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.

The perfect shop for getting an extra notch in your belt or a tailor-fitted harness. Non-leather products range from neoprene to rubber and an amazing assortment of other products for all types whatever your persuasion. For those heading to New York for the Black Party, this one is a must. 

Daytime café, nighttime bar. Nothing stronger than 30-proof. Delicious beer and really good wine. Kind people run & staff the place. The garden in the Summer is perfect. I make near-daily visits.

Now in its tenth year, the Division Street restaurant has proven its staying power in a city of amazing eateries. Bacaro’s wine bar and small plates (“cichetti”) are modeled after the “bacaros” of Venice—workingmen’s pubs that serve snacks and small glasses of wine.

Unlike a lot of neighborhoods the sidewalks in this area are often still paved in the original slate slabs. You can see “extra” pieces sometimes chained up outside like this…. Why pour concrete?