“If you don’t know your NYC ABCs yet, you need to learn them—stat,” says Christy Purington, Web assistant at Time Out Kids. “Just blocks from East Village proper lies Alphabet City, where you can discover a whole slew of kitschy shops, tucked-away restos and a neighborhood vibe I haven’t found anywhere else.”
Check out her favorite spots. Like what you see? Wanna live there? With Christy no less? She’s looking for a roommate!
Read about Christy’s favorite places after the jump. Her favorite restaurants:
The Sunburnt Cow (137 Ave C between 8th and 9th Sts; 212-529-0005, thesunburntcow.com) “Yes, this place is overhyped, but you can’t really beat their all-you-can-drink-with-any-food-menu-item brunch for $18. Their hamburgers are awesome, topped with a fried egg, pineapple and beets. The best part, though, is when the adorable Aussie waiters come to take a passion-fruit-infused tequila shot with you at the end of the meal, signaling (politely) that your fifth Bloody Mary is your last.”
Gnocco (337 E 10th St between Aves A and B; 212-677-1913, gnocco.com) “My love of gnocchi is what originally drew me to this Italian eatery, only to find out that gnocco is a completely different specialty. It consists of fried pastry puffs served with a plate full of Italian cured meats (prosciutto, salami, etc.), which you stuff the puffs with. The result is a little slice of salty melt-in-your-mouth heaven.”
Juicy Lucy’s Juice Bar (85 Ave A between 5th and 6th Sts, 212-777-5829) “This hole-in-the-wall juice hut is a must-stop on my way to work. It’s a less corporate alternative to Jamba, and their banana-coffee smoothie is the perfect combination of caffeine and protein to get the day going.”
Her favorite shops:
Elsa (217 E 3rd St between Aves B and C, 917-882-7395) “I probably passed by this place three dozen times before going in, mostly because I didn’t understand what it was. A bar? A clothing shop? A tailor? Turns out, it’s all three. Elsa is a boutique for bespoke men’s suits, with a chic bar to hang in while the on-site tailor works his magic. I may not be ordering a suit for myself, but I’ll drag my guy friends here, because, honestly, how can you not love a place that combines drinking with shopping?”
The Barnyard (149 Ave C between 9th and 10th Sts; 212-674-2276, barnyardcheese.com) “My two weaknesses are John Krasinski and cheese, so not coincidentally I like to pop into this dairy haven each Thursday before spending a solid 30 minutes swooning over the love of my life, Jim Halpert. The mom-and-pop shop offers tons of varieties, expert help in wine pairings and samples aplenty if you drop in at the right time.”
Her favorite drinking spots:
Ace Bar (531 E 5th St between Bowery and Second Ave; 212-979-8476, acebar.com) “Ace Bar serves up cheap alcohol in a big space, and best of all, you can play Skee-Ball until those five pints of Blue Moon have completely destroyed your hand-eye coordination.”
Zum Schneider (107 Ave C at 7th St; 212-598-1098, zumschneider.com) “Oh, beer, how I love you so. Zum pours German brews in ginormous glass steins, and although the cost may give you pause, the beers’ potency makes them well worth the slightly heftier price tag. After ordering my frothy ale, I like to grab a seat at one of the many communal tables and start bonding with other locals about our shared adoration of lederhosen.”
