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WEST VILLAGE
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Paul Arpswest village

West Village, NYC neighborhood guide

The spirit of New York is alive in West Village, NYC featuring amazing piano bars as well as buzzed-about newcomers

Written by
Jennifer Picht
&
Time Out New York contributors
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The West Village, NYC thrives and is one of the most popular nabes to frequent. Whether you’re sifting through the area’s record and vintage stores, grabbing cocktails at a izakaya-themed drinking den with your best chums, or attending an epic drag performance, the Village is jam-packed with historic and new gems. The area’s bohemian population may have dwindled years ago, but a few old landmarks remain. Raise a glass at one of the most legendary bars in NYC, White Horse Tavern, a favorite of such literary luminaries as Ezra Pound, Norman Mailer and Dylan Thomas, or enjoy a jazz set at the legendary Village Vanguard. While the gay scene has largely migrated north, the West Village played a pivotal role in the gay-rights movement, and many shops, bars and restaurants along Christopher Street from Sheridan Square to the Hudson River pier are out, loud and proud, including the historic Stonewall Inn.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Manhattan, NYC

Restaurants in West Village, NYC

Bars in West Village, NYC

Little Branch

Little Branch

  • price 4 of 4

As befits cocktail progenitor Sasha Petraske’s liquid legacy, the drinks at this clubby, low-ceilinged Village rathskeller are nigh perfect. 

Katana Kitten

Katana Kitten

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

The translation of this bar’s moniker is “samurai sword” kitten

The Happiest Hour

The Happiest Hour

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

Picture Don Draper on vacation: rum cocktail in hand, wind blowing through that meticulous coif. 

Bar Sardine

Bar Sardine

  • price 2 of 4

After shuttering for two weeks in July 2014, Chez Sardine shook its Asian influences to reset with a more playful snack menu and a heavier concentration on...

Hotels in West Village, NYC

The Jane

The Jane

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

Opened in 1907 as the American Seaman’s Friend Society Sailors Home, the 14-story landmark was a residential hotel when hoteliers Eric Goode and Sean...

The Marlton

The Marlton

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

Formerly a procession of piercing parlors, poster stores and shoe shops, West 8th Street has been undergoing an identity shift since the arrival of cult spots...

Hotel Hugo

Hotel Hugo

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4

Mostly known as the Village, this free spirited ‘hood is home to the sophisticated Hotel Hugo for visitors coming to the big city or Gothamites in need...