The naked baby dolls piled up in the front window of SEARCH & DESTROY is a good preview for what you’re in for. If you’re looking for something weird, this East Village shop is a good starting point. In addition to vintage clothing with a seriously punk rock lean, they also sell everything from sex toys to Manic Panic hair dye.

Every seat is a good seat in this small, intimate theater dedicated to dance. Nearly every dance company has filtered through the theater and with a season that lasts about 45 weeks, there's always a performance to see and tickets are very reasonably priced. I prefer a performance at The Joyce then at Lincoln Center any day.

Great shop for creative people seeking inspiration. Small indie arty book shop selling used and rare books & records. Sometimes there's art exhibitions in the back.

Secondhand works of fiction, film & philosophy sold in a shop with gatherings & special events.

This is one of my favorite bars in Manhattan. It has a courtyard in the middle and they only serve a large selection of Belgian beer. It's always dark with red lights so it's like a giant darkroom with everyone developing hangovers instead of film. The courtyard creates a front bar that is open on the weekends, so if you get cornered talking about architecture you can escape over to the front bar and watch people walk down 4th street.