Need a quirky gift but don’t have the cash? Fish’s Eddy is still your place. The store has been a destination for decades, but may have been forgotten with all the new boutiques and chain stores that have moved in to hawk their wares for the price-conscious. With beautiful votives for $10, kitschy coasters for $3.95 and sets of Japanese garden glasses for $20, you can stock up on distinctive stuff for your pals—and maybe even have a little left over to spend on yourself.

Best Place to Feel Like a Kid: Make Meaning
329 Columbus Ave, betw. W. 75th & W. 76th Sts., 212-362-0350

Remember when you were tricked into going with your friends to one of those pottery places where you had to plate while gabbing about your girlfriends? It’s back—kinda. Make Meaning opened up a few months ago in child-friendly Upper West Side and has somehow managed to balance the twee with the sophisticated. They have classes to teach you how to make items with glass, or you can try out candle-, jewelry- or papermaking. Sure, there’s always the chance that you’ll feel a little uncool sitting around while threading beads. But remember that whole knitting thing? Plus, getting your hands a little dirty is always fun.

Best Place to Place to Feel Like a Man: Hog Mountain
192 5th Ave., at Sackett St., Brooklyn, 347-725-4236

After logging 5 miles on the stroller and an afternoon of Daddy & Me classes, Park Slope guys can find refuge at Hog Mountain, the general store for men. Walk out with a silk tie, a brown leather wallet, a Carhartt jacket, a flannel shirt and a saw. It’s Americana for an urbane set that prefers a classic look that’s stylish. The store is stocked with a variety of Levi’s jeans—even skinny (if you must) and slim-fit. Men can treat themselves to Lucky Tiger grooming products, get a pair of cuff links and finally learn how to tie a bow tie from the store’s knowledgeable owner. Just make sure you park your stroller far enough from the tool section, out of Junior’s reach.

Best Place to Hawk Your Clothes: Buffalo Exchange
332 E. 11th St., at 1st Ave., 212-260-9340

Unlike certain consignment shops that seem to only want to take your most bizarre and ugly items of clothing (we’re looking at you, Beacon’s Closet), Buffalo Exchange will actually validate your sense of style by buying up the items in your closet you either don’t fit in, no longer wear or just never looked right on you. And instead of taking your things and having you wait around for them to sell in order to collect, they hand over the cash upfront. BE has outposts nationally, but the East Village outlet looks for trendy, seasonal pieces that are in good shape. It’s even a cute place to shop.

Best Tattoo Parlor for a Newbie: East Side Ink
97 Ave. B, betw. E. 6 & E. 7th Sts., 212-477-2060

Achieving legendary status as the leading tattoo parlor in New York in the 1990s, East Side Ink is a clean and unintimidating place, staffed by knowledgeable and exceptionally talented artists. The original shop was opened in 1992 by the highly regarded Andrea Elston, but nowadays, veteran tattoo-aficionados Josh Lord, Jen Terban and Yadira Mendez-Firvida run the show and include inking personalities big and small: Lord, Patrick Conlon, Mark Harada and Ethan Morgan. Over the years, some of the shop’s famous clientele has included Ozzy Osbourne, Woody Harrelson, Brian McKnight and Amy Winehouse. You might remember that about a year ago they got into a bit of trouble with the city for letting an unlicensed Rihanna tattoo her initials on to some of the shop’s eager artists—a health-code no-no that could have costed up to $2,000 in fines!

Best Shoe Repair According to a Drag Queen: Steve Express Shoe Repair
311 E. 14th St., betw. 1st & 2nd Aves., 212-228-9368

Sure, there are fancier shoe repair shops in the city, in trendier neighborhoods surrounded by fancy boutiques. But why would you want to pay an unnecessary $50 just to re-sole a heel? A hole-in-the-wall down a short flight of stairs, Steve’s is a secret favorite of shoe-abusing East Village drag queens. He can replace your soles, re-attach or straighten a heel (without using cheap glue—his work actually lasts) and perform all kinds of repairs for under $30 a pair. In fact, the only time our tipster paid more than $30 for a service was when the man crafted a high-heeled leather boot into a strappy sandal contraption, for a mere $60. Plus, he can fix watch bands and batteries, adjust your jewelry and even copy your keys! They don’t make ’em like this anymore.

Best Cheap Nail Salon That Won’t Give You Fungus: Tina’s Nail Salon
555 5th Ave., at 15th St., Brooklyn, 718-369-1908

Forget the red plastic covering the ceiling and the tacky hanging fixtures—Tina’s in South Park Slope is the best deal for mani-pedi pampering. For $12.50, you get a pedicure complete with a massage, and you can add on 10 more minutes for $10. Really, it’s just unheard of. Plus, the place is clean, the staff is friendly and the pedis are actually good.

Best Yuppie Marketplace: Eataly
200 5th Ave., at W. 23rd St., 646-398-5100

Once upon a time, the whole idea of grocery shopping was that you could buy and make food that would cost less than eating at a restaurant. That notion, dear reader, is completely outdated—but that’s not entirely a bad thing. At Eataly, the mammoth Italian grocery store and restaurant Deathstar in the shadow of the Flatiron building, owners Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich stock the shelves with pricey pastas, sauces, meats and more, all designed for you to make a perfect meal at home, at only slightly less than it might cost to dine at a nice-ish Italian restaurant. While it’s not in our nature to pay upwards of $10 for a pound of fresh pasta or almost the same amount for a jar of sauce, there’s something about the store and what it promises that makes it seem (almost) OK. Perhaps it’s the bustling, authentic Italian feeling of what’s happening inside or maybe just the way that perfect-pasta guy grins while you try to decide if one portion of spinach ravioli is worth a night’s drinking money (it is), but spending too much on groceries here actually feels good. If you’re aching for the experience but don’t want to drop the cash, try going in for veggies—on a recent trip, they weren’t any more expensive than at the Associated.

Best Food Delivery: New York CSA & Organic Food Delivery

The locavore movement has annoyed us enough to yell at people who are perfectly nice—but want to keep us from eating our morning banana. But then there’s the idea of Community Supported Agriculture: cutting out the middleman and just buying fruit and veggies directly from the people making it. What could be wrong with that? It works by CSA members paying for an entire season of produce upfront as either “shares” or “half shares” and then showing up at a designated location and day to pick up your produce. Yes, it’s a little like hoity-toity peasantry, but it’s also a way to figure out how to experiment with strange tubers and other legumes you may never get up the courage to purchase on your own. And in the process of your 21st-century dietary explorations, you get to support people trying to make a living from the land.

Best Place to Buy CDs by Belgian Punk Bands: Generation Record
210 Thompson St., betw. Bleecker & 3rd Sts.

In an era when the definition of an album—does a download count?—is very much in dispute and even CDs are a vestige of the pre-Internet past, it’s nice to have a place where you can actually pick up music and hold it. While no record store—and Generation is not an exception—can compete with the encyclopedic variety (and low prices) of the Internet, its staff does an excellent job of culling through the new and old of obscure genres (Third Wave Ska, Psychobilly, Norwegian Death Metal), and you’re guaranteed to stumble on a record you didn’t know you needed.

Best Bespoke Bike Boutique: Adeline Adeline
147 Reade St., betw. Greenwich & Hudson Sts., 212-227-1150

Have bicycles really won the war of the city’s streets? While we still hate when they go the wrong way on the new bike paths, it has been great to see more and more people take to the roads and not end up roadkill. Now that we have bike-T-shirt collaborations and even cycle shops with coffee bars, it seems the trend may be here to stay. The cycle studs can have their testosterone-fueled havens; we’re throwing our support behind Adeline Adeline, a pleasant boite dedicated to bikes. Owner Julie Hirschfeld is in tune with what women want from bicycles. And it seems to be the cute accessories, along with the retro models (from $380 to $2,000—or more).

Best Place to Kick Your Tires: Downtown Auto Center
348 Bowery, at Great Jones St., 212-777-4848

What with always-heavy traffic, recessionary potholes, ever-diminishing free parking, battalions of quick-triggered meter maids and now floating bike lanes, Manhattan has become a little less friendly toward car owners—especially if they’re not blessed with a robber baron’s-size bank account. If you have been keeping a car anywhere near the East Village, however, at least you’ve been able to score quick and convenient servicing. Downtown Auto Center—which offers tire changes, inspections and minor repairs—has been operating from the same location, on Great Jones Street and the Bowery, for the last 50 years. But this charming patch of nostalgia has been reportedly purchased by a Miami-based luxury hotel chain—another victim of the Bowery’s super-gentrification. So you better get your oil changed quick.

OK, we admit that we’re certainly biased with this category since our editorial office is located right in the middle of the area north of Madison Square Park. We can totally go for grunge, but this neighborhood was a sad place to spend at least nine hours every day. We tripped over the haphazard hawkers lined up and down 28th Street, walked by the Oriental rug shops on Madison and eagerly awaited any new restaurant that tried to surface. We didn’t expect much to change in our daily work lives, but then the Ace Hotel opened and a bleak area of Manhattan finally became a destination. Unlike some dubious neighborhood titles, we even like the term Nomad for this unloved brown blot on the taxi map. With the recent inauguration of The Hurricane Club, a yuppie-Polynesian douche-pit, and the Gansevoort Park Avenue, however, we’re already feeling the gentrifier jitters. Could an area that had no identity suddenly cross over into a place to avoid so soon?

Best Magazine One-upmanship: Dueling New York and New Yorker Profiles

Maybe you trust the magazine awards and don’t question the absolute authority of our culture barometers, but this year gave thoughtful readers a chance to see what editors do and how easily a story can change when shaped with a different agenda in mind. New York magazine’s ongoing dark narrative promotes the seductive and destructive forces at work in the city, so Andrew Goldman’s July profile of David Koch in New York didn’t really do much in tearing him down. While Goldman revealed Koch’s moneyed schemes, like footing much of the bill for the Tea Party organizations (he called him “the Tea Party’s wallet”), it didn’t really press hard on his funding cancer research and hospitals while simultaneously creating the carcinogens that allegedly cause cancer. Then Jane Mayer’s Koch brothers story, titled “Covert Operations,” in The New Yorker, blew it away. That was followed by dueling Nick Denton profiles, with one side wallowing in vulgar exceptionalism and the other taking Denton to task while trying to locate a deeper motivation. As we continue to figure out the direction print media will go in a digital age, and the eroding of our trusted voices, we’ll need to continue to be more discerning readers, careful of the manipulation that is taking place. Now it’s your turn to decide which side to take.

Best Place to Freak Out Your Midwestern Friends: Sammy’s Roumanian
167 Chrystie St., betw. Delancey & Rivington Sts., 212-673-0330

This Downtown destination labels itself a “steak house,” but it’s really more of a vodka-soaked dinner-and-a-show kind of place. A safe haven for Eastern European Jews, Sammy’s combines schmaltz and kitsch with vodka frozen in blocks of ice and Kasha Varniskes. The live keyboardist holds sing-alongs throughout the night, and is happy to shout, “Goyim!” at any scared-looking WASPS. If you’re lucky, after the plates of liver and homages to Mel Brooks, the whole restaurant will break out in dance and your formerly scared pals will leave tipsy, happy and full. With stories to bring back home.

Best Place to Mourn Our Collapsed Economy: The Shuttered ESPN Zone in Times Square
Formerly at Broadway & W. 42nd Street.

Amidst one of the city’s densest tourist areas, the ultimate sports bar couldn’t survive. Where can one get a beer and a cheeseburger and check in on the game after dragging the kids through Toys R Us? Nowhere. The simplest of concepts was perhaps too simple for such a dollar-driven area. It’s a painful reminder that brand names mean nothing in this day and age. Perhaps ESPN should have thrown a few employees in Chris Berman/Stu Scott costumes or hired former NYC sports stars to sit in the lobby and spin yarns from the good ol’ days.

Best Second-Hand Surprises: Goodwill
217 W. 79th St., betw. Broadway & Amsterdam Ave., 212-874-5050

Unlike other city nabes, the Upper West Side isn’t flush with thrift shores, and in this economy, baby, we need ’em. You can go to Salvation Army on West 97th Street, which is, frankly, quite skanky, or Housing Works on Columbus—a bit too tony, but great steals on furniture and designer togs. Goodwill, however, offers a happy medium that won’t overwhelm. It organizes all clothing neatly by size and color, and you will always find surprises. To wit: a boy’s Gap dress shirt, perfect for bar mitzvah-hopping ($9.99); a green corduroy J. Crew jacket ($14.99); a chic gauzy girls’ top, great for wearing over leggings; a sterling bracelet with dangling hearts ($4.99); or six cheery red-and-white striped plastic popcorn holders, perfect for family movie night (50 cents each). And for those who haven’t abandoned the technologies of the 1980s, there are cassettes and classic VHS movies. In these tough times, one needs a reliable thrift store for last-minute Halloween costumes and expensive outerwear items like sweaters, jackets, snow pants and snow boots. Beat the chill at Goodwill and use the dollars you save to head someplace warm (they sell beach towels, too).

Best Untold Broadway Drama: Megan Mullally vs. Patton Oswalt

After her quickie appearance on Parks & Recreation, we were eagerly anticipating getting some quality Mullally time last spring in the Roundabout’s revival of Terence McNally’s Lips Together Teeth Apart. But she apparently didn’t feel the same way about co-star Patton Oswalt. The gossip blogs (and the New York Times) alluded to a Mullally ultimatum: Oswalt or her. Director Joe Mantello called her bluff and Mullally was out in a huff. Too bad the best thing to come out of last year’s Roundabout season took place behind the scenes.

Best Job We Didn’t Know Existed: Vegetable Butcher

Jennifer Rubell is the “vegetable butcher” at Eataly, according to co-owner Mario Batali. Didn’t know there was such a thing as a vegetable butcher? Neither did we. Rubell will peel your carrots for you. She’ll trim your artichokes (the only veggie that does make us feel like we’re tearing into something fleshy). She’ll make sure your pretty veggies that you’re paying a shitload for are even prettier, and you never even have to touch them. Who knew that New York could get that much crazier?

The Roof of Lincoln Center

Best Picnic Spot: Roof of Lincoln at Lincoln Center
142 W. 65th St., 212-359-6500

We don’t really plan to dine anytime soon at the super swanky Lincoln restaurant located alongside the reflecting pool and Henry Moore sculpture on the Lincoln Center campus. But the restaurant’s paraboloid roof is perfectly free. Planted with a special grass to compete with the swarms of visitors, the roof may seem like a gimmick, but the architecture firm of Diller, Scofidio + Renfroe understand how to create an enchanting space for people to enjoy on multiple levels (remember, they’re also behind the High Line). Take a walk on the roof and you’ll see that it is one of the most captivating and unusual views in the city. The best is at night, when you can peek into Alice Tully or Avery Fisher halls across 65th Street as the well-heeled promenade for you. Remember: They can’t see you.

Best Unusual Celebrity Spotting Destination: SPiN NYC
48 E. 23rd St., at Park Ave. South, 212-982-8802

While the ping-pong craze never fully materialized in other locations and the trend-that-never-was may have already passed, SPiN NYC remains the spot for table tennis enthusiasts and semi-pro diehards. It also continues to be the best place to have casual encounters with all sorts of celebrities on weeknights. It’s not uncommon to be sipping a drink at the bar and have co-owner Susan Sarandon saunter over, acting completely casual. Other TV actors and musicians are known to stop in for a quickie game or a chance to chill out, but it’s Sarandon who keeps us panting and wanting more.

Best Cool Space in a Meatpacking Building: Gasser & Grunert Gallery
524 W. 19th St., betw. 10th & 11th Aves., 212-807-9494

The starchitect development in the Meatpacking District may have slowed a bit, but there are still some bright spots to discover. Although Shigeru Ban’s Metal Shutter house is pretty much a snooze, the gallery located on the ground floor has proved to be a fascinating work in progress. Gasser & Grunert Gallery is still a large, raw concrete space that is just as much fun to visit as the exhibits on view. Artist Tim Roda took over the space earlier this year and created a strange world in the raw concrete play area. The subsequent exhibit, titled Games of Antiquities, was composed of photographs that showed the building populated in some sort of Roman spectacle with strange rituals, with some of the objects created on display. Sometimes it’s better to leave things alone and let the imagination take over.

Best Organization Making Downtown Cool: Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
www.lmcc.net

As much as we all want artists to prosper, it’s difficult for most to navigate the ins and outs of the city’s bureaucracy or figure out a way to gain any sort of traction if they do manage to surmount the many hurdles put in their way. That’s where an organization like the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council comes in. Keeping Downtown culture alive, LMCC provides grants for arts groups to collaborate with public education institutions as well as presenting work downtown to imbue overlooked spaces with vibrant energy. For example, choreographer Christopher Williams enacted his The Voyage of Garbhglas, based on Irish Faerie lore, at the Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park City. Even more ambitious, the 37,000-square-foot outdoor exhibition and performance space named LentSpace opened this summer and hosted rotating artworks commissioned by LMCC. The city is healthier (and wealthier) because of the hard work of organizations like this.

Ask any professional theater critic about the Fringe Fest, and you’re bound to get an eye-roll or a heavy sigh. The sprawling annual theater festival is increasingly a tedious exercise in public masturbation for its performers, most of which isn’t even titillating. The one-person shows are usually pretty dreary, but that’s not to say that shows with casts of two and up are much better. With some of the most reasonably priced tickets in Manhattan (and plenty of press every year), it’s no wonder that theatergoing dilettantes whose only exposure to theater is the Fringe don’t see more shows.

Best Contemporary Art Show: Anne Collier

New York-based artist Anne Collier lands this year’s best gallery show, hands down, for her eponymous exhibition this January at Anton Kern. The show was comprised mostly of photography, with books opened to pages with sunsets lining the gallery. There was also a black-and-white photo of an eye, with a frame resembling a tear duct and an image of a paper cutter slicing that eye. The show is a little aggressive in its demand that the gallery-goer contemplates the act of looking, but it’s an attribute we like. Looking at art shouldn’t always be easy.

Best Off-Off-Broadway Show: Now Circa Then

A comedy about historical re-enactors at the Lower East Side’s Tenement Museum, Carly Mensch’s two-hander is as close to theatrical perfection as you’re likely to find. The production at Ars Nova sparkled, from Jason Eagan’s direction to Lauren Halpern’s densely detailed set design to the hilarious and poignant performances from Stephen Plunkett and Maureen Sebastian. With even Off-Broadway shows increasingly overblown, what a pleasure it was to sit down and find the focus shifted from high concepts to just telling a great tale.

Best Usher: Jack Donoghue at Theatre Row

He’s there almost every night, taking tickets and directing you to your floor, and if you attend shows at Theatre Row with any frequency, chances are Jack Donoghue will remember you. His friendliness is never more welcome than shortly after being forced to interact with the bored and impatient ushers of Broadway theaters—particularly that nasty one at The Schoenfeld.

Best Indie Movie Theater: IFC Center
323 6th Ave., at W. 3rd St., 212-924-7771

Just over five years into its existence, the IFC Center continues to offer some of the best new art house releases along with an ever-expanding schedule of events. The latest addition to its repertoire is a full-on film festival: DOC NYC, a documentary showcase co-founded by Thom Powers, the documentary programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival whose other duties at the IFC Center include its Stranger than Fiction series. Also coming up: The 330-minute Special Roadshow Edition of Olivier Assayas’s terrorist chronicle Carlos and famed director Claude Chabrol’s final film, Inspector Bellamy.

Best Rescue Work: So Help Me God!

Whether Maurine Dallas Watkins’ lost 1920s play So Help Me God! is actually a great play or star Kristen Johnston elevated it to higher heights is beside the point: Few plays last year were as vicious, tart and unrelentingly cynical than The Mint’s production of this show about a bitchy theatrical diva and the up-and-comer who threatens to usurp her. With so many Off-Broadway plays enjoying unnecessary transfers to Broadway, this is the one that got lost in the shuffle. Again.

John Baldessari at the MET.

Best Museum Show: John Baldessari
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave., at E. 82nd St., 212-535-7710

This show just opened at The Met last week, but having seen it already at the Tate Modern last year in London, we think this is an easy call. John Baldessari spent a lifetime establishing rules for his own art-making practice, and making art that followed those guidelines. In a time when the criteria for what constitutes good contemporary art seems increasingly vague, this show couldn’t offer a more timely antidote.

Best Venue For Parties: The Hudson Hotel

The era of the great disco dance palaces is long gone. Lately, some of the best parties have taken up residence at the Hudson Hotel. With the sprawling Good Units down in the bowels of the place, a monthly party like Susanne Bartsch’s Bloody Mary can pack in a huge crowd. Upstairs, there are regular weekly parties in the Hudson Library and the Hudson Bar, on the other side of the hotel. The Private Park is in the courtyard of the lobby and the setting for many a private party during the summer, and even better is the rooftop Sky Terrace on the 15th floor, complete with glittering views of the city. The security staff at the Hudson is over-zealous and even thuggish, but then again, a lot of drunks are wandering the hallways looking for a party.

Best Non-Profit Art Initiative: Triple Candie
500 W. 148th St., at Amsterdam Ave., 212-368-3333

Harlem’s Triple Candie offers perhaps the city’s most direct push back to the dominating force of the art market: Not only does the gallery refuse to sell art, it also no longer exhibits work. Owners Shelley Bancroft and Peter Nesbet focus instead on engaging a lower-income-class community typically located outside of fine art circles. A unique and laudable outgrowth of New York’s vibrant non-profit art scene.

Hudson Hotel

Best Comedy Series: Lasers In The Jungle

Producers Carol Hartsell and Sean Crespo and host Dan Wilbur have certainly outdone themselves with Lasers in the Jungle, their weekly comedy series on Thursday nights at Luca Lounge. Where else can you see SNL’s John Mulaney try out new material, Community’s Donald Glover do a last-minute drop-in set or The Daily Show’s Wyatt Cenac do 15 minutes of comedy in an audience member’s lap? All for free, no less.

Best NYC-Based Film Festival: New York Film Festival

After last year’s firestorm of criticism for offering up an insular program only accessible to diehard cinephiles, NYFF bounced back in style with a healthy blend of high profile premieres (The Social Network, The Tempest, Hereafter) and small-scale discoveries from the festival circuit. It’s still Lincoln Center, which means the prestige factor remains firmly in place with the latest offerings from Jean Luc-Godard and Abbas Kiarostami, but they now share the stage with the likes of Clint Eastwood and Jesse Eisenberg—a healthy cinematic diversity that should help sustain an image for the festival that’s aiming to feel both literate and contemporary.

Head west, young man (and woman), and you will find a gem of a wine bar. The Tangled Vine opened last March with wine director Evan Spingarn in charge of the heavy menu laden with organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines, mainly from France, Spain, Austria, Germany and Italy. Not only are the servers and bartenders eager to help you choose a drink, the book of wine is set up in such a way that it’s actually easy to translate. You have reds, whites, rosés and bubbly listed not by price or region, but by dryness. And, if you fancy a real adventure, sample something you’ve never heard of before, like the rueda or refosco.

Best Eatery to Trick You Into Thinking You’re In Middle America: The Pop Tarts Store
West 42nd St., betw. 6th & 7th Aves.

Just a stone’s throw from the trappings of Bryant Park rests a monument to convenience and processed food that seems better suited for Minnesota’s Mall of America: the Pop Tarts Store. So dubious they wouldn’t even let it into Times Square proper, this barren outlet exists, it seems, only to hoist the vile sushi-flavored pop tart upon the world.

Best Place to Eat Green: Blossom Restaurant
187 9th Ave., betw. W. 21st & W. 22nd Sts., 212-627-1144

A restaurant can’t get more self-righteous and preachy than local, organic, kosher, vegan fare offered at a 15-percent discount to members of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. A crunchy version of upscale dining (no entrée clocks in at less than $18), Blossom Restaurant serves up good eating, even if you thought seitan was the lord of hell, not the vegetarian wheat meat. As you sign the exorbitant check, feel that congratulatory tingle of being more environmentally conscious then your fine-dining brethren.

Best, Worst and Only Burmese Restaurant in Manhattan: Café Mingala
1393B 2nd Ave., betw. E. 72nd & E. 73rd Sts., 212-744-8008

“Unpretentious” is not a word we normally find ourselves using on the Upper East Side, but the vibe at Café Mingala is just that. Since Burma is bordered by China, India and Thailand (among others), you can feel worldly without suffering through some horrific Pan-Asian yuppie echo-box ordeal. Try the addictively tangy Mango Chicken/Beef or the crispy Gold Sesame Chicken/Pork Stick with sweet chili sauce—and don’t skip dessert! If you can get past its soggy-cereal appearance, the Thousand Layer Bread, a sweet, scallion-free riff on Chinese scallion pancakes, is worth feeling like the fattest person north of 59th Street.

Best Place to Eat Before a Show, Manhattan: Benny’s Burritos
93 Ave. A, at E. 6th St., 212-254-3286

Pop Quiz: That show at Cake Shop doesn’t start for an hour and the opener kind of sucks, anyway. What do you do? If you’ve got half a brain, you’ll drag your lazy ass to Benny’s Burritos on Avenue A. If the restaurant just had $4 margaritas, that would be enough of a reason to go. But Benny’s also has something approaching real, reasonably priced food. It’s a revelation on the LES, which is otherwise stuffed with overpriced crap for condo-dwellers. By the time you sit down and enjoy a Chicken Mole Ole burrito and frosty beverage, you’ll be right on schedule to go back and enjoy the headliner.

Best Chinatown Greasy Spoon to Wait Behind Bums for Hangover-Killing Food: Wah Fung No. 1 Fast Food
79 Chrystie St., betw. Canal & Hester Sts., 212-925-5175

Benders usually leave us broke, broken men. But come red-eyed morning, we like to pull together a fistful of quarters and queue up behind downtown bums for Chinatown’s porkiest bargain. Just $2.50 buys a brick-size (and –heavy) portion of fatty, caramelized roast pork as crunchy as candy. It’s as much medicine as aspirin.

Best Way To Enjoy Fried Pastrami: Bea’s Empanadas
Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, 174 5th Ave., betw. W. 22nd & W. 23rd Sts., 212-675-5096.

We’ve had the pastrami egg rolls at FoodParc and heard all about the rye-and-pastrami croissant at Momofuku Milk Bar, but for our money, the best fried meat in town comes from Bea, the friendliest waitress at Flatiron lunch spot Eisenberg’s. She mixes pastrami, olives, peppers and onions, shoves it all inside of dough and serves the oversized, deep-fried gut bombs with a spicy garlic dipping sauce. It’s enough to leave you asking, Reuben who?

Best Street Meat Worth Waiting in Line Beside 25 Clueless Tourists: 53rd and Sixth Halal Cart
West 53rd Street & Sixth Avenue

We’re addicted to this corner cart’s creamy white sauce and tender chicken, which also attracts tourists like moths to light. Silently, and often vocally, we curse the Spaniards and French queued in front of us, until the moment comes when we can mutter these words: “chicken, rice, white sauce, hot sauce.”

Best Use of Carbohydrates, Chinatown Edition: A-Wah
5 Catherine St., betw. Division St. & Broadway, 212-925-8308

We’ve never had carbohydrates quite like this Hong Kong–style joint’s “world famous rice in casserole.” A heap of fluffy rice is tossed into a clay pot, crowned with toppings (we like the mushroom trio), then cooked till crisp, steamy and flavor-infused. Finish it with sweet soy sauce for a bowl-scraping feast.

Best Freebie Bar Snack: Bacon Maple Popcorn at South Houston
331 W. Broadway, at Grand St., 212-431-0131

Offering patrons free pretzels, nuts, wings and even tatertots is old hat. Enter brown sugar and bacon-coated popcorn, fresh from the kitchen and oozing sweet-savory goodness—and gratis to boot. At SoHo’s new sports bar South Houston, they treat you to a metal bucketful of this sinful snack, which is perfect to help coat your belly before you have too many of their potent cocktails, like the Grand Street Manhattan or the cool and refreshing Martini Cochon. You might not want to get seconds if you have meal plans later; you’re likely to ruin your dinner.

Best Place to Go After You’ve Been Dumped: The Donut Pub
203 W. 14th St., betw. 7th & 8th Aves., 212-929-0126

For those breakups that leave you too blue for even a bartender to psychoanalyze, plant yourself at a stool in this Formica bar and bury your woes in a red velvet donut and a cup of joe. Watch the light in the window to know when the donuts are fresh, and don’t worry if it’s difficult to pick just one: at $1.10 a pop, you won’t have to. Since 1964, the Donut Pub has been mending hearts and filling stomachs 24 hours a day. So stop in to satisfy some late night drunchies and maybe meet your next great love over a black-and-white cookie.

Best Hero to Make You Rethink Deli Meat: Torrisi Italian Specialties
250 Mulberry St., at Prince St., 212-965-0955

To us, a turkey sandwich is elementary-school sustenance. To Torrisi, it’s art. The herbaceous, mouth-stretching masterpiece begins with Parisi Bakery bread, which is stuffed with house-roasted turkey (glazed with garlic, herbs and honey), shaved lettuce, wisps of red onion, tomato, mayo and piquant sauce so good, we lick the wrapper clean.

Best Unfancy Sandwich: This Way from This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef
149 1st Ave., betw. E. 9th & E. 10th Sts., 212-253-1500

Piles of thinly sliced roast beef on a fresh, eggy bun with a slathering of Cheez Whiz for only $5.50 is exactly what makes this the best meaty sandwich around. Though This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef came at a time when Brooklyn’s Mile End was getting all the glory, the sheer convenience of this joint in the bustling East Village and its deli-like prices trump the Canadian competition. Of course, we aren’t surprised owners of the delicious fatty food havens Artichoke and Led Zeppole did their meat sandwiches right—they have the heart attack cuisine cornered and we’re forever grateful.

Best Popsicle: Chocolate Gelato at Popbar

5 Carmine St., at 6th Ave., 212-255-4874

Remember when you were a kid and your mom placated you with Jell-O Pudding Pops? The chocolate gelato bar at Popbar has the same rich, creamy texture and deep cocoa flavor, but unlike the corn syrup-filled treat of childhood, the pure, high-quality chocolate in this bar is imported from Italy and there are no artificial flavors added.

Best Dessert That Could Be a Meal: Crème Brulee di Parmigiano Peggiano at Perbacco
234 E. 4th St., betw. Aves. A & B, 212-253-2038

Hidden among classic Italian dishes like ravioli and risotto, Chef Simone Bonelli has included some gastronomic surprises in the menu at Perbacco in the East Village. Perhaps most stunning is the crème brulee di Parmigiano Reggiano, an appetizer that pretends to be a dessert that actually tastes like a savory meal. The dish is made with 18-month aged cheese, but, instead of caramelizing sugar on top of the mixture like a normal crème brulee, Bonelli uses a 12-year-old aged balsamic vinegar. When you dip into it, make sure to scoop from top to bottom so the burst of creamy cheese goodness will play off of the sweet crunch of the hardened vinegar.

Best Coffee Shop For Killing Time: Birch
The Gershwin Hotel, 5 E. 27th St., betw. 5th & Madison Aves., 212-686-1444

Sure, people crowd about Stumptown in The Ace Hotel, but only two blocks away lies the true hidden treasure of New York hotel caffeine dispensors: Birch. Between serving their own fair trade coffee and delicious baked goods (big ups to the goat-cheese-and-apple muffin) and doling out other fine drinks (like the best peppermint iced tea in town), the shop also lures us in with a menu of real food, plenty of seating and a big take-a-book, leave-a-book library on the second floor that could easily be one of the most magical rooms in town—there’s enough to do here to kill an entire day without working at all.

Best Burger And Drink In One: M&M Burger at Rare Bar & Grill
152 W. 26th St., betw. 6th & 7th Aves., 212-807-7273

While the fancy environs of Rare might not normally attract our sort, the meat mecca, which features a pretty kick-ass rooftop bar, is home to the $15 M&M burger, a gigantic hunk of meat that, just like us, is sloshed with Maker’s Mark (then cooked). The burger differentiates itself by hiding beneath carmelized shallots, cheddar cheese and applewood-smoked bacon, making it well worth braving the inside of a building called The Fashion 26 Hotel for this boozy beast of a burger.

Best Way to Beef Up For Winter: Baked by Melissa
7 E. 14th St., betw. 5th Ave. & University Pl., 212-842-0220

It only takes a bit of one of Baked By Melissa’s compact cupcakes to understand that the treat isn’t a gimmick, but a game-changer. Pop one of those frosting-topped babies, chew and just wait for it. The tiny-ness of Melissa’s cupcakes account for keeping them moist, more so than any of their full-sized competitors, and with a perfect butter-sugar ratio that always manages to surprise. Additionally, Baked By Melissa ensures at least one flavor that all your friends will like, without being flavor-happy like Crumbs; they only stick with what works.

—Charlotte Eichna, Editor

Eats and Drinks

Arts and Entertainment

Readers’ Choice Poll

City Living

Services

Best Public Space: Tie, the High Line and Central Park

Best Reason to Love NYC: The food

Best Local Blog: mominthecity.com

Best Reason to go downtown: The High Line

Best Downtown Bar/Restaurant: Tie, Beauty Bar and Yerba Buena

Best Midtown Bar/Restaurant: Applebee’s Bar & Grill

Best Upper West Side Bar/Restaurant: Arte Café

Best Upper East Side Bar/Restaurant: Baraonda

Best Rooftop Bar: 230 Fifth

Best Expensive Eats: Tie, Babbo and Morton’s

Best Meal for Less than $10: Maoz Vegetarian

Best Midtown Lunch: Chipotle

Best Ethnic Restaurant: Pera Mediterranean Brasserie

Best Restaurant for Comfort Food: Eisenberg’s

Best (Non-Chain) Coffee Shop: Tie, Mudd and Joe the Art of Coffee

Best Discount Clothing Store: Tie, H&M and Century 21

Best Cheap Date: Central Park

Best Way to Get Rid of Pests: Move

Best Place for People Watching: Times Square (specifically, the pedestrian malls on Broadway)

Best Outdoor Venue: Central Park SummerStage

Best Place to Hear Live Music: Tie, Bowery Ballroom and Carnegie Hall

Best Political Goof: Gov. David Paterson

Best NYC Celebrity to Hate: Donald Trump

Best Art Exhibit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Best Broadway Show: Tie, Jersey Boys and Hair

Best Local Politician: Mike Bloomberg (runner-up: Chuck Schumer)

Best Old-timer: Ed Koch

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on our readers’ choice poll!

Best Under-Appreciated Wine Store: Yorkshire Wines and Spirits
1646 First Ave. (at 85th St.), 212-717-5100
Perhaps the most frustrating experience for anyone who actually cares about wine is trying to buy a decent bottle in New York City. You would think that in a city like this, it would be easy. Unfortunately, wine and liquor stores are one of the few businesses wherein the owner doesn’t feel like they need to know anything about the product they’re selling. You’d never know it from the humble exterior, but at Yorkshire Wines and Spirits, not only do they know their stuff, they also have a spectacular selection. From high-end offerings like Sassicaia to expertly chosen, inexpensive bottles, they’ve got it all. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Unlike most wine and spirit shops, they won’t stare at you blankly and point to a bottle of Turning Leaf.     —JP

Best Knitting Store for Budding Designers: Knitting 321
321 E. 75th St. (betw. Second & Third), 212-772-2020
Tucked away just five steps below street level is a very unusual yarn store. Owner Valeria Kardos learned to knit from her grandmother in Budapest when she was just 7. She’s a former fashion designer whose husband wanted her to do something that didn’t require so much travel. Luckily for neighborhood knitters, she opened this shop. Knitting 321 specializes in “the best of the best” yarns in all manner of gauges and colorations. But it’s Valeria’s design talents that make her shop unique—she can create patterns for custom-made designs made to measure. Whether you can knit sweaters that look like they came from Bergdorf, or don’t know a knit from a purl, this store is a treasure. She teaches private lessons (an hour each) for beginners in both knitting and crocheting. And people feel comfortable enough to drop in all day for some quickie help with a dropped stitch or a mis-stitched purl.     —JW

Best Knitting Community that Just Happens to Sell Yarn: Knitty City
208 W. 79th St. (betw. Broadway & Amsterdam), 212-724-9596
It’s easy for a knitting novice to walk into narrow, crowded Knitty City and feel cowed. Knitters are perched everywhere, often blocking your path, and it’s hard to tell who works at the store or who just hangs out. You feel like you’ve crashed a party until you tap a staff member on the shoulder and say, “I dropped a stitch five rows back. How do I fix this?” Patient, extremely knowledgeable staff members including Aryn, Maxine, Betty, Jennifer and Diane will sit down with you, sometimes for 15 minutes at a stretch, explaining a craft they clearly love and want to pass on to you. This is exactly the kind of environment owner Pearl Chin wanted to create three-and-a-half years ago when she opened Knitty City. By the way, you’ll also find gorgeous yarns (from Alchemy to Rowan to Zitron), every stitchery book you’ll ever need and the cutest knitting accessories. Knitty City hosts classes, charity knitting nights, a men’s club and a book group that meets on the first Thursday of each month. Visit www.knittycity.com for details.     —NJB

The Best Theater Book Shop in Manhattan: The Drama Book Shop
250 W. 40th St. (betw. Seventh & Eighth), 212-944-0595
You name it, the Drama Book Shop has it—or will at least try to get it. Rozanne Seelen, who presently owns the shop, says that she deals with approximately 3,000 publishers to keep her bookshelves stocked with more than 40,000 titles. The current selection includes play scripts and biographies, as well as books on dance, film, musical theater, costumes and puppets. This institution humbly began in 1917 when Marjorie Seligman set up a card-table in the lobby of the ANTA Theatre and began selling theater books to playgoers. Incorporated since 1923, the shop has been at its present venue for the past eight years. With a caring staff of 20, Seelen oversees the business matters as well as the diverse theater events presented at the shop. Personalities like Frank Rich have appeared for book signing events in past years. More recently, Back Stage’s David Sheward, veteran actor Tammy Grimes and actor Harriet Walter of Broadway’s  Mary Stuart have showed up to plug their newly published books. There’s also a children’s group called “Striking Viking” that stages original works at the shop’s black-box theater. And on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m., the shop serves wine and cheese to patrons. Rejoice, theater lovers. This shop combines old fashioned appeal with an encyclopedic range of theater materials.     —DD

Best Place to Nap on Your Lunch Break: Yelo
315 W. 57th St. (betw. Eighth & Ninth), 212-245-8235
Are you an overworked urbanite who simply needs a break from the stress and pressure of the fast-paced concrete jungle? Yelo sure thinks so. “The city that never sleeps needs a nap!” hails the mantra of this wellness center, specializing in reflexology and the art of power napping. The ultra-modern interior looks and feels like Judy Jetson’s day spa. Step inside, tired city dweller, and use that one-hour lunch break to revitalize your overworked bones in the cleverly named YeloCab. A YeloCab is treatment or napping cabin designed to exude serenity and wellness. Adjust color, lighting, music, nature sounds and even scent to personalized settings that are most conducive to sleep. The YeloCabs are complete with a patented zero-gravity YeloChair designed to keep your legs elevated above the heart to slow your pulse and help you doze off quickly and soundly, also encouraging a delightful sensation of weightlessness. Oh, and as if that weren’t enough to help wash away that Friday morning hangover, purified air circulates to encourage brain clarity and restfulness. When naptime is over, LED lights are used to simulate a natural sunrise, ever so gently nudging you back to consciousness. Napping sessions range from 20 to 40 minutes starting at $15, a small price to pay to walk out feeling like a million bucks.     —CL

Best Local Hardware Store: Beacon Paint & Hardware
371 Amsterdam Ave. (betw. 77th & 78th), 212-787-1090
We know Home Depot has everything. But can the sales staff have an intelligent conversation about the merits of matte versus eggshell finish? Probably not. That’s why we love Beacon Paint & Hardware, a warmly lit and intelligently staffed resource for paint, tools, cleaning products, housewares and other home goods. Co-owner Steve Stark will help you navigate the well-stocked shelves of this longtime neighborhood store that’s been run by several generations of the Stark family. An added bonus: petting Bru the black lab while your purchase is rung up.     —CE

Best Spa Splurge: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
80 Columbus Circle (at 59th), 212-805-8880
If, after using an amethyst crystal steam room, you like to choose the type of precipitation for your shower—from a light spray called “fog” to a firm jet labeled “land rain” or a relaxing downpour deemed “tropical rain”—then this is the spa for you. They say the small things in life make the difference. So too with spas. Underfloor heating in the changing areas. Citrus-infused drinking water. A vitality pool set to your own ideal temperature between 100 and 105 degrees. It all creates a sense that you really should be doing this more often. The five-star hotel prices swiftly shatter that illusion. But at least Mandarin Oriental adds to the enjoyment of your rare indulgence. In the Spa’s case, it can be literally superlative. For example “MOSST”—the Mandarin Oriental Spa Signature Treatment—is two hours of refined relaxation from the first chime of a Tibetan cymbal. Through a psychological survey and some probing of pressure points, your therapist gauges your weakest bodily element according to traditional Chinese medicine. It could be wood, fire, earth, metal or water that’s letting you and your vital organs down. Thankfully, there are appropriate oils to help remedy each.     —JJ

Best Restorative Facial: Yin Beauty & Arts Spa
103 W. 86th St. (near Columbus), 212-362-2626
Facials are viewed as something women mainly do when they need to feel pampered and coddled. In truth, however, a facial is a somewhat painful affair—if done right, as the ladies at Yin Beauty & Arts do it. The goal isn’t just to have your face steamed, massaged and swathed with pleasantly scented, hydrating lotions in a semi-dark room while listening to soft, vaguely oriental music (though Yin does that part extremely well too). It’s to keep those blackheads and whiteheads from clogging your pores. Yin combines Western high-tech (a computerized ultra magnified look at your skin) with Eastern beauty arts based on ying/yang balance and feng shui. Whatever. My 60-minute facial ($95) and extra 10 minutes of whitehead removal ($30) made my face actually look better, not blotchy as after some facials, and it left me so relaxed I had a Buddha-like smile for hours afterwards. Yin offers a wide variety of intriguing skin and body treatments, most costing $150, such as “Chinese Pearl Facial,” “Yin Sculpt Muscle Toning for Face and Neck” and “Aromatic Jade Therapy.” Note: an “express” facial is $60 for 35 minutes of cleansing, gentle exfoliation, an intensive mask and a neck/shoulder massage—pure bliss without the pimple plucking.     —NJB

Best Old-School, Family-Style Shoe Repair: Jim’s Shoe Repair
50 E. 59th St. (near Madison), 212-355-8259
Need a good shoe shine? High heel just broke? Bring your drab and mangled footwear to Jim’s Shoe Repair. This family-run establishment is recommended by the insiders of upscale department stores in Manhattan. Over the years, legends like Ed Sullivan, Andy Rooney and Mitch Miller (the 98-year-old entertainer was recently in the shop) have depended on “Jim’s” to keep them well soled. Many loyal patrons refuse to turn elsewhere for their shoe doctoring. Just in case you’re wondering who “Jim” is, he is Vito Rocco (born in Italy), who founded the business in 1932 and adopted “Jim” as his American moniker. Vito died in 1964, but his son Joe, who is the current proprietor of the shop, also goes by “Jim.” There have been four generations of Roccos working at the shop. It’s a family thing.     —DD

Best Quick Shoe Repair: Sam’s Shoe Repair
330 E. 65th St. (betw. First & Second), 212-861-2278
New Yorkers put a lot of wear and tear on their shoes, handbags and leather goods. But there are few things that Sam, of the eponymous Sam’s Shoe Repair, can’t revive. In his glass-front, hole-in-the-wall shop, Sam will repair your shoes while you wait. Dirty loafers or broken heels come home looking like the day you bought them. Sam also fixes rips, tears, zippers on handbags, belts and basically anything else you might bring him. His shop, pungent with shoeshine, may not be the easiest to find, but your shoes will be glad they walked the extra mile.     —ZK

Best Second-Hand Surprises: Goodwill
217 W. 79th St. (betw. Broadway & Amsterdam), 212-874-5050
Unlike other city nabes, the Upper West Side isn’t flush with thrift shores, and in this economy, baby, we need ’em. You can go to Salvation Army on West 97th, which is, frankly, quite skanky, or Housing Works on Columbus—a bit too tony, but great steals on furniture and designer togs. Goodwill, however, offers a happy medium that won’t overwhelm. It organizes all clothing neatly by size and color, and you will always find surprises. To wit: a boy’s Gap dress shirt perfect for bar mitzvah-hopping ($9.99), a green corduroy J.Crew jacket ($14.99), a chic gauzy girls’ top, great for wearing over leggings, a sterling bracelet with dangling hearts ($4.99) or six cheery red and white striped plastic popcorn holders, perfect for family movie night (50 cents each). And for those who haven’t abandoned the technologies of the 1980s, there are cassettes and classic VHS movies (African Queen!). In these tough times, one needs a reliable thrift store for last-minute Halloween costumes and expensive outerwear items like sweaters, jackets, snow pants and snow boots. Beat the chill at Goodwill and use the dollars you save to head someplace warm (they sell beach towels, too).     —NJB

Best Place to Sport Your New Lululemons: Ride the Zone
201 E. 67th St., 3rd floor (at Third), 212-327-1217
Say good-bye to yoga, pilates and kickboxing. There’s a new trendy workout for ladies who lunch—and this one might just be a keeper. In addition to two studios in the Hamptons, Ride the Zone has set up camp on the Upper East Side. What makes this spinning studio different from all others? The handlebars and bikes are not stationary but move from side to side, allowing you to feel like you are—low and behold—on an actual bike. Instead of being a workout just for the legs, the classes here incorporate turns, leans and one-handed stunts that leave abs and arms aching for days. Forty-five minutes of sweating while listening to Michael Jackson and the Black Eyed Peas has never been so much fun. And if you’ve forgotten your expensive, butt-hugging leggings, there’s a Lululemon store conveniently a block away from the studio.     —ZK

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Nancy J. Brandwein, Deirdre Donovan, Charlotte Eichna, Joe Jackson, Zara Kessler, Christina Livadiotis, Josh Perilo and Jane Warshaw

The Best Real-Life Fish Story on Broadway: Jeremy Piven’s Departure from Speed-the-Plow
Was it the sushi? Or just a fishy story? No matter. The producers steamed, and the press had a heyday last December, when leading actor Jeremy Piven quit Broadway’s Speed-the-Plow. Piven was allegedly suffering from mercury poisoning, which may have been the result of large amounts of fish in his diet. True, Piven had the medical reports to document his mercury levels, and his doctor insisted that the actor’s physical health was at risk. But that didn’t cool the tempers of producers or playwright David Mamet. Mamet responded to Piven’s departure with: “My understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer.” Good exit line, indeed.     —DD

Best Broadway Boost: The First Couple See Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
When the First Couple hit Broadway on May 30, attention was paid big time. It seems that before the election, then-Sen. Barack Obama promised his wife, Michelle, that he would take her to see a Broadway show in the New Year. And being a man of his word, he did. Beyond safeguarding his marriage, however, President Obama sent out significant ripples when he bought the $96.50 tickets to see Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Theater pundits, in fact, noted that he made a smart political move in seeing “JT.” Not only did our first African-American President keep it domestic with this show (he might have seen the British import Billy Elliot), but he shined a light on the late playwright August Wilson, who chronicled the modern African-American experience in his oeuvre. Symbolic, political, theatrical, romantic—the First Couple’s visit to Broadway was all that jazz.     —DD

Best Anchor to Give Sue Simmons a Run for Her Money: Ernie Anastos, Fox Five News
We knew what Sue was up to when she accidentally let the f-bomb fly during a live broadcast of WNBC’s nightly news. She was ticked that her co-anchor was apparently talking while she read a promotion for an upcoming segment (she thought it was being taped, not aired live). But Ernie Anastos, the jolly Greek co-anchor of Fox Five’s 10 o’clock broadcast, was definitely in another place when he advised weatherman Nick Gregory to keep doing something to a chicken that is frowned upon by most legal, religious and moral codes. The quip was apparently a reference to an old Purdue chicken commercial. We’re not sure why his brain dug into the ad archives, or how the expletive slipped in. But the look on Dari Alexander’s face was priceless.     —CE

Best Place to Hang—Literally: Swing-a-Ring
Lower level of Riverside Park (Hudson Beach) at 105th Street, www.swingaring.com
On a huge expanse of sand in Riverside Park, known as Hudson Beach, stands the only set of traveling rings east of Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California. In fact, after reading about the California rings, Dorlene Kaplan decided New York City needed some too. Kaplan, who generously funded “Swing-a-Ring,” sold the idea to the Riverside Park Fund and the park administrator. In place for three years now, the rings are by far the coolest place to literally hang out in Riverside Park or, if you’re so inclined, to swing. There are two “Swing-a-Rings” now, one for adults and one for kids, with each metal support post holding eight to 10 hanging rings spaced seven to eight feet apart. Volunteers Ira Gershenhorn and David Scott, among others, are often on hand to help children, who stand on an upended trashcan to reach the rings. While the swingaring website talks a lot about the fitness value of traveling rings, one senses that people are drawn here because it’s just plain fun—for the neighborhood yentas who sit gabbing on the stone amphitheaters to toddlers pawing in the sand and kids flying through the air “with the greatest of ease” (sometimes). The annual “Swing-a-Ring” day on the first Saturday of May draws thousands to swing, juggle, sand sculpt, ride unicycles and try other circus arts.     —NJB

Best Celebrity Construction Project: Madonna’s Upper East Side Renovation
As if the Second Avenue subway construction weren’t already enough, gird yourselves: Queen Madge is moving to the neighborhood. She hasn’t made public the extensive renovation plans for her new $32 million, 14-bedroom home at 152 E. 81st St., near Lex. It’ll be a tough job, though, since she has to make it habitable for her, the kids, various trainers, Kabbalah gurus, coffee-makers, the security detail, chefs, agents, stylists, make-up artists and, of course, her rock-hard biceps. But something tells us it won’t take as long as the new subway tunnel.     —JG

Best Place to Smoke Indoors on the Upper East Side: Lexington Bar & Books
1020 Lexington Ave. (betw. 72nd & 73rd), 212-717-3902
For a quick trip back to the good old days when civilized folk wore hats outside and smoked indoors, step into Lexington Bar & Books. Lighting is low, drinks are stiff, and the distinguished yet convivial vibe is as palpable as the pungent tobacco that pervades the thick air. As the name alludes, books stock the wooden shelves but, unless you brought a flashlight, they are just for show or the occasional talking point (read: pick up line). The sleek mahogany bar matches the dark leather chairs, where mostly suit-clad, 40-plus gentlemen enjoy an after-dinner drink and smoke while listening to dulcet jazz melodies. Ladies are sometimes spotted in the company of their cigar aficionado hosts, and younger patrons, still lamenting the odious smoking ban, occasionally enter for the novelty.     —CL

Best New Exploited Image in Lower Income Neighborhoods: Michael Jackson RIP T-shirts
In the early ’90s, “X” baseball caps suddenly cropped up in lower income neighborhoods across the nation. They represented Malcolm X, of course, and they were a reminder of the struggle for racial equality, and how there’s still a long road ahead. Fast-forward almost two decades and dozens of fashion trends later, and those same neighborhoods are now drenched in Michael Jackson imagery. Found at bodegas, street vendors and even Target, these T-shirts represent the predictable, bland hum of the en masse, “I was a fan back in the day,” that every super-idol gets post-mortem. Someone’s making a mint on these trashy tees, and it sure as hell isn’t MJ. If you’re tempted to don a wearable tribute to the King of Pop, put on Off the Wall instead and, as Michael’s friend in the White House once admonished, just say no.     —JP

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Nancy J. Brandwein, Deirdre Donovan, Jordan Galloway, Christina Livadiotis, Josh Perilo

Best Off-Broadway Show That Should Have Been on Broadway: Toxic Avenger
New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St. (betw. Eighth and Ninth), 212-239-6200
So many screen-to-stage adaptations try to be hilarious camp gold and just end up being crappy on more than one level (if the Spiderman musical ever gets made, this might be its fate). The Toxic Avenger, however, flips that formula and makes a hilarious and powerful rock-opera out of a film camp classic. This show embraces its silly roots and, in doing so, surpasses them to make a truly unique experience. When people say that theater is supposed to be fun, this is what they’re talking about.      —MS

Best Celebrity Spawn Actress: Lily Rabe
With her performance earlier this year in Richard Greenberg’s An American Plan, Lily Rabe (daughter of actress Jill Clayburgh and playwright David Rabe) confirmed the opinion of critics who have been hailing her as an actress to watch. Brittle and charming, she exhibited both genuine stage presence and that modicum of real oddness that stars are composed of. Holding one’s own against Broadway icon Mercedes Ruehl is no easy task; that Rabe did so with effortless poise and confidence cements her status as one of the best stage actors of her generation.     —MP

Best Up-and-Coming Theater Center in Manhattan: 59E59 Theaters
59 E. 59th St. (betw. Madison and Park), 212-753-5959
It’s the new hip theater center in Manhattan. With three stages offering productions from all over the world, plus a chic bar on the mezzanine, the 59E59 Theaters complex is the ideal place to see experimental theater. Executive Director Elysabeth Kleinhans launched its first production back in February 2004, and she continues to be its driving force. Whether it’s the annual “Brits Off Broadway” or “East of Edinburgh” festivals, the world premiere of a new play or a homegrown writer with new work, the center continues to be at the cutting-edge of contemporary theater. Sure, Broadway is glitzier, and Lincoln Center has been around longer. Notwithstanding, this new state-of-the-art complex carries real weight in the theater community.     —DD

Best Places to Rock Uptown—Tie: The Whitney (945 Madison Ave. at 75th, 212-570-3600) and the Guggenheim (1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th, 212-423-3500)
We usually don’t think “Museum Mile” when on the hunt for indie rock, but these two Fifth Avenue stalwarts have given us fresh reasons to stay uptown. This past summer, the Guggenheim introduced the “It Came from Brooklyn” music and literature series, coinciding with the museum’s 50th anniversary. The idea is to showcase up-and-coming talent (for example, the experimental music duo High Places) alongside established stars (writer Colson Whitehead). The series “reinforces the museum’s identity as a versatile, dynamic site for a variety of mutually invigorating art practices.” Yeah, well, we just like seeing multimedia entertainment in a beautiful space.

Over a the Whitney, a nifty series called “Whitney Live” has brought in acts like New Jersey hipster rockers Titus Andronicus and the ever-charming Vivian Girls. We like the no-nonsense first-come, first-served seating policy, and the fact that these shows are free with museum admission—which is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m.     —CE

Best Reading Series: In The Flesh Reading Series
Third Thursday of every month at Happy Ending Lounge, 302 Broome St. (betw. Eldridge and Forsythe)
212-334-9676
Even though Happy Ending Lounge is most closely associated with its namesake series (which has picked up and moved to Joe’s Pub), there’s something a bit naughtier brewing at the Broome Street den of debauchery. Now in its fourth year, “In the Flesh,” hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel, features established and up-and-coming writers sharing their frank, funny, frisky tales of love and lust. Even more impressive: the series manages to do so—for the most part—without veering into creepy territory. Tension is cut by asking the audience to anonymously submit sexy secrets, and it doesn’t hurt that Bussel provides hundreds of cupcakes and not-to-be-missed miniature peanut butter cups to lull everyone into a sugar-induced sense of security. Normally we would avoid an erotic reading series like the plague, but after venturing down here to catch a friend reading her dirty dissertation, we were charmed by the humor of the readers and crowd and not at all displeased by the fact that everything we heard was actually—surprisingly—sexy.     —BVB

Best Theater News: Angels in America Coming Back to the New York Stage
In September, the Signature Theater Company announced that it would be reviving Tony Kushner’s modern classic Angels in America in New York for it’s 2010-11 season—the first time the show has been remounted since its 1994 close. As lucrative as it is to have shows like Bye Bye Birdie brought back to life—and to have movie stars deign to take the stage—we’re sure it will be a lot more fulfilling to put on a show that actually has something to say. And we’re sure some famous faces could make sure the theater stays packed.    —BVB

Best New Galleries—Tie: Parkett at Caroline Nitsch Project Room (534 W. 22nd St., 212-645-2030) and Hauser and Wirth (32 E. 69th St., 212-794-4970)
Are dealers still opening galleries now that the boom’s over? In short yes, though this year, temporary exhibition space and expanding pre-existing enterprise dominate over newbie experimentation.  Parkett, for example, a publication known for its collaborative features with artists, opened a temporary exhibition space at Caroline Nitsch Project room to display a 25-year, best-of magazine ephemera retrospective. Meanwhile, blue-chip European giant Hauser and Wirth inaugurated its posh new space exhibiting Allan Kaprow’s Yard with reinventions by William Pope L., Josiah McElheny and Sharon Hayes. Pope L. went so far as to hire an Obama impersonator to orate a collage of clippings by the artist and Kaprow over a darkened pile of tires. It’s incredibly moving.    —PJ

Best Bookstore for People Who Still Believe in the Power of Print: Revolution Books
146 W. 26th St. (betw. Sixth and Seventh), 212-691-3345
If you’re looking to pick a bookstore based on personality, why not go all out and choose one that’s actually got a purpose? What sounds more fun: going to the Starbucks in a Barnes and Noble to sit in silence, or venturing into Revolution Books in Chelsea to receive a lecture about the significance of the Chinese Cultural Revolution? Exactly. This Communist bookstore, which sells only revolutionary materials, isn’t messing around with Twilight displays, and we salute that. As manager Travis Morales told us earlier this year, “If you come to the bookstore most nights, you can get an idea of what a revolutionary society is going to look like.”    —MS

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Deirdre Donovan, Charlotte Eichna, Paddy Johnson, Mark Peikert, Mike Spence, Bathsheba van Buren

Best Way to Start Your Sunday: Brunch at Asiate, Mandarin Oriental
80 Columbus Circle (at 59th), 212-805 8800
Sitting 35 floors above Central Park gazing at the Midtown skyline is not a bad way to begin any day. Add a gourmet menu choreographed each weekend to feature a four-dish tasting course, followed by a choice of two elaborate entrees, and you have some idea why this brunch is a true treat. Not quite the morning diner experience, eggs Benedict here come served with Italian pancetta and arugula, while servings of beef Carpaccio compete with blue crab salads over mango. At $48 per head, it’s also good value, considering the quality and quantity of food on offer. Asian-themed cuisine, such as shiitake mushroom wantons, makes up the initial tasting course, while the menu reverts to more typical American fare, like steaks, for the main dishes. Breads, pastries and rich desserts will test your will power. Plus it’s all served in the stunning Asiate restaurant, where renowned interior designer Tony Chi has created a modernist haven. Floor-to-ceiling windows elegantly mirror racks of rare wine from around the world, and private booths straddle a broad open-plan dining room. The atmosphere can seem a little formal, but the stunning view and delicious food are worth it.     —JJ

Best Haute Sandwich: Lobster Roll, Mermaid Inn
568 Amsterdam Ave., (betw. 87th & 88th), 212-799-7400
If you’ve got $26 to blow on one sandwich, do it here. Summer may be over, but you can still capture salt and sun with Mermaid Inn’s fancy adaptation of a New England classic. Generous chunks of sweet lobster meat smothered in just the right amount of mayo come nestled in a golden, griddled brioche. Trust us, you won’t miss the Wonder Bread hotdog bun, especially with a side of Old Bay fries.     —CE

Best Uptown Empanada: Gauchas
1748 First Ave. (betw. 90th & 91st), 212-360-6400
In some parts of the world, the argument over who makes the best empanada can get as testy as the ongoing five-borough pizza fight. Here in Manhattan, though, the local selection of these tasty South American pastries has improved to the point that there is now a clear-cut best-in-class. Gauchas opened several years ago as a tiny eatery that only served empanadas. The owners have since expanded both the space and menu, but the reason to go back is still the empanadas. There are eight different kinds, ranging from traditional fillings like corn and spinach to the decidedly un-South American “Capresse” empanada. They are not only delicious but also works of art, as each type of filling comes wrapped in a different pastry design. A truly unique and underappreciated treat that is waiting to be discovered.     —JP

Best Pricey Bar with Freebies: The Library Bar at the Regency Hotel
540 Park Ave. (and 61st), 212-339-4050
If you’re not worried about how you’re going to pay your rent, maintenance or cat’s vet bill, then you can afford to have a drink at the Library Bar. As the name would imply, the décor includes dark wooden walls and shelves lined with books. The overstuffed sofas and chairs are super comfy, with enough pillows to prop up every part of you. Free M&Ms, both regular and peanut, as well as nuts, olives and crackers somewhat amortize the cost of your drink. As do all the free newspapers. But for a real meal, try the menu, which has lots of tasty options. Waiters are attentive but not hovering. And the bartender is aces, especially with classic cocktails like the Sidecar. Terrific acoustics make this one of the few bars in town where the person you’re talking to can actually hear you. Another plus: women can stock up on free tampons in the ladies room.     —JW

Best Slice of Pizza with a Mexican Flair: Freddy and Pepper’s Pizza Shop
303 Amsterdam Ave., (betw. 74th & 75th), 212-799-2378
How could one resist the urge to order something as crazy as the $4.25 “chicken mole” slice at Freddy and Pepper’s? Forget Neapolitan-style New York pizza—this slice has superb Mexican flair. A serving comes out the same size as any New York cut, but instead of your usual pepperoni and mozzarella, this pie is piled high with pinto beans, Monterey Jack cheese and diced chicken, and is drizzled with a smoky, chocolaty mole sauce. One bite of this combo has us crying “mas, mas!”     —LC

Best Homemade Bagel: Bagelworks
1229 First Ave. (betw. 66th & 67th), 212-744-6444
Bagelworks is for those of you who are fed up with mediocre Manhattan bagel chains, from Hot n’ Crusty to Pick a Bagel. It’s for all the Jewish mothers out there during the High Holidays. But most of all, this unassuming bagel shop is for those few New Yorkers who still indulge in carbs—and warm, rich, gooey carbs at that. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, it’s not uncommon to find a line of Upper East Siders snaking out of the small store, all patiently awaiting the pungent aroma of bagels baked on premises since 1983. Ranging from the simple doughy plain bagel to the more exotic oat bran raisin, or better yet, the everything flat, the bagels are often still steamy and warm when you slice them open. Be sure to try some of the numerous cream cheese flavors—the lox and walnut raisin are particularly tasty—and don’t forget the other offerings: homemade muffins, smoked fish and freshly ground and brewed coffee. Don’t let the lackluster storefront or the chaos deter you—these are carbs you can count on.     —ZK

Best Old Time Favorite That Never Gets Old: Popover Café
551 Amsterdam Ave. (at 87th), 212-595-8555
Food fads come and go. Who knows if make-your-own salad bars and frozen yogurt shops will survive and reproduce for another decade? Then again, there are a few New York eateries whose delicacies never grow old. Case and point: Popover Café. The quaint, brightly lit café is filled with cozy booths and frequented by neighborhood fans and first-time tourists. Sure the 28-year-old restaurant, which dishes out three meals a day, is world-famous. But nothing beats that first bite into a moist, eggy popover smothered in apple or strawberry butter. Enjoy as a meal on its own, or with late-night pasta or challah French toast.     —ZK

Best Post-Work Midtown Bar That Tourists Won’t Dare Enter: Jimmy’s Corner
140 W. 44th St. (betw. Sixth & Broadway), 212-221-9510
When our employer releases us from our office cages, we crave an anesthetizing drink on the double. Instead of streaming downtown, we stick around Times Square, descending into a den where no Applebee’s-loving tourist dare tread: Jimmy’s Corner. The dim dive is lined with loads of boxing memorabilia, courtesy of owner and trainer Jimmy Glenn. We grab barstools and pints of bodega-cheap brews as cold as the Arctic, bobbing along to ‘60s soul ditties as we drink ourselves into new, improved personalities, far from tourists’ flashing cameras.     —JB

Best Snobby French Upper East Side Bistros, Old & New:
Le Bilboquet, 25 E. 63rd St. (betw. Madison & Park), 212-751-3036
Le Magnifique, 1022A Lexington Ave. (at 73rd), 212-879-6190
With La Goulue shutting its doors this summer, one might begin to worry where the likes of Missy, Tipper and Blair will go for overpriced glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and skimpy pots of Moules Frites. Fear not, socialites, international visitors and expense account mavens—Le Bilboquet is still bustling with all your familiar cohorts. This old-timer outshines local peers Nello and Chat Noir because the food here is actually good; while pricey, you will not have to choose between an entrée and this month’s rent. Get the steak tartare, which is among the best in the city, and admire the constantly changing abstract art hanging from the petite walls. Air kiss and you’ll fit right in with the rest of the brunching Euro transplants.

In addition to this seasoned veteran, there’s a new (French) kid on the block: Le Magnifique. A little less glitz than Bilboquet means a lower snob factor and smaller tabs. With tranquil outdoor seating facing quiet East 73rd Street, a daily early-bird $19.95 three-course menu and waiters who actually smile, this fresh young bistro will quickly become your new favorite.     —CL

Best Kept and Widest Variety of Craft Beers: Amsterdam 106
938 Amsterdam Ave. (near, you guessed it, 106th), 212-280-8070
Beer lovers who know their IPAs from their APAs, or who want to savor the “hints of cherry and black currant” in Wolaver’s Brown ale will thrill to the treasures on tap at Amsterdam 106. Last we visited there were 25 beers on tap and bartender Howie said the roster changes daily, even if the beer menu is printed weekly. This collection of impeccable beers is kept in perfect condition—at a modest cellar temperature that retains all flavor. Especially helpful are the menu notes, telling you not only about what tastes to anticipate, but also the ABV (alcohol by volume) of each brew. There are some heavy hitters here, notably the stouts, and Amsterdam 106 smartly serves these in smaller 12-ounce glasses rather than the standard pint. One example is the Southern Tier Crème Brulée Imperial Milk Stout, which has 10 percent ABV. This “deliciously creamy” dessert beer tastes astonishingly like its namesake. At the other end of the beer spectrum are plenty of trendy Indian Pale Ales (IPAs), such as Arcadia IPA, a refreshingly crisp and medium-bodied beer from Battle Creek, Michigan. While you sip your pint or 17-ounce Growler in this attractive, tin-ceilinged bar room, you can order from an extensive menu that includes all manner of mussels, great bar snacks and more.     —NJB

Best Budget Dinner and Drinks: Vero
1483 Second Ave. (betw. 77th & 78th), 212-452-3354
If you don’t know where Vero is, you could easily walk right past this tiny wine bar, which is flanked by the massive patio areas of two looming neighboring eateries. But do stop by. What Vero lacks in size and stature, it makes up for in service and satisfaction. On any given night, you might find the restaurant’s platinum Mohawked manager behind the bar pitching in and making your drink wait as short as possible. Best of all, on Monday nights, the restaurant’s gourmet paninis come free with the purchase of a drink. Think prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella and basil aioli, portobello mushroom with spinach and olives, or roasted tomatoes or smoked turkey with fontina, pesto and beefsteak tomatoes. Yum.     —JG

Best Sweets to Obsess Over: Momofuku Milk Bar Cookies
207 Second Ave. (13th St.), 212-254-3500
It’s sad to see that the once-lovable Chef David Chang is now just as well known for his bad attitude as his pork buns. That said, dude knows his cookies. With his pastry chef Christina Tosi at Milk Bar’s helm, the shop dishes out some of the best cookies we’ve ever had; at $1.85 each, we can’t find better baked goods anywhere—especially when we think of the extraordinarily rich chocolate-chocolate and the tongue titillating “compost cookie” with pretzels, chocolate, potato chips, coffee, butterscotch and oats. Salty-sweet, crunchy-chewy goodness all rolled into one.    —BVB

Best New Hotel Bar: Breslin Lobby Bar at Ace Hotel
20 W. 29th St. (betw. Broadway & Fifth), 212-679-2222
The Breslin restaurant from foodie whisperers Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield hasn’t opened just yet, but the bar in the lobby of NoMad’s hottest hotel is already a hit. Start off on any of the couches or easy chairs that pack the space and admire the oddly ’90s décor while you wait for a server to swing by and imagine you’re in a ski chalet, student union or your very own hunting lodge. The drinks are moderately priced and generally tasty, and having a photo booth inside the lobby—a photo booth that takes credit cards!—doesn’t hurt one bit. Sure, the cultish Stumptowners with their bowties and circus barker moustaches might dart in and out of the room, but have enough Flatiron cocktails—made with Rhum Clement, basil and bitters—and you’ll never notice.     —BVB

Best Execution of the Worst Bar Idea: The Ainsworth
122 W. 26th St. (betw. Sixth & Seventh), 212-741-0646
One thing New York probably doesn’t need is a massive Atlantic City-style sports bar. But the Ainsworth, open since September in Chelsea, defies that logic. All gussied up like a Victorian Saloon, albeit one graced with 40 anachronistic large screen TVs, the availability of 100-ounce beers guarantees that the scene remains decidedly un-Chelsea and populated by thick-necked gibrones. There’s a surprisingly good dinner menu featuring a lobster Cobb salad, kielbasa and a winning goat-cheese-and-mushroom pizza. Go ahead and wash it down with that giant beer, we won’t tell.    —JDS

Best Burger to Temper Midtown Rage: Anthos’ Lamb Burger
36 W. 52nd St. (betw. Fifth & Sixth), 212-582-6900
Sometimes at work, we fantasize about inserting a sharpened No. 2 pencil—yes, we’re in a profession that requires us to use graphite—into our boss’s eye socket. Before our homicidal thoughts become reality, we abscond our desk for the soothingly decadent comfort of Anthos’ marvelous lamb burger. There’s nothing bashful about this pretty patty, studded with crushed garlic and sweet pepper and wrapped in luscious caul fat before it’s char-grilled, painted with feta-cheese sauce and planted on a sweet brioche bun. Each jaw-drenchingly juicy bite diminishes our homicidal urge, turning us as docile as, well, a lamb.     —JB

Best West Side Line Worth Waiting In: Shake Shack
366 Columbus Ave. (at 77th), 646-747-8770
For “fast” food, Shake Shack sure doesn’t live up to its name. But trust us, it’s worth the wait. Go for a classic burger, or live a little and try the Shack-cago dog, a crisp encased meat topped with mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes and other assorted goodies. To balance out the salty, order one of the Shack’s famous “concretes,” just a fancy name for a really thick, delicious milkshake (custard, technically) with bits of candy and other sweets mixed in. Some complain that the fries can be soggy, but even a moist fry is still pretty good. Bring a magazine to catch up on your reading and soak up scenic Columbus Avenue while you wait.     —CE

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Joshua Bernstein, Nancy J. Brandwein, Linnea Covington, Charlotte Eichna, Jordan Galloway, Joe Jackson, Zara Kessler, Christina Livadiotis, Josh Perilo, Joshua David Stein, Bathsheba van Buren, and Jane Warshaw.