Nuyorican Poets Café

Founded in the 1970s as a poetry club in a college professor's living room, this non-profit institution dates back to a time before the Lower East Side was filled with sushi joints and trendy boutiques. With an emphasis on diversity and emergent culture, the performing arts space dedicates its stage to poetry slams, hip-hop ‘open mic’ nights, Latin jazz, comedy and independent film screenings. "The prevailing atmosphere is that of a grassroots arts organisation that throws its door open to the widest range of spectators possible," says executive director Dan Gallant. "We have a wide variety of theatre, music and spoken-word events with dynamic wordplay and wordsmithery that people of all ages can appreciate."