SoHo's Galleries, Boutiques and Good Eats

Since many galleries and shops open late, start your day at the always-packed Balthazar, which serves breakfast through late-night supper. The bistro makes excellent eggs and the bread is fantastic.

If it is too crowded, get coffee, croissants or loaves of bread to go from the attached bakery.

Later in the day, you can have fresh seafood here or a glass of wine and a salad.
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Address: 80 Spring St.
Phone: 212-965-1785
Hours:
BREAKFAST: Monday through Friday 7:30am - 11:30am; Saturday and Sunday 8am - 9am
BRUNCH Saturday and Sunday 9am - 4pm
LUNCH Monday through Friday 12pm - 5pm
DINNER AND AFTERHOURS Monday to Thursday 6pm - 12am; Friday and Saturday 6pm - 1am; Sunday 5:30pm - 12am

New Museum opened its shiny glass-and-steel building in 2007. The galleries have vertigo-inducing ceilings to accommodate large-scale artwork.

If you didn't get a chance to eat, Birdbath at the New Museum has seasonal, locally grown, organic food, including cookies, muffins and sandwiches.

The cafe's design incorporates environmentally sustainable products.
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Address: 235 Bowery
Phone: 212-219-1222
Hours:
Wednesday, Saturday-Sunday Noon-6pm
Thursday, Friday Noon-9pm
Admission:
General admission $12, Seniors $10, Students $8, 18 and under free

The Drawing Center is a small museum on a street with a couple of other galleries you can pop into. The museum usually has two exhibits of drawings and offers free gallery tours and family art workshops.

The Drawing Center also has a bathroom open to the public.
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35 Wooster St.
212-219-2166
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Hours
Wednesday, Friday-Sunday Noon-6pm
Thursday Noon-8pm
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Admission Free
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www.drawingcenter.org

Vespa SoHo sells tons of scooters in its huge showroom, though Soho's cobblestone streets are not suited for scooters. Ogle the brightly colored Vespas, get cool riding gloves and sunglasses, and consider how much money you'd save in gas driving a Vespa.

Next door, Imperial No. Nine, in the new Mondrian SoHo, offers sustainable seafood in a room under a glass roof. Even if you aren't eating or staying here, poke around the cool blue and white hotel lobby and the greenery-lined entrance.
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Vespa SoHo
13 Crosby St.
212-226-4410
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Hours
Tuesday-Friday 11am-7pm
Saturday Noon-6pm
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www.vespasoho.com

The British chain Topshop, which opened its only U.S. location in spring 2009, has trendy fashion for men (TopMan) and women's clothes and accessories.

It's like a more expensive Forever 21 or H&M--but since there's only one store, not everyone has the same clothes.
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478 Broadway
212-966-9555
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Hours
Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm
Sun 11am-8pm
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us.topshop.com

Pearl River Mart, right across the street from Topshop, has a huge selection of arts and crafts materials, inexpensive toys and satin slippers. Everything is made in China, so you can find tea, bags of rice, kites and candy, all dirt cheap. The old Chinatown store upgraded for SoHo and even has a waterfall.
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477 Broadway
212-431-4770
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Hours
Daily 10am-7:20pm
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www.pearlriver.com