Celebs' favorite places, from Brooklyn to Nepal

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-03-30 14:13

A new book from National Geographic asks celebrities to name their favorite places in the world, and the answers range from Nepal to Brooklyn.

Destinations mentioned in the book, called "My Favorite Place on Earth" ($22.95), include Jerusalem, mentioned by actress Natalie Portman, who was born there; Arud, in Bali, Indonesia, named by travel guru Arthur Frommer; Kauai, Hawaii, listed by Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons"; Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles, where dogs can walk off-leashed, named by dog whisperer Cesar Millan; Trinidad, the choice of basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose grandparents emigrated from the island; and Monument Valley on the border of Arizona and Utah, chosen by George Lucas, "Star Wars" creator, who spent time there as a young man making a short abstract film.

Nepal was chosen by Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler, and Brooklyn was named by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi. But not the Brooklyn Bridge or Coney Island or any of the other tourist attractions in the famous New York City borough. No, the Brooklyn mentioned by Mizrahi was a garage in the Midwood neighborhood where he staged puppet shows. Mizrahi lived in a house there as a child and created a theater using the rusted frame of a swing set. He carved his own marionettes from wood, painted them, made costumes with glitter and feathers, and even composed and tape-recorded his own music. "It was a precursor of the work I do now," he said.