For Brooklyn Fans
Stay Here: The Nu Hotel (85 Smith St., nr. Atlantic Ave., Boerum Hill; 718-852-8585), one of Brooklyn’s first boutique inns. Rooms have funky touches like hammocks and bathroom chalkboards, and the restaurant- and shop-jammed section of Smith Street is just a short walk away. The hotel even offers loaner bikes. Block rates average about $199; couples can book 10 to 30 rooms.
Do This: Catch a concert at wind-powered performance space Littlefield (622 Degraw St., nr. Third Ave., Gowanus; 718-855-3388). Then on Sunday, treat guests to buckwheat crêpes and frittata on the patio at rustic-chic Chestnut (271 Smith St., nr. Degraw St., Carroll Gardens; 718-243-0049). Space rental starts at $25 per person (up to 50 people).
For Serious Eaters
Stay Here: The recently renovated Carlton Hotel (88 Madison Ave., nr. 29th St.; 212-532-4100), where room service comes from the French-inspired Millesime restaurant, run by two-star Michelin chef Laurent Manrique. Block rates start at $239; if the whole thing gets reserved, newlyweds score a complimentary suite.
Do This: Every Friday, chefs-in-training at the Natural Gourmet Institute (48 W. 21st St., nr. Sixth Ave., second fl.; 212-645-5170) serve three-course vegetarian meals at candlelit communal tables ($40 a person). Further uptown is David Chang mecca Má Pêche (15 W. 56th St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 212-757-5878), where a private room seats fourteen (from $120 per person for a four-course dinner with wine pairings).
For Hard Partiers
Stay Here: The Ace Hotel (20 W. 29th St., nr. Broadway; 212-679-2222), whose lobby bar can easily double as a post-reception party. Ground-floor stores include outposts of downtown stalwarts No. 8 and Opening Ceremony. Rooms, decked out with turntables and original art, start at $300, though bunk-bed setups are available from $199. Blocks of ten rooms or more receive discounts.
Do This: Chorus Karaoke (25 W. 32nd St., nr. Broadway, third fl.; 212-967-2244) in nearby Koreatown rents out private rooms and offers more than 80,000 songs. Have a nightcap at the luxe Flatiron Lounge (37 W. 19th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-727-7741), a Jazz Age–inspired locale with old-fashioned drinks.
For Bargain Seekers
Stay Here: The Gershwin Hotel (7 E. 27th St., nr. Madison Ave.; 212-545-8000), whose digs include communal “bunkers” with beds for $39 a night and a rotating selection of artwork. Standard-room rates start at $149, and blocks must contain at least ten rooms to be discounted.
Do This: Danny Meyer’s barbecue joint Blue Smoke (116 E. 27th St., nr. Park Ave. South; 212-447-7733) can fit eleven to sixteen people at a table; the semi-private balcony, meanwhile, seats up to 34 (from $30 a head). At the Peoples Improv Theater (123 E. 24th St., nr. Park Ave. South; 212-563-7488), fans of SNL will get a kick out of sketch-comedy group Harvard Sailing Team, which performs Friday nights at 9:30. Buying ten or more tickets lowers the price from $10 to $8 a pop.