A plant-based restaurant with the best vegan nachos in town and fresh-pressed juices in their tropical drinks.

A boutique hotel with numerous dining options, all housed in beautiful neo-Renaissance building that was once the center of banking for LES Jewish immigrant communities, recently restored to the nines.

Swing by, play some handball, or set your kids free on the splash pad during the summer months. If you’re lucky Mister Softee might show up.

An all-day Malaysian café with out-of-this-world nasi lemak, a rice dish topped with delicious fried anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, and homemade sambal.

Kramer may have taken a swim here, but we’d suggest just soaking in the view of Brooklyn from the waterfront pathway. Not to mention all the tennis and basketball courts, football, soccer, and baseball fields—there’s plenty of room to play.

Reserve a spot online, because classes fill up at the cult-beloved Sky Ting Yoga, known for down-to-earth teachers who make everyone feel welcome.

If you snag a booth at this neighborhood favorite bar, hold onto it all night and stay fueled by Fong’s coladas and pork buns.

The only home goods store like it. If you’re in the market for colorful glassware, a corn-on-the-cob stool, and oven mitts with eyeballs, you’ll find them here.

Fulfill all your Willy Wonka fantasies in this historic candy store, packed floor-to-ceiling with rainbow displays of Jelly Bellys, vintage Sky Bars, and every Haribo gummy under the sun.

Emily Bode’s hand-sewn garments are made with antique quilts, while other pieces in her collections are inspired by vintage textiles and designs, all of which are quickly snapped up by fashion editors and celebrities.

Where you go for an acai bowl or glazed bacon BLT, depending on how your previous night went. You’re here for healthy-ish, hippie-ish food, but also for the people-watching.

A cocktail bar where the bumping soundtrack is almost as good as the Korean fried chicken (which is very, very good).

An all-day Aussie café with a strong brunch menu and even stronger people-watching scene. Balance your grain bowl with a cocktail for best results.

Every neighborhood needs a $1 oyster happy hour, and this is where you’ll find it, plus live music on the weekend, so wear your dancing shoes.

Decor that’ll transport you to the ‘70s and cocktails that’ll keep you out too late. When that happens, order the burger.

One of the Lower East Side's hippest mainstays. Venture into this bright, white-washed boutique for the trendiest in new and vintage clothing.

Order a sakura martini and okinomiyaki and be happy forever. Or until the coupe glass is empty. This sleek Japanese cocktail bar is one of the city’s best.

A tiny bakery with sought-after sourdough in a city that takes its bread seriously. You can also buy local grains and beans.

A whimsical boutique that yes, sells top hats, and so much more, like Japanese hairbrushes and baguette-shaped lamps.

This is across from Seward Park for a reason. You’ll need an espresso after all that handball.

An ‘80s pizza shop come to life and arguably the best pizza in the city, made with flour that’s milled in-house for the freshed flavor and incredible chew. Also: really good wine.

A dreamy oasis tucked into an alley with a cozy, cabin-upstate aesthetic—and a great spot to have private dinner parties.

Tour historically restored family apartments in two preserved tenement buildings, or take the museum’s neighborhood and virtual tours, an engrossing journey into the past that shapes the area today.

Pick up specialty groceries like imported cheeses from Fromaggio, fresh coffee from Porto Rico, and anything else your kitchen lacks at this historic market packed with vendors.

A nook of a coffee shop for drive-by cortados and impulse croissants.

A tried-and-true greasy spoon with fluffy pancakes and crispy hashbrowns.

Drop off compost or volunteer in the garden to support the wonderful environment work being done here.

Needs no introduction. Pastrami sandwiches as big as your face and waiters who’ll tell it like it is. Stroll in at 11:30 a.m. if you don’t like waiting for lunch.

Your local Parisian bistro that just so happens to be on the LES. Order the duck confit and pommes frites, but reserve all dramatic cigarette smoking for the sidewalk.

Modern and magnificent freewheeling Chinese food in a historic opera house that’s been renovated to the nines, with low lighting that serves high drama.

The vibey underground speakeasy below Chinese Tuxedo is permanently cast in a pink glow, and so will you be after too many Heartbreak Mixtapes (guava, tequila, passionfruit.).

Greasy spoon classics that are better than they should be, and modern riffs that pull from Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian cuisines, all on one buzzing menu.

Only on the Lower East Side will you find a plant shop this stylish, stocked with succulents and fiddle leaf fig trees.

Take a number, then patiently await your paper-thin Nova and bagels from one of New York’s most iconic Jewish delis. Give in, get the tin of caviar. (You can sit down for lunch at the café next door.)

Thin Iberico ham drapes over crunchy potato chips and the tone is set for the rest of the fabulous Basque dinner you’ll tuck into at Ernesto’s, one of the neighborhood’s newest and best-reviewed spots.

The critically acclaimed ramen shop that’s famous enough to have its own Wikipedia page—and episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix—is still going strong and now available for delivery.

The members-only outpost of Soho House has four (beautifully designed) floors where you can have intimate drinks or lively dinners, host events, or lean back and stargaze under the garden’s retractable roof.

The art gallery with a sharp eye for up-and-coming talent, where you can buy NFTs alongside a resin candy heart sculpture that says “NOT DRUNK ENOUGH.”

A contemporary art gallery on a bustling Chinatown corner with boundary-pushing exhibitions.

Is it pop art or a handbag or a little bit of both? Susan Alexandra’s jubilant beaded bags and fruit-shaped earrings are spreading good cheer only.

Models flock to this long-standing spa where estheticians get down to business (extractions) during these famously painful facials that pay off in a holy glow.

A locally-sourced, imaginative seasonal tasting menu from Flynn McGarry, the boy wonder chef who rose to culinary fame at age 12 (he’s now 23).

Unlike any perfume counter you’ve ever encountered, this is where you’ll find a scent—thanks to the exceptional, knowledgeable staff—that no one else at the office has.

Chefs love Wu’s for the whole Dungeness crab and fried garlic-topped chicken, and maybe even more so for the BYOB policy. A great spot for big groups and festive occasions.

A sharply curated contemporary art museum that often features up-and-coming artists with provocative perspectives.

Looking to impress? Make a reservation at this intimate and secretive cocktail bar tucked above Freemans featuring beautifully crafted drinks and small plates.

A homestyle Thai restaurant that’s always packed, which you’ll understand once you have the platter of nam prik and lobster noodles. Make a reservation, on repeat.

Oysters, mussels, lobster roll? This Parisian style oyster bar serves up a variety of seafood, craft cocktails, and wine. A calm oasis on a bustling corner and perfect spot for a pre-dinner meetup.