You've heard about the reading room at the New York Public Library, haven't you? Then I need not go on. Just look at it. And you're allowed to hang around in there!
If I lived closer to the West Village I’d go over to Jack’s every morning for a coffee and occasionally having what is probably the best chocolate chip cookie in New York (and it’s just a dollar!). Even though it’s rarely in my way I try to go here now and then, maybe in combination with a stroll down the beautiful Bleeker Street or to read a book sitting in their window.
For oysters & libations. The comprehensive oyster menu changes depending on what they can get that's fresh. If you know anything about oysters or just plain like them, this is without question the spot. Currently my favorite oyster (not always on their menu) is the Skookum.