Music
By no means exhaustive list of places I am somewhat attached to and visit often. work in progress.
- Nublu,Ave C and 4th, bar, with music, DJs, godd danicing music
- Tonic, Delancey & Norfolk, frequently really cool bands,
apparently founded by John Zorn,good bar in the basement
- Knitting Factory, Broadway & Leonard, really cool bands,
also good bar/cofee shop adjacent
- NorthSix, Williamsburg, same deal, bands play people come
- Siberia, 40th& 9th,bar and band basement, totally stripped,
grafitti allover
- Mehanata, Broadway & Canal, Bulgarian 'Cultural' Center,
home of DJ Hutz of Gogol Bordelo, on thursdays
- Sidewalk Cafe, 6th & A, bar and live
music in the back, patio. Rando people playing whatever, mildly alternative.food too.
- Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 3th & B, live jazz and poetry slams.
- Irving Plaza, 14th & Irving, concert venue
Booze
- Mama's Bar,
B ave & 3rd st, another hipster joint, not yet fully spoilt.
- Decibel,
2nd ave & 9th, sake joint, traditional look, joy division playing, waitors with ultra cool hairdoos walking.
- Blarney Cove, 14th & A,
dive to top them all, oasis in the hipster cental. I even have personal story about it,
involving Jimmy the gentleman, Pulp Fiction, Jerry the thug, pint of Guiness and a drunk hindu guy.
- Passerby,
15th & 10th, gallery bar, way hip crowd, bumped Bjork accidentally one night. Can dance too.
- Beauty Bar,
14th & 3rd, retro, does look like a beauty parlor, we hang out in the same bar in SF
- Rififi,
11th & 1st, a bit too super cool, but they have old films and shows in addition to music and booze,
in association with Cinema Classics
- Angel's Share,
9th & 3rd ave, they are very serious about their space and drinks, loungy, cool.
- KGB bar,
4th st& 2nd ave, soviet kitch, that stuff's been in a bit too much lately,
just like Pravda.
Food
- Esperanto,
9th & C, Brazilian, never left it without 4 Mojitos
- Lillie's,
in Red Hook, sunday BBQ for $5, I keep thinking of Ann Magnuson.
Getting there is a bitch, see the sights, projects and abandoned warehouses.
- Corner Bistro,
8th ave & W4th st., best and cheapest burgers in town, cheapest beer, still a great bar. Wait is annoying.
- Veselka,
9th st & 2nd ave, ukranian food, good old sourkraut, home sweet home, especially at 4am.
- Miss Williamsburg,
one on 10th & 1st ave, other in Williamsburg, fun italian,
best calamari, marnita, actually owned by friends of mine. Great summer garden in Williamsburg.
- LemonGrass grill,
11&University, cheapest edible Thai, especially duck salad
-
Frank ,
5th & 2nd ave, hipster italian food, nice to sit outside.
- Nha Trang,
Baxter & Canal, cheapest good vietnamese, $5(high end) noodle soup
- Cafe Habana,
Spring & Elizabeth, mmm cuban sandwiches and corn, and the scene.
- Carmine's,
Bway & 90th, 'family' italian, made to look like Godfather's regular joint, cheap too.
- Djerdan Burek,
7th & 38th, nostalgia, yugo burek, kiki bonbone, sarme, strudle.
NYC is an amazing place when even a balkan bakery has it's own website.
- Pastis,
14th & 9th, french froofy bistro, so meatpacking district.
- Florent,
12th & 9th, all night burger in meat packing district, ah so hip.
- Veniero's,
11th & 1st, sicilian pastry shop, like an alcoholic, I am not allowed to go there alone.
- Black Hound bakery,
11th & 2nd, damn you vienese marzipan torte.
- Vynl,
9th ave & 54th, rando cool diner, if you're in Hell's Kitchen
- Hungarian PAstry Shop,
Amsterdam & 111, bakery, if you're up around Columbia