East Village
East Village
4.5
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The area
Neighbourhood: Graniteville
How to get there
- 1st Ave • 7 min walk
- 3rd Ave • 10 min walk
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10,000 within 3 miles
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2,902 within 6 miles
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4.5
120 reviews
Excellent
54
Very good
48
Average
15
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Traveller
New York City, NY3,305 contributions
Mar 2022
I walked through the East Village in March 2022. I focused on 2nd Avenue between East 10th Street and Houston Street. It is a worthwhile place to walk through with a lot of restaurants and shops. It has an "off the beaten track feel" and is worth a visit. I recommend walking on Broadway to Astor Place to East 10th Street and then on 2nd Avenue.
Written 18 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave S
Hebron, lsrael169 contributions
Aug 2015
The district today called the East Village is a lovely neighborhood of fine old houses and several offbeat sites, centered on a lovely park - Tompkins Square Park. Everywhere in New York City, and in this district in particular, it is a must to use the architectural guidebook AIA Guide to New York City. The neighborhood was long considered a focus of much that was flaky and offbeat, and was even considered dangerous, as exemplified by the great "New York movie" DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, which was mostly filmed here. Another good example is 8th Street, called St. Mark's Place from 3rd Avenue (Cooper Square) to Tompkins Square Park, which has many flaky, offbeat shops, restaurants offering the cuisine of various countries such as lndia and Ethiopia, and even a shop selling lsraeli products. The eastern section of the East Village is nicknamed Alphabet City, for the avenues, which in this section of Manhattan are further east of 1st Avenue, and thus are called Avenues A, B, C and D; originally heavily Jewish, this area is now mostly Hispanic, often termed "Loisaida," a Spanish-language corruption of the term "Lower East Side," of which this was once considered a part. Today the entire East Village is very much gentrified.
Further east still, at the East River, is the very pleasant East River Park, which offers fine views of the Brooklyn shore, notably South Williamsburg, the domain of the Satmar (actually, Szatmar) Chassidim, a sect which is today anti-lsrael to the point of being anti-Semitic - yes, there is such a thing as Jewish anti-Semites!
The East Village is the area where New York's famous grid system begins. The grid, in theory, extends westwards to the actual Greenwich Village, but there the streets are of the convoluted street pattern familiar from Lower Manhattan (4th Street actually intersects with 10th Street there). Only from 14th Street does the grid system cover the whole island from river to river.
1st Street is a pleasant street for walking, and here is also the intersection of 1st Street with 1st Avenue ("1st and 1st"); at this intersection is also a cool "roof house" - read about it in the guidebook Secret New York: An Unusual Guide. One block east, at the northeastern corner of N Houston Street and Avenue A, on the roof of an upscale apartment building (1988), is a statue of the founder of political communism and mass murderer, Soviet dictator Vladimir llyich Lenin (born Ulyanov), brought from Russia in 1994, after the fall of the communist system there; the developer of the property, Michael Rosen, was long a radical-leftist activist (read about it in the same book).
On the other hand, the nonsensical "Kymaerica Plaque," which "commemorates" an event which "occurred" here in an "alternate dimension," seemingly does not exist; when this reviewer was here, even the address - 83 Avenue A - was just as ephemeral as the plaque (read about this to in the same fascinating book).
Tompkins Square Park, which has an American elm tree, dating from 1873, where lndian "mystic" Srila Braphupada (real name: Abhay Charan De), on October 9, 1966, led the first collective chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra outside lndia, effectively the foundation of the Hare Krishna cult (read about this too, in the same book). The park is lined with fine old buildings, some dating to the early years of the 19th century (one, built 1849, was the home of jazz great Charlie Parker). The park is named after Daniel D. Tompkins, vice president 1817-25 under President James Monroe, one of the country's greatest presidents.
A more conventional sight is Stuyvesant Street, said to be the only true east-west street in Manhattan. Manhattan's grid system is aligned with the shores of the island, not with the actual directions of the wind (for which reason, New Yorkers generally use the terms "uptown" and "downtown" instead of north and south, when referring to directions in Manhattan). Petrus Stuyvesant (not "Peter"), the director of New Netherland from 1647 until his downfall with the British takeover in 1664, was a a puritanical Dutch-Reform adherent who tolerated no dissent, whether religious or political. Quakers, Lutherans and Roman Catholics, all of whom were present in the Colony, were forbidden to conduct religious services; Jews were entirely banned from the colony until Stuyvesant was literally forced to accept a few in 1654. This religious intolerance led to the Flushing Remonstrance of Quaker John Bowne in Queens County (today very much part of New York City), which resulted in Stuyvesant eventually being forced to allow a modicum of religious freedom (something symbolic of New York today, and, by extension, of America as a whole). lt is ironic that it was the Quakers, today often considered anti-Semitic, who were instrumental to Jews being allowed in North America. ln any event, Stuyvesant must be respected for developing the tiny colony during the early days of Nieuw Amsterdam (not "New" Amsterdam - a common error; the language was Dutch, not English).
After the grid system was adopted in 1811, it was first implemented here; but Stuyvesant Street was then a major thoroughfare in Bowery Village, which existed here then ("bouwerij" is "farm" in old Dutch), so it was left alone, even though most existing streets that differed from the general grid were eliminated (Broadway is a notable exception). After 1664, irked by the readiness of the Dutch settlers and their descendants to accept British rule (a readiness which was helped by the lenient terms offered by the British, and exacerbated by Stuyvesant's own autocratic rule), Stuyvesant retired to his farm here; moreover, there seems to have been a superstition against messing with the Stuyvesants.
At the corner of Stuyvesant Street, 10th Street and 2nd Avenue is the Episcopal Church of St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery (1799, steeple 1828, portico 1854), in whose small cemetery Petrus Stuyvesant is buried. At the western border of the neighborhood is the Cooper Union, a university whose old main building (1859) is one of New York City's great landmark buildings, fronted by a pleasant parklet. Another not-to-miss building, among many others in this architecturally fascinating area, is the ultra-modern Cooper Union's Arthur Nerken School of Engineering (2009), on the east side of 3rd Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets. On 4th Street between Broadway and Lafayette Street is the Merchant's House Museum, a delightful house museum with everything remaining from the early 19th century.
Further north, not in the East Village, but in the Gramercy District at 2nd Avenue from 15th to 17th Streets, is the small Stuyvesant Square (Park), the area of which was donated to the City by Stuyvesant's descendants; here is a statue of Petrus Stuyvesant (1936).
Further east still, at the East River, is the very pleasant East River Park, which offers fine views of the Brooklyn shore, notably South Williamsburg, the domain of the Satmar (actually, Szatmar) Chassidim, a sect which is today anti-lsrael to the point of being anti-Semitic - yes, there is such a thing as Jewish anti-Semites!
The East Village is the area where New York's famous grid system begins. The grid, in theory, extends westwards to the actual Greenwich Village, but there the streets are of the convoluted street pattern familiar from Lower Manhattan (4th Street actually intersects with 10th Street there). Only from 14th Street does the grid system cover the whole island from river to river.
1st Street is a pleasant street for walking, and here is also the intersection of 1st Street with 1st Avenue ("1st and 1st"); at this intersection is also a cool "roof house" - read about it in the guidebook Secret New York: An Unusual Guide. One block east, at the northeastern corner of N Houston Street and Avenue A, on the roof of an upscale apartment building (1988), is a statue of the founder of political communism and mass murderer, Soviet dictator Vladimir llyich Lenin (born Ulyanov), brought from Russia in 1994, after the fall of the communist system there; the developer of the property, Michael Rosen, was long a radical-leftist activist (read about it in the same book).
On the other hand, the nonsensical "Kymaerica Plaque," which "commemorates" an event which "occurred" here in an "alternate dimension," seemingly does not exist; when this reviewer was here, even the address - 83 Avenue A - was just as ephemeral as the plaque (read about this to in the same fascinating book).
Tompkins Square Park, which has an American elm tree, dating from 1873, where lndian "mystic" Srila Braphupada (real name: Abhay Charan De), on October 9, 1966, led the first collective chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra outside lndia, effectively the foundation of the Hare Krishna cult (read about this too, in the same book). The park is lined with fine old buildings, some dating to the early years of the 19th century (one, built 1849, was the home of jazz great Charlie Parker). The park is named after Daniel D. Tompkins, vice president 1817-25 under President James Monroe, one of the country's greatest presidents.
A more conventional sight is Stuyvesant Street, said to be the only true east-west street in Manhattan. Manhattan's grid system is aligned with the shores of the island, not with the actual directions of the wind (for which reason, New Yorkers generally use the terms "uptown" and "downtown" instead of north and south, when referring to directions in Manhattan). Petrus Stuyvesant (not "Peter"), the director of New Netherland from 1647 until his downfall with the British takeover in 1664, was a a puritanical Dutch-Reform adherent who tolerated no dissent, whether religious or political. Quakers, Lutherans and Roman Catholics, all of whom were present in the Colony, were forbidden to conduct religious services; Jews were entirely banned from the colony until Stuyvesant was literally forced to accept a few in 1654. This religious intolerance led to the Flushing Remonstrance of Quaker John Bowne in Queens County (today very much part of New York City), which resulted in Stuyvesant eventually being forced to allow a modicum of religious freedom (something symbolic of New York today, and, by extension, of America as a whole). lt is ironic that it was the Quakers, today often considered anti-Semitic, who were instrumental to Jews being allowed in North America. ln any event, Stuyvesant must be respected for developing the tiny colony during the early days of Nieuw Amsterdam (not "New" Amsterdam - a common error; the language was Dutch, not English).
After the grid system was adopted in 1811, it was first implemented here; but Stuyvesant Street was then a major thoroughfare in Bowery Village, which existed here then ("bouwerij" is "farm" in old Dutch), so it was left alone, even though most existing streets that differed from the general grid were eliminated (Broadway is a notable exception). After 1664, irked by the readiness of the Dutch settlers and their descendants to accept British rule (a readiness which was helped by the lenient terms offered by the British, and exacerbated by Stuyvesant's own autocratic rule), Stuyvesant retired to his farm here; moreover, there seems to have been a superstition against messing with the Stuyvesants.
At the corner of Stuyvesant Street, 10th Street and 2nd Avenue is the Episcopal Church of St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery (1799, steeple 1828, portico 1854), in whose small cemetery Petrus Stuyvesant is buried. At the western border of the neighborhood is the Cooper Union, a university whose old main building (1859) is one of New York City's great landmark buildings, fronted by a pleasant parklet. Another not-to-miss building, among many others in this architecturally fascinating area, is the ultra-modern Cooper Union's Arthur Nerken School of Engineering (2009), on the east side of 3rd Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets. On 4th Street between Broadway and Lafayette Street is the Merchant's House Museum, a delightful house museum with everything remaining from the early 19th century.
Further north, not in the East Village, but in the Gramercy District at 2nd Avenue from 15th to 17th Streets, is the small Stuyvesant Square (Park), the area of which was donated to the City by Stuyvesant's descendants; here is a statue of Petrus Stuyvesant (1936).
Written 18 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Antimaps
Duffield, UK69 contributions
Jul 2015
This has always been my picture of residential NYC since I was a kid. Tree-lined streets with brownstone buildings.
Around St Marks Place and E 9th Street there are some great, independent boutiques selling vintage clothing, accessories and furniture so it's a great place to go if you want to buck the trends and create your own style. Nice, independent coffee shops and bistros will keep you sustained as you shop. Tompkins Square Park has a nice playground for your kids if you don't want to drag them around the shops.
Around St Marks Place and E 9th Street there are some great, independent boutiques selling vintage clothing, accessories and furniture so it's a great place to go if you want to buck the trends and create your own style. Nice, independent coffee shops and bistros will keep you sustained as you shop. Tompkins Square Park has a nice playground for your kids if you don't want to drag them around the shops.
Written 13 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave S
Hebron, lsrael169 contributions
Aug 2013 • Solo
The East Village was once considered part of the Lower East Side, then part of Greenwich Village. But unlike the West Village, the East Village is a separate neighborhood, with a separate identity. It is VERY much worth a visit - preferably with the architectural guidebook AIA GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY. And there is a huge amount of things to see in the way of architecture, but the neighborhood as a whole is even better than the sum of its many parts. Many of the houses have characteristic metal fire escapes zigzagging along the buildings' facades; the ladders, for obvious reasons, lack the lowest link which would connect them with the ground. St. Marks Place (same as 8th Street) is fascinating: a quirky street with many interesting, offbeat, or simply bizarre, businesses - tattoo places, yoga parlors, tarot card readings, Israeli stores, ethnic restaurants, you name it! On the east, the street comes out at the beautiful Tompkins Square Park (see that review). Further east, Avenue C is the hub of Loisaida - a Spanish-language distortion of "Lower East Side" - inhabited mostly by Hispanic people (also interesting); still further east is the gorgeous East River park (see that review). At the western limit of the district, don't miss the gorgeous Cooper Union Foundation Building (1859), & the little triangle park in front of it, with the Cooper Memorial (1897); east of the park, across 3rd Avenue, is the modernistic Cooper Union Engineering Building (2009), & just north-west of the main building, on a traffic island between 4th Avenue, 8th Street & Astor Place, is the metal cube the Alamo (installed 1967); the Merchant's House Museum is nearby. All in all, there's no shortage of things to see in this neighborhood. And when you need a refueling break, try the Veselka Ukrainian restaurant at 9th Street & 2nd Avenue.
Written 1 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
phil o
London, UK319 contributions
Jan 2021 • Solo
Search ‘East Village Safari’ 99 min documentary . This will give you a great idea of what you are going to be seeing in this district
Written 4 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LisaCK
New York City, NY125 contributions
Oct 2015 • Solo
Shopping. East Village. Specifically East 9th Street area, between 2nd Ave and Ave A.
Best best best unique independant pretty creative lively lovely clothes, shoes, coats, jewelry, accessories, hats, new, vintage, consignment stores in all of NYC!!
Just stroll up and down both sides of the street and go into each and every shop.
If you do not want to look like every other "basic", this is the neighborhood for you to shop in.
Also walk up and down 2nd Ave between 9th and 4th streets too. Much to see, try, buy and wear!!
Best best best unique independant pretty creative lively lovely clothes, shoes, coats, jewelry, accessories, hats, new, vintage, consignment stores in all of NYC!!
Just stroll up and down both sides of the street and go into each and every shop.
If you do not want to look like every other "basic", this is the neighborhood for you to shop in.
Also walk up and down 2nd Ave between 9th and 4th streets too. Much to see, try, buy and wear!!
Written 14 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bbbob84
Staten Island, NY1,615 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
The East Village is back. More and more local shops, eateries and storefronts are popping up making the East Village a destination once again in NYC. Stroll the streets and find new and inviting eateries, bars and restaurants opening every day. North of Hudson, South of 14th Street and East of Fifth Avenue. Wander through the Lower East Side or Alphabet City. The East Village Awaits.......
Written 20 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SaleDamc
Sale, UK462 contributions
Oct 2017 • Solo
I spent 1 evening in this neighbourhood and thought it was great. It is a hip, vibrant area, with many good bars and restaurants. It is also a fairly pretty area, in parts, and it was pleasant to stroll around taking in the sights and sounds. If you are looking for a lively area, where you can have a good time, then this will certainly fit the bill.
Written 19 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michal K
Prague, Czech Republic76 contributions
Apr 2014 • Solo
I spent 9 days on Manhattan in April. I looked through a lot of its avenues, streets and squares. I walked criss-cross from Financial District up to Upper side with my camera all days. And I chose a small neighborhood called East Willage as my favorite place. It is situated approximately between 1st Avenue and C Avenue and 4th and 12th Street. You will find there several calm streets (calm in NY conditions) which are full of small cafés, art shops, second-hand shops, barbershops and tattoo salons, pet shops and veterinary services, flower shops etc. And mainly full of cozy restaurants of all worldwide cuisines. All are really small and distinctive with colorful painted signs or walls, often in old houses. If you like graffiti you will love this place. And moreover you can meet there a lot of likeable residents, often shop’s owners, who like to talk with you. So if you visit New York and I will be tired out by busy and noisy town I can definitely recommend you to visit this place.
Written 16 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SEs
London, UK25,780 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
This is a very good neighbourhood here.There are lots of shops and eating places around.The buildings are old and new. The Rhinos sculpture is beautiful.
Written 3 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, Tracey. What would you like to know about this attraction?
Hey we are looking to stay in East Village, I am just wondering is it easy enough to get to Times square and all the other popular tourist attractions?
Many thanks
Written 4 April 2018
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