M8 and M5 buses

1. Zum Schneiderride1.jpg308781
4. Mossride4.jpg308792
6. Arthride6.jpg308803
8. Starstruck Vintage Clothingride5.jpg308814
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1. Zum Schneider

Start: Ave C at 7th St
End: Sixth Ave at 42nd St
Distance: 4.4 miles
Time: 4 hours

1 Brrr, it’s cold outside. Before you board, eat a hearty meal at Zum Schneider (107 Ave C at 7th St, 212-598-1098), where a Bavarian pretzel costs $3 and the steins o’ brew are plentiful. We especially like the Weihenstephaner Weissbier wheat beer ($4–$12) and Wiener schnitzel. Manager Tina Kornhuber reminds toasters to look their mates in the eye when clinking glasses—otherwise they risk a seven-year dry spell.

2 Hop the M8 at Avenue A and 9th Street and ride until you reach Broadway, where you’ll find gizmos galore at A.C. Gears (69 E 8th St between Broadway and Mercer St; 212-260-2269, acgears.com). About 75 percent of the store’s merch—ranging from jumbo headphones to an alarm clock that you shut off by shooting it with a toy gun—is imported from Japan.

3 While you’re in the nabe, do some reading at Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers (716 Broadway between Washington and Waverly Pls; 212-529-1330, shakeandco.com). Or at least flip through the pictures in the shop’s myriad collection of cookbooks and stunning coffee-table tomes.

4 Hitch the M5 at Waverly Place and Broadway and jump off at Greene and Houston Streets for a tour of gallery/showroom Moss (150 Greene St at Houston St; 212-204-7100, mossonline.com). Worth the drool: functional, offbeat home items, including a chair made from plush pandas and a bowl constructed of melted toy soldiers.

5 If there’s a nip in the air, duck into cheery Emack & Bolio’s (73 W Houston St between West Broadway and Wooster St, 212-533-5610) for a steaming vanilla hot chocolate ($4).

6 After you’ve warmed your belly, warm your noggin with a hat from international minichain Arth (75 W Houston St between West Broadway and Wooster St; 212-539-1431, arthhat.com); the pricey selection includes dapper fedoras, practical beanies and Fargo-esque hunting hats. The rabbit-fur bomber ($320) is an especially smart investment now that it’s 30 percent off.

7 When you’re done playing dress-up, board the M5 at Sixth Avenue and Houston Street and head up to Sixth and 10th, where you’ll find America’s oldest apothecary, C.O. Bigelow (414 Sixth Ave between 8th and 9th Sts, 212-533-2700). Sample lotions and grab some Mentha Lip Shine ($7.50) for the road, and don’t miss the darling push ladder rolled along the wall of cure-alls—an anachronistic touch amid the Tums bottles and Preparation H tubes.

8 Find tuxedos, twin sets, panama hats, maxi coats, pedal pushers and other threads from the ’30s through the ’80s at Starstruck Vintage Clothing (47 Greenwich Ave between Charles and Perry Sts; 212-691-5357, starstruckvintage.com). The racks are packed floor to ceiling, rockabilly is the flavor of the century, and there’s a can’t-miss collection of concert tees lining the walls. (Warning: These ain’t your mama’s Salvation Army prices; expect to pay up to $250 for a vintage Led Zeppelin baseball tee.)

9 Pick the M5 back up at Sixth and 10th and ride it all the way to 42nd Street, where you’ll hoof it over to the International Center of Photography (1133 Sixth Ave between 43rd and 44th Sts; 212-857-0000, icp.org). Here you can browse the main galleries or check out the newly opened “Weird Beauty: Fashion Photography Now” exhibit, which spotlights the gorgeous and bizarre work of Nick Knight, Mario Sorrenti, Steven Meisel, Cindy Sherman, Miles Aldridge and more, running through May 3.

SAVE THE M8!
The MTA has proposed eliminating the M8 bus line, which runs crosstown through the Village. For more info or to sign the petition to stop ’em, visit savetheM8.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Zum Schneider presents its annual Hairy The Musikahl spoof and costume party Feb 19–24. Tickets are $14–$17; reserve now at zumschneider.com.

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