Simply put, this is still the center of the universe. Put your cursor (er, finger) down on the corner of Houston and Broadway. That's it, right there; not that anything is of interest in that intersection per se, but it all radiates out from there, including four of NY's top neighborhoods--Greenwich Village, SoHo, NoHo, and NoLiTa. It's hardly a bucolic lifestyle--green space is limited to a few patches of grass in Washington Square Park--but if it's greenery you want, what are you doing in the middle of New York City anyway? Consequently, this area has compensated for the lack of nature by providing, well, everything else one could possibly want in terms of culture. Architecture, art galleries, movie theaters, live music, shopping, restaurants, and nightlife--it's all here for the taking. Old New York, New New York, and every other kind of New York is represented here. Just walk the streets and you'll find it all.
One of this area's hidden secrets is the amount of stunning architecture from every period of New York City history. Check out the former stables in Washington Mews, now NYU offices, for a little bit of 18th century New York. Also ancient is the St. Mark’s-in-the Bowery Church (1799), Colonnade Row (1830s), the Old Merchant's House (1832), Grace Church (1846) and the Cooper Union Building (1859).
In the latter half of the 1800s, two great architects, Louis Sullivan and Ernest Flagg, started building in this area. The results are Sullivan's only New York Building, the Bayard-Condict Building (1899), and Flagg's brilliant Great Jones Fire House (1899) and Little Singer Building (1904). In the early 20th century, Daniel Burnham (Wanamaker's, 1904/1907) and Henry J Hardenbergh (376 Lafayette St, 1888, and the Con Edison Building, 1914) also added their contributions to the area. Perhaps our ultimate favorite is the little-known DeVinne Press Building (1885) by Babb, Cook & Willard. Then, of course, there is the modern (or should we say postmodern?) era running rampant on the east side of this 'hood, especially on The Bowery (Cooper Union's new building, courtesy of Thom Mayne, and the brilliant New Museum of Contemporary Art) and on Bond Street (including Herzog & de Mauron's bizarre choices on 40 Bond).
There are several historical sites in this area, both famous and infamous. By far our favorite spot is the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street, tucked in between The Bowery and Second Avenue. Also in the area is the Mark Twain House, NYU's Brown Building (the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire), and 18 West 11th St, the Site of the Weatherman Explosion. Of more recent note, you can visit the former location of CBGB & OMFUG (now a John Varvatos store) right around the corner from Joey Ramone Place on East 2nd Street. Finally, for a lesson in NYC pizza history, Lombardi's is the place to learn about why eating pizza in New York is more than just a casual act.
The number of cultural institutions is dizzying and we'll talk about them a lot more in the "Nightlife" section, so we're going to mention only a few of our favorites for the area: Joseph Papp's Public Theater on Lafayette Street, and the Salmagundi Club, a center for artists since 1917, are two of the renowned institutions in the area. And to find more information about anything related to NYC, check out classic bookstore The Strand, where you'll find a great selection of New York City books amidst the dust and clutter.
As much as all the fabulous history and architecture of this area astounds us, so too does the grungier aspects of the area continue to divert us. You can always check out the skate punks at The Alamo (The Cube) at Astor Place, drink with professionals at dingy haven Milano's, and check out magazines and international newspapers at Gem Spa. St. Mark's Place between Bowery and Second Avenue was THE place in the '80s and '90s to see a wide range of Village denizens; unfortunately, that's not the case any more. It's a tourist trap now for the most part; head to Avenue C to get a sense of what this strip used to feel like.
Nightlife
You can spend a lot on a drink in this neighborhood if you so choose, but it's the many dive bars (Blue & Gold, Grassroots, Holiday, Mars Bar, Milano's) where you'll find us drinking. Hear writers at Bowery Poetry Club and KGB, watch European football at Nevada Smith's, and listen to music at Joe's Pub or Le Poisson Rouge.
Restaurants
If we could only eat in one 'nabe, this would be it. There's everything from great pizza (Arturo's, Basille's) to hi-end madness at Il Mulino and Babbo. You can span the globe from Sammy's Roumanian to Australian at Eight Mile Creek. Then grab a lobster at 3 am at Blue Ribbon with the chefs. Cool.
Shopping
Lots of great stores, but very little of it is cheap (see: Moss, Stereo Exchange). At least you can eat some of it (Black Hound, Bond Street Chocolate, East Village Cheese, etc). Kiehl's is a must-stop for service and lotions; Other Music outlasted Tower Records and Taschen is one of our favorite publishers.
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This Neighborhood Featured in...
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An Englishwoman in New York
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Georgia Lawson
Having four weeks to explore New York, Londoner Georgia Lawson dives in head first on a mission to live like a local. Can this Englishwoman master the city in such a short time? Read on to find out.
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Breaking into Non-Profit Arts
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Liz Pink
Young, talented, poor and striving. Artists are a mysterious lot. Will they make it, or will we wipe our hands of them, devilishly and unforgivingly. J/K. Liz Pink offers truckloads of making-it-in-the-big-city advice that only a very rich or successful artist could pass up. Join her.
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On the Hunt for NY's Avant-Garde
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Sarah Enelow
New York is a world-class performing arts mecca, especially when it
comes to experimental work, but where exactly does one find it? NFT
Editor Sarah Enelow takes us on a tour of avant-garde performance
venues in the city, cutting through the Broadway fluff to find the
best, most affordable offbeat events.
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Living on a Budget in NYC
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Diana Bocco
The living is easy when you have lots of money. And that's why we need Diana Bocco to tell us to shop at the Greenmarket and patronize the free-for-all furniture store of the street. After all, what is living if not suffering; drinking if not free sampling? Nothing. It is nothing if not that.
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Walk Like You Mean It
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Sarah Enelow
"Ugh, if we don’t get there soon, I’m gonna die." Judging by the number of times you hear this on the street, you'd think many people feel that New York is not a "walking city." However, Sarah Enelow explains how New York's very unruly nature is what lends itself to walking, wandering, and discovering your role in this monolith.
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It’s a Dog’s City
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Michele Langer
Dogs: They're more than lovable, overeager bundles of fur. Dogs can be social ice breakers and show-off accessories. Or can they? A dog is many things to many people, some of whom care for their pets with the love of a brother or mother. Dog runs, dog-friendly restaurants and hotels all aim to serve, comfort and further domesticate this sociable animal. It's enough to make them forget they were ever wolves.
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East Side Kids
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Jessica Feder-Birnbaum
Kids these days. So full of life. Sometimes you gotta put them in their place and sometimes you just gotta take them on the town. And what part? The East Side. From Kosher bakeries to high-falutin' libraries, the East Side has it all. Come. Join us on this kid-friendly journey.
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Hearing Gotham's Literati
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Stephanie Pekarsky
Literature and New York: Like a fine wine and artisinal cheese, no combination is commoner, snobbier and potentially rife with commercial success. But seriously, where can you go to see up-and-coming writers? Stephanie Pekarsky will tell you.
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Not Your Mama’s Candy Striper
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