East 2 St, East Village

While much of the East Village nowadays is dominated by the spectre of NYU - a hoarde of pieced, spiky-haired, androgynous artsy types looking to spend money in dives reformulated to handle a wealthier, more commercial crowd, there are a few enclaves within the gentrified streets where an authentic, family-friendly feeling takes hold. Here, the cafes are real cafes, rather than glorified NYU cafeterias, the bars are real bars, and - perhaps most importantly - the community gardens are real community gardens. East 2nd Street is within a stone's throw of the Peace Garden, Kenkleba House Garden, Peach Tree Garden, and charming Peretz square - four welcome patches of greenery in an otherwise bleak cityscape. Also nearby is the famous Nuyorican Poets' Cafe, which - while its lacks some of its "unknown" cache, is still alternative and authentic enough to have avoided ever going mainstream. Culinary options near here include laid-back joints such as Cafe Hade Bade and Wally's Pacific Catch. Or leave the East Village behind altogether and check out bona fide Lower East Side vibes south of nearby Houston Street (including a pastrami sandwich at the famous Katz's Deli).

There's a really cool apartment building at the corner of 2nd and 1st Ave. It looks older than it actually is and you can see the outline of the former Church rectory that the building used to be. A few steps down, on the corner of 2nd and A there is a really cool, little bar with no name. Most of the bars in this area are pretty cool but I really like this one. One of my favorite restaurants is on 2nd on the east side of A. It's called Supper. It is small and cozy and the food is pretty incredible. It's owned by the same guy that owns Frank and he is pretty good at what he does. The crowd is a total cross - section of New York life and the ambience is pretty stellar. I highly recommend the place. Next door to Supper is where Allen Ginsberg lived when he wrote Naked Lunch. And, next door to that is a wine bar called Il Posto Accanto -- which is very revered for it's food and wine both. I think it's pretty good, and I like the space. But, I prefer Supper.

East of Avenue B is where all the heroin activity was in the 80's. There are a couple of music venues on 2nd and B that are still around but not as prolific as they were when Alphabet City was full of grit and drug addicts. The buildings still kinda look like the heroin days, but for the most part, this part of town is pretty cleaned up and very trendy with the young, hipster set. It's a fun street with great restaurants and a lively vibe. I just still wouldn't venture too far past B late at night.

Go have supper at Supper. It houses some great Italian wine and great food. This clock has some interesting choices for food between Waiki Wally's with it s Hawaiian fare and Nicki's Vietnamese Sandwiches (I know, what is a Vietnamese sandwich exactly... you'll have to go there for yourself and check it out!) The street itself has a lot in the way of fun and is lively with cheaper housing options, yet a lot of character.

East 2nd is close to the following metro and is accessible to many buses. Foot traffic is moderate, and it is a good neighborhood for young people!!