Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best Walks
East Village Nostalgia
The Walk
Gentrification may be taming the beast, but few neighborhoods exude that old-school NYC
cool like the East Village. For decades an epicenter of counterculture, its gritty streets
sizzle with tales of drugs, drag and rocking punks. Countless cultural icons got their break
here, from Patti Smith and the Ramones, to Blondie and Madonna. Times may have
changed, but clues to the Village's halcyon days live on.
Start CBGB; to 6 to Bleecker St or F to 2nd Ave
Finish Tompkins Sq Park; 6 to Astor Pl
Length 1.5 miles; 1½ hours
Take a Break
The streets below 14th St and east of First Ave are packed with excellent snack-food spots,
offering styles and flavors from around the world. It's a mixed bag, indeed, and perhaps
one of the most emblematic of the city today.
