The Quadrangle

Issue date: 3/9/05 Section: Features

Far more red double-decker tour buses run down Washington Square South than ever before, and more map-clad tourists walk the streets below 14th street as Greenwich Village turns into another hotspot for tourists. Though many more adventurous out of towners venture to the Village, few of them cross Lafayette Street and explore the region known as the East Village.

While the section of Greenwich Village west of 5th Avenue was quick to develop, the East Village remained a little less tame. Home to artists, musicians, and a few flophouses, the East Village is still offers a little edge, and a little more to explore that sets it apart from its touristy neighbor to the west. From McSorley's famous Ale House, to artist Andy Warhol, the East Village has something to offer that's miles apart from anywhere else in Manhattan.

The neighborhood's reputation for peace, quiet, and beauty goes back to the purchase of Manhattan Island. Originally, Native Americans, who called the wooded area Sapokanikan, inhabited the neighborhood. By the early 1600s, Dutch settlers claimed the area for their own, building homes that were both remote enough from the trading ports on the southern tip of Manhattan, but were also close enough to reach by carriage. After British conquest of New Amsterdam, they named the area Grin'wich. Population exploded, as high-ranking naval officials moved in, erecting the European-inspired architecture.

During the 1800s, Greenwich Village suffered outbreaks of yellow fever and cholera, forcing some residents to the east and western edges of the neighborhood. The vacancies caused by disease paved the way for another wave of affluent New Yorkers to erect mansions along 5th Avenue, which ended at the top of a patch of land set up for public farming. Eventually, the patch of land became Washington Square Park, and institution known as New York University was erected around the park's perimeter.

Greenwich Village remained the same until World War I, when the area became known as a more bohemian neighborhood marked by low rent and radicalism. The former residences of the City's elite were subdivided and rented, and tenements to the far eastern area of the village inhabited countless waves of European immigrants. With radicals to the western edge of the East Village, and poor immigrants to the East, the neighborhood became a cultural colander - mixing ethnic food, thoughts, and practices in a small stretch of pavement.

University students from Eugene Lang College (now a section of the New School University), New York University, and the Cooper Union all gave the Village its reputation for the offbeat and cutting edge in thought, art, and literature. Both Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg called the East Village home, and the Village Voice newspaper, started by author and Brooklynite Norman Mailer, provided radical thinkers with theories, and a paper they could share their thoughts in.

During the 1970's, a man named Hilly Kristal opened up a club called Country Bluegrass Blues, more affectionately known as CBGB's (315 Bowery). The tiny club began as a divey home for bluegrass and country music on the Bowery, right above a flophouse for more unfortunate war veterans. Not until Kristal devoted a night for local bands to play, the club was all but doomed. Soon enough, bands such as Television and The Ramones became regulars at the club, drawing crowds that packed the tiny bar to the brim, and kept the dive afloat until present day. Today, CBGB's is home to New York City's hardcore punk scene, as well as emerging artists.

The East Village is also home to what many consider to be the most varied assortment of restaurants in New York City. From Indian to Israeli, English to Ethiopian, the East Village has something to offer any palate. For a taste of the famous, the 2nd Avenue Deli (156 Second Avenue at 10th Street) provides kosher deli meats, among other dishes. For fish and chips, A Salt and Battery (East 4th Street and 2nd Avenue) boasts British staples for reasonable prices. For the adventurous drunkard, the East Village is home to countless bars, pubs, and dives that match any price range or personal taste.

Aside from food and drink, the East Village also has a lot of shopping to offer. Boutiques on both Bleecker Street and St. Mark's Place can match even the tightest budget. East 7th street is home to Scandal, a moderately priced hat boutique with accessories that are both practical and outrageous. A little further down the street is the Sniff Perfumery, with scented candles, perfumes, and just about any fragrance that comes to mind. Offering some of the cheapest prices in New York City for hard to find fragrances, Sniff is not only a bargain, but also a pleasant experience made even nicer by it's helpful staff and wide selection.

The East Village truly has something for everyone. Preppy or punk, social or socialist, the East Village has a store, a restaurant, a bar or club for any interest. Historically open-minded, the neighborhood welcomes anyone at anytime.

The Vitals:
N, R, W to 8th Street
4, 5, 6 to Broadway/Lafayette Street
Price Range: Low to Medium

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