Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village is a great place to live in the city, probably why rents and real estate prices have steadily climbed for decades and the area is now out of the price range of many of the people that helped make the Village great to begin with. Still, the area is similar to Park Slope in Brooklyn, great residential areas with excellent food, bars, and shopping. It is also located to everything lower Manhattan has to offer, including Union Square, East Village, and SoHo.

For people living here, the rents and prices are high but well worth it if you can afford it. The area is beautiful, has great schools and neighbors, and access to everything you need. Entertainment is abound both in the Village and in the surrounding areas.

For tourists, this is a great place to check out, especially on Halloween when the annual parade rolls through. There are many historic sites, off-Broadway theaters, and excellent food and good shopping.

NYU is in the Village as well. There are a lot of students always around and many places that cater specifically to students. This also means that many places around the area will have lower prices on food and drinks (though some will only offer a student discount) and a lot of younger aged bars and hangouts.

Greenwich Village is one of the very best neighborhoods in Manhattan, basically because it has everything you could wish for packaged in a charming, small-town vibe sort of way. Start at the not-so-small-town Union Square for all of your convenience shopping - it's the village's hub for chain stores, including Best Buy, Whole Foods, DSW, Babies R US, etc. Along the east side of Greenwich Village runs Broadway, and the stretch here is lined with great shopping - boutiques, vintage store, designer stores and a few cooler versions of chains like Urban Outfitters and Le Petit Chateau. Along the west side is Sixth Avenue, and this is arguably the best stretch of this avenue. Boutiques, cafes and little restaurants line this stretch where iconic village streets like Bleecker meet it.

Then you have Washington Square Park, long the one and only place to go for some of New York's best street performers. The brownstones that surround the park are gorgeous and stately, juxtaposing the park's gritty history - though it's cleaned up now. Along the streets of MacDougal, Sullivan and Thompson, especially between Bleecker and West 3rd, you have everything you could want in the way of nightlife, from great restaurants representing every part of the world and bars that range from raucous club to quiet pub. The only problem you may find here is the brazen invasion of NYU students, which some people claim has ruined the area. It has in no way ruined the area - there are still great stores, restaurants, bars and the architecture and spirit of the village remain. But it is definitely an obstacle to overcome when trying to enjoy a night out.

The most amazing thing about Greenwich Village is that it has literally everything you could want, but that's not even enough for it. It also happens to be surrounded by New York's other coolest neighborhoods, so if you're somehow not satisfied by this neighborhood, you're just blocks away from another.

Greenwich Village is one of my favorite areas of New York City. If I could live wherever I wanted, this neighborhood would be in my top 3 choices. Located in southern Manhattan on the west side and just called "the village" by locals (even though the East Village is a separate neighborhood), a lot of the area is very European looking – hence, it's "villagey" look. This look differs from midtown Manhattan in that the streets are not laid out in a straightforward grid. Many of the streets are narrow and curved. I went Christmas caroling in the neighborhood this year and pretended I was in England. Bedford Street is one of my favorite streets in the area, and the oldest building in the neighborhood is on that street.

Greenwich Village is also where the 60s counterculture really took off in New York, so it has a lot of rich 20th century history. And it's where the famed Halloween parade takes place every year.

While I've never lived in the area, it used to be my main hangout, and I have always loved it. There are so many great stores and restaurants, including terrific small boutiques and gourmet groceries. While the neighborhood was once very Bohemian, it's now primarily inhabited by hip yuppies. Today, it's a very expensive area for apartments, and a lot of celebs call it home like Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Mickey Rourke, and Uma Thurman.

No neighborhood is for everyone, but Greenwich Village is pretty close.

Sure, there are some NYU students, but there are worst things in the world than smart and attractive students buzzing about, and during the summer months it isn't anymore populated than other places. It's crowded certain hours, but nearly empty other hours and these empty hours make it a lovely New York oasis.

There is culture, history, and citizens that are passionate about preserving the area as much as possible to protect that history and culture. Excellent theatre, music, bookstores, and aspiring intellectuals. There's a calm energy that keeps this neighborhood a crisp, exciting place to visit and live.

Good grocery stores and a wide range of restaurants, some more expensive than others. Great bars and great brunch deals for the next morning. Grab a falafel from Mamoun's and a coffee from Porto Rico Importing Co and you'll be enjoying two New York gems for under five dollars. Sit and eat in Washington Square Park.

Beautiful place to live, easy to get to, and lots to do. Even people watching along Bleecker Street can provide hours of entertainment. It's expensive, but once you live here you'll never want to leave.

I always get lost in this neighborhood. No matter how many times I troll the area for outdoor book sellers, I can never find my way around properly - mostly because the streets tend to take on names instead of numbers in this area. In any case, there isn't much wrong with this neighborhood if you don't mind the population overload of NYU students - but it's never been my cup of tea, really.

The dining in the area tends to cater to that poor college kid crowd, which is something I can no longer relate to, even if I'm sure there are many people who would enjoy this neighborhood for just that reason. The bars also tend to be crowded with that specimen that is the NYU student, which is also not my scene in any way.

But, if you're into the offerings of the 'hood, then you will be happy with what it has to offer. It's in no way a bad neighborhood, it's just not a good fit for me personally.

Don't get me wrong: I like Greenwich village. Some parts of it are so great, it's really hard to tell where Greenwich ends and the West Village begins. But, it is really busy and really really saturated with NYU students which gives a lot of the neighborhood and really young, frat bar kind of vibe.
It has some really great restaurants like Babbo and Minetta Tavern. But, it also has some really interesting, definitely worth trying joints like Hummus Place and Peanut Butter and Co.
Greenwich has a lot of culture and what once were artsy places, but it's just too hard for me to get around how young and semi - annoying it is now. I go to Comedy Cellar and Moonwork often, but then tend to skip the bars. Let's just say there's a lot of beer pong played in them. Even the Bitter End has gotten a little fratty which is so sad.
But, Washington Sq Park is a great place to go during the day . . .when it's not under construction. Its beautiful and grand and, cool fact, it used to be a cemetery so there are thousands of bodies lying under your picnic.
Oh, and the private residences owned by NYU are so beautiful and a walk down those streets makes you feel like you're back in the 19th century.

Greenwich Village is a great middle ground between the East and West villages, and has a heart of its own. When you're not busy bumping into tourists eager to shop around the many shops in Union Square, you might find yourself walking down Broadway running into a few NYU students with a few boutiques along the way. Public transportation is definitely easy to find, whether it be the MTA bus that runs continuously down Broadway or the numerous subway stations that are just minutes apart. You can find anything from diners to fast food restaurants if you want to satisfy your hunger, and take the free wifi for a spin. It's a great place to live in New York City if you like livelihood.

Greenwich Village must be at the top of my list of favorite places to hang out, shop, eat, or just sight see. There is so much culture here, the UN would be jealous. A nice stroll down 6th Avenue downward offers a plethora of coffee shops, diners, and stores. Make a right onto West 4th Street and you got yourself into the heart of cozy places where my favorite one, Mona Lisa's, has the best cheesecake in town. The decor is not too shabby either.
Southwest of Washington Square Park is a mecca of the New York University crowd, especially Bleeker Street. Stop by the Corner Cafe for a cup of tea out of an iron tea pot, it hits the spot. Or just come to Greenwich Village, stroll around to satisfy your fix for anything that is currently on your mind. You will definately find it in this neighborhood.