Books are Magic is a great local spot for bookworms. The staff is warm and friendly with regular events happening monthly. 

This is my go-to spot in my neighborhood. The food is fantastic. They have an ever changing selection of beers and the staff is friendly, attentive and down to earth. Love this place.

The Tenement Museum celebrates the enduring stories that define and strengthen what it means to be American. We share stories of the immigrant and migrant experience through guided tours of our two tenement buildings on Orchard Street and the surrounding neighborhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Visitors can take building tours of the recreated homes of our former residents between the 1860s and the 1980s as well as walking tours of the neighborhood they lived in.

The different views of the skyline are unbelievable. I especially like rooftop views from different apartment buildings. Try to get on top of an apartment building. This is the view from my apartment...

Part of the Marlow restaurant group, Diner is one of the more casual / rustic options. The menu changes daily and is written out (most likely upside down by the wait staff) on your table or the back of a receipt. The only constant item is the burger, which to be honest, is one of the best in the neighborhood. If they have a breakfast sandwich for brunch, get that. The fried chicken sandwich (with dark meat) is also a favorite. They make scrambled egg dishes better than most. Dinner is solid all around (they crush a steak for two). Homemade ketchup and dijon mustard are on every table, so regardless of what you get, these two condiments are worth the visit.