As important archives go online and the original works of art remain in zealously protective conditions, the tradeoff for universal accessibility is the loss of this direct contact with the authenticwork for the deeply personal and moving experience that is what looking at art will always be about.
At Whole Foods a noodle isn't just wheat and water in a plain package--it is the life's work of an Italian "authentic food artisan" named Gino Girolomoni.
They are easily accessible on the Internet, and many work one-to-one with their buyers, a really important factor to building a successful and authentic brand identity.
Instead, pick any point on the compass and strike out uptown, downtown or cross-town to find an altogether more authentic slice of city, along with plenty of evidence that keeping cool in summertime New York is far from thirsty work.