Once a magnet for musicians like Bob Dylan, Jimmy Hendrix and John Lenin, The West Village is no longer the affordable mecca for beatnik poets and artists that it was when my parents migrated there in the sixties. The village is still well worth a visit.

Central to the West Village is Washington Square Park where you will find plenty of cultural and athletic activity. When Tisch fountain where comedian Charlie Barnett once performed his raunchy acts. is an ideal spot for performers and buskers when the fountain is not active, The North West section of the park tends to be occupied by homeless people. The far corner contains several chess boards.

The area around MacDougal and Bleeker Streets are perfect if one wishes to people watch and discover local eateries. The original Mamouns Falafel (est 1971) can be found next door to the Cafe Reggio (est 1927), one of the last cafes in the West Village. Down the block is the landmarked and easy to miss Minetta Lane, built along the location of what was once Minetta Creek and the home of the off Broadway Minetta Lane Theatre. Don’t miss it! Nearby is the building housing the Olive Tree restaurant (est 1969) and the popular Comedy Cellar

Head west to visit the famous Stonewall Inn. For historical architecture, many of the streets in the West Village are landmarked. Travel west towards the river for classic architecture and continue on for both old and new architecture around the Highline Park which is built on the old elevated railroad tracks that used to serve the warehouses and the meat market bordering Chelsea that once dominated the riverside.