A Free-Spirited Tour of NYC With Jaclyn Hodes

WIth just three seasons under her belt, designer Jaclyn Hodes is known as much for her luminous slip dresses as for putting "Kundalini on the catwalk" in the form of her conscious womenswear label, AWAVEAWAKE. Demonstrating a clear penchant for steering clear of the beaten path, the native New Yorker has carved out a city life that is all her own. Follow along as she points out her favorite haunts in downtown Manhattan–you won't find this kind of East and West Village tour in a guidebook.




8:30 a.m. On a weekend morning, I would venture over to the Union Square Greenmarket to drop off my compost and get local produce for the week. Then I'd swing over to Live Live (261 E. 10th St.) for raw food provisions, where I can also pick up RMS Beauty products.

10 a.m. I get monthly Ayurvedic facials and skin products from Pratima Spa (110 Greene St., #701).

12 p.m. Kombucha is on tap at Pure Food and Wine (54 Irving Place), and I get great raw treats at the takeaway around the corner.  

1:30 p.m. The community garden on either side of 9th Street and Avenue C is an amazing wild green refuge–a great place to go with a book and tune in. 

3 p.m. My favorite meeting spot is Cha-An (230 E. 9th St.), a Japanese tea house down the street from my apartment.

4:30 p.m. I might get a late afternoon pick me up in the form of the Superfood Chai Chocolate Latte drink at Caravan of Dreams (405 E. 6th St.), and then go across the street to the Indian grocery Dual (91 1st Ave.). Dual has an amazing range of wildcrafted dried flowers and roots and lots of other yummy Eastern food ingredients.

5:15 p.m. In need of tinctures and flower essences, I swing by Flower Power (406 E. 9th St.).

9 p.m. If I go out at night, it's to my friend's place, Cafe Dancer (96 Orchard St.), for a delightful hibiscus drink.




9:30 a.m. I'm off to see my beloved teacher, Hari Kaur Khalsa, at her Kundalini yoga studio, Hari NYC (140 W. 30th St., #3W).

11: 30 a.m. I head to Stick, Stone and Bone (111 Christopher St.) for crystals, incense and some sage counsel.

2 p.m. On a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, I'd go for a New York-style sound bath at the Dream House (275 Church St.).

8 p.m. On Wednesday nights, I go to a 5Rhythms "Gate Waves" dance class with Julia Wolfermann at the Joffrey Ballet School (434 6th Ave.).