1. The best bar, best bathroom, best bus line, best block party, best back-crack, best Brooklyn hipster haircuts, best gossip, best magazine browsing, best patriot outlaws...Does it get any better? The VILLAGE VOICE Best of NYC www.villiagevoice.com

2. Best Way To Find Whatever It Is That You're Looking For: www.CITYSEARCH.COM helps you find bars, restaurants, shops, and museums all time—and I've yet to come across an incorrect phone number or location.

Cuppa Coffee

3. JACK'S COFFEE -- ‘Jack is no ordinary coffee shop’. Stir brewed coffee, premium teas, live music on Tuesday, and Thursday night movies. ‘Great Vibe’. 138 W 10th St.

4. The Village Voice has named MUD 'The Best Coffee Empire'. Giving NYC residents an alternative to Star$$$$'s take-over. Look for orange truck at Astor Place and Union Square.

5. THE HUNGARIAN PASTRY SHOP - A Heavenly view of Cathedral of Saint John Divine. Amsterdam & 109th Street.

6. THE CUPCAKE CAFE - is close to Broadway and fabulous 42nd Street area where there are movies, arcade games, and a wonderful cluster of import shops. It is just behind New York, New Jersey Port Authority in an area where you might not think to stroll. Located at 522 9th Avenue on corner of 39th Street, nearby highway leads to Lincoln Tunnel.

7. HOUSINGWORKS USED BOOKS & CAFE--'Soho's Best kept secret'- 126 Crosby Street, NYC 10012.

HAVE MORE FUN!

8. BIKRAM YOGA-Offering classes in Bikram-style Yoga (Hot Yoga), a form of hatha yoga conducted in a heated room. www.Bikramyoganyc.com

9. GALAPAGOS- 'May be only public place in town where (while imbibing) you can hear a reading of Shakespeare's Tempest, shimmy to live Cuban music and see trapeze artists all in same month.' 70 North 6th St. (Williamsburg/ Greenpoint) Between Wythe and Kent Aves. Take L train to Brooklyn718-782-5188

10. Poetry Slams. With poetry or prose, untried and unstoppable writers gain stage worthy experience. NUYORICAN POETS CAFE 236 E 3rd between B & C (212) 505-8183

11. THE BOWERY POETRY CLUB - 308 Foot of First Street between Houston & Bleecker

12. FILM FORUM- 209 W. HOUSTON ST. N.Y., NY 10014 BOX OFFICE: (212) 727-8110 New York's leading movie house for independent premieres and repertory programming -- The Film Forum presents independent filmmakers, international collections, complete retrospectives of worthy filmmakers, silent films, and mini-festivals

13. LEISURE TIME BOWLING AND COCKTAIL LOUNGE at Port Authority Between Eighth and Ninth Ave from 40th to 42nd Streets, 268-6909 Electronic scoring! Lotsa Lanes!!

14. ST. ANN'S WAREHOUSE - Aritists, audiences, volunteers, creative freedom and some of best perfomances in outer bounds of entertainment. 38 Water Street Dumbo Brooklyn

15. THE STORYBOOTH is a soundproof environment where you can record your story or stories of your loved ones located between Track 13 and 14 of Grand Central Terminal.

16. BRYANT PARK a green and sensual urban oasis including "Seventh on Sixth" fashion shows; JVC Jazz Festival; "New York Times Young Performers Series"; lunchtime concerts by Juilliard students; Monday night movies in summer; Kaleidoscope Circus; boules and chess games.

LISTEN UP

17 WNYC National Public Radio 820-AM

18. WFMU College Free Form 91.1- FM

19. WFUV-FM Adult Alternative 90.7

PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER WHEN THEY ARE LEARNING

20. WARD STUDIO is a coveted acting studio in Meisner Approach. Offering summer sabbaticals for corporate professional and intensive acting training for serious minded actor. 145 West 28th St. Ny, Ny 212-239-1456 www.wardstudio.com

21. DANCE THEATRE WORKSHOP @ 219 West 19th St. is about supporting and advancing work of artists - constantly evolving to sustain artists at every stage of their development. They provide a wide range of administrative, promotional and technical services to community of independent artists in New York, across country and around world.

In August 1909 German teacher Richard Schirrmann had been caught in a violent thunderstorm on an eight day migration with his pupils and found accommodation in a barn by a farmer.

While pupils were sleeping, Schirrmann was laying awake whole night.

The thought attacked him suddenly, “One would have to create places, at which move-joyful young people and pupils receive a safe and inexpensive overnight stay”.

He published this idea for first time in 1910 in an essay about “Voksschuelerherbergen” ("elementary school pupil lodgings"),

"…also boys and girls of common man must practice fresh merry moving as counterweight for room stool time of their school years... how do I imagine now appropriate and sufficient lodgings for enormous army of elementary school pupils?... each city and nearly each village has an elementary school, which almost waits in holidays with empty areas for it, into a sleep and a dining hall for move-merry children to be transformed. Two classrooms are sufficient, one for boys, one for girls. The banks are set partly one above other. That gives free area for list of 15 beds. ... each camp place consists of a tautly with straw plugged bag and cushion, 2 sheets and a blanket... each child is stopped to bring its camp place back in order finely neat... "

After publication of this essay in "Koelnische Zeitung” (Cologne Newspaper) numerous money and gift contributions in kind and support offers came from whole Germany.

In 1912 first youth hostel was opened in Altenia Castle, Germany

The first youth hostel was arranged according to Schirrmann’s plans: 2 sleeping halls with 3-storied solid wood beds, a dayroom, kitchen, wash and shower rooms. First hostel warden was Richard Schirrmann. He lived directly above hostel rooms. In same year Schirrmann also published first hostel listing with approximately 140 addresses.

In many of these lodgings however were not even basics of accommodations, e.g. for girls were nothing at all.

In 1913 were already 301 youth hostels in cities and villages. One year later one counted already 535.

In 1920 first expenditure of "youth hostel" magazine appeared, and with approximately 700 addresses first manual with addresses by youth hostels were published.