The Bowery District is the hub of Manhattan’s most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods - Greenwich Village, SoHo, the East Village and the Lower East Side

Some of the most celebrated restaurants, trendiest boutiques, hottest nightspots and newest cultural venues, as well as abundant resources for everyday necessities.

Food

Charming enoteca

The restaurant Gourmet magazine called “one of the best and most exciting in America” started life in 1994 as an off-the-beaten-path antique store on Bond Street. Soon, owners Donna Lennard and Alberto Avalle transformed it into a charming enoteca with an eclectic menu dedicated to local ingredients, and a wine list featuring small boutique producers. Today, Il Buco’s renowned, eclectic Mediterranean menu and European country atmosphere have made it an under-the-radar gathering spot for designers, actors, writers, and food lovers who are inspired by great food amongst friends in comfortable surroundings. As Ruth Reichl described it in The New York Times: “The restaurant is unlike any other in New York...eating your way through this menu of tapas and appetizers is an exhilarating experience.” Echoing her sentiments, food critic David Rosengarten wrote, “…in response to the question ‘What restaurant should I go to on my one night in New York?’ To my taste, Il Buco is that good, and that special....”

47 Bond St, New York, NY 10012

Food

Classic French cooking

Housed inside an iconic landmark NoHo building, Lafayette is an everyday grand café and bakery that is a celebration of classic French cooking. The market-driven bistro menu offers a re-mastery of traditional and signature dishes that span a variety of regions, from Provence to Normandy to the Mediterranean coast. The main dining room, bakery and two private dining rooms represent a cinematic landscape weighted in tradition and buoyed by new and natural touches like mahogany floors, towering arched windows overlooking the street and honey and blue-tiled columns that define intimate spaces. The bakery stays open late for perusing a myriad of après dinner offerings.

380 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10003

drink

British/Irish pub vibe

From the people behind the West Village’s wildly successful Wilfie & Nell, The Wren has a British/Irish pub vibe with a short but appealing gastro-pub menu of snacks and light fare, a long list of interesting wines, beers, ciders, and cocktails, and an infectiously convivial atmosphere. The plates are designed for snacking and sharing while sipping a drink (or three), rather than a traditional dinner, but the servings are large enough that it’s easy to leave The Wren feeling completely satisfied.

344 Bowery, New York, NY 10012

drink

Speakeasy inspired

Despite the ominous name, there’s nothing gloomy about this speakeasy-inspired bar. The superb cocktails, mixed by master bartenders, include such delights as Slap n’ Pickle – Krogstad Aquavit, muddled cucumber, fresh squeezed lime juice, house-made grenadine and a cucumber wedge. Perfection cannot be rushed and many of the cocktails are stirred up to 50 times, as well as being meticulously taste-tested by the bartenders. There’s also a plentiful array of well-chosen wines, scotches and whiskies, as well as a selection of bites and desserts. Death & Co is the perfect nightspot for those who seek a civilized but celebratory atmosphere.

433 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

culture

NYC’s new music showcase

In the downtown tradition of legendary venues like The Bottom Line, CBGB’s and the Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall has garnered a similar reputation as a showcase for the city’s best new musical talent. On any given night, you can enjoy anything and everything from folk and singer/songwriters all the way to performers with a harder and louder sound. The intimate space usually draws enthusiastic crowds, including music industry types, in search of the next superstar. There’s also a fully stocked bar with fine wine, craft beers and spirits.

196 Allen St, New York, NY 10002

culture

THE WORK OF NEW ARTISTS

When Marcia Tucker, a former curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, officially founded the New Museum in January of 1977, it was the first museum devoted to contemporary art established in New York City since the Second World War. The museum presented the work of living artists who did not yet have wide public exposure or the critical acceptance of a broader public audience. After more than 30 years, the New Museum re-opened at 235 Bowery in its own dedicated space, an elegant, modern structure designed by architects Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa. Today, the New Museum serves diverse and expanding audiences, including artists, students, and residents of the Lower East Side, as well as a growing international crowd.

235 Bowery, New York, NY 10002

shopping

Modern with a Southern flair

William “Billy” Reid grew up in Amite, Louisiana, just south of the Mississippi line, where his mother operated a women’s clothing boutique from his grandmother’s onetime home. That experience would ultimately lead to the launching of a line of clothes that reflected his desire to build a designer brand around his authentic lifestyle and retail shops that reflect his upbringing, personality and aesthetic. Though the roots of his men’s, women’s and accessory collections have deep Southern roots, they can be found not only in his boutiques but also at fine high-end retail chains across the country and abroad.

54 Bond St, New York, NY 10012

shopping

Hard-to-find luxury labels

Assembly New York is a men’s and women’s boutique focusing on international and otherwise hard-to-find luxury labels alongside curated vintage pieces. Many of the articles are the result of collaborations with designers and are exclusive to its New York location and website. In 2009, Assembly introduced the in-house collection, designed by owner Greg Armas. This collection is a unisex and uniform range, combining exclusively natural and historic fabrics in a spirit of a future-primitive instinct. Garments of linen, cashmere and fine cotton with leather and pure silk details are intended to create comfort and durability, allowing each piece to stand on its own and achieve archival quality. All garments are hand sewn in New York City and are available year-round in varying and appropriate fabric selections.

170 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10012

HOTELS

A thoroughly modern take on old New York

This fanciful, 135-room boutique hotel exudes all the glamour of turn-of-the-century New York. Shunning minimalism, they have created plush rooms that pair old-world touches (oriental rugs, wood-beamed ceilings, marble washstands) with modern amenities (wifi, flat screen televisions, DVD library). With rooms offering views of the East Village landscape thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, while some terrace suites have the added perk of outdoor hot tubs. Gemma Trattoria is located on the ground floor, for those who crave traditional Italian fare.

335 Bowery, New York, NY 10013

HOTELS

An André Balazs original

Formerly the Cooper Square Hotel, celebrated hotelier André Balazs took over this property in late 2011 and the Standard East Village was born. A natural palette suffuses the hotel’s check-in area and guest rooms, with furnishings that are ‘70s-modern in style. All rooms are outfitted with flat screen televisions and cozy beds draped in luxury Italian linens. Most of the rooms in the 21-story building feature wall-to-wall window views of the Downtown Manhattan skyline, which are almost as panoramic as the vista available from the wraparound penthouse terrace, where guests can enjoy breakfast daily. Dining options include the Café Standard for casual fare and Narcissa, featuring seasonal, local and organic produce from Balazs’ own Hudson Valley farm.

25 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10013

Disclaimer

The Bowery District is the hub of Manhattan’s most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods - Greenwich Village, SoHo, the East Village and the Lower East Side

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

New Museum

Wild Project

UCB east comedy club

Saxon + Parole

Bowery Hotel

The Wren

Empellon Cocina

Standard East Village

Food

Charming enoteca

Food

Classic French cooking

drink

British/Irish pub vibe

drink

Speakeasy inspired

culture

NYC’s new music showcase

culture

THE WORK OF NEW ARTISTS

shopping

Modern with a Southern flair

shopping

Hard-to-find luxury labels

HOTELS

A thoroughly modern take on old New York

HOTELS

An André Balazs original