West 3 St, Greenwich Village

You either love the NYU students or you wish them struck by lightning, one by one, to the bitter last, but the street remains important to the area below Washington Square Park and its lively cluster of bars and restaurants—I think this area is called NoHo (North of Houston) and doesn't technically constitute Greenwich Village, but the nomenclature is fluid in such cases. You've got Zinc, the Blue Note, and Groove to remind you that this used to be a hot place to play jazz, though anyone with taste in jazz probably wouldn't go to any of these establishments. Why not? They're expensive and commercial-minded, and real jazz is being made in someone's basement somewhere anyway. But musicians pay their rent giging in such places, so if you don't know somebody who knows somebody who knows where the right basement is, you might as well go hear jazz in one of these locales. You can get great sushi, great crepe, and exotic cigarettes on this street. Passing by recently, I saw a guy advertising his services as he walked, by repeating the phrase “Picture ID.” It makes sense, doesn't it, that he would position himself on 3rd Street to sell fake ID's? With the great offering of bars in this hood and the droves of under-aged NYU students, he would be the obvious connector.

You can find some NYU buildings on this street, along with the offerings that come with the classroom facilities – the nearby inexpensive restaurants and chains. Washington Square Park is also in the vicinity, and in the warm months people flock to the area, and it can get pretty crowded with people who have to be there (residents and students) and people who are just visiting (tourists and the homeless).

This is a great area to stroll around in, especially if you like to watch all sorts of people come and go. West third street, directly below Washington Square Park, is a cozy little meeting point for poets, artists, musicians alike. There are some great spots to hear jazz on the weekends, and of course, a quaint little culture of mini bars and pubs, and yes, the 24 hour delis. Don't miss the great Crepe place on W 3rd and McDougal, which is quite literally just a hole in the wall. Walking by this place, is a great loss to the palate. The street offers a nice view of the park, although it is currently still going through great renovations, as they plan to move the fountain to align with the arch. The street thrives on the weekends, where throngs of students and other New Yorkers alike stroll along the lively blocks.

Don’t expect much from this street. It’s kind of far away from the parks and really nothing to offer in the way of great food, it’s just a residential street that is not worth seeing on your trip to New York . If you’re looking for somewhere to live, however, this place could be considered on account of its accessibility and its Manhattan location.