56 HENRY
56 Henry Street, New York, NY 10002

Owned by Eleanor Rines, 56 Henry is a contemporary art gallery located in the Two Bridges neighborhood of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, known for its track record of nurturing emerging talent.

METROGRAPH
7 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002

Evocative of bygone days where movie-going was a night in and of itself, this newer cinema opened in 2016 with two screens for its wide-ranging repertory programming, a film journal and a stately restaurant upstairs designed after the commissaries of old Hollywood studio backlots.

JAMES FUENTES
55 Delancey Street, New York, NY 10002

James Fuentes has championed a gallery program that is led by exceptional contemporary artists who are atypical from the conventions of their field, with a focus on humanity, history and society with a non-exclusionary approach.

MAGENTA PLAINS
149 Canal Street, New York, NY 10002

Magenta Plains aims to bring greater attention to significant art and artists regardless of age or career, fostering context and meaning for the development of new ideas and preserving work by artists from older generations.

CAFE HIMALAYA
78 E 1st St, New York, NY 10009

“When I lived on the Lower East Side, I frequented Cafe Himalaya for their Chili Dofu, Avocado Salad and Sha Momo. Even with the rapid developments the surrounding neighborhood has experienced, this restaurant has retained its humble charm. The service is fantastic, and it's my go-to before heading to an opening.” — Amie Cunat

FIREHOUSE: DCTV’S CINEMA FOR DOCUMENTARY FILM
87 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10013

A new dedicated venue for documentary films—one of just a few in the entire world. In the works since the founding of the Downtown Center for Community Television (DCTV) in 1972, the Firehouse theater will project first-run debuts and curated programs on their screen, with an adjoining space for events, workshops and classes.

SARGENT’S DAUGHTERS & SHRINE
179 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002

The two galleries are housed in the same shared space in Chinatown. Named after painter John Singer Sargent, Sargent’s Daughters interest is in artists whose work combines the same qualities of tradition and cutting-edge as the gallery’s namesake. SHRINE is focused on highlighting emerging contemporary, outsider and self-taught artists.

HASHIMOTO CONTEMPORARY
54 Ludlow Street, New York, NY 10002

Originally founded in San Francisco in 2013, Ken Harman Hashimoto’s gallery now has additional locations in New York’s Lower East Side and in Los Angeles.

FILM FORUM
209 W Houston St, New York, NY 10014

From Agnès Varda to Christopher Nolan, this four-screen nonprofit cinema is beloved by visiting filmmakers and local audiences alike. Since its inception in 1970, their robust programming slate has been dedicated to repertory classics and independent and arthouse premieres. In 2022, actor and director André Gregory told the Times, “If New York lost the Statue of Liberty, it would not be a real loss, but if Film Forum disappeared, it would be absolutely heartbreaking.”

CHARLES MOFFETT
431 Washington Street, New York, NY 10013

Charles Moffett is a contemporary art gallery that represents emerging and mid-career artists and hosts a yearly program in its Canal Street space.

KAPP KAPP
86 Walker Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013

Founded by Sammy and Daniel Kapp, Kapp Kapp is dedicated to working with artists to build insightful, vibrant and intimate exhibitions, also producing artist books and catalogues.

JACK HANLEY
177 Duane Street, New York, NY 10013

Jack Hanley Gallery provides a loft-like showcase for contemporary painting, sculpture, multimedia installation and performance art.

IFC CENTER
323 6th Ave, New York, NY 10014

Formerly the historic Waverly Theater, best remembered for spawning the raucous midnight audience-participation screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. IFC took over the space in 2005 and built out additional screens, recurring film programs and their own merch line, including a T-shirt series pairing director-auteurs with heavy metal bands. They also host the annual DOC NYC and Human Rights Watch film festivals.”

T.J. BYRNES BAR
77 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038

“My favorite sleepy bar.” — Miles Huston

THE IRISH HUNGER MEMORIAL
North End Ave &, Vesey St, New York, NY 10280

“An underrated spot that I really love is the monument to the potato famine in Battery Park. You get a stroll through an Irish landscape in a canyon of hedge funds.” — Miles Huston

QUAD CINEMA
34 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011

When the Quad Cinema opened in 1972, it was the first theater in the city to house multiple screens under one roof. As a frequent haunt of Andy Warhol, the cinema enjoys a somewhat unique legacy within queer NYC history, thanks to the droves of his fans who would attend trying to catch a glimpse.

SEAN HORTON (PRESENTS)
515 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011

Sean Horton (Presents) acts as a platform for a variety of art-related endeavors including: exhibitions, special projects, art fairs, commissions, museum acquisitions, private sales and advisory services.

PARIS THEATER
4 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019

This legendary theater is the longest-running arthouse cinema in the city, and Manhattan’s only remaining single-screen venue. Opened by French distributor Pathé in 1948, the Arte Moderne-styled movie house was renovated in 2019 by Netflix, who now operates the space to screen their films and special repertory programming.

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER
70 Lincoln Center Plaza #4, New York, NY 10023

Founded in 1969 and home to the country’s largest film festival (the New York Film Festival), this nonprofit cinema with four state-of-the-art screens also publishes the legendary cinematic journal Film Comment and presents its annual Chaplin Award at a grandiose gala ceremony (most recently to Cate Blanchett!).

THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE
515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10037

Recommended by LaKela Brown.

RICHARD BEAVERS GALLERY
408 Marcus Garvey Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY 11216 & 14 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013

Established in 2007, Richard Beavers Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery with a program of artists whose work depicts various aspects of life in an urban environment through a multitude of genres. The gallery has just opened its second location in SoHo.

ARTSHACK CAFE AND BAR
1129 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216

“It's hard to pick just one thing or place, but my pick would be the new Artshack Cafe and Bar in BedStuy. It's super cute with great cafe drinks (teas, coffee etc.) but also has beer and wine, pastries and other food. Everything is served out of the ceramics made in the studios which are located behind and next to the cafe. I love that it's connected to and supports this great artists' space and community. I've been working with ceramics here for the past 6 months or so and will be participating in their residency this winter with an exhibition in their gallery space this spring.” — Adrienne Elise Tarver

SWIVEL GALLERY
329 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216

Swivel Gallery (designed and built by its owner’s bare hands) is a contemporary art gallery that delivers cutting-edge exhibitions by some of the top emerging artists, showcasing talent in sculpture, installation, painting, film and performance.

THE LIFE WELLNESS CENTER
376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216

“Beautiful environment with an apothecary, massages, and acupuncture.” — LaKela Brown

NITEHAWK CINEMA
136 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 & 188 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Established in 2011, this eclectic cinema pairs their three-screen programming (first-run and repertory) with dinner—and drinks! In fact, Nitehawk set a landmark precedent when they overturned the prohibition-era state law that forbade liquor from being sold in movie theaters. Its Prospect Park location—housed in a historic Art Deco building—has continuously housed movie theaters since 1928 (formerly The Sanders and The Pavilion).

BAM ROSE CINEMAS
30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Housed in the renowned Brooklyn Academy of Music, this four-screen cinema opened in 1998 to show new releases and repertory programming, with a focus on local artists and independent cinema rarely screened elsewhere. Their annual BAMcinemaFest also gives a platform to emerging independent filmmakers from around the world.

SPECTACLE THEATER
124 S 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

“It’s a small DIY movie spot in Williamsburg with great, under-presented screenings… Super cool, really offbeat and interesting stuff. Also would love to give a shout out to Screen Slate - it’s a non-profit that reviews movies, organizes talks and screenings, and most importantly sends out a daily email with all the screenings and the like in NYC!” — Kadar Brock

THE BROOKLYN INN
148 Hoyt St. Brooklyn, NY 11217

"A photographer introduced me to this neighborhood bar a few years ago. Although it boasts gorgeous decorative features and participates in rich local history, it's not a pretentious space. When I want to have a conversation with another artist over drinks, I take them to this dive.” — Amie Cunat

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