Best Bike Lane

Best Church to Find a Program for Anyone
Rutgers Presbyterian Church
236 W. 73rd St. near Broadway,
rutgerschurch.org
In 1998, Rutgers celebrated its bicentennial and completed a full renovation of its sanctuary. Whether you’re single or a family, gay or straight, younger or older, a seeker or a believer, you’ll find this church to be a warm, hospitable community of faith with the programs you’re looking for. Whether you are someone seeking an all-inclusive place to worship or you are looking for children’s classes, adult classes, AA meetings, youth groups or community programs, you can find them all at Rutgers.

Best Cooking Experience
Eataly
multiple locations, lascuola@eataly.com or call 212.539.0204 Ext. 304
Even if they didn’t provide their own in-house experts to guide you, Eataly makes Italian food look good. What is better is that they teach you how to expertly and easily create dishes you love in your own kitchen. With a state-of-the-art cooking school, they offer classes that range from getting to know gnocchi to everything you ever wanted to know about olive oil. The space is specially designed so every student can see and hear each delicate detail. Classes are continually changing and always provide an ample meal.

Best Doggie Day Care
Wiggly Pups
152 E. 22nd St. near Third Avenue,
wigglypups.com
Billed as a “private canine club,” this Gramercy den for pampered pooches lives up to its promise. Paul and Kathy Compitus create a home-style environment for man’s best friend—if your home were well appointed with high-end doggie furnishings of your own design. After a temperament test ensures your pup will be a good fit with the in crowd (less than 20 dogs at a time), full-day care or shorter stays are available in their lounge Monday – Saturday. For $70 a night, your dog can snuggle overnight in their hotel, complete with turn-down service. Membership also grants access to “Wiggly Watch,” a password-protected portal to your puppy, allowing helicopter parents to keep an eye on their canine kids. Walking, transportation in a vintage Rolls Royce and positive reinforcement training are available for additional fees.

Best European Style
Salon with UES Flair
Aaron Emanuel Salon
307 E. 77th St., 212-422-3000
Expert stylist and salon owner Aaron Emanuel introduces a relaxing and pampering Upper East Side salon. Handpicked stylists, colorists and special-treatments experts make up the staff, which aims to create looks that surpass clients’ expectations. With a European styling foundation and today’s latest techniques, you’ll walk out feeling energized and looking beautiful!

Best Facelift of an Old Building
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Ave.
A “facelift” sometimes means a complete transformation into something new—nothing like what was there before. But with the Park Avenue Armory, a landmark and cultural institution on the Upper East Side, the remodelers wanted to refurbish and enhance the building, while holding on to its historic features and character. New York state’s Seventh Regiment of the National Guard built the armory in 1881, and besides a military center, it also served as a social hall. The building’s renovations included cleaning and brick replacements on the façade, replacements of skylights on the roof and interior alterations on the third and fourth floors, to name a few. Still, the building has something of an antique atmosphere, and the amber- and copper-colored walls in the drill hall are decorated with portraits of soldiers from the past and plaques honoring their service. Today, the Armory also houses artistic and cultural events—and it endures as a place where New York’s past and present coexist.

Best Foot Massage
Foot Heaven
16 Pell St., 212-962-6588
Located in Chinatown, Foot Heaven is the perfect resource for New Yorkers, who spend so much of their day trudging up and down subway stairs and rushing along sidewalks. This clean, unassuming massage parlor offers just two services: back rubs and foot rubs. While both are top-notch, the foot massages are, true to the store’s name, heavenly. The best part? The price: 30 minutes of intensive, restorative massage will set you back only $25. (For an even $30, spend your remaining $5 on an order of soup dumplings at Joe’s Ginger, located just across the street.)

Best Free Education
New School
66 W. 12th St. near Fifth Avenue, newschool.edu
The cost of higher learning keeps getting worse, but for those who live near The New School, there is a wonderful opportunity to take part in some free or $5 classes and events. There is a continual stream of nighttime workshops, panels, screenings and talks happening in the West Village all year long, open to the general public, as well as the students. Bring your pen and paper, and join in on a live event—from meeting Mumbai’s Barefoot Researchers or meeting the Cave Canem Poetry Prize winners, there is always something interesting going on.

Best Gym
Reebok Sports Club
160 Columbus Ave. near West 67th,
thesportsclubla.com
If you are serious about changing your body, run, don’t walk to Reebok Sports Club. Open 24 hours, you can always find time to fit a workout into your schedule. Once you are there, everyone from the check-in to locker room attendant will greet you with a smile. On busy days, you can shower in their spotless locker rooms and make it to your desk on time. Amenities include a 25-yard pool, two basketball courts, and a rock climbing wall. If you want to socialize, bring your laptop and sit in their sidewalk café, complete with complimentary wi-fi.

Best Health Food Store
4th Street Food Co-op
58 E. Fourth St. near Second Avenue, 4thstreetfoodcoop.org
This little gem on Fourth Street is so tiny you might have passed it by, unconvinced of the virtues inside. Anyone can shop there, volunteers just get a good discount, but you can simply walk in and enjoy picking out your locally grown produce without fighting the elements or the elbows at an outdoor farmers’ market. Most everything in the shop is organic and carefully chosen, so it is only labeled when it isn’t up to those high standards. Flavorful dried fruits, plentiful grains, legumes and bulk herbs are some of the items you’ll discover along with ever-changing friendly service to tell you what the sorrel tastes like or give you a slice of the latest apple to try.

Best-Kept Banking Secret on the UWS
Lomto Federal Credit Union (180 Riverside Blvd. at 69th Street, 212-947-3380)
Originally incorporated to serve the needs of New York City’s Taxi and Limo drivers, Lomto FCU expanded its services a couple of years back to serve the whole community. Being located on the UWS means that anyone who lives, works or prays on the Upper West Side can take advantage of their wide array of banking services—which include some of the highest rates paid on CDs and money market accounts.

Best Hotel
Empire Hotel 4
4 W. 63rd St., empirehotelnyc.com
If you’ve ever watched Gossip Girl, you have probably caught a glimpse of the trendy 423-room hotel that character Chuck Bass owns. A stone’s throw away from Lincoln Center, the boutique hotel can be recognized by the bold neon sign that towers above the Upper West Side. Inside, you will be greeted by concierges Chris and Yuri and a lobby filled with beautiful people sipping drinks on leopard-print chairs. Not surprisingly, it is the official hotel of Fashion Week. There is a rooftop deck bar open to the public that is crowded every night of the week. If you are going for the food, the hotel is also the home to Ed’s Chowder House.

Best Jeweler
Murrey’s
1395 Third Ave., betw. E. 79th & 80th sts., 212-879-3690
Murrey’s Jewelers, a family business now in its third generation, has been serving loyal customers since 1936. Clients keep going back for purchases, repairs, appraisals and custom work because Murrey’s never says “no” to a project and always delivers. An added plus is that Murrey’s onsite workshop is locally and internationally acclaimed.

Best Local Author
Molly Jong Fast
Fast, who is the daughter of author Erica Jong and Jonathan Fast, somehow managed to become not only a fantastic writer, but a well-adjusted person. Born and brought up in Manhattan, her novels show the best (and often worst) sides of the Upper East Side.

Best Local
Clothing Company
Ann Yee Collection
Various locations, annyeecollection.com
Made in NYC isn’t a gratuitous throwaway line for Ann Yee, the rising Brooklyn-based designer who still manufactures her collections in New York’s garment district. Ann’s designs, which have garnered attention from publications like Nylon magazine and Women’s Wear Daily, feature architectural cuts juxtaposed with soft draping. With a blend of sophisticated uptown style and downtown edge, she’s committed to keeping her production local, but it won’t be long before her popularity spreads beyond New York.

Best Local Hardware Store
Scheman & Grant
various locations, schemanandgrant.com
Looking for a small-town hardware store smack-dab in the center of Midtown? Check out Scheman & Grant. The independently owned company has two locations right in the heart of Manhattan; Bryant Park on 39th and another close to Port Authority. The hardware store has a broad range of products ranging from paints to blinds, and they have crucial delivery and locksmith services available to city dwellers. With Middle American prices and helpful do-it-yourself staff, these are the best places to spruce up your NYC-sized life, or just fix the broken toilet your super ignores.

Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Waterfront Park
West Harlem Piers Park
Henry Hudson Parkway, at 131st St.,
nycgovparks.org
Piers Park, just off of Riverside Drive in West Harlem, is a shady, peaceful spot to catch up on people-watching. Bring a book to read, a paper to skim or a coffee to sip, and listen to the calming sounds of the East River. This destination is a popular passageway for leisurely bike-riders, mothers with children, couples, students and those aiming to catch a breath before or after a shopping trip at the nearby Fairway Market. You can also enjoy a clear view of George Washington Bridge to the north and the New Jersey coastline to the west.

Best Office Building to Move Up To
The Agora
at 87th Street and Third Avenue,
718-263-3800 or ross@muss.com
The Agora is the only first-class office building on the Upper East Side. It has two entrances and lobbies, one at 177 East 87th St. and the other at 1556 Third Ave., and is conveniently located one block from the Lexington Avenue Subway (4, 5 and 6 trains). Some notable tenants include Mount Sinai Manhattan Heart, Doyle Galleries and Duane Reade. Inquiries should be directed to Ross Spitalnick, senior vice president, Muss Development.

Best Place to Adopt a Pet
Bideawee
410 E. 38th Street, betw. FDR Dr. & 1st Ave., www.bideawee.org
Bideawee, which means “stay awhile,” in Scottish, is one of the country’s oldest and most respected animal welfare and pet adoption organizations. Founded in 1903, Bideawee has been cultivating and supporting the lifelong relationships between pets and the people who love them for more than 100 years. Bideawee provides an array of high-touch services including adoption centers, animal hospitals, pet therapy programs, and pet memorial parks that serve pets and pet lovers on their lifelong journey together. Bideawee is a not for profit 501(c) 3 humane animal organization and 100% of Bideawee’s funding comes from private sources. Bideawee operates one facility in New York City and two on Long Island, one in Wantagh, and one in Westhampton.

Best Place to Feel Like a Family
Make Meaning
329 Columbus Ave. near W. 75th St.,
212-362-0350
Remember when you were tricked into going with your friends to one of those pottery places where you had to make your own plate? It’s back—kinda. Make Meaning, with locations on the Upper West and Upper East Side, has managed to balance the twee with the sophisticated. The store has courses to teach you how to make items with glass, or you can try making candles, jewelry or fancy paper. They recently started cake decorating classes. What better way for families to spend quality time together?

Best Place to Find Your Faith
Marble Collegiate
at Fifth Avenue and West 29th Street,
marblechurch.org
Marble Collegiate does church the way you’ve always hoped it could be: diverse, inclusive, vibrant and fun. The spiritual house is a warm place of connection and community. Marble has been a part of the New York City landscape since 1854. There is truly something for everyone at Marble.

Best Place to Gussy Up Your Apartment
Haus Interior
250 Elizabeth St. near E. Houston,
hausinterior.com
It’s time to leave your Ikea cast-offs behind and decorate your big-kid apartment. Get your stuff together and your style on at this upscale pioneer-chic boutique. At Haus Interior, German-born design maven Nina Freudenberger offers what feels like her personal selections from all over the word. Expanding her interiors business into a tiny Nolita storefront, Nina curates fresh, modern pieces to fill out your space with natural and elegant lines. Not in the market for a complete overhaul? Haus Interior has enviable accessories: retro glassware, crisp Japanese linens and cozy throw blankets that easily can elevate the cool factor in your 700 square feet or your Hamptons dream home. The bevy of colorful pillows and unique wallpaper allow you to channel your inner pattern freak without committing to pieces of furniture. All beautiful, but obtainable on a budget. But if you’re that overwhelmed, Nina is for hire through the full-service design program.

Best Salon
Warren Tricomi Salon
at the Plaza Hotel, warrentricomi.com
When the Plaza Hotel was renovated, two major additions were hair gurus Joel Warren and Edward Tricomi. The cutting/coloring dynamic duo can be found there, transforming the look of everyone from Broadway stars
to diplomats. Among their accomplishments, they are the first stylist and colorist to create a hair product line together. A L’Oreal Professional salon, they are the pioneers of dry cutting and now specialize in frizz control. As befits the classic Plaza, the salon is decorated in the theme of old Hollywood glamour. Even if you don’t qualify to sit in their VIP area, the staff is sure to pamper you like you do.

Best Senior Health Care
Quality Healthcare
qualityny.com, info@qualityny.com,
718-338-8500
Quality Healthcare is a fully licensed and bonded home health care agency founded in 1994. For nearly 20 years, they have been providing exceptional home-care services in the New York area, with warmth and compassion. They specialize in striving to make the transition to home care as smooth as possible for the client and his family. Each member of our field staff has been trained, certified and has been screened and tested to ensure the highest level of service to our clients. Each client is assigned a personal coordinator who becomes familiar with their individual needs (physical, language, religious and cultural) and preferences and who is available each day to ensure that those needs are met. Someone will be with you every step of the way, with 24/7 availability.

Best Shoe Repair
John’s Shoe Repair
30 Irving Place near 15th St., 212-533-4110
John’s Shoe Repair in Gramercy is one of the few old-fashioned shoe repairmen left, and has been around for over 40 years. Owner Ariel Lopez does each and every one of the shoe repairs by hand, and works with old-fashioned leather cutting and threading machines. Lopez, who can do many repairs in less than one minute, takes pride in his work, and is capable of completely rebuilding a pair of ruined shoes. With reasonable prices and quick service, John’s Shoe Repair is a neighborhood staple.

Best Spa Experience
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
80 Columbus Circle, mandarinoriental.com
Actress Sutton Foster calls this spa her favorite place in all of Manhattan. High above the city, you will be transported to an oriental-style home complete with bamboo floors and even a bento box meal. Their signature treatment, the oriental meridian massage, is tailored to your needs and lasts a whole hour and 50 minutes. Vitality pools, a fireplace, and an Oriental Tea Lounge add to the unique experience. Awarded five stars in Forbes Travel, it gives you a majestic view of the Hudson River—far from the tranquility of the Orient, but close enough.

Best Spiritual Getaway
Mount of Atonement
1350 Route 9, Garrison, N.Y.,
AtonementFriars.org, 845-424-3671
Among the rolling hills flanking the Hudson River is the Mount of Atonement, commonly called Graymoor, home to the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement. If quiet reflection is your goal, there are beautiful chapels, shrines and gardens. The nearby Appalachian Trail calls to hikers, and picnickers are welcome. The That Nothing Be Lost Thrift Shop is a treasure trove of vintage items; the Graymoor Book & Gift Center is the area’s largest ecumenical book store.

Best Unlikely Cool Neighborhood
Murray Hill
OK, stop laughing. Murray Hill is not just the place where snooty Cornell and Syracuse graduates live cheaply on their parents’ dimes. The rooftop parties at the Gansevoort Park may piss off the neighbors, but they’ve announced to the world this hood is a good-time destination. Joining them on the party circuit, POD 39 Hotel (opening soon) will boast a lounge and bar serving inventive tacos dreamed up by Chef April Bloomfield. With Milk and Honey’s spawn Middle Branch delivering classic cocktails with hand-cut ice and Terroir pouring Riesling down the throats of their disciples, the Hill has tipples for the discerning palate. Among cheap blow-outs, you can now find Aussie Greg Ruggeri’s new salon. Stop in for haute couture highlights while taking in his extensive art collection. Want to laugh without leaving your block? People’s Improv Theatre hosts edgy, hilarious performances seven nights a week. There’s a lot going on in Murray Hill—they’re getting a Fairway too!

Best Vacation Spot Within Two Hours
Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa
220 North Road, Milton, N.Y., 845-795-1310
Just a 90-minute train ride from Grand Central Station lies Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa, a picturesque 75-acre property in the Hudson Valley, with quaint accommodations, an eco-friendly day spa and a farm complete with llamas. Sample farm-to-table cuisine (literally, in this case) at Henry’s, but be sure to save room for the inn’s daily breakfast, which features cooked-to-order entrees and fresh-baked pastries. Unwind with a stroll around the grounds, get a hot stone massage or rent a car and go antiquing in neighboring New Paltz.

Best Vet
Amy Crain
Heart of Chelsea Animal Hospital, 257 W. 18th St., heartofchelsea.com
When you’ve given your dog dramamine for a road trip and you’re convinced you’ve killed him and you’re counting his breaths, there’s only one person who can talk you down from your fear of puppy-cide. Dr. Crain at Heart of Chelsea Animal Hospital is the best vet in town to calm your fears. She’ll answer all of your questions even if you think they’re insane. Animal owners wish she’d treat their maladies in addition to Fido’s—Dr. Crain is that incredibly patient and kind. She and the rest of the compassionate staff can handle anything from routine vaccines to dental to state-of-the-art radio surgery. This West Side office is a one-stop shop for your pet—even offering holistic care such as acupuncture and Chinese herbology.

Best Way to be Heard
Brilliant Senior Voice-Overs
brilliantseniorvoiceovers.com or
212-996-9732
We’re talking “heard” as in being the voice of a radio or TV commercial or perhaps heard as an audiobook narrator. This is the place to start. You’ll find classes, boot camps, demo production and their ever-popular, exclusive voice-over agent and casting-director nights. All students are men and women 55 and over, holding special appeal for boomers and seniors looking for a possible second career, improving speech and self-confidence and meeting great new people.

Best Way to Get Organized
Gotham Organizers
752 West End Ave. at W. 97th St.,
gothamorganizers.com
Is your studio apartment looking like it’s straight out of an episode of TLC’s Hoarding: Buried Alive? Do you have enough unread magazines and takeout menus piled up to create your own paper fort? Have no fear—Gotham Organizers are here to save the day. Specializing in organizing homes and businesses across New York City, the folks at Gotham Organizer will help you with everything from shredding your 2003 Con Ed bills to finding a better place to store your hairdryer than the kitchen cupboard. Consultation is free of charge.

Best Way to Keep Out City Noise
Cityproof
cityproof.com or 718-786-1600
Since 1960, Cityproof soundproof interior windows has been custom-manufacturing and installing interior windows that dramatically improve the quality of life in NYC home and work environments. Cityproof’s custom-designed Citywindows are installed on the inside of the existing exterior windows, creating a “buffer zone” of airspace that seals out noise. With Cityproof, there’s no need to replace or modify existing windows, since their Citywindows are often more economical and provide more noise reduction than replacing windows. They offer a free, on-site evaluation.

Best Way to See NYC
Experience the Ride
experiencetheride.com or 646-289-5060
More than a show and more than a tour, The Ride takes audience members on a nonstop entertainment experience through midtown Manhattan. Acting as the city’s only moving theater, with stadium seating and floor-to-ceiling glass, every audience member has front-row seats as the streets of New York become a stage. With performances around every corner, audience members are left guessing who’s a part of the show and who’s just along for The Ride.

Best Urgent Care That Feels Like a Spa
Medhattan
106 Liberty St. at Trinity Place, 646-461-2544
Medhattan Immediate Medical Care is Downtown NYC’s ER Alternative. Same-day appointments are available for you or your child with one of NY’s premier Board Certified ER doctors 365 days a year. With a spa-like décor, most capabilities of an ER and amenities you’d expect from a boutique hotel, Medhattan is just what busy but discriminating New Yorkers need. Since Medhattan opened its doors this time last year, they have cared for over 4,000 happy customers with everything from cuts and colds to fractures and kidney stones. X-ray, labs, sonogram, EKG, IV fluids, breathing treatments and casting are all offered on-site. Most major insurance plans including Medicare are accepted.

Best Yoga in Midtown
Sonic Yoga
754 9th Ave. near W. 51st, sonicyoga.com
Sonic Yoga is temporarily offering four months of unlimited yoga for $199 for new yogis. And you no longer have to worry about lugging your mat around town, because Sonic lets you store your mat at the studio for free. Don’t have a mat? No worries—they also let you borrow a freshly cleaned one for less than a cup of java. The intimate-yet-inviting studio is all hardwood and features changing rooms and cubbies for storing your stuff. Most importantly, Sonic’s instructors seem to really care about you—at the end of each session, they give mini-massages with calming lavender oil. is tailored to your needs and lasts a whole hour and 50 minutes.

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.

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 of Manhattan: CITY LIVING

BEST ROCK STAR JEWELRY

Chrome Hearts
159 E. 64th Street (betw. Lexington and
Third Aves.), 212-327-0707
Costly yet so cool. You can see Chrome Hearts’ dog tags and other sterling silver items spotted on everyone from Angelina Jolie to Paris Hilton, including actual rock stars like Slash of Guns N’ Roses. A very exclusive high-end brand, there are only two places in the city that sell this jewelry-the store on East 64th Street and an in-store boutique at Bergdorf Goodman. Chrome Hearts was started in 1984 by motorcycle enthusiast and designer Richard Stark. The brand, which became known largely for its fleur-de-lis design and daggers, gained popularity in the 1990s by catering to the music and fashion world elite.

BEST MUSEUM TO A DEAD IDEA

John Varvatos Store
315 Bowery (at Bleecker), 212-358-0315
As much as we were deflated by CBGBs closing, we have to admit that until that final farewell we rarely visited the stinky joint. Actually, the last time we visited, someone passed us a stinky joint, which made it much more fun to withstand the blisteringly loud guitar thunks. While there’s not likely to be much toking in John new tenant Varvatos’ high-fashion outpost of upscale rock ‘n’ roll attire, we have to admit that it’s an incredible homage to the legendary dive club. It’s all about selling a lifestyle, but instead of being glaringly obnoxious like an Armani or A&F chain store, the Varvatos shop is pretty damn cool. The posters and paraphernalia are preserved on one wall, the authentic vinyl displays, footwear are displayed with drum sets, turntables and speakers are next to vintage leather jackets; it feels like you’re walking into Mick Jagger’s closet or a museum of rock (same thing?). At least now you can try on a coat lined in exotic black hair and feel more like a rock star than you ever could by listening to crappy loud bands in a dank corner. We expect that it will serve as an inspiration to more haute boutiques looking to earn street cred by being dark and dingy-ish while actually hocking expensive wares. But few will do it as well.

BEST POP STAR-TURNED SAVIOR OF THE CITY

David Byrne (www.davidbyrne.com)
While we blame Sarah Jessica Parker for destroying the Village, and can’t walk more than two steps in the Meatpacking District without stumbling over an HBO character actor or Law & Order bit player, our music royalty are much less obnoxious and seem to be more interested in adding something to the fabric of the city. We sometimes forget that Bette Midler is doing more by planting trees than performing on stage or screen. But it’s been impossible to forget about low-key David Byrne, who seemed to continue to pop up where least expected. The former Talking Heads frontman continues to support indie musicians, including curating a concert of freak folk players in 2007; but in 2008 he stepped up his game with two odd-yet-pleasing artistic efforts of his own. First there was the incredible “Playing the Building,” in conjunction with Creative Time downtown at the Battery Maritime Building. He followed it up by the most pedestrian of accomplishments-bike racks. But Byrne’s bike racks weren’t just simple bits of steel, they were shaped like a busty gal, a coffee cup and a cartoon dog. Oh, and then he came out with a new album. Although his collaboration with Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, was not as exciting (or avant-garde) as some of his other feats, but we’ll forgive him for that and wait in anticipation for the art guru’s next surprise.

BEST EXCUSE TO GO TO STATEN ISLAND

Snug Harbor
1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island,
718-448-2500
Just a few minutes from the Staten Island Ferry terminal, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center is an 83-acre space dedicated to the arts inside what was formerly a home for retired seamen. Among the attractions is the Chinese Scholar Garden (admission $5), which was built in Suzhou (down to the roof, floor tiles and stones) a decade ago and then brought by ship, where it was assembled at its present location and opened in 1999. There are also numerous plays and exhibits taking place at the center throughout the year, but the best thing is to enjoy a crisp fall afternoon relaxing in the Healing Garden, a large forest-like area that allows you to be (almost) alone with our thoughts. After the visit, walk a couple of blocks west for a drink at the nearby Adobe Blues restaurant, which serves affordable Southwestern fare in a saloon-like environment.

BEST NEW YORK POLITICAL STUD

Gov. David Paterson
This year shocked us into remembering-once again-that our politicians are sexual beings. After Eliot Spitzer’s downfall and sordid dealings, we also found out that Vito Fossella had some skeletons in his sex closet. The only guy who seemed to benefit from a sex scandal was good ol’ Dave P. When your legally bind guv can get it on, you feel a little more reassured. Right?

BEST NEW DRAG FOR AN OLD QUEEN

Museum of Arts and Design
2 Columbus Circle
The white marble building that was commissioned by A&P heir Huntington Hartford and finished in 1964 as the Gallery of Modern Art has finally been transformed into the new home for the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). Architect Brad Cloepfil has retrofitted the structure with terra cotta, stripped some of the cladding to let light seep in and has managed to somehow retain some of the tacky glam of yesteryear with metal details and backlighting. The crafty collections already seem right at home here, but we’re fairly sure the sleek design will last only as long as someone decides it’s no longer fashionable enough to protect. And then this Old Queen will adapt to a new generation.

BEST MEDIA FEUD

Keith Olbermann vs. Page Six
The most amusing fight of the year kicked off in June, when the New York Post’s Page Six column reported that “Tim Russert’s body wasn’t even cold in the ground before MSNBC anchors Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann started jockeying for his job.” This sent Olbermann, a former sportscaster, off the deep end-as even his fans would admit, this was not a long trip-and he named a Post reporter as “The Worst Person in the World” (the first of two times he would do this) on his nightly broadcast. The accusations flew back and forth: in what was perhaps the most fun gossip item of the year, Page Six accused Olbermann of going postal in Washington, D.C., when he was denied ketchup packets (he called them liars and claimed the whole thing was made up). The paper then reported that Olbermann was fearful of assassination attempts at the Republican National Convention. This last bit turned out to be pointless, as MSNBC took the anchor off Convention coverage; however, we’re sure that the two parties aren’t done with one another by a long shot. Despite Olbermann having said, “You can go ahead and write whatever you want. That’s on the record and applies to all future items you might make up,” it seems unlikely that these foes will bury the hatchet any time soon.

BEST STUPID FASHION IDEA

Scarves in the Summer
What’s it gonna take to get people to realize that all the Croc-talk and skinny jean lip flap is really just fabricated to distract us from the bigger annoying picture? Scarves between the months of May and September. That’s right, the summer scarf, whether you call it a keffiyeh, or you twist it, braid it or tie two together, it makes absolutely no sense in 80-degree heat. If you’re faced with an especially cold neck, while the rest of you is warm and toasty, we suggest going to a cardiologist-there’s a clot in there somewhere.

BEST HOUSE WARMING GIFTS

Sara Japanese Pottery
950 Lexington Ave. (betw. 69th & 70th Sts.), 212-772-3243
The ceramics at Sara Japanese Pottery are truly unusual. Find hand-crafted goods by world-class ceramist Uko Morita, who was commissioned by the former first lady Hillary Clinton to create a piece that became registered as a part of the White House’s Christmas collection. Rob Barnard, one of the most highly acclaimed potters in the United States, also sells his creations there. Sara carries cups, saucers, bowls, plates, tea pots and other clay things. Yet the shop goes beyond ceramics with glass, bamboo, textile, lacquer and even iron sculpture items. The goal is “to introduce masterful works of art to be enjoyed by everyone.”

BEST REASON TO HATE THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT

Florent Closing
69 Gansevoort St. (nr. Washington St.)
The death of the diner Florent early this summer (from escalating lease rates) may have signaled the neighborhood’s final transformation from edgy urban hinterland to over-hyped theme park. In a city of silos-segregated worlds of bankers, media types and fashionistas-Florent opened its doors to everyone and, at one point or another, it seems as if everyone showed up. It had an effortless cool that endured as the rest of the city changed. No velvet ropes, scowls or eye rolls, it was the antithesis of the über-chic nightmare the area around it has become. It will be sorely missed.

BEST EXAMPLE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES PIMPING OUT ITS OWN WRITERS

David Carr Book Hype
Reporters, time to update your resumes! The once-staid New York Times, which used to frown on its reporters having a criminal record, now rewards its staff sinners. This summer, the newspaper of record seemed overjoyed at the prospect of its star media reporter, David Carr, promoting a book that chronicled his years of cocaine, crack and wife abuse. Not only did Carr’s revelations of past crimes not cost him his job, it also earned him a spot on the paper’s best-seller list and two rave reviews! We plan to call the Times immediately and inform them of our Internet porn preferences and see if it gets us that gig on the op-ed page we’ve always wanted.

BEST NEW YORK POST COVER

‘Ho No’ Spitzer Cover
The night it was revealed that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been spending thousands of dollars to have sex with a Jersey girl prostitute in a Washington, D.C. hotel room while his attractive wife sat at home, the whole city was buzzing. We were most excited, of course, to see what the Post would say the next morning. And they didn’t disappoint “HO NO” blared the headline, running above a photo of Spitzer puffing out his cheeks and his wife Silda looking like she was half in the bag. Granted, we felt like a drink after hearing the dirty details of the governor’s sex (and socks!) life, but the glee of seeing the paper on the newsstand on March 11 was something nobody can ever take away from us.

BEST BATHROOM TO MAKE OUT IN

Tiffany & Company
727 Fifth Ave. (at 57th St.), 212-755-8000
We’ve done some research for those of you who want to sneak off for some hot lovin’ in public bathrooms. Trump Towers: dreadful. The Plaza: disappointing. And so you heard it here first: you can get breakfast and get it on at Tiffany’s. Bring a croissant and gaze at diamonds in the window display to get in the mood. Then, make your way past throngs of tourists to the elevators in back. We told the attendant we needed to get something engraved so he would take us to our true destination: the women’s lounge. Yes, it’s a single-sex bathroom, but the second floor is so quiet that no one noticed us stealing across the marble floors to the prettiest public bathroom in town where mahogany doors seal each closet-like stall for the utmost privacy. The lighting is soft and pale-we found it romantic. Once inside the stall, the cool, marble walls are hard and unforgiving, so canoodle with care.

BEST PUBLIC-ISH BATHROOM

W Hotel in Union Square
201 Park Ave. South (at 18th St.),
212-253-9119
The line at Starbucks is always out of control and most restaurants want you to buy something, so where is there to relieve yourself when you’ve got to go so bad your teeth are floating? Why, the W Hotel, of course. Don’t mind the scary doormen or the hordes packed into the lobby bar, just saunter over the grand staircase, walk up one level and follow the signs marked “WC.” What you have here are clean, delightful restrooms with no lines and no purchase necessary.

BEST NEWSCASTER

Kaity Tong, CW-11 News at Ten
Who could forget how the divine Kaity Tong shone in 2007 when she brilliantly covered the now-infamous “Fried Mice” story of a Canarsie Chinese restaurant where a woman found a rodent in her meal. Turns out the story was a hoax, but our feelings about Kaity remain true. With none of the haughtiness of Rosanna Scotto (who was recently shoved into the morning news slot at our local Fox affiliate) or the blue language of foul-mouthed Sue Simmons, Kaity, who has been working in local news since 1981, manages to be professional, quick-witted and-rare for a newscaster-actually funny every night at 10. We might not know where our children are, but we sure know where to turn for the best in local television news.

BEST-LOOKING OLD TIMER

The Brooklyn Bridge at 125. Sorry Ed Koch…