Looking to go green in the Big Apple? Here are some ideas for learning to love the city, and the earth.

"Green" has been a buzzword for some time, and the power of this movement is growing stronger. People are shopping locally at small stores, eating organic vegetables and buying recycled products in an effort to reduce their personal carbon footprint and impact on the planet's resources. But can these tactics work while visiting one of the most popular and crowded cities on the planet? Definitely.

Here are some ideas for how to stay green and still have fun when visiting New York, but you can apply the same rules to just about any major city:

Walk, walk, walk
In many ways, New York is an ideal eco-friendly city since it's so dense. Unlike a sprawling metropolis like Los Angeles or even Paris and London, the city's main heart, Manhattan, can be traversed fairly easily. There are also plenty of taxis available to keep from driving in the area, but the best way to see all the attractions is still to plan a long stroll.

Eat locally and organically
Although sprawling farms don't really exist in Brooklyn or the Bronx, there are many farms that are close to New York City and provide fresh produce and meat to some of the city's restaurants. The choices for organic delights abound, at eateries like Angelica Kitchen, Blossom, Pure Food and Wine, The Organic Grill, Zen Palate and Zenith. Also, be on the lookout for menus at other restaurants that mention meats raised in New York.

Shop green
Buying products that are made from recycled, renewable and locally manufactured materials used to be challenging, but there are many stores in New York that carry such items. One stellar example is Greenhouse, in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. The store offers eco-friendly, high-style options in furniture, tableware, bedding, bath products and home accessories. The designs are sleek, it's a locally-owned business and there's minimal impact on Mother Earth, so everybody wins.

If you're looking for green fashion, try Kaight, a clothing store in Manhattan that specializes in garments and shoes crafted from eco-friendly fabrics produced by manufacturers with proven ethical labor practices (in other words, no sweatshop goods allowed). There's also Moo Shoes, which sells leather-free footwear, bags and wallets—all style and no cow.

Get into the Greenmarket
Another eco-happy shopping excursion might involve Greenmarket, the largest and most successful open-air farmer’s markets program in the country. Put together by the Council on the Environment of New York City, the markets have 46 locations in all five boroughs, allowing New Yorkers and visitors to buy fruits, vegetables and products directly from regional farmers.

Sleep in eco-comfort
Many hotels have started to understand the need for conserving natural resources and cutting down on waste, and New York has several options for the eco-traveler. A top pick is the Kimpton Hotel chain, which has established a non-profit land conservation organization or EarthCare, which supports environmental standards. And if you stay at the Muse Hotel in the city's theater district, you can even bring your pet and opt for the "pampered pooch package." After all, why shouldn't your dog get a chance to live the green life, too?