1. Max Fish: "Max Fish has been a Lower East Side artist hangout since the early '90's. It's not pretentious and I still run into friends every time I'm there."
Max Fish, 178 Ludlow Street (near Houston Street); 212-529-3959.
2. Lit: "This is a grimy, dive bar with good music. There is an art gallery in the back. A couple of my friends work there."
Lit, 93 Second Avenue (near 5th Street); 212-777-7987.
3. The Ace Hotel: "My favorite new place to stay in NYC. It is upscale bohemian. Funky and classic at the same time. They support artists."
The Ace Hotel, 20 West 29th Street (near Avenue of the Americas); 212-679-2222.
4. Café: Habana: "They have great Cuban food. I love the corn with cheese and chile powder."
Café Habana, 17 Prince Street (near Elizabeth Street); 212-625-2001.
5. The Hole: "The Hole is taking over where Jeffrey Deitch left off. They are showing high quality art but in a fun way. At the Hole, street meets elite."
The Hole, 104 Greene Street (between Prince and Spring); 212-226-3000.