Spend the day like a local in West Village, NYC. People-watch, enjoy a meal, here is a list of 9 things to do in West Village, one of the most desirable residential areas in New York City.
There are few neighborhoods in New York City I can actually see myself living in. The West Village is one of them, and I’m sure every other New Yorker agrees. West Village is the less touristy of all the New York villages, which is what makes it so special. You won’t catch tourists lining up for anything. Most of the things to do in West Village are for local New Yorkers, with the exception of a few notable apartments as seen on famous TV shows. West Village is where old townhouses on narrow, diagonal streets are mixed with high-rise apartment buildings along the avenues. It’s the type of neighborhood you walk through to escape the noise of the city, admire at the historic brownstones and architecture, or grab a bite to eat or a coffee.
How to Get to The West Village, NYC?
Super easy, just like getting anywhere in New York is (aside from 1st Ave!). Just take literally any subway that will take you to the 14th Street Subway Station and head for West 4th Street. Almost every subway will take you to 14th Street: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, L, F and M.
1. West 4th Street
Pat and I got off at 14th street subway station, and immediately headed for West 4th Street. Sure the things to do in West Village are endless…but so are the food options. West 4th street is lined with cute restaurants and cafés to eat on every corner: Blenheim, the Black Derby, Extra Virgin, Sevilla Restaurant, Sant Ambroeus, Tartine, Cafe Cluny, St. Tropez West Village…the options are infinite. As for ambiance, they all have their certain je ne sais quoi to them, so you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Each has outdoor seating as well.
2. The Historic Brownstones
West Village properties are among the most expensive in the U.S.. While you’re walking, take in the buildings and attention to detail on every street and you’ll understand why. The area is considered a historic district and renovations and redevelopments are placed under severe scrutiny to ensure that the West Village can preserve its historical beauty.
3. Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment from Sex and The City
One of the more touristy things to do in West Village is visit the famous TV show brownstones. While you’re walking in an out of streets and admiring the brownstone houses…keep an eye out on Perry Street. This is where Sarah Jessica Parker’s role as Carrie Bradshaw had some of her most iconic moments. It is her home in the West Village as seen on Sex and The City. The address to keep an eye out for? 64 Perry Street.
4. West 11th Street
Another beautiful brownstone caught my eye and Pat and I took a right onto West 11th Street. As you walk towards Hudson River, you’ll notice a bubblegum pink structure that sticks out like a sore thumb among the brownstones. It almost looks Spanish or Venetian in architecture and is much taller than the usual 4 floor brownstones in the Village. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a big sign on the front that read Palazzo Chupi. I kid you not, the name was inspired by a Spanish lollipop I use to love as a kid called Chupa Chups. The designer, Schnabel, used Chupi as a nickname for his second wife, so decided to call the building Palazzo Chupi. In the past it had been a stable, a perfume factory, and a water-sampling plant. Now? It’s a lavish residential condominium with a parking garage, art gallery space, and swimming pool. A whole article can be written on this building and its history and the why’s of how it looks. Let’s just say Schnabel has been known to have a big ego and leave it at that. Verdict: I’m not a big fan of Venetian architecture in the West Village.
5. Pier 46 at Hudson River Park
This is definitely more a local thing to do in West Village…We crossed over West St and headed for the Hudson River Greenway. Here there are a ton of piers where you can lay on the grass and watch the skyline by the river. Or, if you’re a local, participate in your weekly workouts. You’ll never know who you spot out on the green doing their ab set.
6. Christopher Street
We walked back towards the center of West Village on Christopher Street, which is technically the oldest street in West Village. You’ll notice as soon as you step foot on the street that it very much may be considered the heart of gay pride in New York. The Stonewall Inn is famous for the police raid that started the 1969 Stonewall riots for the gay liberation movement.
If you keep walking down Christopher Street you’ll come across more cute restaurants include Malatesta Trattoria. I personally had to snap a picture of this one because I loved the name. In Italian Malatesta means headache! Another great Italian restaurant with beautiful décor is Gaetana’s. Frank Saponara’s grandparents moved to Greenwich Village from Italy. As a young boy his mother Gaetana taught him how to cook his favorite Sicilian dishes. Today, he shares them with the rest of New York in his interesting restaurant filled with Frank Sinatra memorabilia and hess trucks.
Your nose will take you all the way to McNulty’s Tea & Coffee, which has been an establishment in Greenwich Village since 1895. The smell of coffee beans will drag you down the street and into David’s store where you can purchase teas from China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and any type of coffee blend imaginable. David is even so thoughtful as to have handwritten cards with everyones coffee blend on them, since he knows we all forget what we got “last time.”
7. FRIENDS Apartment
Right off of Christopher Street is the spot where another famous TV show, FRIENDS apartment resides. The apartment can be found at 90 Bedford St, at the corner of Bedford and Grove St. Funny enough, although Monica paid $200 in rent a month for this apartment (like what?), realistically this apartment is worth from $4.2K to $8K a month. But if like me, Friends is one of our favorite TV shows of all time, then you’ll appreciate this stop.
8. Hudson Street
I like to think of Hudson Street as another Main Street parallel to West 4th and Bleeker Street that could be considered restaurant row. A ton of cute outdoor restaurants, cafés, and shop line the street.
9. Aria Restaurant
After all this exploring we were getting hungry. We didn’t want to eat the usual eggs Benedict, or hummus, chickpea dishes, and wanted to find something a little bit less mainstream than West 4th Street. Our wandering took us to Aria on Perry Street. This Italian restaurant was everything we could’ve hoped for on a Saturday afternoon, and then some. Between the lobster ravioli and the grilled octopus salad, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect location and lunch on a quiet street in West Village. For more on my experience at Aria, read here. You can also read more of my New York travel guides here.
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2 comments
Makes me feel so much more ready for traveling with my dog and know how great it is for her!
thats wonderful and concise , thanks for taking the time and I just want to grab a camera and go there and adventure !!