A Freelancer’s Lower Manhattan Day Circuit with Danielle Paterson
Danielle Paterson is a London and New York–based curator, advisor, and researcher working at the intersection of art, technology, business, and social culture. Her work focuses on new media art, world-building, techno-spirituality, creative economies, and machine influence. Through exhibitions, books, and programming initiatives, she develops frameworks for how artists build worlds, communities, and markets in a technologically mediated culture, with a focus on making emerging platforms and art economies more accessible, transparent, and artist-driven.
She is Curator and Community Manager at the New York based art-tech studio Metalabel, curates for various London and New York based arts organizations, and is a mentor for NEW INC at the New Museum.
Danielle hand-picks 17 spots for a day circuit as a freelancer in Lower Manhattan.
Ludlow Coffee Supply
Love to start the morning at Ludlow Coffee Supply with a maple latte before the day properly begins. It’s a good place to ease into emails or take a quick call while the neighborhood is still quiet. The regulars drift in slowly and it feels like the calm before the downtown day actually kicks off.
Ludlow Flea Market
If I’m between calls on the weekend, I’ll wander through the Ludlow Flea Market. There’s always some mix of vintage clothes, random objects, and rotating sellers. It’s a nice excuse to step away from the laptop for a bit.
Entrance Gallery
Before breakfast I’ll stop into Entrance. It’s a small artist-run Lower East Side gallery that consistently shows interesting emerging artists. It’s the kind of place you can pop into for five minutes and still leave feeling like you saw something new.
Dimes Deli
Dimes Deli is where mid-morning breakfast usually happens with a friend or another freelancer. People come in for smoothies and breakfast sandwiches before settling into a few hours of work. You’ll overhear conversations about art openings, tech projects, and whatever everyone’s building that week.
Europa Gallery
Europa is another quick gallery stop along the way. The programming often leans experimental and feels very connected to the younger downtown scene. It’s the kind of space where you can see something unexpected on a random weekday.
Pier 35 Swings
If I need to take a call, I’ll sometimes walk over to the swings at Pier 35. It’s quiet enough to talk but still feels like you’re outside the city for a minute. Sitting there with the river in front of you is a surprisingly good reset during the workday.
Gern en Regalia
On the way back from the pier I’ll stop by Gern en Regalia. It’s the coolest gallery in Lower Manhattan showing the weird, bizarre, and always most fascinating emerging work.
Tokio 7
On the way back through the neighborhood I’ll usually stop into Tokio 7 to see if anything good has come in. It’s a classic East Village consignment shop with racks of designer and vintage pieces. Even if you don’t buy anything it’s fun to dig through.
Abraço
Abraço is where a lot of coffee meetings happen. The espresso is strong and the space is tiny, but somehow everyone ends up here at some point. It’s one of those places where you almost always run into someone you know.
Dashwood Books
Dashwood Books is the downtown collectors hub for new books and zines. It’s small but incredibly well curated, and I’ll usually spend some time flipping through photography and art books. It’s a good place to reset creatively in the middle of the day.
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a must if you like comics, zines, or sci-fi culture. It’s been part of the downtown landscape forever and still feels like a treasure trove. I’ll usually stop in to browse for a few minutes before heading back to work.
Company Gallery
Before settling back in to work I’ll stop by Company Gallery. They consistently show strong contemporary artists and the exhibitions are always thoughtfully installed. It’s a good reminder of how dense the gallery ecosystem still is downtown.
Silence Please
Later in the afternoon I’ll head to Silence Please to actually get work done. The matcha is great and the sound system is one of the best in a café. It’s a good place to focus while still feeling like you’re part of the downtown rhythm.
Le French Diner
When work wraps up I’ll try to meet someone or go solo for dinner at Le French Diner and try my luck at the walk-in seats. There are only about a dozen of them, which makes snagging one feel like a little victory. It’s cozy, small, and always perfectly satisfying.
All Blues
All Blues is one of the best places downtown to actually listen to music. It’s a jazz listening room with great food and drinks, and people come here to sit and pay attention. It’s the perfect place to end the day.
Mr. Fong’s
The night can often end at Mr. Fong’s. It’s chaotic in the best way and almost guaranteed you’ll run into someone you know. A classic downtown late-night stop.
El Castillo de Jagua
El Castillo is the last stop for tostones and oxtail if they’re still open. It’s one of those neighborhood spots that always hits exactly right after a long downtown day. Simple, comforting, and perfect to end the night if you catch it in time.