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By Root 1914 0

calcium with a stop at il laboratorio del gelato (188 Ludlow St., between Stanton and E. Houston Sts. | 10002 | 212/343–9922) for creamy scoops of ice cream and sorbet in unusual flavors like basil, grapefruit hibiscus, and wasabi. Cake with your gelato? Zip to Sugar Sweet Sunshine (126 Rivington St., between Essex and Norfolk Sts. | 10002 | 212/995–1960), a homey little bakery where you can nibble on a cupcake with chocolate-almond frosting or a slice of red velvet cake. For something healthy, get a table at the teany café (90 Rivington St., between Orchard and Ludlow Sts. | 10002 | 212/475–9190), a vegetarian spot with light meals, sweets, and more than 90 teas to try.

BEST FOR

Vintage

Edith Machinist: big names from the 1970s and ’80s, whopping shoulder pads, and often hefty price tags.

Las Venus: Danish modern furniture, princess phones, boomerang ashtrays in punchy colors.

Clothes with bite

J.D. Fisk: classic but cool menswear like distressed boots, vintage T-shirts, and denim jackets.

Foley & Corinna: mixes vintage-y new clothes with the truly vintage.

Old-world food

Russ & Daughters (179 E. Houston St., at 1st Ave. | 10002): smoked salmon, pickled herring, and babka, oh my.

The Pickle Guys (49 Essex St. | 10002 | 212/656–9739): move beyond the half-sours to the zingy full-sour and horseradish pickle spears.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE WEST VILLAGE

It’s easy to feel like a local, not a tourist, while shopping in the West Village. Unlike 5th Avenue or SoHo, the pace is slower, the streets are relatively quiet, and the scale is small. This is the place to come for unusual finds rather than global-brand goods (well, if you don’t count Marc Jacobs).

Bleecker Street is a particularly good place to indulge all sorts of shopping appetites. Foodies love the blocks between 6th and 7th avenues for the specialty purveyors like Murray’s Cheese (254 Bleecker St.). Fashion foragers prowl the stretch between West 10th Street and 8th Avenue, and avid readers lose themselves in the bookbook bookshop. Hudson Street and Greenwich Avenue are also prime boutique-browsing territory. Christopher Street, true to its connection with the lesbian and gay community, has a handful of rainbow-flag stops. High rents mean there are fewer student-oriented shops around NYU than you might expect.

BEST TIME TO GO

Tuesday through Friday afternoons for a focused shopping stint, Saturday afternoon if you get a buzz from people-watching or the competitive aspect of busier boutiques. (Keep in mind that most stores here are small, so even a half dozen fellow browsers can make a shop feel crowded.) On Sunday the area’s a bit bogged down by brunchers, and stores have shorter hours.

REFUELING

Skip Magnolia Bakery; there’s always a line, and besides, a vast number of other places are great for a pick-me-up in this neighborhood. The house-made sweets at Amy’s Bread (250 Bleecker St., at Leroy St. | 10014 | 212/675–7802), like the layer-cake slices and “kitchen sink” cookies, are both homey and delicious. Try an Irish soda roll or a sandwich on raisin-and-fennel bread. At Cones (272 Bleecker St., between Morton and Jones Sts. | 10014 | 212/414–1795), you can lap up a rich ginger or pistachio ice cream.

BEST FOR

Nonchalant-chic clothes

Marc Jacobs: the casual (but not cheap) line with seemingly unstoppable downtown street cred.

Castor & Pollux: feminine pieces that feel simultaneously vintage and modern.

Írma: the place to pair cult jeans, motorcycle boots, and a revealing top.

Ludivine: a direct feed to the Parisian femme’s fashion scene.

Cynthia Rowley: party-friendly outfits for when a girl needs a halter top or a filmy dress.

Home decor

Mxyplyzyk: household necessities and accessories get a jolt of saucy humor.

Olatz: divine bedding and pajamas in a Havana-inspired setting.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT

For nearly a century, this industrial western edge of downtown Manhattan was defined by slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, blood-splattered cobblestone streets, and men lugging carcasses into warehouses way before dawn.

But in