Bowery / NoHo
Formerly cracked-out skid row, the Bowery now booms with art, fashion and nightlife. Start at the shiny New Museum at 235 Bowery (near Prince St.) (see Activities); view the ‘art’, or head straight to the excellent, oddball gift shop. Exit right and amble north on Bowery, crossing Houston to find Patricia Field’s emporium of trash, flash and outré mishmash on your left at #306 / 212 966 4066 / patriciafield.com, DBGB on the right at #299 (see Rest./Relaxed), and Blue and Cream on the corner at 1 E 1st St. / 212 533 3088 / blue andcream.com, purveyors of au courant m/w threads by Wang, Suno, Rag & Bone et al. John Varvatos is a skip up at #315 / 212 358 0315 / johnvarvatos.com / for trig-slick men’s basics. Exit, cross the road and skip into Bleecker St., on your right is resale chain INA at #15 / 212 228 8511 / inanyc.com / for m/w designer Vogue castoffs; and Zero + Maria Cornejo at #33 / 212 925 3849 / zeromariacornejo. com, known for her impeccably tailored pieces. Continue past Lafayette St. to Todd Merrill Antiques at #65 / 212 673 0531 / toddmerrillstudio.com / for shagadelic furniture and deco dazzlers. Now retrace to Lafayette, take a left, and left onto Bond St., for the original Bond No. 9 at, duh, #9 / 212 228 1732 / bondno9.com, and next door Bond 07 by Selima at, double duh, #7 / 212 677 8487 / selimaoptique.com / has an ace selection of mod + vintage togs and face furny, plus downstairs milliner. Exit right and on the next block find Paula Rubenstein on the right at #21 / 212 966 8954 / paularubenstein.com / for vintage textiles. Next is United Nude at #25 / 212 420 6000 / unitednude.com / for architectural shoes from Rem Koolhaas; and hotspot The Smile on the left downstairs at #26 / 646 329 5836 / thesmilenyc.com / with great joe and sarnies. Temple of designer cool Oak is next door at #28 / 212 677 1293 / oaknyc.com / full of dark, desirable m/w fash, while Dashwood Books is at #33 / 212 387 8520 / dashwoodbooks.com / with the best in art and photo tomes. At #49 is understated Parisian stalwart A.P.C. / 212 966 0049 / apc.fr / whose bi-level, brushed aluminium boutique features a dedicated denim floor for diehards. Billy Reid at #54-2 / 212 598 9355 / billyreid.com / is outfitter to the most discerning Southern dandies and their ladies, with a natty line in luggage and accessories, and Mile End Deli at #53 (see Lunch) has Montreal-style sarnies and smoked meats in a cute communal space. Exit right and note Bond becomes E 2nd St., and step into John Derian at #6 / 212 677 3917 / johnderian.com / for signature decoupage and handy gifts, with great bedding and linen at his offshoot at #10 / 212 677 8408. Retrace to Bowery, right past The Bowery Hotel (see Accom.), and turn left into Great Jones St. for Filson at #40 / 212 457 3121 / filson.com, a heritage outdoor apparel label peddling gear for both urban/rural adventure-seekers, plus rugged-chic camera bags. Want more? Push on to discover trendsetting design at #55 The Future Perfect (see Standout Stores), or else the Great Jones Spa at #29 (see Spa) is perfectly poised for a recharge. If it’s after 5pm and you simply must have a libation, retrace and stride up Bowery to B Bar and Grill on the corner at 40 E 4th St. / 212 475 2220 / bbarandgrill.com / and demand that well-earned cocktail. Oh darling, you have done terribly well, haven’t you?