CHELSEA. The enormous brick building between 15th and 16th was home to the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) from 1890 until the late 1950s. Today, the ground level is a wide-open shopping arcade where merchants specialize in fine wine, flowers, kitchen supplies, French pastries, gelato, produce and even butchered meat. In addition to the European-style market, the complex also features a handful of terrific restaurants (Buddaken and Morimoto, for example), and there's also live music (check calendar), knife sharpening (Wednesday and Saturday noon-6pm), and even tango dancing (Saturday from 4pm-8pm). NB The upper levels are dedicated to office space for, among others, the Food Network and Oxygen Network. TRAIN: A, C, E, L to 14th St-8th Ave

HELL'S KITCHEN. The rectangular section of Midtown West has a colorful history. But then, what else would you expect from a neighborhood called Hell's Kitchen? Years ago, these blocks were linked to the New York underworld, and it wasn't uncommon for rival gangs to find themselves at odds (c.f. "West Side Story"). Aside from all of the competition for luxury condos, neighborhood turbulence isn't an issue anymore. Hell's Kitchen (or Clinton, as many real estate developers refer to it) has been reinvented as a trendy neighborhood that's home to many young professionals, and its old storefronts have been converted into posh boutiques, bars and restaurants. In addition, there's the Annex / Hell's Kitchen Flea Market, whose 170-plus vendors specialize in everything from antiques to vintage clothing. TRAIN: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 to 42nd St/Times Square

HARLEM. For traditional African art and crafts, few places in NYC hold a candle to the wares available at Harlem's Shabazz Market. TRAIN: 2, 3 to 116th St

UNION SQUARE. This grassy enclosure is surrounded by some of Manhattan's best restaurants and boutique shops. The park, designed in the first half of the 19th century, is home to the popular Greenmarket, where you can buy flowers, plants and produce of all types. From November 24 to December 24, there's a bustling holiday market that carries everything from designer handbags to hand-crafted ornaments. Historically, the square has been the setting for political rallies and street-corner orators, much like Speaker's Corner in London; in recent times, it hosted candlelight vigils honoring the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. TRAIN: 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W to Union Sq-14th St