When I first got here my peers at work made me a list of places in our neighborhood. This restaurant was one of them and it's now one of my favorite local spots. This Italian restaurant has never disappointed me so far.

Recommended by my friend and talented illustrator, Isabel Castillo Guijarro, this spot makes incredible cappuccinos and is in one of my favorite NYC buildings, the WoolWorth Building

New York's first meadery! Delightful. 

Erie Basin is a really wonderful little shop full of old, creepy and beautiful things, such as Victorian mourning jewelry (some with hair in it), Freemason masks from the 1900's, tiny children's rings from the 1700's, and all kinds of other treasures. It is really as much a museum as it is a store, and all of the items have a haunting and unique aura.

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.