NEW YORKER ON THE GO
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WEST VILLAGE

+ WEST VILLAGE +

The West Village has always been eccentric, being nicknamed “Little Bohemia” since the early 1900s. It can be one of the more difficult neighborhoods to navigate. Like the rest of downtown Manhattan, there are several streets and avenues with names instead of numbers. By most standards, Greenwich Village encompasses Washington Sq Park and beyond, while the West Village refers to further West of 6th Ave. In this sense, I'm using West Village and Greenwich Village interchangeably - to refer to the entire territory. This part of town is home to NYU campuses and students, as well as families and affluent residents. Some of the best restaurants in the city also call the West Village home. Because it feels so much like a neighborhood community, these eateries often have a very chic, yet local vibe about them.

SHOPPING

  • AZALEAS - 125 Greenwich Ave: Swimwear and lingerie boutique

  • ADELAIDE INC - 702 Greenwich St: Vintage furniture shop

  • MAISON MARGIELA - 803 Greenwich St: High end, designer apparel by MMM

  • MUSEE LINGERIE - 523 Hudson St: Quaint lingerie boutique

  • THE END OF HISTORY - 548 1/2 Hudson St #A: Vintage glassware and ceramics

  • YOYA - 605 Hudson St: Children's shop

  • GOORIN BROS. HAT SHOP - 337 Bleecker St: Hat shop with several locations

  • DIPTYQUE - 377 Bleecker St: Fragrance brand with several scents in different forms

  • CONSIDEROSITY - 191 West 4th St: Gift shop geared towards both locals and out-of-towners

  • WANT LES ESSENTIELS - 301 West 4th St: Shop containing all the essentials of a modern day traveler

  • SHOP UNTITLED - 27 West 8th St: Unique, two floor shop selling men’s and women’s attire

  • VINTAGE THRIFT WEST - 242 West 10th St: Small, vintage shop that also sells their clothing on Etsy

LANDMARKS

  • ST. LUKE'S PLACE - btwn Hudson St & 7th Ave S: The famous exterior of the Cosby Show was filmed here

  • ISAAC-HENDRICKS HOUSE - 77 Bedford St: Oldest remaining house in Greenwich Village

  • CAFE SOCIETY - 2 Sheridan Sq: Former basement club that broke barriers, becoming the first racially integrated club in the United States amidst segregation

  • JANE JACOBS WAY - Hudson St & 11th St: Named after the activist in honor of her and to commemorate the home she lived in at 555 Hudson Street

  • NEW YORK STUDIO SCHOOL OF DRAWING, PAINTING, AND SCULPTURE - 8 West 8th St: Original location of the Whitney Museum

  • CARRIE BRADSHAW'S APT IN 'SEX & THE CITY' - 66 Perry St: Iconic facade of the main character's apt, which was scripted to be on the Upper East Side

  • STONEWALL INN - 53 Christopher St: Historical bar that was a part of the LGBT movement

  • WASHINGTON SQUARE ARCH - Washington Square North: Arch modeled after the Arc de Triomphe (in Paris) to celebrate the centennial anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration

  • JEFFERSON MARKET LIBRARY - 425 6th Ave: A public library and a National Historic Landmark that was once a courthouse

  • CAPTAIN WOODS HOUSE - 310 Spring St: Nearly 200 year old building that went through several tenants and interesting stories

  • EMMA LAZARUS HOUSE - 18 West 10th St: Former home of the poet and activist, Emma Lazarus, and her father

  • HESS TRIANGLE - Christopher St & 7th Ave: Real estate that was once the smallest piece of land owned in NYC, until it was sold in 1938

  • TWIN PEAKS - 102 Bedford St: Renovated by village resident, Clifford Reed Daily, in 1926 into his dream design home

  • ASCH BUILDING - 23-29 Washington Place: Once home to the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, where tragedy struck on March 25, 1911

  • EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY HOUSE - 75 1/2 Bedford: Narrowest home in NYC

ENTERTAINMENT

  • COMEDY CELLAR - 117 MacDougal St: Great comedy club with top of the line comedy acts who will make you laugh

  • FAT CAT - 75 Christopher St: Basement bar with games including pool, ping pong, etc

  • WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK: Outdoor park to relax and be entertained in

  • HUDSON RIVER PARK - 353 West St: Pier and walkway along the Hudson River

  • CAFE WHA? - 115 Macdougal St: Historical venue with live music that Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, and many others once performed in

  • VILLAGE VANGUARD - 178 7th Ave S: Longstanding jazz club that originally opened in 1935 by Max Gordon

  • IFC CENTER - 323 6th Ave: Movie theater that plays independent films

  • HUDSON PARK LIBRARY - 66 Leroy St: Public library with events and special programs

  • CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS - 103 Charlton St: Fun, interactive museum to take kids to

  • WEST4-KARAOKE BOHO - 186 West 4th St: Lively karaoke bar

  • PIECES - 8 Christopher St: Select nights at this gay dive bar consist of drag shows and karaoke

 

CULINARY

  • BELL BOOK AND CANDLE - 141 West 10th St #A: One of my favorite restaurants downtown, serving American cuisine

  • I SODI - 105 Christopher St: Quite honestly, I haven’t been to this Italian restaurant yet, but it is at the top of my list

  • 4 CHARLES - 4 Charles St: Steakhouse by Brendan Sodikoff, which is part of Hogsalt Hospitality

  • SANT AMBROEUS - 259 West 4th St: Upscale, Italian cafe with several outposts

  • MISS LILY'S - 132 West Houston St: Caribbean restaurant with a colorful interior and classic Caribbean dishes

  • BUVETTE - 42 Grove St: French cafe that stays open late and doesn’t take reservations

  • RED BAMBOO - 140 West 4th St: Humble vegan eatery

  • TACOMBI - 255 Bleecker St: Chain restaurant serving up tacos and other Mexican eats

  • PERRY ST @ THE RICHARD MEIER TOWERS - 176 Perry St: High end restaurant with comfortable seating, great food, and attentive staff

  • BLUE HILL - 75 Washington Pl: Discreetly located, farm to table restaurant that has served Michelle and Barack Obama

  • NETA - 61 West 8th St: Minimal Japanese restaurant with high quality sushi

  • JOHN'S PIZZA - 278 Bleecker St: One of the best pizza places downtown to get a slice to go

  • TAIM - 222 Waverly Place: Counter serving vegetarian Middle Eastern dishes for takeout

  • WHILE WE WERE YOUNG KITCHEN & COCKTAILS - 183 West 10th St: Tiny cafe serving food and drinks in a beautifully designed space

  • THE MEATBALL SHOP - 64 Greenwich Ave: Chain eatery with a main focus on meatballs

  • SOCIETY CAFE @ THE WALKER HOTEL - 52 West 13th St: Chic space that’s great for breakfast, brunch, and photos

  • DECOY - 529 Hudson St: Small space downstairs from Red Farm serving a prix fixe menu to reservations or an a la carte menu to walk ins

  • CHUMLEY'S - 86 Bedford St: An old classic revamped, serving American fare and cool vibes

  • L'ARTUSI - 228 West 10th St: Trendy Italian restaurant with two floors and a bar to dine at

  • ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SEA - 17 Barrow St: High end romantic restaurant

  • MARKET TABLE - 54 Carmine St: Large windows in a cozy dining space where you can leave a message in the check presenter at the end

  • MINETTA TAVERN - 113 Macdougal St: Popular French restaurant that is often booked up

  • CARBONE - 181 Thompson: A New York staple created by Major Food Group

  • PALMA - 28 Cornelia St: Chic, Italian restaurant that has been open since 2001

  • MAH-ZE-DAHR - 28 Greenwich Ave: Small bakery by Tom Colicchio

  • DANTE NYC - 79-81 MacDougal St: Restaurant with a trendy, young bar scene

  • MOLLY'S CUPCAKES - 228 Bleecker St: Swing seating and great cupcakes

NIGHTLIFE

  • WHITE HORSE TAVERN - 567 Hudson St: Cash only bar known as a writers' hangout in the past

  • THE GARRET @ FIVE GUYS - 296 Bleecker St: Speakeasy type bar located above the restaurant

  • LITTLE BRANCH - 22 7th Ave S: Speakeasy serving unique cocktails

  • EMPLOYEES ONLY - 510 Hudson St: Cool restaurant and bar space with many industry folks

  • THE SPANIARD - 190 West 4th St: Hip bar with a young crowd

  • VIN SUR VINGT WINE BAR - 201 W 11th St: French wine bar with light bites

  • GREENWICH TREEHOUSE - 46 Greenwich Ave: Low key dive bar with a cozy sitting room in the back

  • MARIE'S CRISIS CAFE - 59 Grove St: Gay dive bar with sing alongs

  • DOWN THE HATCH - 179 West 4th St: College type basement bar with lots of drink specials

  • BRASS MONKEY - 55 Little West 12th St: Popular multi-level bar on the edge of the Meatpacking District

  • THE UP & UP - 116 Macdougal St: Cocktail lounge accepting groups of six or less

  • THE DUPLEX PIANO BAR & CABARET THEATER - 61 Christopher St: Supportive atmosphere with lots of musical talent

  • ART BAR - 52 8th Ave: Intimate dive bar with extra seating in the back room

  • 124 OLD RABBIT CLUB - 124 Macdougal St: Small, discreet bar serving craft beer

  • WILFIE & NELL - 228 West 4th St: Fun weekend bar throughout the day and night, preferably in the fall/winter seasons

  • DUE WEST - 189 W 10th St: Hip sports bar to watch the games

  • BAR PISELLINO - 52 Grove St: Trendy all-day bar that is good for a first date

EVENTS

  • HALLOWEEN PARADE: Nighttime parade that began in 1974 and celebrates Halloween annually

  • PRIDE PARADE: Annual parade that celebrates the LGBTQ community

  • JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION - 167 W 12th Street: Dinner events with various chefs