things to think about
In spite of all the hype, I have yet to visit the New Museum. What’s more exciting about the impact of the New Museum is the emerging gallery scene throughout the Lower East Side. Bypass the crowds and discover who’s entreprising culture through indie art…
Miguel Abreau :: Lisa Cooley :: TemporaryGallery :: 38 Ludlow :: James Fuentes LLC :: Fruit and Flower Deli :: Thierry Goldberg :: Museum at Eldridge Street
 
Annika Sundvik is a true Lower Lower East Side vanguard, opening Good World Bar and Grill back in 1999. Annika’s background as a photographer is telling as she’s created a place where public and private come together. From wood worn floors to rusted tin ceilings, the spatial environment seems to draw patrons into frame as people get closer to their tables and the conversations at hand. A menu of beers, swedish meatballs, burgers to die for and pickled and salted treats await you.
Good World Bar and Grill :: 212.925.9975 :: 3 Orchard Street, below Canal NOW CLOSED
 
 
 
 
Nature is not a place we visit on weekends. It’s not a destination that’s separate from our everyday selves. Increasingly people see nature as an essential part of who we are. We are natural when we… eat fresh from greenmarkets on Grand Street, play polo on bikes in Roosevelt Park on Chrystie Street and graffiti fauna and flora on the streets. In today’s modern world, we continually discover ways to bring nature back.
In Lower Manhattan with a Chinatown that seems increasingly borderless, a Venetian wine bar and osteria makes a cloistered stand. On one of the least known NYC streets, Division Street, the owner-chef of Nolita’s Peasant restaurant has opened Bacaro. The pièce de résistance is the subterranean level of brick niches lit by candlelight. The food is classic Italian from the Venezia region, small plate-style.
Bacaro:: 212.941.5060 :: 136 Division Street, between Ludlow and Orchard at the very south end of these streets
 
 
Local favorite, Barrio Chino, sits in the heart of the Lower Lower East Side. Its name (which means Chinese hood) is inspired by the neighborhood known for its immigrant heritage -Â where today Chinese, Latino and hipster cultures meet.
The communal interior is accented by chinoiserie decor of paper lanterns and dynastic portraiture. The menu is authentic Mexican with over 50 varieties of agave tequila meant for sipping, antojitos appetizers of tacos and one of the best guacamoles in town.
Barrio Chino :: 212.228.6710 :: 253 Broome Street, between Ludlow and Orchard