop vineyard.

Located in Brooklyn's Navy Yard, Rooftop Reds is set to open to the public in mid- to late-September.

We took a trip to the rooftop to get the full preview.

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Shomaker founded Rooftop Reds with Chris Papalia (pictured here), and his brother Thomas Shomaker who serves as the team's videographer. Papalia graduated with Shomaker from FLCC's two year viticulture and wine technology program at only 20 years old, making him the youngest winemaker in the Finger Lakes region.

Having lived in Brooklyn for years before attending wine school, Shomaker knew he wanted to live in the city. This desire coupled with the skills he had learned in wine school spurred Shomaker's idea of a rooftop vineyard.

In order to test his idea, Shomaker used the roof of his brother's apartment in Windsor Terrace as the location for a pilot project. The test vines survived two incredibly harsh winters, giving Shomaker the confidence that his idea could work.

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A growing number of tech moguls are trying to solve their biggest problem yet: Aging. 

From reprogramming DNA to printing organs, some of Silicon Valley's most successful and wealthy leaders are investing in biomedical research and new technologies with hopes of discovering the secret to living longer. And their investments are beginning to move the needle, said Zoltan Istvan, futurist and transhumanist presidential candidate.  

"I think a lot of the most important work in longevity is coming from a handful of the billionaires," Istvan told Tech Insider. "There are approximately six or seven billionaires that are very interested in life extension and they are putting in $40, $50, $100 million out there every year or every few years into this stuff. It makes a big difference when you have these legendary figures saying 'Hey, we can do this.'”

Here's some of those billionaires investing in the anti-aging and longevity research and development. 

Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, is known for his early investment in Facebook, but now he is betting big on biotech. Thiel said that he believes anti-aging medicine is “structurally unexplored,” according to a report from MIT Technology Review.

“The way people deal with aging is a combination of acceptance and denial,” he told Technology Review in March. “They accept there is nothing they can do about it, and deny it’s going to happen to them.”

Thiel takes hormone growth daily and is planning to participate in cryonic freezing after his death, according to the Technology Review report.

The 47 year old isn’t accepting or denying it, though. He has invested heavily to try to fight death for the last several years. Back in 2006, he pledged $3.5 million to the Methuselah Foundation, which is a non-profit group working on life extension by advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Thiel has also heavily invested in biotech companies. Most of his investments in the space are made via his Thiel Foundation. But at least five investments — including the DNA laser printing company Cambrian Genomics and cancer drug developer Stem CentRx  — via his venture capital firm Founder Fund. He has also invested $17 million in Counsyl since 2011, which is a company that offers DNA screening.

Larry Ellison

The founder of Oracle has said that he wishes to live forever and is an avid financial supporter into anti-aging research.

The Ellison Medical Foundation, which according to its website “supports basic biomedical research on aging relevant to understanding lifespan development processes and age-related diseases and disabilities,”has donated about $430 million in grants to medical researchers since 1997, about 80% of which has been focused on anti-aging developments.

“Death has never made any sense to me. How can a person be there and then just vanish, just not be there?” Ellison told his biographer Mike Wilson in 2003.

Larry Page

The co-founder of Google and CEO of Alphabet, also founded Calico in 2013. Calico, which is short for California Life Company, focuses on anti-aging research. In 2014, the company announced it had an investment of $750 million from Google.

Since its launch, Calico has also entered into several partnerships with different organizations to help it cure aging.

Most recently, Calico announced in April it was teaming up with the Buck Institute for for Research on Aging, which is one of the largest independent anti-aging research organizations. In 2013, the group garnered some attention for using genetic mutations to increase the lifespan of earthworms to the human equivalent of 400 to 500 years.

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Thanks to photographer Darryll Jones, "Eric the Stormtrooper" might just be the most coolest action figure on Instagram.

Since Jones started posting photos of Eric on Instagram six year ago, he's developed quite a following. Jones has racked up over 90,000 followers and his work has been recognized by sites like Cult of Mac and the Daily Dot. 

In case you're not a "Star Wars" fan, Stormtroopers are the iconic white soldiers from sci-fi series. As you might have gleaned from the permanent frowns on their face masks, they're the bad guys.

So there's something wonderfully whimsical about seeing Jones' plastic Stormtrooper fixing his motorcycle or shopping for groceries.

Check out 17 of Jones' creative Instagrams featuring Eric the Stormtrooper. 

"My single intention with everything I photograph is to make myself laugh, I am doing this for fun," Jones has said.

Instagram Embed:
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Source

Based on his Instagram popularity, it looks like he's not the only one laughing.

Instagram Embed:
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Thousands of people regularly like Jones' creative shots on the photo-sharing platform.

Instagram Embed:
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Width: 658px

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Before building his $2.8 billion startup Slack, which many consider the fastest-growing business app ever, Stewart Butterfield ran another hot startup called Flickr, which was sold to Yahoo for over $20 million.

He also has a master’s in philosophy, with a focus on biology, cognitive science, and philosophy of mind.

But his path to success wasn't so straightforward. Along the way, Butterfield grappled with trying to fundraise for a startup in a post-tech bubble landscape. He also had to pivot a struggling gaming startup.

SEE ALSO: Try to answer the 3-question quiz the cofounder of $2.8 billion startup Slack once asked every new hire

Butterfield was born in 1973 in a small fishing village called Lund, British Columbia. His parents didn't have running water in their log cabin there until he was three years old.

Source.

When Butterfield was 5 years old, his family moved to Victoria. A few years later, the Butterfields got a computer, which Stewart fell in love with. When he was a kid, he taught himself how to code. In college, he made money designing websites. "I was among the first cohort of kids to grow up with computers," he told Business Insider.

Source.

Butterfield got his BA in philosophy from the University of Victoria in 1996. In 1998, he got his Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge.

Source.

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Google may be catching flak for updating its logo to something that resembles a pre-school's, but it wasn't the only one to update its logo this year.

Some companies, like Quora, only made minor changes. Others, like Oculus, dropped its name entirely.

Here are nine tech companies other than Google who have changed their logos in the past nine months.

SEE ALSO: See if you can you spot the subtle ways these tech companies changed their logos

A month after joining Y Combinator in May 2015, the popular question-and-answer site had an update: a new logo! Here's its original:

Here's the new Quora: The logo is a little bit more spaced out, but it also had a typeface makeover. Its new look has a different Q and fixes the old problem between the R and the A.

In a more obvious change than Quora's, online shopping site Flipkart did away with the cart in its logo.

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Financial planners see it all.

Not only do they get an inside look into their clients' spending, saving, earnings, and investments, but they can see past the numbers to the people behind them: their clients' ambitions, fears, priorities ... and where they need some help.

Below, eight certified financial planners answer the question,"What's your favorite, go-to piece of advice to help people start growing their wealth?"

SEE ALSO: Financial planners share the smartest decisions they've seen clients make with their money

"I always tell clients that investing should be easy and boring at the same time. The more complex and the more active you are can get you into trouble.

"Investors are their own worst enemy when they let their emotions make decisions for them. How much you save is much more important than what you're investing in."

— Michael Solari, CFP, Solari Financial Planning

"Sign up for your 401(k) if you have a match. Contribute enough so that you at least get the match from your employer. If you don't, you're missing out on free money! Also, start a Roth IRA.

"My other tip is for people to invest in their career. Your income potential is your greatest asset while you're young! This means you should negotiate your new salary, start a side hustle, learn new skills that make your more valuable, know what you're worth, and don't be afraid to hustle!"

— Sophia Bera, CFP, Gen Y Planning

"Have a plan.

"Create a formal, written, financial plan that includes a list of your financial goals and put together an automatic savings program specific to achieving each objective. After all, 'a goal without a plan is just a wish.'

"A young married couple recently came into my office for their first meeting with a financial planner. They had been working on curbing their spending habits and had just paid off all of their credit card debt over the course of the previous year. They were excited to be debt-free and were looking to get started building and growing their wealth.

"We began the meeting by discussing their financial goals and ranking them in order of importance:

1. Having an emergency reserve fund with six months of expenses set aside.

2. Putting money away for their retirement.

3. Saving up for a down payment on a home.

4. Saving for their daughter's college education.

5. Having some money set aside to help care for aging parents.

"We then reviewed their monthly cash flow (budget) and determined that they were comfortable saving 20% of their net take home pay towards achieving their goals. To simplify the process, we implemented an automatic savings program. They both received direct deposit of their paychecks into their checking account on the first and fifteenth of each month.

"Consequently, on the second and sixteenth of each month, we directed 20% of their pay from their checking account towards investment accounts specific to achieving each of their goals. By setting up an automatic electronic deposit program, this simplified their saving and budget process. 'This is so easy, we don't even notice that the money is being saved. Why didn't we start doing this years ago?'

"By living within their means and following a formal written plan based on their goals, they began saving and investing consistently. Their money could now grow and compound towards achieving their financial objectives."

— Joe O'Boyle, CFP, Voya Financial Planning

If you've been labeled a "bad boss," you'll probably be the last to know.

"Your staff will be very adept at making it a well-kept secret because they will do everything to keep their job security intact," says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job.""But if you decide to boost your emotional intelligence radar and look for subtle signs that your team may be unhappy, you'll uncover a wealth of actionable feedback."

Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage," agrees that it's important to know how your employees feel about you. When they don't like you, there are consequences, he says. For instance, they'll be less happy and more stressed (which affects things like their productivity and creativity); they may quit on you (which will cost you and your company time and money); they may give you bad reviews or complain to HR (which puts your job in jeopardy); and you'll have trouble earning their respect, being viewed as credible, and getting them to listen to your opinions.

"Your goal as a manager is not to be liked by everyone; if it is, you won't be making the best decisions for the company," says Taylor. "But if you're an insensitive manager, no amount of intelligence or business skills will ever take you far in your own career advancement. You will always need a strong team and following to thrive in your career." 

So, to avoid having to deal with those consequences, among many others, you'll need to recognize the signs and make changes to your behaviors, attitude, and approach to leading.

Here are 14 subtle signs your employees may secretly hate you: 

SEE ALSO: The 6 Most Common Personality Traits Of Horrible Bosses

You've got a (bad) gut feeling.

"The very first sign that things are going awry in your relationships with employees is a general gnawing feeling that you can't put your finger on," Taylor says. "No manager can be liked by everyone, but there are far too many bosses who are not respected by enough of their staff." If you've got that gut feeling something is off, be aware and start looking for other signs.

They can't maintain eye contact with you (but can with everyone else).

It's difficult for an employee who is angry to look you straight in the eye, says Taylor. "They're afraid that you may be able to detect hostility, so the path of least resistance is for them to look away or avoid being around you wherever possible."

They avoid you like the proverbial plague.

If you notice they take the stairs every time you're waiting for the elevator, or they manage their schedules in such a way that they rarely overlap with your primary work hours, that's a good sign they're avoiding you. And employees typically only avoid people who intimidate them or who they don't like, says Kerr. 

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These days, a burger is so much more than a patty between buns. Even the very best chefs in the world have devoted resources to building burgers with only the finest ingredients. 

To find these white-tablecloth-quality burgers, we read through dozens of menus at Michelin-starred restaurants across the country. 

From classic cheeseburgers to a succulent burger with truffle mayo and chicken skin, here is a sample of America's most sophisticated and succulent burgers. 

SEE ALSO: 2 food bloggers who have tried every New York City burger that matters say these are the 15 best

Acadia (Chicago, Illinois)

Acadia's double-patty "BK" burger is basically the fine-dining version of Burger King's Whopper. 

The burger, one of several award-winning creations by Michelin-starred chef Ryan McCaskey, is stacked with double cream gouda, bread and butter pickles, and house bacon served between toasted brioche buns slathered in special sauce. 

Price: $16

To learn more about Acadia, click here »

Ai Fiori (New York, New York)

Michael White, Ai Fiori's chef and owner, serves the White Label Burger at lunchtime. 

Slices of white American cheese blanket the squared-shape, eight-ounce La Frieda prime burger, which is topped with bacon marmalade and McClure's pickles.

It's served with "pommes dauphines," made by frying mashed potatoes and choux pastry dough.

Price: $45 for a two-course lunch, $18 for each additional course

To learn more about Ai Fiori, click here »

Andre's Restaurant & Lounge (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Happy hour and sliders are meant for each other, especially when they're whipped up by celebrity chef André Rochat.

Rochat's beef sliders are crowned with caramelized onions and Roquefort cheese between a set of brioche buns. For an extra dollar, you can add a side of fries. 

Price: $12

To learn more about Andre's Restaurant and Lounge, click here »

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If you're new to New York City, you can be sure you're not alone. With more than 8.5 million residents, NYC is filled with natives and newbies alike. 

As a NYC transplant myself, I've recently decided to ditch the travel guides for books that give a little more life to the concrete jungle. 

Here are a few of my favorites.  

SEE ALSO: Stunning photos of one of the last vestiges of old New York

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My First New York: Early Adventures in the Big City

The editors of New York Magazine compiled this poignant pocket book of first experiences in the city as told by a host of its most iconic residents — from Liza Minnelli to Andy Samberg. The 56 stories that make up "My First New York" are a testament to time and a reminder that even the most successful New Yorkers were once outsiders.

Buy it on Amazon » 

Every Person in New York

Jason Polan is an artist on a mission to sketch every single person in New York City. This recently released collection is the first what is expected to be a never-ending series.

Much like the portraitist behind Humans of New York, Polan's accounts of the folks he sees on subways, street corners, and in museums are both endearing and honest. "Every Person in New York" is a reminder that part of the charm of New York City is its inhabitants. 

Buy it on Amazon »

New York in a Dozen Dishes

Written by veteran New York food critic Robert Sietsema, this whimsical dining guide takes eaters off the grid to discover the best food in the five boroughs. Through tales of NYC's storied and diverse food scene, Sietsema reveals where New York's best and most iconic dishes came from and where they're hiding.

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After capturing the hearts of Instagrammers for almost two years, 87-year-old "Baddie Winkle" is starting to cross over into the mainstream.

Born Helen Von Winkle in 1928, Baddie Winkle is a grandmother from Tennessee. She's become Instagram-famous for her psychedelic, teen-influenced personal style and her seemingly carefree attitude.

She got her big break when she attended the Video Music Awards in Los Angeles in Sunday. Refinery29 also visited her at home for a touching video and profile published this week.

So what's the story behind this fun-loving granny? Read on to find out.

Baddie Winkle posted her first Instagram photo on April 10, 2014, with the caption "Peace and Love."

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Her style is influenced by hip hop and her outlook is influenced by her devotion to the church, as evidenced by this selfie. Wearing a "BEEN TRILL" shirt, she captioned the photo, "Praise The Lord."

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Her life looks like a live-action Tumblr feed.

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