Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village has an extraordinarily rich history. It was the original home of the Whitney Museum and the Beat Generation. Postwar painters like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko drank and argued about art at the legendary Cedar Tavern. In addition to a vibrant art scene, the Bitter End nightclub offered a stage to singers from Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell to Patti Smith, jazz musicians like Bill Evans and Stan Getz, and comedians like Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen.
The Village’s renowned traditions of architecture and landscape—including townhouses like the one that was home to Mark Twain, mews buildings like the former stables-turned-artists’ studios that line MacDougal Alley, and the changing seasons as reflected in Washington Square Park—adds a richness to the texture of everyday life. And it is also part of an ever-evolving mix of old and new—in buildings, shops, cultural venues, and restaurants.
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK
Ten acres transformed from farmland in 1797, Washington Square Park is the centerpiece of Greenwich Village. Fifth Avenue ends with the park’s landmark arch, opening up to an oasis of green and recreation. The park can, and often does, host an impromptu jazz performance, fitness class, dance rehearsal, and chess tournament simultaneously. And regardless of all the action, one can still peacefully enjoy a quiet novel in one of the park’s numerous nooks and crannies.
SIMON & GARFUNKEL/BLEECKER STREET
“Smiling faces try to understand I saw a shadow touch a shadow’s hand on Bleecker Street.”
THE STRAND
A privately owned bookstore that carries 2.5 million books is a rare creature. The Strand, opened in 1927, survived the chain bookstore era and thrives today, as evidenced by the sightings of Strand tote bags around the world.
828 Broadway
COMEDY CELLAR
In clear homage to this comedy venue, Louis C.K. walks to the subterranean Comedy Cellar in the opening credits of his hit show, Louie. Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Colin Quinn, and Amy Schumer regularly perform here.
117 MacDougal Street
UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET
World-famous Union Square Greenmarket began with just a few farmers in 1976. During peak season, 140 regional farmers, fishermen, and bakers sell their goods to a dedicated legion of city dwellers. The market is a bounty of seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, heritage meats, award-winning cheeses, artisan breads, jams, pickles, flowers, and more.
CINEMA VILLAGE
Built in 1963 in the shell of a turn-of-the-century fire station, Cinema Village is the oldest continuously operated cinema in Greenwich Village and one of the oldest in the city. To survive the theater chain and home video trends of the 1990s, the theater played eclectic indie favorites like The Leopard and Two Lane Blacktop and helped bring Hong Kong cinema into the mainstream.
22 East Twelfth Street
MAISON GERARD
Maison Gerard defines the elegant innovation of Greenwich Village. Each exquisite piece of furniture, lighting, and objets d’art in the store is carefully curated in the tradition of fine French Art Deco design. Since its founding by Gerardus Widdershoven in 1974, Maison Gerard has cultivated significant contributors to the world of contemporary design including Herve van der Straten, Jean Girel, Marc Bankowsky, Jean-Berenger de Nattes, Matthew Solomon, and more.
53 East Tenth Street
ELECTRIC LADY STUDIOS
Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Chuck Berry, Sly & The Family Stone, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin all recorded at the famed Electric Lady Studios on Eighth Street.
52 West Eighth Street
COMIC BOOKS
Comic books are a perfect intersection of creativity, philosophy, and idealism, much like Greenwich Village itself. There is no shortage of comic book stores in the Village, but some of the very best can be bought from a street vendor on the corner of University Place and 14th Street.
GREY ART GALLERY
The Grey Art Gallery is home to the impressive New York University Art Collection. The gallery has one of the most definitive collection of Modern Asian and Middle Eastern art. The gallery also holds pieces by American greats like Alex Katz and Willem de Kooning and regularly shows contemporary and emerging talents.
100 Washington Square East
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK FOUNTAIN
If the arch is the entrance of the park, the huge fountain is the heart. On hot summer days you can find kids and adults wading and splashing, a brief respite from the concrete jungle. The fountain, made from graywackie stone with a classically-designed basin, is a transplant from Central Park.
THE CHESS DISTRICT
The grouping of chess tables at the southwest corner of Washington Square Park is the cornerstone of Manhattan’s “chess district”. The chess world’s elite can still be seen playing a match along with a few intrepid amateurs.
THE STRIP HOUSE
The Strip House’s signature 24-layer chocolate cake recipe is five pages long for good reason. Alternating layers of chocolate cake and smooth chocolate filling topped with a layer of semisweet French chocolate ganache are made in stages and semi-frozen to prevent the collapse of this sky-high cake.
13 East Twelfth Street