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
Horseback Riding
Sadly, riding in the city is better done in the back of a taxi than atop a horse. You once would have (until the end of April 2007) seen riders in Central Park but time has brought an onslaught of potential hazards, from dogs and joggers in your path, to busy streets en route to the Bridle Path; in the end, city riding was deemed unsafe even for stalwart equestrians. There are a fair number of academies nearby, and we list them here if time allows you to investigate these options. We do wholeheartedly recommend the few remaining wonderful shops for the never-ending demands of tack and garb.