The Future Perfect is my favorite place to shop for furniture / interiors, or pick up a small gift for a friend. They have a perfect mix of beautiful and strange objects, some of my favorites include the Animal Butt Magnets, Shrigley Salt & Petter Shakers, and the Bank in the form of a Pig.
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.
Rudy's Pastry Shop is a little place my boyfriend and I like to go to on Sunday mornings. The place is super small and cozy and full of all the sweetest treats you can find. They have such a large selection of pastries and the coffee is just as delicious. The location is cute as well and a nice place to stroll afterward. There is a cute record store right around the corner.
Local fashion (men/unisex) with beautiful signature varsity jackets. Also exhibits interesting artists in the same space. They say they want to tell the story of style throughout American history and to emphasize the power of presentation and they do this extremely well.
I love playing on these red clay tennis courts. It feels like playing in Europe. I either drive my car and park right next to the courts or bike up River Side Park.