Get to know Greenwich Village

Chart a course, and you’ll find that no place so relatively small has been as vital throughout history as Greenwich Village. Its past is inextricable from the rise of the arts in New York City. Constructed in the late 1850s, the Tenth Street Studio Building helped forge this link, serving the needs of working artists for nearly a century. The list of celebrated people across multiple eras who have since walked those streets, resided among those buildings, drank in those bars, and made a name for themselves there is astonishingly long. Legendary musicians, famed painters, storied writers, cultural icons, and (somehow) even more. These days, you can still catch shows at the same clubs where the greats once took the stage. Culturally, the Village also holds profound significance, with buildings like the Stonewall Inn and the Cherry Lane Theatre serving as touchstones of essential social and artistic movements.

You’d be hard-pressed to go hungry in Greenwich Village. High-quality eateries of all varieties hang out up-and-down major arteries — and are tucked into narrow side streets. It’s all somewhere out there, from seasonal tasting menus to greasy pub fare to artisanal scoop shops. Additionally, while nearly every neighborhood across this great metropolis claims to have it, Greenwich Village indeed does have some of New York City’s best bagels and premier pizza. Really, there are a lot worse ways to spend an afternoon than traveling around the Village and sampling all the cuisine your stomach can handle. If filling up closet space with vintage clothing suits your style, this neighborhood has maybe more options than you’ll know what to do with. There are also several smaller boutiques and independent bookstores where you just may stumble onto your newest prized piece or cherished short story collection.