Every time a friend visits me in NYC and asks me to take them out, ‘the village’ (i.e. Greenwich Village and West Village) is the first neighborhood that comes in my mind. Each time. So here is my NYC guide to Greenwich Village!
I would like to establish what to expect from this guide before you start reading – I will be listing a lot of bars (because that’s my thing), a lot of restaurants, and a lot of things to do in NYC Greenwich Village. What I won’t be posting in this guide are little secrets or art galleries or shopping in Greenwich Village.
I also understand that just a list of things to do, bars, and restaurants get overwhelming and you can get that even on Google Maps. So I will also be posting a step-by-step comprehensive NYC Greenwich Village guide which will help you plan your in the best possible way to cover most of the things that are good about NYC Greenwich Village. If that is something you like, keep reading on.
NYC Greenwich Village – Neighborhood
So where is Greenwich Village? It is to the West of Manhattan touching the Hudson. A common question visitors have is Greenwich Village vs West Village? So Greenwich Village and West Village are together called ‘the village’ but they are usually used interchangeably by the locals.
The village is filled with students and graduates because the NYU campus is in the area which makes Greenwich Village really diverse and filled with energy. Greenwich Village is home to a lot of places of activity including the ‘FRIENDS’ building, MacDougal Street, and the iconic Washington Square Park.
My favorite thing about Greenwich Village is the number of bars and restaurants it has to offer. Greenwich Village is home to the legendary Cafe Wha?, a lot of speakeasy bars (listed below), and quite a few dive bars (again owing to the NYU campus).
Guide to NYC Greenwich Village
I am posting my favorite things to do, bars, and restaurants in no particular order below. Greenwich Village is a neighborhood that offers so many things to do that it would be impossible to list everything here.
As it is said, the best way to experience NYC is on foot and I would strongly recommend doing that. That is how I found my favorite places in NYC as well.
Things to do
Washington Square Park
Expect: Loads of crowd, music, other activity | Best time to visit: Afternoon
Washinton Square Park is one of my favorite spots in NYC. The iconic Washington Square Park Arch and the fountain can be seen in so many movies and tv shows. I love this park during the day to spend time reading, eating, and just people watching. It is usually bustling with activity and you will always find a thing to do in the park.
I personally avoid the park at night as it reeks of marijuana. But the lightning of the Arch is a beauty of its own.
FRIENDS Apartment Building
Expect: Loads of tourists | Best time: Afternoon
The FRIENDS building is located in Greenwich Village in the following address – 90 Bedford Street. It also has an expensive cafe located below the apartment building which looks like ‘Central Perk’. A great Instagram opportunity.
You can also find the Bob Dylan Freewheelin’ cover location at a 3-minute walk from the FRIENDS apartment building for another photo opportunity.
Comedy Cellar on MacDougal Street
Location: 117 MacDougal St #1267, New York | Best time: Evening, Night
Comedy clubs in NYC are my favorite things. Comedy clubs are a really fun thing to do if you want to spend two hours with your friends. And they are also really cheap!
Greenwich Village is home to two famous comedy clubs – Comedy Cellar and Greenwich Village Comedy Club (location in the links). I would definitely recommend making reservations in advance as they sell out really quickly. Once you bought tickets, there are usually 4-5 comedians who will perform and you can order drinks and food from the menu. Totally worth it!
Greenwich Village Comedy Club vs Comedy Cellar which is better? I personally thought both were great and very similar. We had to for a long time outside Comedy Cellar even after buying tickets. Also, we usually find cheaper tickets for Greenwich Village Comedy Club from FeverUp so that’s where we end up most of the time.
Pro tip: Looking for cheap tickets to comedy clubs? We usually used FeverUp to get cheap tickets (around 10$) with two minimum drinks. I personally think it is worth it because people usually tend to order a drink or two at the club.
Uncommons – Board Games Cafe
Location: 230 Thompson St, New York | Best time: Evening
Now not a lot of tourists know about Uncommons but it is one of the gems in Greenwich Village. Usually packed with students and locals, Uncommons is a great way to spend some time with your friends while playing board games.
The cost of one hour at Uncommons is $5 on weekdays and $10 on weekends. You can buy pizza, coffee, and beer from their menu.
It is a super different and fun thing to do in NYC Greenwich Village and I would definitely recommend it! You can check out some photos here.
Cafe Wha?
Location: 115 MacDougal St, New York | Best time: Night
If you visit Greenwich Village and leave without visiting Cafe Wha?, you can’t tell anyone that you have been to NYC Greenwich Village. Let me tell you this – I have taken all of my friends at least once to Cafe Wha? and not one of them ever disliked it.
Cafe Wha? is a legendary bar in Greenwich Village where Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan started their careers.
They play hip-hop, pop, classic rock, reggae, and every other genre of music that you can think of! They have a house band which is brilliant. Believe me, by the end of the night, everyone in the bar will be dancing on the floor.
The entry fee to Cafe Wha? is $15 and there is usually a queue to get in. I would recommend getting there around 10:30 pm to get in Cafe Wha? for the 11 pm set and staying there till late at night.
Here is a video that I took below. I know the quality sucks, but hey, I was intoxicated. What do you expect?
Food in Greenwich Village
NYC Greenwich Village has a plethora of options for food – brunch, fast food, pizza, and a variety of restaurants serving different cuisines. Keep reading for my absolute favorites –
Jack’s Wife Freda
Location: 50 Carmine St, New York | Best time: Morning, Afternoon
Jack’s Wife Freda is one of my favorite in New York City for brunch. They have a great menu (linked here) and really fun staff. I love their Green Shakshuka and Pimm’s Cup.
The restaurant itself is pretty small, so I would definitely recommend making a reservation in advance.
Top Thai
Location: 235 Sullivan St, New York | Best Time: Dinner
Top Thai in NYC Greenwich Village is a great Thai place offering authentic Thai food in an intimate setting.
The place is really small but totally worth it. Again, I would recommend making your reservation in advance.
Indian Fast Food – Taco Mahal, Masala Times, Thelewala
Expect: Quick food, drunk crowd | Best time: Late night or whenever you crave a quick snack
So what does that heading mean? There are a bunch of quick bite places in Greenwich Village that serve absolutely incredible Indian food. Here are my three favorites:
a. Thelewala (112 MacDougal St): Serving East Indian snacks, Thelewala is known for it’s Nizami Rolls and chaats. Thelewala means a vendor selling food off of their cart.
If you’re feeling upto it, try their spicy Phaal Roll. Warning – I have seen people in tears after eating those rolls. It’s like Sean Evan’s Hot Ones but with Indian food. Thelewala is a really small place for quick food, so don’t expect to find a table (as seen in the picture).
My favorite is Jhaal Muri.
b. Masala Times (194 Bleecker St): I cannot even begin to start telling you about the number of memories I have at Masala Times. Again, Masala Times is a small intimate space serving Indian fast food such as pav bhaji, vada pav, and rolls. I personally love their Egg Bhurji Roll.
c. Taco Mahal (73 7th Ave S): Taco Mahala is a fusion restaurant serving naan-based tacos filled with Indian curries. Sounds amazing right? They taste even better.
Pizza – Artichoke, Joe’s Pizza
Expect: Huge drunk crowds | Best Time: Late night
a. Artichoke Pizza (111 MacDougal St): Artichoke is one of the defining slices of NYC. This location of Artichoke is a haven for drunk revelers in the Greenwich village. If you don’t know what’s an Artichoke slice, here is a video-
b. Joe’s Pizza (7 Carmine St): Usually argued to be one of the best slices in NYC, Joe’s Pizza is one of the most famous pizza joints in not just the Greenwich Village but NYC. You will find huge crowds here till late at night.
Drinks in Greenwich Village
Speakeasy Bars – The Garret, Employees Only, Up & Up
Expect: Intimate spaces, dim lights, amazing cocktails, expensive alcohol | Best time: After Dinner
NYC Greenwich Village is home to some of my favorite speakeasy bars in NYC. You can find the entire list of my favorite speakeasy bars here. Here are three of them-
a. The Garret (Five Guys, Bleecker Street): Also, known as the ‘Five Guys’ bar, the Garret is an amazing speakeasy located opposite to Taco Mahal on Bleecker Street. As you enter Five Guys, just keep walking towards the end near the ketchup area and you will see a small stairway leading up to the bar. The best part about the Garret, other than their amazing cocktails, is that they serve Five Guys burgers and fries!
b. Employees Only (510 Hudson St): Employees Only is a 20s themed prohibition bar serving really good cocktails. Employees Only is near the Christopher St. PATH station. As you walk on Hudson St., look for a green awning with 510 written on it.
c. Up & Up (116 MacDougal St): Opposite Artichoke Pizza, Up & Up is an amazing speakeasy serving delicious cocktails from an extensive menu. This is a really good place to bring your date to. I really like their whiskey-based cocktails (image attached).
Live Music Bars – Cafe Wha?, The Bitter End
Expect: Live music, dancing, expensive shots | Best Time: Late Nights
a. Cafe Wha? (115 MacDougal St. ): We have already discussed Cafe Wha? in the ‘things to do’ list above. I won’t waste time discussing the same bar again. BUT YOU SHOULD VISIT IT 100%.
b. The Bitter End (147 Bleecker St): The Bitter End, established in 1971, is one of the well-known live music places in NYC. Unlike Cafe Wha?, they have a fixed schedule of artists playing here. There is usually a cover charge of 25$.
Dive Bars – Off the Wagon, Wicked Willy’s
Expect: Cheap alcohol, college students, sticky floors | Best Time: After 2 am
Since NYU college is in Greenwich Village there are a lot of dive bars here serving really cheap alcohol. Here are a couple-
a. Off the Wagon (109 MacDougal St.): I usually end up here after going to Cafe Wha? if we still feel like drinking or dancing further. You know the standard, continuing the night and regretting the next morning.
Off the Wagon has a beer pong table, darts, TVs, and really good music.
b. Wicked Willy’s (149 Bleecker St.): Another of the Greenwich Village dive bars famous with students and young professionals, Wicked Willy’s has good music and not so good cocktails.
Step-by-step Guide to Greenwich Village
Now you are asking that we have covered all the things to do, bars, and restaurants in the post above, so how do I actually do everything in one day? I am glad you asked. I understand this because at the end of the day this is a one day guide.
So here is how I would go about it (Google Maps directions linked here)–
| The thing to do? | When? |
| Start with Jack’s Wife Freda in West Village | Brunch |
| Next, go to Washington Square Park to spend your afternoon taking in the vibe, music, and you can even play chess! Pro-tip: Try the famous NYC Dosa cart in the park | Afternoon |
| From Washington Square Park, walk towards the Uncommons for a quick board game and beer/coffee with your friends or family | Late Afternoon |
| Walk towards the FRIENDS Apartment Building to get some Instagram photos | Evening |
| Get dinner at Top Thai | Late Evening |
| Head to Up & Up for a cocktail | Night |
| After having the cocktail, go see a comedy show at one of the comedy clubs mentioned in this post | Night |
| Get a quick bite at Thelewala or Masala Times | Night |
| Go for a live music set in Cafe Wha? | Late Night |
| Get a slice of Artichoke to sober a bit up after all the alcohol | Late Night |
| If you still feel like going on, head over to one of the dive bars mentioned in this post | Late Night |
The best part about this guide is that all the places and activities mentioned in this post are so close-by that you replace any of the activities in the table above with any of the other things that I have mentioned in this post.
Conclusion
There you have it – that’s my complete guide to the village i.e. Greenwich Village and the West Village with a comprehensive list of things to do, places to eat and drink, and other activities. If you like this guide, please do leave a comment!
If you are interested, do check out my other NYC Neighborhood guides – DUMBO, Chelsea, East Village (all the blog posts are linked).
