With its graceful, imposing cast-iron buildings, vast, airy restaurants, charming cobblestone streets, and assortment of inviting triangular parks, TriBeCa manages to feel both quaint and cosmopolitan. By day, the neighborhood has a low-key energy that feels inviting, intimate and family-friendly; by night, it takes a sexier, more sophisticated turn. Once an outpost of industrial warehouses and artist lofts, the neighborhood has retained its creative spirit today through its numerous galleries and lively performing arts spaces. Restaurants such as Nobu and Bouley boast some of the culinary world's most daring chefs, while an array of casual daytime spots like Le Pain Quotidien throw their doors open early to offer rustic breakfasts at sun-drenched communal tables. Shopping opportunities range from gourmet foodstuffs at the 123-year-old Bazzini to upscale furniture stores to the much-beloved art-supply store Pearl Paint, while the nightlife scene offers everything from elegant wine bars to local dives frequented by off-duty firefighters. Boldfaced notables including Robert De Niro, Jay-Z and the late John F. Kennedy Jr. all took up residency in this quiet downtown refuge, but you needn't share their tax bracket to gorge on a gooey slice of spinach-and-almond pizza from Saluggi's before wandering past the gorgeous restored 18th-century town houses on Harrison Street or taking a spin on the waterfront bike path at Hudson River Park.

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