The Toy Trade New York City. It's an insomniac's dream and an urbanite's Eden. It's a universe unto itself, where lofty skyscrapers defy gravity, the streets belong to maniacal cabbies, every corner is ruled by a territorial pretzel vendor, and law and order have been supplanted by attitude and chaos. But if you follow these two rules, all will be well.
Caffeine is good.
To start, fortify yourself with a double espresso at Caffe Reggio in the West Village. Then take on the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but leave enough time to view the collection of cookware upstairs at Zabar's. Hear the hilarious Friday-night poetry slam at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and join the tourists beneath the stars atop the Empire State Building. Suck on the blow torch at Panna II or one of the other Indian dives along East Sixth Street, and witness the high-octane attitude of the city's hipsters at the trendy Global 33. Get kicked out of the Guggenheim for roller skating down the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed spiral gallery, then coast down to the museum's second location in SoHo and across to Zoe for a decadent dessert.