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It's Showtime for NYC's Lincoln Center Neighborhood

Time was when NYC's Lincoln Center seemed caught in a time warp. True, the neighborhood did contain some classic, even beloved, NYC eateries – but therein lay the rub: nothing much new in the way of dining or drinking ever seemed to be happening around the city’s primo performing-arts complex. When planning a pre- or post-curtain meal, a seasoned culture vulture might well have likened his options to that 30-year-old production of La Bohème at the Met: still lovely, of course – but wouldn’t a fresh experience be nice?

Now, though, as the fall arts season gets underway, the area is humming with a newfound energy – despite the unstable economy. Even as Lincoln Center itself undergoes renovation, all around it new apartment buildings are going up and traffic islands are being spruced up. Several swank stores have sprouted branches in the upper 60s and low 70s, including Brooks Brothers, SEE Eyewear, Space NK.apothecary and Reiss UK. And when a chic cupcake boutique like Magnolia Bakery chooses to open its first spin-off at Columbus and 69th Street, you know a neighborhood’s arrived.

The dining scene appears revitalized as well, with fresh faces juxtaposed among the familiar ones. At Bar Boulud, Daniel Boulud’s rustic French bistro fare now resides a few streets down from Gallic classic Café des Artistes. The drinking crowd can either head up to the Lobby Bar of the refurbished Empire Hotel, or descend beneath street level to established hideaway Shalel Lounge. The Time Warner Center, right in the center of Columbus Circle (within easy walking distance of Lincoln Center) hosts a cornucopia of venues in various price ranges, the latest being the wine bar Clo. And for those who worry about curtain times, there are some fresh options in the Lincoln Center complex itself: a new wine bar/small plates venue in Avery Fisher Hall, fittingly named Arpeggio Food and Wine, and a new Italian menu, devised by chef Umberto Montano (Florence’s Alle Murate), for the Grand Tier restaurant in the Metropolitan Opera House.

Here’s a rundown of places to dine and drink, both familiar favorites and promising newcomers. Spanning the upper 50s to the lower 70s, between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, they are all close to Lincoln Center, and accustomed to getting you to the show on time.