Attached to New York: 30 places to go

New York is a patchwork of neighborhoods, each with its own set of distinct characters. On the Lower East Side, you’ll find a more fashionable younger crowd of students and artists. New York has long seen a cycle where wealth gravitates toward neighborhoods established by artists. Bushwick is full of DJs, skater bros, and bike enthusiasts, while NoLita is more cafe goers, people who performatively read in public, mesh ballet flats, and tiny dog owners. Each neighborhood is loud and distinct.

I grew up shuttling between the west and east coast, until settling on the east five years ago for college. When I leased my first apartment, my roommate and I settled on the East Village, a sort of in-between from Williamsburg and the Lower East Side. The East Village is a patchwork of college students, musicians, and old-timers. We take advantage of the close access to Tompkins Square Park, lined with cozy coffee shops in every direction, along with the proximity to Saint Marks for late night bites. We live in a four-story walk up on a charming street. Here is a rundown of the spots I go to run into my nextdoor neighbor, a friend of a friend, my ex-boyfriend, and at least four coworkers, and also the ones where I go to hide.

The York

Downtown bars tend to fall into two categories. The first is bars where you will run into everyone you have ever met. The second is the places you will likely only run into people you want to see. The York gets categorized in the second camp. The York is cozy, dimly lit, with an expansive backyard perfect for happy hour and cheap burgers.

→ 1 minute walk

Enchantments

In the East Village lives an emporium full of enchanted goods and in the back, a small bar where resident witches craft custom spells. The witches will help you choose the right ingredients for your condition. As the sign says, always remember to tip your witches.

→ 7 minute walk

Flower Power

The more we go out in New York, the more we inevitably confront the morning after. Flower Power specializes in herbal remedies for ailments ranging from hangovers to heartbreak. Their anxiety-soothing supplements and golden milk blends are quick, comforting fixes for weary bodies.

→ 9 minute walk

Studio 151

Above the live music club Nublu lives Studio 151, a speakeasy with a popular 4-seat sushi bar. The sprawling space feels like an artist’s loft with a lot of ‘90s-inspired decor and cool art. Vinyl records spin constantly, spanning a wide range of genres and eras. Tuesday nights here are especially fun, with a curated selection of rock and roll vinyl filling the room.

→ 4 minute walk

Tompkins Square Park

There is much debate around the best park in Downtown. Tompkins is more relaxed than Washington Square Park, and the east versus west side crowd is easily distinguishable (it’s dive bars versus jazz bars). The first warm day of Spring here is packed with New Yorkers celebrating by basking in the sun on the grass with friends. Sundays here host a great Farmers Market

→ 1 minute walk

Sunny and Annie’s

My favorite deli is Sunny and Annie’s right by the park in the East Village, with a massive sandwich menu. Open 24 hours, this is the best place to go for a late night, but bring cash.

→ 2 minute walk

Tokuyamatcha and Onigirazu Bar

Right around the corner from my apartment, I found a hole-in-the-wall onigiri and matcha spot. The room is barely big enough for more than one person at a time and weekends guarantee a line. I stop by at least a couple times a week to indulge.

→ 13 minute walk

Lucien

Lucien is a giant in New York’s restaurant scene, known for being crowded with the downtown trust fund art kids. Regulars include Lady Gaga and Bono. The French food here is traditional and consistently good, and the drinks, while overpriced, are perfect. Lucien’s endured multiple generational shifts, after owner Lucien Bahaj passed away in 2019 and the restaurant’s operations were left to his son Zac. I attended Zac’s birthday party at Lucien last summer, where the girls working wore cross necklaces with photos of his face on the center.

→ 7 minute walk

Heavens Hot Bagels

In New York, the debate over the best bagel knows no end. Russ and Daughters is a big frontrunner and so is Shelsky’s in Brooklyn. But a lesser-known, still bustling spot on the Lower East Side takes the lead for me. The bagels are delicious, cheap, and there is a limitless supply of toppings to tempt you.

→ 7 minute walk

The Slipper Room

A '90s-era burlesque club on Orchard Street transforms into a late-night dance party on weekends after hours. Their weekly party series Afterlife has become a city staple for my friend group. With a great lineup of DJs and rotating hosts, there is usually a reliable scene here on Friday nights.

→ 23 minute walk

Bar Pitti

For an outdoor summer meal, my first pick is the Italian staple Bar Pitti, in between Soho and the West Village. New Yorkers have been flocking here since 1992 for the daily specials scribbled on the chalkboard and the warm presence of its Italian staff, many of whom have been with the restaurant for decades. The owner Giovanni has kept a cash-only policy since first opening. There is an ATM downstairs in case you come unprepared.

→ 17 minute walk

Genkiya Mart

As someone who can eat Japanese food for every meal, Genkiya Mart was a game changer for easy, grab-and-go sushi. I stop by here all the time, whether for a roll, some onigiri, or Japanese candy. The prices are good and the options are vast. After 8 pm, sushi rolls are half-off.

→ 4 minute walk

Elizabeth Street Garden

For years the city has waged a battle against a small but beloved oasis in NoLita. The garden, adorned with statues and rare plants, draws crowds seeking space from New York’s busy pace. It’s my favorite place to enjoy a coffee or read a book. Volunteers are stationed in the garden full-time, offering information on how visitors can contribute or rally to protect the space from the city’s ongoing efforts to shut it down.

→ >1 minute walk

Lovely Day

Lovely Day is my favorite place to go for dinner, whether you’re with an old friend, on a first date, or with your parents, it offers a perfect evening for every occasion. The room is cozy, the prices are low and the menu is a simple blend of Thai and Japanese. Late at night, Lovely Day turns into Lovely Night, with a basement downstairs that comes alive with vinyl-spinning DJs and a great bar.

→ 3 minute walk

Cafe Gitane

I started coming here as a kid. It’s been open 30 years, and there’s nowhere quite like it. The servers are all in their 20s. The food is a French Moroccan blend and at night it is a cozy spot to grab an inexpensive glass of wine or a bite of couscous. Outside, the four bright blue tables are prime real estate, especially on weekends when the wait is worth it—the people-watching is some of the best in the city. Once a month, the cafe hosts a party series called Nightcap, which features different DJs and hosts each time. The party spills from the cafe onto the street.

→ 6 minute walk

Codex

A small used bookstore on the north end of Soho has plenty of hidden gems if you are patient enough to dig through and find them. It’s also a good place to bring in books you no longer want, and they’ll give you store credit in return.

→ 10 minute walk

Balthazar

Open since 1997, Balthazar is a New York institution. Its founder, restaurateur Keith McNally is my favorite account to follow on Instagram for his public daily reports of Balthazar shifts each week, and sometimes flaming of celebrities who misbehave here (remember James Cordon!). Balthazar has the best dining room in all of New York. I love coming to the bar late Friday night for a drink.

→ 5 minute walk

Fanelli’s

Moving to New York, you will inevitably encounter Fanelli’s, a choice spot for meetings, dates, and reunions alike. I joke that the large red neon sign out front is like downtown’s own Empire State Building; you can almost spot its glow from every neighboring street in Soho. The people-watching from the tables outside is top-tier, and the staff is lively and befriendable.

→ 16 minute walk

The River

My favorite bar in New York is a moody dive bar in deep Chinatown with a view of the prison where Epstein died. It’s saloon-like-- low lighting, dark pine wood, and a mural of a river stretching across the room, furnished and designed by Green River Project, the interior design arm of ultra-hip brand BODE. Sometimes it’s packed shoulder to shoulder. Other nights, it’s quieter and feels like the most comfortable place in the world. I’ve spent more time here than I can count. The young women who manage the bar host a trivia night series, with different themes. For trivia, follow @theme_trivia and get there early if you want a chance at participating.

→ >1 minute walk

Dr Clark

Conveniently next door to The River, the same group owns Dr Clark, a Hokkaido restaurant that turns into a bar with occasional karaoke after hours. The food here is ridiculously good and the room is easy to spend hours in. The room transforms late at night, when the dinner crowd leaves and people migrate back and forth from The River.

→ 9 minute walk

Winnie’s

Winnie’s is not for the faint of heart-- the staff can be hostile and the room can be intolerably overpacked, but this grungy bar on the second floor of a walkup on East Broadway is Chinatown’s favorite spot for karaoke. The wait for your turn to sing is long but the thrill of belting out Madonna with friends while a roomful of strangers watches is, well, it’s something. The backyard is a nice reprise from the inside, where you can enjoy a cigarette and conversation.

→ 5 minute walk

Time Again

Time Again is downtown Manhattan’s version of a street party in Brazil, tucked at the intersection of Bowery and Canal, just underneath the Manhattan Bridge. Before city officials decided to take notice, it was a summer-long revelry, an impromptu outdoor club in a parking lot. Opened in early 2024, it quickly became poised for a legendary season, drawing a large and stylish crowd. Drinks aren’t overpriced, but the hunt for plastic neon stools and a mini table demands serious patience. Recently, the city, on a mission to curtail outdoor dining and, it would seem, all fun, has put a stop to the sprawl of tables and people into the alleyway. Still, the spot’s ample sidewalk seating inevitably spills onto the street when it’s late enough.

→ 4 minute walk

Kiki’s

Kiki’s is widely considered to be the restaurant of Dimes Square, being that it is one of only a few good food options in the area and prices are right. The staff are young and fun, the Greek food is traditional and yum. You will likely run into people here and they don’t take reservations so on weekends the line is down the block. For a more relaxed experience, I recommend coming on a weekday night and enjoying a long, delightful evening of good plates and cheap wine.

→ 1 minute walk

Le Dive

Before Time Again, there was Le Dive-- a charming French bar with prime outdoor seating on Canal Street, courtesy of the city’s Open Streets initiative which closes certain blocks to cars during the warmer months. Le Dive is more polished than its neighbor, Clandestino, which has its own sets of pros and cons. During Fashion Week, the bar becomes a magnet for models, designers, stylists, and interns alike, enjoying their few minutes to spare with an Aperol spritz.

→ >1 minute walk

Clandestino

Next to Le Dive is dive bar Clandestino, a stalwart of Dimes Square since 2006 and the neighborhood’s first bar. The air is thick with palo santo. They have a hidden patio in the back, typically kept locked, but when it’s open it’s cozy, and few people know to even look for it.

→ 1 minute walk

Metrograph

The beloved movie theater on Ludlow Street features every kind of film from art house to classics to horror and offers up a different movie theater experience. The rooms are small and chic, the movie calendar is always full of treasures, and they have a bar and restaurant upstairs. I recommend the membership, for $5 a month each movie ticket is discounted by $7.

→ 3 minute walk

Casino

Dinner at Casino is expensive but justified by the dining room. The bold red flooring stretches across the room, chandelier fixtures cast a flattering glow, and booths feel like private enclaves amidst a buzzing dinner crowd. One night here, my waiter, still excited from having served Taylor Swift and Zoe Kravitz the evening before, poured us free shots from the Amaro bottle they drank from.

→ 10 minutes on the train + 10 minute walk

Public Records

In Downtown Brooklyn, Public Records opened in 2019 as an initiative to start a hybrid sound space that houses events from vinyl nights to live music to nightclub style DJs. Their events are relevant and non-repetitive. They offer a plant based food service as well as an atrium and upstairs cocktail bar.

→ 8 minute walk

The Brooklyn Inn

Nestled on a quiet corner in Boerum Hill is the lively Brooklyn Inn, a spacious, historic bar with character to spare. Inside, rooms unfold: a classic bar up front, a snug sitting room, and a dedicated space for the pool table. Weekends may mean a wait to play, but it’s a perfect place to bring friends or compete with strangers.

→ 35 minutes on the train

Night Moves

A small nightclub in Williamsburg owned by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. It has the comfort of a bar and the dancing of a club. Unsurprisingly, the music is fantastic. Thursday nights here are the best the city has to offer. The dance floor lights up. The crowd is diverse in age. Places to go dancing in New York have become scarce but Night Moves remains the most solid of options.