Cornelia St, West Village

This charming, tiny street in the heart of the West Village packs a lot of attractions in its narrow frame. While the street is by no means crowded - rather, like many streets in the area, it features historic town houses (although the ones here are slightly more modern, reminiscent of Lower East Side tenements rather than the 19th century brick of elsewhere in the Village) and a dearth of chain stores - it nevertheless offers plenty of dining and shopping choices. On the street itself, you can check out local favorite Cornelia Street Cafe, nearby Home - with an excellent wine list - the Pearl Oyster Bar if you're feeling decadent, or Sushi Mambo if you're in the mood for some Asian cuisine. A wealth of other restaurants, including Burrito Loco, Tio Pepe, and Risotteria, are all a few moments away, right off the street itself. With the Akira Ikeda art gallery located right on Cornelia Street, and the IFC film centre around the corner, culture vultures will find more than enough to keep them occupied here.

I love Cornelia even though it's in a sort of busy area. Cornelia Street Cafe is this adorable place at Bleecker-ish. It has a stage area downstairs where all kinds of poetry readings, shows, live music is had. I've done a number of storytelling shows here. The area is quite cozy so it always seems packed and intimate. Just such a darling place. Across the street is one of the best seafood places in the city: Pearl Oyster Bar. The lobster roll is pretty much unrivaled anywhere. Tony Soprano dreams of the Pearl Lobster Roll in the finale of the Sopranos. I would too -- it's that good.
7 Cornelia is where WH Auden lived. I'm a history nerd so I always go by places like this just to stand where great writers stood.
There are a couple of Italian restaurants on this street too which are quite good. And, a few little shops. It's amazing what is packed into this street considering it's only 2 blocks long. It's very quaint and cute and not that bustley considered its location. I'm assuming this is because the street is a little hard to find if you're not familiar with the area or really paying attention. I couldn't find it for a minute when I first moved here. It's a gem, though, because it really is a perfect slice of village living.