West Village
If
you’re searching for a quaint, colorful old-world
neighborhood in which to lose yourself and all your
metropolitan worries, the West Village could be the answer
to your prayers. Not only does the joie
de vivre of a certain European country seem readily
applied over every Tudor, Victorian, or Gothic façade,
but it is possible to truly get lost in the slanted and
sideways maze of West Village streets. Many find the
confusion worth it, however. Once you’re in, in the West
Village, you’ve settled into one of the few veritable
“neighborhoods” of New York City—a place where
people actually smile on the streets and take immense
pride in the look of their homes and their surroundings.
The
decidedly leftist sexual persuasion of a number of the
West Village’s residents dictates that if you’re gay
in NYC, this really is the place to be. Leather bars,
sissy bars, straight-lookin’/gay actin’—whatever
your niche, you’ll find it in the West Village. While
the area caters more readily to the needs of queer men
rather than homosexual ladies, there are places for the
lesbian woman to find her spot. As it were. The Pink
Pussycat, one of the more famous sex shops/tourist traps
in NYC, is a constant roaring buzz of activity ( no pun
intended,) and the medieval Rubyfruit is a dark and sultry
locale for chick to chick cruising.
For
giggles galore, you’ll want to check out the cheesy head
shops or condom stores on 6th Ave near West 4th
street—this strip keeps the twelve year old boy mindset
alive despite the moral pressures of recent years and
mayoral administrations. If you’re looking for peace and
quiet, this definitely isn’t the block to settle down
in, but it is the perfect place to pick up a magazine,
grab some fast food, or meet up with friends as they step
off any number of subway lines that run to the West 4th
Street station.
Restaurants in the West Village are tops and
usually of the French or Italian variety. Check out Tanti
Bachi’s Italian garden restaurant, where you can eat
outside under cute umbrellas and buy flowers for your
sweetheart while she stuffs herself full with delicious
homemade pasta. Other standouts include Piccolo Angelo,
Little Basil, and Pastis, the slightly hipper and more
out-of-the-way cousin of SoHo’s Balthazar. Nighttime diversion is plentiful here, and is a
step up in class from the East Village. You’ll find a
number of jock bars, some cutesy couple wine bars, as well
as jazz clubs and swankier venues for alcohol consumption.
Missing for the most part are the total dives you’ll
find farther east; they’ve been replaced instead with
gay male pickup or leather bars that lack in threadbare
seats but abound in spikes and buff bodies.
Most apartments in the Village are 3 or 4 story walkups that are always manageable,
with hardwood floors and an incredible attention to
detail. If you’re living here, you’re very aware of
your surroundings and want the aesthetic of the
neighborhood to keep up to par. Many basement, or
sub-level apartments are visible from the street, so
you’d better have some good curtains or wooden slat
blinds to keep probing eyes out (or in, depending on your
fancy.) To capture the quintessential European feel, look
for apartments on some of the West Village’s most famed
streets—St. Luke’s Place, Gay Street, West 11th
Street, or Charles Street. While these are some of the
more noted blocks, almost any side street in the Village
comes packed with charm, beautiful buildings, and friendly
neighbors.
No matter where you end up throwing anchor in the
West Village, you’re sure to be surrounded by everything
you need. This is one of the most desirable locations in
the city, and with good reason. For those just starting a
family or those setting up shop on their own, the
neighborhood strikes the perfect balance of activity and
quiet grace—a little pocket of perfection of the west
side of Manhattan.
SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS.
We are trying
to influence the rental market to rid itself of tenant
broker fees and we need your help to Spread The Word.
Sincerely
David Drake
President