Iconic Street Artist Shepard Fairey Shares His Favorite NYC Spots

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We've been stalking Shepard Fairey for months, but when you're a world famous artist-illustrator-graphic designer, time ain't cheap. Luckily, we finally scored a hot minute with the mastermind behind Obey Giant, a campaign that has spawned books, museum exhibitions, a clothing line, collectibles, and of course, those iconic André the Giant stickers. The man who conceived the internationally recognized Obama "HOPE" poster gave us the down-low on his top City spots—from a bohemian hotel to the hottest new gallery. Just don't be surprised if you see his graffiti near the entrances.

1. Max Fish: "Max Fish has been a Lower East Side artist hangout since the early '90's. It's not pretentious and I still run into friends every time I'm there."

Max Fish, 178 Ludlow Street (near Houston Street); 212-529-3959.

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2. Lit: "This is a grimy, dive bar with good music. There is an art gallery in the back. A couple of my friends work there."

Lit, 93 Second Avenue (near 5th Street); 212-777-7987.

3. The Ace Hotel: "My favorite new place to stay in NYC. It is upscale bohemian. Funky and classic at the same time. They support artists."

The Ace Hotel, 20 West 29th Street (near Avenue of the Americas); 212-679-2222.

4. Caf&eacute: Habana: "They have great Cuban food. I love the corn with cheese and chile powder."

Café Habana, 17 Prince Street (near Elizabeth Street); 212-625-2001.

5. The Hole: "The Hole is taking over where Jeffrey Deitch left off. They are showing high quality art but in a fun way. At the Hole, street meets elite."

The Hole, 104 Greene Street (between Prince and Spring); 212-226-3000.

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