mini guide: chelsea and the high line: now that chelsea, or at least the far west side of chelsea will be dominated by the huge attraction of the high line, i think we will be coming to hang out here more and more often. unfortunately, much of the recent development that has gone on, particularly just to the south of the high line in the meatpacking district has just been incredibly high end, and incredibly inaccessible — at least for me. so, here are some of my more affordable recommendations around the area closest to the first section of the high line that has opened stretching fron gansevoort street to 20th street.

food:

chelsea market: this is of course an excellent casual starting point and a great choice for kids. amazing coffee at ninth street espresso, tasty grilled cheese sandwiches at amy’s bread, and lastly yummy if not surprising brownies from fat witch. 9th avenue at 15th street, manhattan, new york.

202: while also in chelsea market, this is more of a sit down spot, and a little pricier. j is absolutely crazy about their english breakfast (guess he has cravings for those stewed tomatos and baked beans) and i think the brunch is good if not amazing. it’s a little odd sitting right next to nicole farhi’s fancy designer clothes and household accessories, but service is decent and it’s an easy spot. 9th avenue at 15th street, manhattan, new york. 646.638.0115.

cookshop: and maybe getting into fancier digs but usually very solid food is cookshop. run by the same people at five points, cookshop has high quality locavore food in an attractive modern casual setting. definitely need a reservation unless going in mid august as it can get crazy in there. 156 10th avenue at 20th street, manhattan, new york, 212.924.4440.

shops:

boucher: one of my favorite jewelry stores with affordable and gorgeous hand made necklaces, bracelets and earrings made from all sorts of dazzling gems like black diamonds, aquamarine stones and opals. ninth avenue at little west 12th street, manhattan, new york, 212.206.3775.

auto: this intimate design shop is a must see to gauge the current trends for home. one of the original gentrifiers of the meatpacking district (just south of where the high line starts), auto has a constantly rotating selection of interesting and appealing furnishings and some accessories for men (they often have good wallets) and women. not cheap but not outrageous either and they do have good sales. 805 washington street between gansevoort and horatio streets, manhattan, new york, 212.229.2292.

a trio of home design stores: on two blocks of ninth avenue, there are three excellent design stores. one is more modern and male, nest interiors; la cafetiere specializes in the french look, and bon maison compagnie is also french but with more range and gift ideas. a great way to spend an hour. ninth avenue between 19th and 21st streets, manhattan, new york.

i don’t know that i really need an excuse to hang out outside and eat in this 70 degree weather (assuming no rain of course), but just in case you’re looking for one, taste of tribeca is a great event that is going on tomorrow, saturday, may 16th. held on tribeca’s cobblestone streets, this event offers tastings from more than fifty mostly tribeca-based restaurants. each one has a table, and they offer up a sample taste (hopefully their best — but i’m sure there are some cost/public distribution considerations so maybe not their very best but regardless they are often good). i would wager that some of the tables worth spending your ticket on ($45 gets you six tastes) include chanterelle, bouley bakery, bar artisanal, city hall, the harrison and the palm. for some sweets, taste of tribeca includes at least two bakeries i would recommend- billy’s bakery as well as grandaisy (which is located in the old sullivan street bakery space and sometimes churns out baked good almost as good as before).

taste of tribeca will also have a host of kiddie friendly events as well as a wine tour and a historic walking tour. while the event is not super cheap, the proceeds do go to a good cause supporting the tribeca local public elementary schools and it really is just fun. taste of tribeca, mostly along duane street (going west from hudson street) and along greenwich street. from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

mini guide: tribeca: so i cannot believe i haven’t really written about anything in tribeca yet. j and i used to hang out here all the time, and we still come here a lot in the spring and summer months as there are some super playgrounds in this neck of the woods. below, i have highlighted some of the interesting shops though i need to go down myself sometime soon and confirm my memories and what i’ve read. i’ve also listed a few food options just in case you are still hanging out downtown once dinner rolls around.

food:

blaue gans: located in a lovely space with soaring ceilings and a great bar, this sister restaurnt to café sabarsky turns out very tasty austrian fare which always features some schnitzel and some form of j’s favorite spätzle as well as some beautiful sausages. dessert will always include that amazing strudel also found at café sabarsky. 139 duane street between church and west broadway, manhattan, new york, 212.571.8880.

bread tribeca: j and i were fans of the first bread over on spring street, and while i don’t think the intimate setting translated perfectly to this bigger tribeca space, the italian food is still tasty and it’s a good place for groups (lots of basic variety and enough space and good service). 301 church street near walker street, manhattan, new york, 212.334.8282.

matsugen: so i have been wanting to go to this high end jean georges japanese spot here since it opened in the same richard meier space where his former chinese restaurant 66 crashed (and was such a disappointment). based on a few reviews, it seems that at matsugen the noodles, specifically the soba, are what to get here and i am always up for that. 241 church street at leonard street, manhattan, new york, 212.925.0202.

shops:

r gallery: although i have never been here, i am super intrigued by the david wiseman installation as his work looks gorgeous (see above). the duo zesty meyers and evan snyderman founded this gallery that focuses on excellent, innovative 20th and 21st century design, both new and vintage. 82 franklin street between church street and broadway, manhattan, new york, 212.343.7979.

dune: while technically a store, i really think of this as more of an idea factory. this shop has amazing super high-end modern furniture from cutting edge designers like michael solis, sarah fels and nick dine. i always leave there with visions of what might be our next big thing for the apartment. 88 franklin street near broadway, manhattan, new york, 212.925.6171.

tribeca girls: now that k is turning 6 this summer, and what i had hoped would be my local source for great clothes has closed, i think tribeca girls is a must visit place as it apparently has a real tween focus with style and hopefully not too much frill. 171 duane street near greenwich street, manhattan, new york, 212.925.0049.

i am fortunate for many reasons to no longer be working in the wall street area, but one of the big ones is the food options are quite poor. my old job required that i go out all the time and where to go was the never well-answered question. so just in case you find yourself in that same predicament (and there are a few fun reasons to be downtown including this winter the ice skating at the seaport) here are a few places to go for a reasonable lunch or coffee that won’t leave you miserable.

probably the best strip for eating is stone street which is not only adorable and really fabulous when the weather is nice as there are tables outside, but it also has several good options. one of the first places there, although it has gotten a bit big for its britches, and definitely more corporate, is financier. they have superb pastries if you like dainty french things, and i am fond of their croissants as well as the excellent cream cheese danish (rich and tasty and not too big). i also think they have some pretty good sandwiches and salads of which my favorites are the croque monsieur and the paninis. not too heavy but satisfying and fresh. financier, 62 stone street between mill lane and hanover square, manhattan, new york, 212.344.5600. they have another wall street location at 35 cedar street at 10 liberty plaza between pearl and william streets, manhattan, new york, 212.952.3838.

the same owners of financier opened adrienne’s pizza bar and it is also related to the well-regarded nick’s pizza in forest hills, queens. while certainly not the best pizza in new york, it is pretty darn good for downtown. the hostesses there are super friendly and warm, and very helpful in getting through what can be a long line but not usually such a long wait. their signature is the rectangular 10-slice pies made with fresh tomatoes and bubbling cheese that come with a variety of tasty toppings such as sweet pork sausage with fennel, anchovies, sweet peppers and mushrooms and easily stuffs two people. adrienne’s pizza bar, 54 stone street, manhattan, new york, 212.248.3838.

another place worth a brief mention is the brand new perle located a block away from stone street and which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A classic french bistro, perle has ambiance and is refreshingly affordable for a sit-down meal. while not a destination restaurant, if you are in the area and looking for a low-key atmosphere with classic food this will hopefully continue to be a good spot but i think it is too early to tell how well it will hold up. perle, 62 pearl street near broad street, manhattan, new york, 212.248.4848.

closer to the seaport, there are fewer reliable options so i would skip eating and just head to jack’s stir brew coffee. located along front street, another lovely cobble-stoned row next to the brooklyn bridge where the buildings were recently renovated. with a few sister shops including one in the west village, the downtown jack’s is cozy and fun, and the coffee is good. the rest of the restaurants lining the street, though appealing, are quite uneven. i think it just may take another turn of the economy before we see better food downtown. jack’s stir brew coffee, 222 front street near beekman street, manhattan, new york.