Yes, we know Brooklyn is the new sweet spot for New Yorkers who consider themselves in touch with the zeitgeist of the city. But the fact remains that Manhattan is the primary reason millions risk life, limb and financial ruin to flock to New York City every day. Quintessential New York writer Jimmy Breslin once said, “People born in Queens, raised to say that each morning they get on the subway and ‘go to the city,’ have a resentment of Manhattan, of the swiftness of its life and success of the people who live there.” Although many remain in borough-envy-denial, the reality of this statement holds true even in the new age of the $2 million Red Hook apartment. 

But there is one common denominator—access. If you’ve got the will, and, in some cases the cash, nothing in this city has to be foreign to you if you choose to engage it. Those who come here putting on airs of classist leanings, a higher developed sense of cultural taste or intellectual superiority are usually brought swiftly down to earth by the sheer crush of humanity filling New York’s streets. Few here can avoid contact with the common man or woman, and that’s what continues to make this city great. You never know exactly who you are going to run into and where that chance meeting will lead. In that spirit of adventure, we present you with a starter kit to finding the hidden gems that this incredible city has to offer. Enjoy! 

BEST OF MANHATTAN CONTRIBUTORS: 

Justin Ravitz, Jesse Serwer, Tray Butler, C.J. Sullivan, Francesca Di Meglio, Joshua M. Bernstein, Kari Milchman, Christine Werthman, Adario Strange, Jerry Portwood, Gerry Visco, Alison Woods, J.R. Taylor, Stephanie Barlow, Lisa LaMotta, Hamilton Nolan, Alison Woods, Patricia Abate, Kristine Ducusin, Noelle Stout, Jamie Sharp, Brooke Morton.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY: PAT LEWIS

Photographs by:

David Matthew Walters

Ismael Medina