5 Fall Foliage Drives

The tables and benches fill up quickly inside Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten, a Lower East Side mainstay, whose stripped-down aesthetic sticks to exposed-brick walls, a planked floor, and no kitsch. Even more desirable is a spot in the patio-like garden in the back, where the concrete walls are brightened with planters. Don't come looking for the newest microbrew from the East Coast: The draft and bottle list here is German-only. Try one of the two smooth, light Kölsches, which—like the owner—are from Cologne. They're served in traditional narrow glasses that hold about seven ounces (200 mL). 7 Rivington St., 212/253-7077, loreleynyc.com, beer from $3. Michael "Bao" Huynh, who presides over a growing Vietnamese restaurant empire, brings a little bit of Southeast Asia to the Lower East Side with beer garden, Bia. Enter by navigating a facade that still looks like a greasy takeout joint—and come ready to quaff. The options on the all-Asian beer list are delivered in ice-filled metal pails in batches of six, 12, or 24 bottles. Seafood reigns on the street-food-inspired menu; the shrimp summer rolls ($7) and red snapper in a tamarind sauce pack a flavorful punch ($18). 154 Orchard St., 212/780-0010, beer from $4.50. A former candy, tobacco, and spices storage facility, Radegast Hall & Biergarten became stein central in 2007, when its long benches, oval tables, and annex with a retractable roof began to draw brew-loving locals: soccer fans, young families, and music lovers. A full kitchen means there's more than just sausages like the kielbasa ($9); either the schnitzel or the goulash, for instance, make for majorly satisfying eating (both $16). The dozen-odd draft list, primarily from Germany, includes the stellar wheat beer Franziskaner and the citrusy Blanche de Bruxelles. Well-priced specials keep both the suds and the good feelings flowing; on weekdays that vibe's often abetted by live 1920s- and '30s-era jazz. 113 N. 3rd St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718/963-3973, radegasthall.com, beer from $7. Hallo Berlin takes the beer garden indoors, with picnic tables, flags, and pennants from all over Germany, and a bar with half-liter steins and one-liter glasses at the ready. The Radeberger pilsner is a rightfully popular choice. Requisite sausages like Currywurst and brats are represented, but save some room for the piquant sides, namely the potato and pickled cucumber salad. The actual garden out back is small and fills up quickly as workers make their exodus from Midtown's office towers and locals stop by to shoot the breeze over some wurst. A smaller "express" branch is a few blocks away, on 9th Avenue. 626 10th Ave., 212/977-1944, halloberlinrestaurant.com, beer from $5. Come early to Zum Schneider, a never-deserted corner in the party-hearty East Village—it's especially hopping during soccer matches and on weekends, when an exuberant, preppy crowd sits for hours enjoying German brews and sharing plates of schnitzel, spaetzle, and sausage. If you're in the mood for something mild, opt for a Radler (cyclist), a refreshing mix of lager beer and lemon-lime soda that will keep you road-ready (half-liter $5, one liter $10). 107 Ave. C, 212/598-1098, zumschneider.com, beer from $4. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden is a living relic from the early 1900s, when New York's population swelled with Czechs, Germans, and Slovaks, who made beer gardens an everyday part of city life. Still owned and operated by its founding Czech-Slovak benevolent society, the beer hall keeps the Mittel-European vibe intact with live music and waitresses able to lug an impressive number of steins of Staropramen, a popular Czech beer on tap. Guzzling post-collegiates pack the garden's picnic tables late into the night. 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria, Queens, 718/274-4925, bohemianhall.com, beer from $5. When beer halls start to seem too rowdy and loud, head to much calmer Vol de Nuit in Greenwich Village. Although the bare-bones, redbrick courtyard and its metal café chairs and tables won't win any design awards, Vol de Nuit's distance from the street makes it a serene locale for sipping one of the Belgian beers that pair amiably with the mussels and fries—the only things on the menu. The bar's interior is decorated with a pressed-tin ceiling, hurricane lamps, and a small bar cozied up against a back corner and dimly lit with bare red lightbulbs. It's all quite soothing. After a few sips, you could imagine yourself transported to a sleepy side street in New Orleans's French Quarter. 148 W. 4th St., 212/982-3388, voldenuitbar.com, beer from $6.

About the photographer In spring 2010, Vanessa Able made a leap of faith and set out from Mumbai in a cheap, light, fuel-efficient Tata Nano for a three-month road trip that raised money for Women's World Banking. 1 Women light candles to float downstream with flowers during the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony in the town of Rishikesh. Hindus worship the sacred Ganges River, personified as a woman. [PHOTO] 2 A monk tends to a statue of the Buddha in Bodh Gaya. The little town is a major pilgrimage destination, as it's the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bo tree around 2,500 years ago. Behind the temple building is a descendant of the original tree that shaded the Buddha. [PHOTO] 3 TTwo young men splattered with colored powder on Goa's Arambol beach. During the springtime festival of Holi, it's traditional to celebrate by flinging the bright powder at friends and family. [PHOTO] 4 A wheel at the Sun Temple in Konark, Orissa. The temple dates back to the 13th century, when it was dedicated to Surya, the god of the sun. It's aligned perfectly for solstice and equinox sun movements, and modeled on the shape of a chariot, with 12 pairs of stone wheels adorning the outside and seven bucking horses pulling it from the front toward the sunrise. [PHOTO] 5 A merchant outside the Kali Temple in Kolkata inspects his wares: dozens of figurines of the head of India's most terrifying goddess, Kali. [PHOTO] 6 A young Sikh man bathes in the lotus pool at the center of Sikhism's holiest shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It welcomes visitors of every faith and offers food and accommodations. When the dormitories are full, worshippers often bed down among the temple's arches and marble walkways. [PHOTO] 7 Monks say their prayers before evening meditation outside the Maha Bodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. [PHOTO] 8 The white-stone Gothic St. Paul's Cathedral, built in Kolkata in 1840. It's one of the most potent reminders of British colonialism in the city formerly known as Calcutta, the onetime seat of the Raj. [PHOTO] 9 A boy washes himself in the Ganges River in Rishikesh. Each year, millions of Hindu pilgrims flock to the Ganges to bathe in the sacred waters—an act that many believe brings profound fulfillment to their lives. [PHOTO] 10 Mani prayer wheels in the Dalai Lama's temple in McLeod Ganj, a town in the region of Himachal Pradesh. Each wheel is filled with thousands of mantras dedicated to Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion. Turning the wheel once is said to generate merit equal to reciting all of the mantras contained inside it. [PHOTO] 11 A Brahman going to bathe at Kolkata's Kalighat Temple—one of the few remaining Indian temples that still practice regular animal sacrifice. Black goats are beheaded here every morning to the sound of a beating drum. Their bodies are then offered up to appease the ever-bloodthirsty goddess Kali. [PHOTO] 12 A boy prays before a statue of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion, at the Dalai Lama's temple in McLeod Ganj. [PHOTO] 13 The Haji Ali mosque and tomb out at sea, off the coast of Mumbai. It's a popular place of pilgrimage for the city's Muslim population, who make their way along a 500-meter walkway lined with children, mothers, and invalids begging for money. [PHOTO] 14 A sadhu—holy man—outside the Virupaksha Temple tower in Hampi, Karnataka. [PHOTO] 15 Hanuman, the monkey god, looks over traffic at a remote crossroads in the state of Andhra Pradesh. [PHOTO]

Royal Caribbean's Most Passionate Cruisers Is it the pool deck, the late-night parties, or the sheer size of the ship? Royal Caribbean was voted our readers' favorite cruise line, so we set sail on the Explorer of the Seas to figure out what about the mega-line floats so many cruisers' boats.See the slide show Eight Perspectives on San Francisco Forget the garden-variety tour. To explore the most beautiful spots in San Francisco, we tapped the people who know its beauty best: local photographers. From a cliff-side diner to Chinatown at dawn, this is San Francisco as you've never seen it.See the slide show New York City: An Eating and Shopping Guide New York was your favorite city for shopping and food, so we whittled down its countless stores and restaurants to a manageable 17. We then mapped them out to make sure you're always within a few blocks of a place you'll feel at home.See the slide showSee the Google Map Road Trip: New York State of Wine Unpretentious and low-key, the Finger Lakes are the rare wine region that doesn't take itself too seriously. Which is why you should. Trip Coach: River Cruises If you love big-ship cruising but crave a more intimate experience, then the small boats plying the rivers of Europe—and beyond—are just the ticket.

Readers' Choice Best food city and best shopping city There's an irony to New York that few visitors realize. For as big a city as it is, the comment you consistently hear is that it's really just a small town. That's because those of us who live here have tracked down a handful of intimate restaurants and affordable shops where we feel right at home. For travelers, however, the thousands of options can be dizzying. So we decided to translate our city of 8.5 million into a small town for all, whittling the countless restaurants and shops down to a far more manageable 17. Then we plotted them on a map to make sure, as in any small town, that no matter where you are—uptown, downtown, or somewhere in between—you're never more than a few blocks from a place you'll feel comfortable. 1. Century 21 At this epic Financial District discount department store, you're almost guaranteed to find a jump-up-and-down deal. Prices on pieces from designers like Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, and even Prada can be slashed up to 70 percent. It should come as no surprise, then, that you're also guaranteed a lot of company. Attack plan: Go early (the store opens at 7:45 a.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. on Sundays), scan the accessories on the first floor, and then hightail it to the designer collections upstairs, the well-stocked men's department near the west entrance, or the shoe store next door. 22 Cortlandt St., c21stores.com. 2. 88 Palace New York City can transport you to a foreign country in the time it takes to cross an intersection—or, in the case of 88 Palace, ride an escalator. With an entrance on the top floor of a Chinese shopping mall, the restaurant is a sea of local families and carts teetering under the weight of classic Hong Kong–style dim sum: tender pork spare ribs, pan-fried dumplings, and steamed beef meatballs. At about $1.50 apiece, the dim sum is as good a deal as any in Chinatown. 88 E. Broadway, 212/941-8886. 3. Peasant Wine Bar You probably wouldn't notice this place if you passed it. Underneath the high-toned Italian restaurant Peasant, this subterranean wine bar is one of downtown's best-kept secrets. With a discounted menu cribbed from its parent, it's the perfect spot to spend an evening over wood-fired pizzas, a heaping meat plate, and a simple green salad. Add to that a carafe of red wine, along with complimentary olives and bread, and you might wonder why anyone springs for the pricier entrées upstairs. 194 Elizabeth St., peasantnyc.com, pizzas $14. 4. Ina While it can be tough to dig up deals in the swish boutiques and well-stocked vintage shops of Nolita—SoHo's quieter, less flashy neighbor—the side-by-side Ina outlets (one men's, one women's) are a pretty good bet for deep discounts. In these high-end consignment shops, it's totally conceivable to find Manolo Blahniks worn for a night at 60 percent off or a Christian Dior dress for less than you'd spend on a pair of Nine West boots. 19 & 21 Prince St., inanyc.com. 5. Freemans Once the exclusive domain of the über hip, this Lower East Side restaurant, set in an unassuming alley flanked by old tenement buildings, has mellowed with age. Now the 19th-century-America-themed spot (note the emphasis on taxidermy) is simply a place for great food and drink. Best of all is the brunch, where nothing—not the poached eggs with cheddar-cheese grits and buttered toast, nor the waffle with crème fraîche and bananas—tops $14. Freeman Alley, freemansrestaurant.com, brunch from $10. 6. The Mermaid Oyster Bar If there's one secret Greenwich Villagers guard jealously, it's the daily blue plate special at Danny Abrams's oyster bar. On a good night, the rotating $20 special—offered until 7 p.m.—will be the shrimp and avocado sandwich with chipotle mayo, or the whole roasted Idaho trout. Along with your dish, you get a glass of sauvignon blanc or a Blue Point beer. If the special doesn't appeal, you can always hit the bar for a dozen fresh oysters (from $26). 79 MacDougal St., themermaidnyc.com. 7. De Robertis Caffe In the 106 years since De Robertis opened, the East Village has evolved from a neighborhood of Polish butchers into one of New York's nightlife capitals. Yet from the café's black-and-white mosaic-tiled floor to the freshly baked Italian desserts, you wouldn't think anything had changed. Order a cappuccino; a crisp, cream-filled cannoli or sfogliatella (a pastry stuffed with barely sweet ricotta); and a couple of pine-nut-crusted cookies. Presto: You have the makings of an unhurried afternoon in old New York. 176 1st Ave., derobertiscaffe.com, pine-nut-crusted cookies from $17 per pound. 8. Biergarten For all the fabulosity swirling around the Meatpacking District, the Biergarten at the Standard Hotel is a welcome reality check. At this low-key spot, visitors can take a seat at one of the communal picnic tables, order a dinner-plate-size pretzel, and relax with a stein of German pilsner. 848 Washington St., standardhotels.com, pretzel $8. 9. Nordstrom Rack This recession-friendly discount department store arrived in Manhattan last spring, and it's been rightfully mobbed ever since. Located in Union Square, on the threshold of Greenwich Village, the store has a shoe collection that's already a local legend; its floor of last-season goods and overstock items from labels like Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Dolce & Gabbana manages to be chock-full but well-organized at the same time. 60 E. 14th St., nordstrom.com, Frye boots $200, marked down from $318. 10. Fishs Eddy A utilitarian housewares store isn't usually a must-see, but Fishs Eddy gives you hundreds of reasons to add the deal-heavy emporium to your itinerary. Every inch is piled with unique and affordable dishware: vintage-style cereal bowls edged with a flower print ($8); Blue Plate Special dishes modeled after the Manhattan diner variety (from $11); and teacups, marbles, mugs, and salt and pepper shakers in all colors and patterns. What's more, whatever won't fit in your suitcase, the store will ship at reduced rates. 889 Broadway, fishseddy.com, marbles from 10¢ apiece. 11. Defonte's of Brooklyn When this classic Italian sandwich shop opened a Manhattan location in 2009, it caused quite a stir. Like the 88-year-old original in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the new East Side branch serves gargantuan heros worth questing after. Our picks: the peppers and eggs (just like it sounds; order it with red sauce), the hot roast beef (with fried eggplant and mozzarella), or the Sinatra special (fried steak smothered with tomato sauce and mozzarella). 261 3rd Ave., defontesofbrooklyn.com, sandwiches from $8.50. 12. SSS Sample Sales At any given moment in New York City, a high-fashion, low-price sample sale has designer clothes marked down as much as 80 percent. It's finding that sale that's the hard part. The Garment District's SSS Sample Sales solves the problem by creating a permanent home for truckloads of clothes, shoes, and bags, all from this season and last. Labels like Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and Theory are in regular rotation. 261 W. 36th St., clothingline.com. 13. J.G. Melon The city has no shortage of hyper-creative meals, but sometimes you just want a good old-fashioned burger. This dark, pubby Upper East Side institution is filled with post-collegiates, polo-sporting locals, and downtown faithfuls on a pilgrimage, all hunkered over the main attraction: eight juicy ounces of a secret ground-sirloin blend on a soft white bun with American cheese, red onion, and pickles—all for the old-fashioned price of $9.25. 1291 3rd Ave., 212/744-0585. 14. Muji Times Square For 30 years, Muji has cultivated a devoted following in Japan, and now New Yorkers have access to the goods. All four U.S. stores are in the city, and the best of them all is just off Times Square. You'll find high-quality nylon Dopp kits, foldable speakers designed for travel, and souvenirs that even non-tourists can appreciate, such as pint-size sculptures of the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building that double as rubber stamps. 620 8th Ave., muji.us, Statue of Liberty from $5.75. 15. Bouchon Bakery Among the Time Warner Center's glossy boutiques and jacket-required restaurants, the casual Bouchon Bakery is a nice change of pace. From a seat in the café overlooking Central Park, visitors can order star chef Thomas Keller's ham and cheese sandwich, plus a glass of sparkling wine, for a price that rivals most neighborhood diners. If time's tight, consider taking a couple of house-made Oreos (chocolate sablé cookies stuffed with white-chocolate ganache) to go. 10 Columbus Cir., bouchonbakery.com, sandwiches from $11. 16. Fatty Crab Chef Zak Pelaccio gets a fair share of attention for his inventive, pork-happy Malaysian-inspired food—so much so that waits at his Meatpacking District and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, outposts can seem endless. That's not the case at the Upper West Side branch, where a weekday $19 prix fixe lunch rotates in some wildly creative Southeast-Asian small plates. Think pork-belly tea sandwiches, green mango salad, and scallop satays with peanut sauce and more. 2170 Broadway, fattycrab.com, prix fixe noon–4 p.m., small plates from $7. 17. Salumeria Rosi New York has some of the best Italian food in the country. Case in point: Cesare Casella's cool, cave-like wine bar and meat shop, where hocks of cured ham hang above the butcher counter and seating is at simple marble tables. The menu is made entirely of shareable small plates—stellar cured meat, the freshest mozzarella outside Italy, and, on occasion, duck meatballs stuffed with nuggets of perfectly salty pecorino. 283 Amsterdam Ave., salumeriarosi.com, plates from $3. MORE ON NEW YORK CITY Check out New York's hopping beer scene. See 20 unexpected, authentic photos of New York City. Video: How to get Broadway tickets for less.