Bowery, Bowery

Dominated by the campus of NYU, which is dotted all around this area, the small, little-known Great Jones Street is an ideal destination for artistically-inclined 20-somethings, whether NYU students or no, looking to get involved in the city's hipster-lite nightlife. With a massive NYU development at one end of the street, Great Jones Street is not the place to go to if you want to avoid noise or fake-IDs, but there's plenty of options if you're willing to join in the fun: check out the oddly named Chinatown Brasserie, or go low-key with the West 3rd Common. Le Basket is also popular for its French delicacies. One of the city's most popular brunches is at nearby Five Points, so gear up for an afternoon of mimosas and lox. There's also an enormously high number of art galleries, craftsmen, and vintage boutiques on the block, including Michael Andrews Bespoke and retro-types' dream Screaming Mimies, delivering high-class vintage gear. A lovely, lively street.

Great Jones is a two-block street that physically interrupts 3rd Street. I don't know if 3rd used to actually be Great Jones and they saved this little piece or what, exactly, the story is here, but Great Jones is different, aesthetically, from 3rd. While East 3rd is very much a Bowery street in aesthetic, Great Jones has more of a Nolita feel architecturally and business-wise. It's interesting because it's very old world looking and a little bit dirty but not Bowery dirty. And, there are a lot of really cool things on this tiny street.
Five Points restaurant on Great Jones is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It has an incredible menu and is always packed. We used to go there for brunch every Sunday. Their egg dishes are pretty unbeatable. It's kind of funny because it's a somewhat high-end food spot named for the biggest slum in New York that it is nowhere near (Five Points was in the LES). But, I still adore this place.
Great Jones Cafe is at Great Jones and Bowery. This is pretty much the opposite of Five Points in aesthetic and food quality. But, they have some pretty decent diner food and it's much cheaper. So, it's still a pretty good breakfast shop. Directly across the street is a Japanese restaurant that has great oysters. It used to be a carriage house that both Warhol and Basquiat lived in -- at different times, naturally.
Also, theres a great spa on the street (Great Jones Spa) that is directly across the street from Five Points which makes the street a great spot for a ladies who lunch day. Facial and Heuvos Rancheros with mimosas without even having to walk a block!

Great Jones Street is a short street between several neighborhoods in New York City, in what a real estate agent would call NoLiTa. It has a great atmosphere of change, with an auto shop and a firehouse right next door to boutique shops and a fantastic cafe (try the chili, and the sweet potato fries). It is short, but is in a great area and full of great little finds!