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Neighborhood in New York City
Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Greenwich Village (often referred to as "West Village" or simply "the Village") is a well-known, largely residential district in Manhattan, once famous for its vibrant art and literary community. Nowadays the neighborhood is so gentrified that the artists and poets who once lived here wouldn't be able to afford the rents, but the Village is still worth a visit for its lovely tree-lined streets and colorful history. Centered around Washington Square Park and the campus of New York University (NYU), the neighborhood sits west of Broadway between Houston Street and SoHo on the south and 14th Street and Chelsea on the north.
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NYU
The main campus for NYU is found in Greenwich Village, centered around Washington Square Park.
The park and its famous triumphal arch celebrating the country's first president (in the middle of the park's north side) are in the heart of the Village. Though in the middle of an affluent neighborhood, the park attracts a hodgepodge of people. During the warmer months of the school term, the park is a favorite hangout for students from nearby NYU. Part of the charm of the park is the view of the buildings across the street. All these buildings are now owned by NYU, and though there was some controversial construction in the early 2010s, most of the stately 19th-century dwellings pictured in the classic movie The Heiress (based on Henry James' novel, Washington Square) are still there for you to enjoy looking at. Also notable is the fountain, which is a focus of activity, especially in hotter months.
The setting for O'Henry's famous short story, The Last Leaf.
A new national park unit located in Christopher Park across the street from The Stonewall Inn with a visitor center next door.
For much of the early 20th century, this building was home to Bell Telephone Laboratories and was the largest industrial research facility in the US. A long list of inventions such as talking movies, TV (black/white and color), radar, the vacuum tube, and the transistor came from this lab. The High Line railroad actually went through the building in a tunnel, although the more recent High Line linear park does not reach this far south. After Bell Labs moved out in 1966, the building was remodeled as the Westbeth Artists’ Housing complex.
Even if you haven't heard of these basketball courts, you've probably seen them in TV commercials and movies, as "The Cage" (referring to the small, chain-link fence enclosed court) is the site of many intense, very physical pick-up games and informal "streetball" tournament matches. It's not a place to play unless you really know what you're getting into, but it's worth watching if you're interested in a more intense, physical form of basketball.
An art house theater showing independent films and documentaries. It is owned by the IFC network (an extension of AMC), so a lot of premiers and television broadcasts take place here.
One of the older independent cinemas, showing a regular schedule of independent, foreign and documentary films.
Just down the street from Film Forum, the Angelika plays new independent and foreign films, many of which are screened in no American city but New York. The cafe upstairs is something of a hotspot as well.
Cinema Village specializes in showing documentaries, independent and foreign films. Often the films there will not be playing anywhere else in the country and Q&As with directors are common at opening weekends.
Presents a great lineup of jazz performers in a quiet room (except for the music) that has good acoustics.
Also has a lineup of famous jazz and blues performers. It feels a little more like a bar (with people talking during the show) and a little less like a venue that's only about the music.
A great place to hear excellent jazz at low prices.
This bar has some good blues and jazz acts, but what's so unusual about it is that it dates back to 1919 and still has a lot of the original furnishings and Beaux Arts-style lamps. Keep your drink orders simple and enjoy the atmosphere.
A popular local pizza restaurant with an "old-time" theme, serving coal oven pizza with a lightly charred, crispy crust and other dependable Italian-American dishes. There is live jazz there every night.
The most famous of the restaurants formerly owned by Mario Batali, and especially well-known for its pasta tasting menu. Reserve a month in advance or stand on line before opening time (5:30PM on weekdays and 5:00PM on Sundays) to try to get a seat at the bar or one of the tables kept open for walk-ins. Babbo is one of the hardest restaurants to get a reservation at in New York, which should indicate something about its popularity. Do not expect a cheap meal, but this is one you don't have to dress up for.
An upscale American restaurant known for its fresh ingredients and subtlety. Call ahead for reservations.
A very popular corner pizza joint that serves huge, thin crust slices fresh out of the oven. This is classic New York fast food - service is quick but the place is tiny, so you'll want to take your slice outside to eat.
A classic New York pizza place - a gritty joint with coal-fired brick oven, thin crust pizza. The lines are often long but the service is fast. Whole pies only, no slices.
This is another restaurant previously associated with Mario Batali, but the Executive Chef is Diego Negri and the current owner is Joe Bastianich. This is a good and sometimes very good, relatively informal, mid-priced eatery, with a good and fair-priced wine list. Every fan has their own favorite dishes. First-timers may want to share several smaller dishes instead of having full meals, in order to sample the cuisine, but the primi and secondi are also worthy. The excellent Tartufo is their best dessert. Reservations recommended; otherwise, you may have a long wait.
A hole in the wall place that serves arguably the most famous falafels in New York City.
This is a place that believes in the pure New York bagel — which means no toasting. Don't even bother asking. But the bagels are so fresh that it doesn't matter. It's often packed with long lines and the service is chaotic, but they give you a healthy amount of spread and toppings.
Pizza for minimalists. Percy's is a favorite among the collection of one-dollar pizza slice joints in the city. Inside is a cozy little room with about eight seats and a nice pizza cook. Know what you want when you step up to order and avoid trying to sit with any large groups; you'll quickly fill up the whole place.
Excellent vegetarian soul food, organic wines.
Strip House is a privately owned fine dining chain of steakhouses. All locations have smaller, separate rooms for private dining and a gift card program. Strip House Next Door is next door at 11 East 12th Street. Similar hours and menu but closed Sunday & Monday.
Describes itself as "a quintessential corner of England in the heart of Greenwich Village", typically English meals are available here (perfect for the Anglophile or homesick Brit!).
French vegan crepes and galletes in a cozy setting.
formerly The Town Tavern
A veritable icon of the worldwide gay community, not just New York's. While it's not the original incarnation of the bar that was the site of the Stonewall riots of 1969 (the building has gone through several uses since then), the current incarnation pays homage to the old and has regained its prominence as a meeting place in the LGBT community. You must be 21 and a proper ID is required. 2-drink minimum.
This hotel offers art deco styled furnishings and complimentary internet access at the lobby bar and considers itself a haven for writers, artists and visitors.
Best place in the city to buy hardcore, metal, industrial, punk, and alternative records.
A local independent bookstore, this microscopic yet utterly delightful place is the essence of Greenwich Village, with an extremely knowledgeable and passionate staff.
Generally quite inexpensive wines and liquors, good recommendations and fast service.
Fashionable shoes for men and women at affordable prices. The Chelsea location (one of five in Manhattan) boasts a unique aesthetic with antique furniture, Persian rugs, and brick walls.
By PATH
The PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) train, a subway-style transit system, is convenient and inexpensive for going to points on 6th Av. up to 33 St.
By bus
The double-decker tour buses whisk their way up 6th Av., but why not take an MTA bus, get off, and do your own tour?
On foot
If you are close enough to walk to the Village, do it. Walking is the best way to experience the character of neighborhoods in Manhattan and the contrast and continuity between them.
By bicycle
The park along the Hudson River has a popular bike path. Many people also ride along city streets in this neighborhood, many of which are pretty quiet side streets.
It is possible to take some of the aforementioned buses along the avenues in the Village, but there are so many side streets that are worth wandering on and cannot be accessed by public transit.
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