Luhring Augustine did a good job of converting an old warehouse/storage facility into a blue chip commercial art gallery that stages four shows of contemporary art per year. Which means you can catch museum quality shows in an unlikely spot, away from all the Chelsea pomp, and it actually has friendly staff, instead of a cold gallerina sat behind a desk pretending to be on the phone.

I go here mostly because of the vibe, it”s a French bistro meets a plant shop and the sister restaurant to Tartine in the West Village. The Shakchuka and the fennel salad is delicious, so is the onion soup. Cute Rooftop during the summer. 

A well-curated vintage movie poster store. Smart and friendly staff.

Dumbo, which stands for 'Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass,' is a neat neighborhood in Brooklyn that is at an awesome vantage point of Manhattan. There are cool rocks on the shore of Brooklyn Bridge Park that are fun to relax on and sneak alcoholic beverages.

Fav art bookstore in the city (and the world?). Great place for inspiration and reference art, both new and vintage finds. Not very cheap but mostly quite worth it.