How does one "do" Greenwich Village?
 

When I was last in New York, it was on business and a group of us had a nice dinner in Greenwich Village. I remember thinking that I'd love to return with my husband and just wander around. Well, we are returning, but with three kids (ages 16, 14 and 11). How does a family "do" Greenwich Village? I have the walking tour that MaureenB received from another fodorite, and it includes Greenwich Village. The kids aren't big on just wandering, especially if it's hot. Would it possibly work out better if we made a dinner reservation there and wandered before or after?

The tour is a blast. I strongly recommmend it.
www.foodsofny.com

The food tour looks like something that 3 of us would love and 2 of us would hate! Maybe on a later "adults only" trip........

I think they would enjoy Washington Square Park, at least on the weekend. I've only been there on Saturday afternoon twice so I don't know what it is like during the week. It is full of people and activity -- street performers galore, people with dogs (there is a dog park in it) -- just a really fun place. There are street vendors not far from there to wander around and look at their wares. You can go into Roccos to buy cannolis, etc.

The village really is about just wandering--there aren't really any major touristy sights, and if your kids are antsy, then settling for dinner and a short walk before or after sounds about right.
But, when are you coming? There might be some event (a street fair, or an outdoor concert)going on in the area than might make it more acceptable to the kids

Do to our schedule, we'll have to be there on a weekday...sounds like it's more of a late afternoon/evening place than a first thing in the morning place. My kids love street entertainment.

How about Chelsea Market? It's indoors out of the heat and sun (or rain), and you can snack your way from one end to the other and back.

And, the kids would probably much more enjoy South Street Seaport. Fantastic views of the Brooklyn Bridge. If it's hot out, a one-hour boat cruise is terrific.

Most of the food, in the Greenwich Village Foods of NY tour, is pizza and pastries--I think the kids would love almost all of the food. We took the tour last year and at almost every stop had a chance to sit down. It was a hot day (and I am not a hot weather person), but I was perfectly comfortable with it.

For all of you New Yorkers.....New York rocks! (I love it. At least what I've seen.) I also love the New Yorkers. People are so nice there. Helpful, direct and very very very service oriented! From the cabbies to the restaurants.....fabulous. Brilliant. =D>

Missy, Have you considered taking your kids to see Blue Men Group? Its in the East Village. You could wander a little, have a quick, easy dinner (I like Bobby Flaye's Miracle Grill) and then see this show. Astor Place Theater, 434 Lafayette St. (between E 4th & Astor Pl.)

I am actually considering taking them to Blue Man Group on the Boston leg of the trip.

I guess I'm also a bit afraid of the food tour due to my own nut allergy. I saw on the form that there is a place to note food allergies when reserving. Seems like when there are pastries involved, I always lose out!

Missy, I've seen Blue Men in several different cities. There is nothing to compare with the NY experience. It is the original and there's just something about the little theater that its in that is perfect for the show. May I humbly suggest that you fit in a different show in Boston and do BM in NY? Just think about it.

Bostix (like TKTS in NYC) almost always has half price tickets available for Blue Man Group.

missypie, do you remember where in Greenwich Village your dinner was? I ask because there is a distinctly different feel between the East and West Village: west is probably more classically cute and quaint; east is more hipster. Washington Square Park and NYU sit in the middle. Both neighborhoods are great, especially in the late afternoon into the evening, as you thought. The good news is that there's usually a fair amount going on, even on a weekday.

Let us know what kind of food you might want that day and we can help!

bigonion.com has a Greenwich Village walking tour (sans food) that you might consider.

TC, it's not that I don't believe you about it being great to see Blue Man Group in NYC...but Boston doesn't have Broadway, and that is how our nights in NYC will be spent. I don't have any night time entertainment set for Boston yet, however.

Thanks for the reference to Bostix, too.

There is almost always something going on in Washington Square Park when the weather is nice. If not street performances, then at the very least, some of the best people-watching in the city. Don't rule it out just because you won't be there on a weekend. If you're going to be in the area anyway, at least take a quick stroll thru. It's a small park.
Also, google NYC street fairs and see if there are any in the village during your visit. You can't beat street fairs for great fun, cheap shopping and greasy food!

missypie, can you post a link to the walking tour you received? I remember walking around a few blocks in the West Village with my daugher, and was very disappointed with how tawdry it was -- streets lined with tattoo parlors and sex gadet stores. It would be good to know which are still the best streets to walk on, as I'm sure the whole W. Village can't have descended like that...

Here is what MaureenB posted:

"Here's the walking tour written for us, by Fodorite Ellenem, because we wanted to visit Ground Zero, Wall Street, and walk through the other neighborhoods north of our hotel:

"Walking tour from Embassy Suites:
From your hotel (North End Ave?) walk south to the World Financial Center marina. Walk east through the plaza and enter the Winter Garden (featuring palm trees). This space was heavily damaged when the WTC fell and the original palm trees died. Walk up the wide steps for a great overlook of the WTC site. This spot used to be the begining of a pedestrian bridge to the WTC complex. (Look to the far right (south) and you will see an existing pedestrian bridge for which you are heading.)

Follow signs to the right through the building complex (Two World Financial Center, then into One World Financial Center) to the South Bridge. This bridge ends along the southern edge of the site (Liberty St) where there are a number of displays mounted on the surrounding fence, describing original construction, the attack, and listing those who were lost that day.

Continue walking east to Broadway. Turn right (south) and a few blocks down visit Trinity Chapel (Aleaxander Hamilton is in the graveyard) and Wall St which is opposite.

Head back up Broadway (north) to Fulton St and St Paul's Chapel (George Washington's church and rest stop for many WTC rescue workers).

Continue north on Broadway. At Barclay St is the Woolworth Building (once the tallest in the world) and City Hall Park and City Hall opposite.

North of City Hall, go west on any side street to West Broadway. You are now in Tribeca. Walk north along West Broadway, taking in side streets as you like.

Continue north on West Broadway and cross Canal St. Now you are in Soho. Walk north along West Broadway, taking in side streets as you like.

Continue north on West Broadway and cross Houston (pronounced How-ston) St. Now you are in Greenwich Village. Walk north along Laguardia Place (the continuation of West Broadway) which ends at Washington Square Park.

You might walk along the south side of the park, or take a left (west) on Bleecker St before reaching the Park.

Two alternate routes:

1) Take Bleecker St left (west) through the center of the Village--shops, clubs, bars. You can follow it across 6th Ave (Ave of the Americas) where it angles slightly north. This begins the West Village. You'll pass John's Pizzeria before you reach 7th Ave. Across Seventh you can enjoy more quaint streets with cute little houses. If you go this way, I'd recommend turning west on Grove St, looking at the truly skinny houses on Bedford St near Grove and checking out the house in the mews (Grove Court?) on the left just before you hit Hudson St (8th Ave). Continue northish on Bleecker or Hudson to West 10th or West 11th St and turn right (east). Follow these back east, through the central village, past some of the prettiest and more expensive little houses in Greenwich Village (bet 5th and 6th). (If you take 11th St, you'll have to go south to 10th St since the street doesn't go through at Broadway.)

Keep going all the way to 2nd Ave, the main drag of the East Village. Second Ave and the side streets (10th, 9th, St Marks, 7th, 6th, 5th, and more) are full of fun little shops nad restaurants.

2) Washington Sq South is also West 4th St. This is NYU territory--their large library and main campus is just east of Laguardia along the park.

Walk into the park and walk north to the Washington Square Arch located at the foot of 5th Ave. Note the nice townhouses along the north side of the park, many owned by NYU. Walk north a short block and turn right into the Washington mews, a street of carriage houses, many now owned by NYU. When you come out of the mews, you are facing an NYU dorm. Turn north on Univeristy Pl and walk a short block to 8th St. Turn right (east) and walk along a shopping street, cross Broadway, pass the big black cube at Lafayette St and give it a spin. 8th St does odd things here--over a span of three blocks it changes its name to Astor Place and then St Marks Place (at 3rd Ave). St Marks Place is a teenagers delight, with T-shirt shops and other stuff parents may not like them to buy--but they'll have ball. Second Ave and the side streets (10th, 9th, St Marks, 7th, 6th, 5th, and more) are full of fun little shops and restaurants."

As previous posters have said, there aren't a lot of must see sights, but plenty of charming streets. You can just wander. Here are a few places of literary interest for the benefit of your Dante fan.

White Horse Tavern -- corner of Hudson and 11th -- site of Dylan Thomas' last bender. He drank an absurd number of double scotches, returned to his hotel, collapsed and died. Around the corner at 99 Perry is the house novelist Malcolm Lowry lived in when he first arrived in New York. He was delighted becasue it was near . . .

. . . Gansevoort Street -- a few blocks up. This one's obscure: it is named after Herman Melville's maternal grandfather, a Revolutionary War hero.

You're a lawyer, if I remember correctly. On the SW corner of Washington Square stands Vanderbilt Hall, NYU's prestigious law school. Now, around the corner at what was once 138 McDougal Street was an Italian restaurant. It is now an uninteresting wall. Malcolm Lowry spent a bender in the basement apartment below it. (I keep mentioning Lowry because his novel, <i>Under the Volcano</i> contains many allusions to Dante. Lowry may have known as much about Hell as the great Florentine.)

If you continue down to the intersection of Bleeker and McDougal you are standing at what was the heart of teenybopperdom in the late Sixties. Some of the clubs are still there.

At 119 Macdougal is Mamoun's Falafel. $2 for a sandwich. A big favorite with NYU students and any other lovers of the falafel. You could buy a bunch and picnic in the Park.

At 103 Waverly Place is the Washington Square Hotel. It was once a residential hotel and among its famous guests were Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, photographed peering out of one of its windows.

Since you're on Washington Square you might as well look at the row of town houses along the northern side and think of Henry James. Here are two of the words I learned thirty-five years ago reading <i>Washington Square</i>: loquacious and perspicacious. Don't know if I can lay claim to the latter but have demonstrated the former, I guess.

Enjoy your visit.

&lt;&lt;skatedancer wrote: I remember walking around a few blocks in the West Village with my daugher, and was very disappointed with how tawdry it was -- streets lined with tattoo parlors and sex gadet stores. &gt;&gt;

I bet you were near 6th Ave and West 4th St--central Village bordering with West Village. Too bad the few blocks tuned you off to exploring further. A five-minute walk in almost any direction from there would have made an almost complete change of scenery to rows of quaint townhouses, restaurants and boutiques.

The itinerary above that I originally wrote for Maureen addressed a number of concerns she had for her particular trip as mentioned at the beginning of her post. She was trying to cover a lot of territory in one day.

Missypie, the West Village in particular could be a real exercise in navigation for your kids. Compared to the rest of Manhattan, the streets are not numbered and go off at all different kind of crazy angles. The few that are numbered do odd things--for example West 4th St intersects West 10th St, a physical impossibility in other parts of town.

There are some shops on Greenwich Ave between 6th Ave and 7th Ave that your kids might enjoy--one on the north side of the street full of odd and wacky toys and novelties (can't remember the name . . .).

I couldn't sleep last night and was thinking of a tour for you. I know call me a crazy fodorite. So I can refine it for you.o
ages and sex of kids and perhaps their top interests so if I know of a shop that would cater to their intersts in the village i could steer you towards it. I don't want to send you to the Juicy Couture shop if all your kids are boys, but it's a must if the 14 year old is a girl!

give me a couple of days, because I have to walk it, because as someone else pointed out, the streets are all named and while I know where I am going, I couldn't tell you any street name.

and keep in mind, i am not a new york expert as some of the others on this board. but it will be a start.

Thanks so much! Here is a profile of my kids:

Boy 16 - not into sports; loves Dante and video games; loves to eat (is adventurous); hates to shop but can keep himself amused with video game if necessary; a very good, non-complaining tourist

Girl 14 - smart drill team officer who loves to shop (future &quot;Legally Blonde&quot;); PLEASE don't send us to Juicy Couture-this trip is already costing a fortune-I don't think I could afford a Juicy shopping spree! Picky eater.

Girl 11 - likes to shop a bit; loves nature; more adventurous eater than her older sister.

hi missypie - the part of ellenem's walking tour that covers the Winter Garden and Wall Street is the same as what I mentioned to you on another post, only much better with the details! If it's a weekday during the day, you could catch any of the street carts on Wall Street since you were interested in them (even bbq, which you probably don't need to taste an NYC cart version!!).

Big Onion's tours are terrific. I did one of lower Manhattan a few years ago and learned so much! Our tour guide was pursuing a PhD in American History at Columbia; I think a lot of their guides have depth of knowledge like that. That might be a great way to see the best parts of the Village.

On Greenwich Ave between 6th and 6th Aves, there is Benny's Burritos with cheap, huge Cali style burritos. John's Pizza already mentioned is very good, as is Arturo's brick oven pizza on Houston not far from LaGuardia. (These would help fill the pizza gap if you miss Grimaldi's!) My favorite strip for little local restaurants is Carmine Street in the blocks south of Bleeker Street. (In typical Village fashion, Carmine connects 7th Ave - called Varick Street here - and Bleeker; again what should be a geopgraphical impossibility!)

If you're in SoHo, your daughters probably would enjoy the new Uniqlo store - www.uniqlo.com/us - without breaking the bank! And don't forget Pearl River Mart - www.pearlriver.com/v2/storelocation.html -, which even your son could find intriguing. They have everything from silk clothing and bags to tea sets and Asian groceries...

I just found Pearl River on my Red Map. Sounds like a place my kid will love.

the name of the store on Greenwich Avenue that ellenm recommends is Tahpoozie - all 3 kids will get a kick out if it. Greenwich Avenue between 6th and 7th Avenue is a good place for all 3 - there are several not too expensive clothes boutiques and a terrific vintage shop, an excellent mystery book store, a very good video rental/DVD store with tons of independent/foreign films and several excellent neighborhood restaurants:
Elephant and Castle - small funky place with very good burgers, fries and also upscale diner food, good big salads, vegetarian and American entrees.
Gusto - adventurous italian restauant, a little expensive.
Lassi - tiny narrow Indian street food, fantastic lassis (yogurt smoothies) and indian snacks.
Savore - very inexpespensive italian - popular with NYU students.
NY Sandwich shoppe - great sandwiches
Fiddlesticks Pub - poplular Irish bar pretty good food, nice sidewalk cafe.

There is also a wonderful building - the Jefferson Market library (looks like a castle) and a community garden, which are fun to spend a few minutes walking through. The garden is the sight of a former women's prison, that was torn down in the 1970's . . . .

A fun block to explore . . . .

mp-Thanks for Tahpoozie. I was there a few weeks ago with some adult friends who spent a bit of time (and money!) in there. And I love the mystery book store--Partners in Crime.

Almost directly across the street from Tahpoozie is another store with slightly more trendy T-shirts and objects teens might like.

ggreen menat 6th and 8th Ave on Greenwich--Benny's Burritos is almost at 8th Ave. Also near 8th Ave are two places with a British flair: A Salt and Battery, a fish and chips shop, and Tea and Sympathy, a tea shop where you can get 'high' and 'low' teas, an incredibly long list of cakes ddrenched in warm custard, and other infamous British specialties.

ellenem, thanks for the correction! I always get there by walking west from 6th Ave - no wonder it always feels longer than I expect! ;)

A Salt and Battery and Tea and Sympathy are great suggestions. I remember reading that local shops were trying to get that area officially identified as Little Britain (like Little Brazil in midtown), but I don't know the result of their petition.

Also in the area on 6th Ave and West 8th Street is Papaya Dog. Don't laugh, missypie! - they are famous for their hot dogs (like a cart, only it's a shop). Farther north along 6th Ave are a number of decent eateries; specifically if you are looking to taste NYC bagels, Murray's Bagels on the east side of the street between 12th and 13th Streets is a good place to try. (It's popular with New School students for its good coffee and soup as well as the bagels.)

The food is all sounding fantastic to me!

Follow some of the best suggestions posted, in addition to,or instesd of a tour. Along the way you , as well as the kids, will see things and places of interest.
They may learn to enjoy &quot; wandering &quot; when there are defined targets---with unexpected things along the way.

Don't stretch yourselves and plan to cut it off if fatigue and heat set in.

South Street Seaport is not Greenwich Village, but a fun place to go.

I live in the East Village and here is a lsiting of restaurants in the East Village and other close by neighborhoods. This list is ever changing and I have fallen behind in going to new places. We have been to everyone at least twice and most many, many times:

Indian-Brick Lane-Banjara, Mitali, Brick Lane

Inexpensive Italian- La Marca (3rd Ave. and 22 Street, only opened noon-10 PM, Mon-Fri)

Medium priced Italian- Cacio e Pepe, Gnocco, Perbacco

Expensive Italian- I Coppi (For dinner But great brunch pre-fixe

Inexpensive Eastern European- Veselka

Very Inexpensive Filipino-Elvie's

French Bistro-Cafe Deville, Casimir, Flea market (for atmosphere)

Tapas-Xunta. Secretes (more expensive), Bar Carrera, Caf&eacute; Mono (most expensive)

Dessert-Veniero's, DeRobertis for the frozen lemon thing and tortonis. Cones for home made ice cream, way over on Bleecker

Bagels-(Not East Village) Ess-a-Bagel

Brunches-Five Points, Zoe's, Blue Ribbon Bakery (I am cheating none are in the East Village), Turkish Kitchen (outside the area but delectable buffet at a reasonable price.) City Bakery (18th off 5th), Cafecito (Ave C), Clinton Street Bakery

Brunch-East Village-9th St. Market, small and impossible to get into.

Pizza-Lombardi's (Sue me, it is below Houston), Totonno’s (2nd and 26th.

Hole in the wall-Stage (next to Stomp) great cheap home made soups

French fires-Pomme Frites

Bakery where the people have gotten nicer Moishe-wonderful challah, black and whites, kickel, and sponge cake-

Noodles and dumplings-Momofuku , (we were not impressed with dimpling man on St. Marks.)

Seafood-Mermaid Inn

Thai-Pong Sri (there are few around the city) Friends House 2 (on 14th)

Fried Chicken-Birdie’s (On 1st Ave and about 9th Street.

What a great list of restaurants. Thanks!

By the way, I asked one of my coworkers, and the restaurant I was remembering as being in Greenwich Village was actually in So-Ho. That is what being stuck in a conference room for 5 days will do to you!

LOL - I know how that feels!

Here's a suggestion for a walking tour that's slightly different from ellenem's. It leaves off the WTC and Wall Street viewing, since it's easy for you to do that at a different point. I'm providing the basic route; please check out the side streets in SoHo and the Village and do all the other fun stuff previously posted to get a real feel of the area! :)
- Leave the hotel, cross the West Side Highway, then turn left on West Broadway. Continue up W. Bway through TriBeCa.
- Once you cross Canal Street, you will be in SoHo.
- Once you cross Houston, you will be in the Village.
- If you stay on West Bway (becomes LaGuardia once you cross over Houston), it's just about one mile to Washington Square Park.
- At Wash Sq Park, exit the park on the far side of the arch, onto 5th Ave. One block up, turn left onto West 8th Street. (There is a Pain Quotidien on the corner; good bakery chain.) 8th Street used to be great for shoe shopping, but many of the little shops have closed now. You and your kids might still find it fun to window shop.
- Go down 8th Street two blocks to 6th Ave (Papaya King hot dogs is on the corner). If you cross 6th Ave right here, you will be on Greenwich Ave (not to be confused with Greenwich St, which is farther west!).
- This puts you where previous posts have indicated: go along Greenwich Ave or otherwise take in the info from previous posts.
- At 7th Ave, you have the option to stay on Greewich Ave as it heads north, or cross onto some of the smaller West Village streets as previously posted: Charles, Perry, W. 11th, Bank. Bring a map and wander around!
- In any case, make your way west to Hudson Street. Turn left onto Hudson and follow it south; it's about 2 miles back to your hotel. Hudson Street has the White Horse Tavern, Cowgirls Hall of Fame (lots of fun even just to take a peek at the cowhide covered chairs and the trinkets for sale; decent &quot;southern&quot; cooking too), and cute little shops.
- Note that there are entrances to the Holland Tunnel to NJ where Hudson intersects Canal Street. This stretch of Hudson south of Spring is pretty generic, so if you're tired before you reach Canal, hop on the subway (A,C,E station at Spring Street at 6th Ave) or take a cab back to your hotel... Also note that Canal Street this far west is not the touristy cheap-shopping area that gets so much coverage. Other than the traffic, it's pretty quiet over there.

Soho is a real estate term that means South of Houston. Houston Street (pronounced how-stin becuase of it's Ducth origin) is the dividing line between the West Viillage and Soho, thus it is very close and easy to incorporate into the walk.

Okay, somewhat of a tour for you.

This starts from the Christopher Street Subway Station which is the 1 Station which you could take from your hotel. Exiting the station, turn East on Christopher Street, If you are on the Uptown/North Side of the street, there's a cute little pet store. then continue down Christopher but cross over the street just past the Northern Dispensary where you will find a Children's toy Store. Your kids may be too old for it and another pet store. Both pet stores are cute to go by to see the doggies in the window.

You will then come upon Greenwhich Avenue. (alternatively you could take the A,C,E,B,D,F,V to West 4th street which would you put you out on 6th Avenue just south of Greenwhich) now feel free to roam, and head left all the way down Greenwhich. or if you want briefly pop over to 6th Avenue directly across the street and go in C.O. Bigelow's drugstore or get a Grey's Papapya dog. So make your way down Greenwhich past the stores that everyone else has mentioned.

When you reach West 11th Street turn left. (note on your right just across the way is St. Vincent's hospital on the way caddy-corner is a memorial to the victims from 9/11 if you want to go see it. This is where a lot of the posters were hung for the missing people and they covered a portion of their bulleting board with glass as a memorial). Turn left and walk the few blocks all the way down West 11th street past all the brownstones until you reach Bleecker Street. Now you are at the Magnolia Bakery on the left and the Bookstore across the street (whose name I have just blanked on). If the line is not around the corner and down the block, stop in for a cupcake at the Magnolia Bakery, the bakery that started the whole Cupcake Craze.

I would then walk down Bleecker Street (south) having turned left off of West 11th. Watch out Juicy Couture will be on your right. If you need a bathroom break, Juicy Couture's bathroom's downstairs are worth going in. In fact the store is pretty awesome just to go in and see even if you've blown your budget just getting to New York.

I would continue down Bleecker, It's the heart of the village. You'll pass John's Pizzeria if you want to eat there. You could pick up cheese from Murray's cheese, or bread from Amy's Bread or Ice Cream from Mary's Dairy.

After you cross 6th Avenue, at the next street which is Mac Dougal, take a left and it will lead you up to the south west corner of Washington Square Park. This takes you in the entrace where there are always people sitting around playing chess. stop and watch a chess game if you want or wander to the center of the square and watch the musicians or sit by the fountain or see the arch. Stop here to rest your feet. Washington Square is the heart of NYU.

Once you are through with Washington Square Park, exit via the North East corner, and walk East on Waverly Place to Broadway, When you get to Broadway turn left (north, uptown). Cross the street, and you'll see a funny angled street, that's Astor Place. Meanwhile take a moment to stop and geat a cream puff at the Japanese import, Beard Papa right there.

Follow Astor Place to the Astor Place cube, It's a great big black cube, see if you can move it. It's on a pivot and it moves, but it's pretty hard to do. You are now pretty much at the dividing line of the East Village. Follow 8th Street which turns into St. Mark's all the way to 1st Avenue, this gives you a feel for the East Village. Then once you reach 1st Avenue. Turn left and go two blocks up town to 10th street. Take a left on 10th street. Stuyvesant Street runs into 10th street on your left take it. Stuyvesant Street is the only street in Manhattan that runs true north to south or is it east to west? Whatever is it the remaining boundary of the Stuyvesant Farm and it is a charming street.

that brings you back to 3rd Avenue and Cooper Square which you should recognize. About 2 1/2 miles of walking.

now if you want you can take the 6 back down town, or if you want you can follow 4th avenue uptown to union square and go to the Virgin megastore.

Wow! Thanks so much! It's pretty much a food tour on its own! Let's see...a hot dog, a cup cake, pizza and a creme puff...I know that our 16 year old son could keep up with that eating schedule, but don't know about the rest of us!

Who says NY'ers aren't nice? I've never seen as many people take a great deal of time to put together an itinerary for a visitor.

I know. I realized I had to stop. Just so you know John's Pizzeria is not a slice place. It's a whole Pie so it's not like you can just grab a bite.
And the rest are optional if you just want a bite along the way. And don't forget all the other options you might pass if you wander through the village.

there's a reason someone does a food tour of the village.

jamierin - hope this helps