The West Village Guide
The West Village is still the New York you imagine before you get here: a place of brick townhouses, crooked streets, and rooms where things happen. Here’s where to find them in 2026.
Neighborhood
West Village.
New Year's Eve in NYC 2026: Where to Celebrate That Is Not Times Square
Skip the barricades and the freezing crowds. Here is how to actually enjoy the last night of the year in New York.
Where to Throw a Bachelorette Party in NYC
Drag brunch, a private pole class, karaoke rooms that hold 30, burlesque on Orchard Street and rooftops with a view. The best bachelorette plans in New York, plus a night you can copy.
The Best Afternoon Tea in NYC
Fourteen afternoon teas in New York, from the Plaza's Palm Court and the Baccarat's crystal salon to a Japanese tea at the Waldorf and a $60 pot in the West Village, with prices, booking windows and the 2026 holiday teas.
The Best Breakfast Spots in NYC
Sixteen places to eat a real weekday breakfast in New York, from a 1925 soda fountain and a 24-hour Williamsburg diner to Chinatown roast pork buns and mangú in Washington Heights.
The Best Cookies in NYC
Twenty cookies worth crossing the city for, from Levain's six-ounce chocolate chip and Red Gate's toffee cookie to black and whites on the Upper East Side and pignoli by the pound in the Bronx.
The Best Happy Hours in NYC
Fifteen happy hours worth leaving work early for, from $1.50 oysters in the West Village to $10 negronis on MacDougal and half-price wings in Williamsburg, with the days and hours for each.
The Best Places to Write and Work Creatively in NYC
Find your muse at these quiet, inspiring nooks across the city, from stunning public library reading rooms to cozy cafes that actually tolerate laptops.
The Best Sustainable Fashion Boutiques in NYC
Shop ethically without compromising on style at these eco-conscious New York boutiques prioritizing upcycled materials and fair-trade production.
The Best Tailors and Alteration Shops in NYC
A good tailor is a New Yorker's best kept secret. Here is where to go for invisible denim repairs, bespoke suits, and emergency hems.
First Time in New York: What Locals Actually Tell Their Friends
Where to stay, which landmarks are worth the line, how the subway works now that it is all tap to pay, what to tip, what to skip, and a three day plan.
The NYC Bucket List: 50 Things Every New Yorker Should Do Once
Not the Empire State Building. A dawn walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, a lime rickey at Tom's, a free kayak on the Hudson, a 1 a.m. set at Smalls. Fifty specific things, and how to do each one.
Things to Do Alone in NYC
A bar seat at Via Carota, a 10 p.m. set at the Vanguard, free Friday nights at the Morgan. The best solo plans in New York, and how to do them well.
Things to Do in NYC as a Couple (Beyond Dinner)
You have done the dinner. Here is what to do with the rest of the night, or the whole Saturday: classes, museum evenings, late jazz, a trolley through Green-Wood and day trips up the Hudson.
The Best Arcade Bars in NYC
Combine craft cocktails with vintage pinball and classic cabinet games for the perfect nostalgic night out.
The Best Blues Clubs and Live Music Joints in NYC
Experience the soulful sounds of live blues every night of the week in these historic venues and intimate dive bars keeping the blues alive in NYC.
The Best Gluten-Free Restaurants and Bakeries in NYC
Dining out with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity does not mean sacrificing flavor in New York City.
The Best Bar Trivia Nights in NYC
Gather your smartest friends and order a pitcher at these highly competitive, reliably fun pub quizzes across the city.
The Best Antique Stores in New York City
Hunt for historical treasures, unique artifacts, and enduring furniture at the city's premier antique shops.
The Best Cabaret Venues in New York City
Experience the intimate magic and theatricality of New York's enduring cabaret scene.
The Best French Restaurants in New York City
From classic brasseries to intimate natural wine bistros, New York's French food scene is thriving. Here is where to find the perfect steak frites.
The Best Magazine Shops and Newsstands in NYC
Support print media by browsing the incredible selections at these dedicated independent newsstands, bookstores, and specialty shops.
The Best Pottery Classes in New York City
Get your hands dirty and channel your inner artist at these welcoming ceramic studios across the five boroughs.
The Best Board Game Cafes in New York City
Where to roll the dice, pull a card, and drink a good beer while you ruin your friendships over Catan.
The Best Concept Stores and Boutiques in New York
Beyond the big names, these are the design-led New York shops where fashion, art books, and beautiful objects share the same shelves.
The Best Date Ideas in New York City
From free ferry rides and gallery hops to late night jazz and cozy dinners, here is how to actually have a good date in New York.
The Best Farmers Markets in New York City
Shop for fresh regional produce, artisanal cheeses, and baked goods directly from local purveyors at our favorite greenmarkets across the five boroughs, from Union Square to Grand Army Plaza.
The Best Ice Cream and Gelato in NYC
We rounded up the artisanal shops, classic parlors, and authentic gelaterias in New York that are actually worth standing in line for.
The Best Irish Pubs in New York City
Grab a proper pint of Guinness and settle in at these authentic, cozy taverns around the city.
The Best Italian Restaurants in New York City
From red-sauce joints that feel like a movie set to the new wave of pasta labs, this is where to eat Italian in New York right now.
The Best Independent Jewelry Stores in New York City
Beyond the big boxes, these are the city's best local designers and curators for everything from permanent bracelets to custom engagement rings.
The Best Lesbian Bars and Queer Spaces in NYC
New York City has more dedicated bars and parties for queer women than anywhere else in the country. Here is where to go out right now.
The Best Barbershops and Hair Salons in New York City
From a quick fade in a classic barbershop to a transformative color treatment, these are the New York City spots we trust for great hair.
The Best Off-Broadway Theaters in NYC
Experience groundbreaking plays and intimate performances before they hit the big stage at these true beating hearts of NYC theater.
The Best Omakase Menus in New York City
Treat yourself to a masterclass in sushi at the city's finest tasting counters, from the $600 blowout to the $69 weeknight steal.
The Best Oysters and Raw Bars in New York City
Where to find the city's sharpest mignonettes, deepest raw bars, and oyster happy hours that actually justify leaving your apartment.
The Best Piano Bars in New York City
From rowdy, show-tune sing-alongs in landmark rooms to quiet corners for a classic cocktail, here is where to find the keys to the city.
The Best Speakeasy Bars in New York City
Secret phone booths, hidden doors and unmarked stairwells lead to the city's best cocktails, if you know where to look.
The Best Sports Bars in New York City
From massive mega-screens to cozy neighborhood pubs, these are the top spots to catch every game, fight, and match with passionate fans.
The Best Steakhouses in New York City
From expense-account classics to new-school grills, these are the rooms, the cuts, and the reservations that define New York steak.
The Best Sushi in NYC
From affordable neighborhood hand-roll counters to life-changing luxury omakase, New York has it all.
The Best Vegan Restaurants in New York City
Plant-based dining in New York has moved past the era of sad salads and dry veggie burgers.
The 19 Best Secret Gardens and Pocket Parks in New York City
Escape the relentless pavement by stepping into these tucked-away courtyards, community plots, and rooftop green spaces scattered across the five boroughs.
Literary New York: The Landmarks Worth Visiting
From the bar where Kerouac got kicked out to the library where generations of masterpieces were written, these are the places that tell the story of the city.
The Best Bakeries in New York City
Eighteen bakeries worth the line, the train ride and the sugar crash, from Greenpoint croissants and Bahraini morning buns to Bensonhurst cannoli and Bronx sfogliatelle.
The Best Burgers in New York City
From the perfect, simple smash burger to a dry-aged steak on a bun that costs more than your Con Ed bill, here is where to find the best burgers in NYC right now.
The Best Cocktail Bars in New York City
Twenty bars pouring the best drinks in New York right now, plus a straight answer on whether the hidden-door speakeasy is still worth the hunt.
The Best Date Night Restaurants in New York City
Eighteen rooms for every stage of the thing, from the first drink to the anniversary, with what to order, where to sit and how to get in.
The Best Dive Bars in New York City
Twenty-one bars across Manhattan and Brooklyn where the beer is cheap, the jukebox has opinions and nobody has redecorated since the last recession.
The Best Drag Shows and Brunches in New York City
Where to find the nightly password, which brunch is worth the bottomless price, and why you should always bring cash for the queens.
The Best Gay Bars in New York City
From West Village landmarks where history was made to the Bushwick warehouses where it's being made tonight, these are the rooms that define queer New York now.
The Best Jazz Clubs in New York City
From the Village basements where the music was invented to Brooklyn listening rooms with a donation jar, here is where to hear live jazz in New York now.
The Best Literary Bars in New York City
From historic taverns where Dylan Thomas drank to modern bookstore bars hosting the city's sharpest reading series, here is where to drink with writers.
The Best Menswear Stores in New York City
From Japanese denim specialists to custom tailoring houses, these are the independent shops that define men's style in New York right now.
The Best Pizza Slices in New York City
Nineteen counters across four boroughs, from the plain cheese that sets the standard to the burrata and oxtail slices worth crossing a river for.
The Best Ramen in New York City
From rich, porky tonkotsu to delicate shio, here is where to find the most satisfying bowls of ramen in the city, and how to get a seat.
Where to Eat After Midnight in New York
Pastrami at 3am, pierogi at 4, empanadas whenever: the New York kitchens that stay open after the bars close, checked and confirmed for 2026.
The Village Halloween Parade: How to March, Where to Watch
The 53rd parade takes over Sixth Avenue on Saturday, October 31, with the theme Body & Soul. Here is how to get in it, where to stand, and what to skip.
