When I first rolled into New York City on a Greyhound from the Martha's Vineyard ferry terminal back in 1981, I never dreamed I would spend at least the next 26 years of my life here. I was crashing on the floor of my former college roommate's studio apartment in the far West Village and I hoped, as I meandered about those maze-like streets, that downtown Manhattan would someday be my home. After protracted periods of life on the Upper East and West sides, I finally settled in Greenwich Village with my family of five. With an office in Soho, downtown is pretty much my full-time stomping ground.
Mornings are perfect at Balthazar in Soho, where the locals meet for blazing hot coffee, bread, and pastries baked at the Balthazar Bakery next door. Farther west on 12th Street, the new Cafe Cluny has a quiet neighborhood feel and plenty of free newspapers to peruse while ... [more]
Andy Arons, Gourmet Garage
Garment District
The Garment District (or Garment Center) is no longer home to New York’s fashion industry that has placed itself in less expensive and hipper parts of town. What remain here are the showrooms, light manufacturing, and the suppliers. The button, fabrics, and finishes stores are often open to retail traffic and offer the crafty and fashionable an opportunity for a day of great finds. The list of these places is long, but it starts with M&J on 6th Avenue and 36th Street. The Garment District is also home to many large department stores including Macy’s, which is spectacular in the spring when the store is beautifully dressed in flowers.