Eastern Escapes

Here's a quick summary of Cafe Khufu: hookahs, organic tea, pleasing to the eyes design, friendly staff that will make you feel like you've known them all your life, great relaxing music, and a really chilli vibe that's extremely hard to find in New York City. The thick aromatic smoke created by the hookahs will transport you from the East Village to a mysterious Eastern land. The big variety of organic teas are served in small metal carafes and tiny glass cups and will give you the energy you need to power through the work week--this shot of relaxation is exactly what you need after a long day of work in the big city.

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Other • Extended Coverage Area

Pig Out on Pork Products

Pork rind lovers: your search is over. As the restaurant that has proclaimed itself as the one that serves "The best chicharron (pork rind) in the world," they sure are surpassing their customers' expectations. The locale in 4892 Broadway was the very first one and it has been expanding it's name to other parts of New York and New Jersey. So in order to really appreciate this place you have to throw your health-conscious self out the window because for Elsa, flavor does come first. Each day they have a variety of Dominican plates to choose from at affordable prices. These include chicharron (obviously), pork chunks, white rice and beans, cod and eggplant, mondongo, baked chicken, sweet plantains, cassava omelet, fried steak and roast pork, to mention a few. You'll love it even if you can't roll your R's.

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Restaurants • Inwood

Travel the World

For those of us who yearn to travel, there's no better source for information than Idlewild Books, a small but formidable bookstore that embraces planet-wide exploration. Their selection of travel guides should be enough to get you there (you can pick up a number of NFT products), but they also have a highly intriguing set of travel memoirs and essays. Pick up any one of them and read the synopsis, and there's an excellent chance you'll be hooked. On top of that, they have some of the most attractive globes I've ever seen, and I don't even think about globes with any great frequency. Idlewild has something to please every type of traveler, from urban backpackers to adventure seekers to luxury tourists, and offers a few seats to sit back and compare books.

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Shopping • Flatiron / Lower Midtown

Buen Provecho

When you mix fresh fruit, ice, milk, and sugar, good things are bound to happen. Example: Daniel's Fruit-opia is always packed with people of all ages. The reason? Well, this joint knows how to make a perfect shake. Ideal for an improvised breakfast if you're heading to the 1 Train on 207th Street, a midday snack packed with vitamins, or an evening post-dinner dessert. Customers have a bunch of fresh fruit to choose from: kiwi, papaya, strawberry, cantaloupe, pineapple--the list goes on and on--and you can add extras such as granola, nuts, or maybe even prunes. For a quick bite to make a meal, grab a fresh muffin or a Dominican pastelito, very popular around this area. Buen provecho.

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Restaurants • Inwood

Work-Out of the Recession

Ten bucks these days can buy you a sandwich on Wall Street. Or it can buy you a one-month membership to Planet Fitness in Inwood. If you're trying to get buff on a budget, this is the place to be. The facilities are spacious, it has a good selection of machines that will let you work out every muscle in your body, an entire cardio floor with a wide variety of TV channels, and a 30-minute circuit workout. Members can also use the tanning booths for an additional fee. The staff is friendly and is trained to help you use the machines, but since there are no studios, this is pretty much a "help yourself gym." Try to avoid peak hours as it can get a little crowded and stuffy. Luckily that's no problem, since this gym is open 24 hours. Nothing like doing some ab crunches at 3 am...

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Gyms • Extended Coverage Area