Best neighborhood for...

BOOKSTORES: SOHO
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (pictured; 126 Crosby St between E Houston and Prince Sts; 212-334-3324, housingworksbookstore.org)
Go here for: General interest, used and rare books

McNally Jackson Books (52 Prince St between Lafayette and Mulberry Sts; 212-274-1160, mcnallyjackson.com)
Go here for: General interest, fiction

Taschen (107 Greene St between Prince and Spring Sts; 212-226-2212, taschen.com)
Go here for: Art books

ALT-COMEDY: EAST VILLAGE
Beauty Bar Comedy (pictured; Beauty Bar, 231 E 14th St between Second and Third Aves; 212-539-1389, thebeautybar.com)
Coming up: Sun 9pm; free

UCB East (155 E 3rd St between Aves A and B, ucbtheatre.com)
Coming up: Gentrify, Fri 11pm; $5

Comedy as a Second Language (Kabin, 92 Second Ave between 5th and 6th Sts; 212-254-0204)
Coming up: Thu 9pm; free

The Kitchen dance

DANCE: CHELSEA
The Kitchen (pictured; 512 W 19th St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves; 212-255-5793, thekitchen.org)
Coming up: Faustin Linyekula, Oct 12--15; $12--$15

Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Ave at 19th St; 212-242-0800, joyce.org)
Coming up: Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, Tue 27--Oct 2; $10--$69

New York Live Arts (219 W 19th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves; 212-691-6500, newyorklivearts.org)
Coming up: Company L'A./Rachid Ouramdane, Oct 11, 12, 14, 15; $24--$30

VINTAGE CLOTHING: EAST VILLAGE
Fabulous Fanny's (pictured; 335 E 9th St between First and Second Aves; 212-533-0637, fabulousfannys.com)
Go here for: Vintage glasses

Metropolis (43 Third Ave between 9th and 10th Sts; 212-358-0795, metropolisvintage.wordpress.com)
Go here for: Men's footwear, band tees

Local Clothing (328 E 9th St between First and Second Aves; 212-777-3850, localclothing.com)
Go here for: Women's clothes

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Contact: communications@metmuseum.org ...

MUSEUMS: UPPER EAST SIDE
Metropolitan Museum of Art (pictured; 1000 Fifth Ave at 82nd St; 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org; $12--$25)
Coming up: "Stieglitz and His Artists: Matisse to O'Keeffe," Oct 13--Jan 2

Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Ave between 103rd and 104th Sts; 212-534-1672, mcny.org; $6--$10)
Coming up: "Kevin Roche: Architecture as Environment," Tue 27--Jan 22

Whitney Museum of American Art (945 Madison Ave at 75th St; 212-570-3600, whitney.org; $12--$18)
Coming up: "Real/Surreal," Oct 6--Feb 12

COCKTAIL BARS: EAST VILLAGE
The Summit Bar (pictured; 133 Ave C between 8th and 9th Sts, thesummitbar.net)

Death & Company (433 E 6th St between First Ave and Ave A, 212-388-0882)

PDT (113 St. Marks Pl between First Ave and Ave A; 212-614-0386, pdtnyc.com)

The Ritz - midtown west gay bar

GAY BARS: HELL'S KITCHEN
The Ritz (pictured; 369 W 46th St between Eighth and Ninth Aves, 212-333-4177)
Coming up: Rewind, Wed 8pm; free

Industry Bar (355 W 52nd St between Eighth and Ninth Aves; 646-476-2747, industry-bar.com)
Coming up: The Glamazons, Tue 27 at 11pm; free

Posh (405 W 51st St between Ninth and Tenth Aves; 212-957-2222, poshbarnyc.com)
Coming up: Tacky Trivia, Wed 9pm; free