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.
I have old friends in San Francisco who grudgingly tell me that the High Line is everything that's wrong with New York. Well, too bad. To me, it embodies a culture that's constantly reinventing itself: a defunct elevated railway that was becoming a burden to the city ("we used to climb up there to throw garbage bags full of rotting Korean food at the Hasids!", noted a successful photographer's assistant) becoming a startling example of urban greening for the public good. The expert landscaping makes it feel like walking on a Montauk beach - but a stone's throw from some of New York's most progressive galleries and hotels.
In a landscape of clubs that all play virtually the same EDM or hip hop music, The Pyramid Club is unique in its choice of soundtrack. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, The Pyramid is open from 8pm-4am for an 80s Dance Party on their main floor that is totally punk rock. Downstairs on the lower level, they switch it up with themes ranging from “Back to the 90s” to “Let’s Dance David Bowie.” It’s also way kinder to your budget than most clubs—the drink specials are pretty much the best you can do in New York.
The Chelsea Market is filled with great restaurants and speciality food stores and pop up shops. I love stopping in and getting a gourmet grilled cheese from Lucy's Whey or a healthy juice from raw food restaurant One Lucky Duck, while shopping for dinner ingredients at the Italian market Buon Italia. For a great sit down restaurant, I love The Green Table, which serves great farm to table food.
This Bookstore has an amazing photography section. I go here to get inspired. You can spend hours in here looking at all kinds of great photography books.