Hudson St, West Village

Hudson is a real hustle and bustle kind of street. There's a ton of traffic and a lot of noise. I would not ever want to live on this street but living off of it (which I do) is pretty fantastic. There's a great restaurant or bar on pretty much every block. And, the crowd on the streets is very eclectic. There's a great energy on Hudson. It's essentially an Avenue as 8th turns into Hudson but it manages to have the charm of a street. I don't know how this neighborhood manages to do that but Hudson is pretty representative of the uniqueness of the West Village.
The corner of Hudson and 14th is the building that was Glenn Close's apartment in Fatal Attraction. I love the building and I love that movie. You get a real sense of how gritty the Meatpacking was in the 80's. But, it was pretty cool looking too. One of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood, Fatty Crab is just up the block at Hudson and Gansevoort. The music is always great, the food is great and I love the energy. The recession special (whiskey shot, pickle back and PBR don't hurt my affection for the place either). The corner of Hudson and Horatio marks where the gang Hudson Dusters were headquartered until police shut them down in 1916. That doesn't sound like a particularly nefarious gang -- the word "duster" doesn't exactly invoke fear into the hearts of men -- but, apparently, they were pretty awful. Directly across the street from that is Hudson Bar and Books. It's a really cool dive kind of bar which was one of the last places you could actually smoke inside. I think you still can, actually, you just can't tell everyone about it. . . .which I just did.
Two really popular Village restaurants are right on the corner of Hudson and Jane and they're both great. Piccolo Angelo is a tiny, somewhat stuffy Italian restaurant that is impossible to get a reservation at. But, when you do, the attitude problems of half the people in there won't bother you in the slightest because the food is fantastic. Directly across the street is Mole which is very low key and pretty much the complete opposite of Piccolo but it's fun, inexpensive and decent for Mexican in New York. There's a Mediterranean restaurant on the corner of Bank and Hudson that I walk past every day and swear I'm going to try and I still haven't. It's always crowded, though, so it must be good. It's worth a shot if Piccolo is full -- and, they usually are.
Across 11th is the famous, old bar, The White Horse Tavern. It is a great bar, or at least it would be if there weren't so many tourists and scallywags in it. But, I guess that's part of the charm of the place. Dylan Thomas drank himself to death at White Horse and Jack Kerouac was banned for disruptive behavior. it still has that kind of drunkard energy but there aren't a whole lot of famous writers that hang out there any more.
There are a couple of little fun restaurants at Charles that aren't a must but if you have to eat on this block, both Cowgirl and Mexicana Mama are pretty good and are quite fun. There are some really cool rowhouses across the street that house little restaurants but the architecture is beautifully preserved. They still look like grand old houses. The next block down has an interesting mix of an old church, a public garden and a bunch of gay bars across the street from them. The church went up in the 1840's, the garden is the most beautiful one in the city (in my opinion) and the bars are quite festive on the weekends to say the least.
Across Barrow is the craziest old dive in the neighborhood: Barrow's Pub. The bartenders are old and grumpy and the regulars are the most bizarre mix of misfits and weirdos I have ever seen. This place is awesome and awful at the same time. And, clearly, I have spent way too much time there because I actually know all of the regulars now. Right down the block is the polar opposite of the bar -- which is one of the things I love about New York. There's a new restaurant right on the corner called Hudson Clearwater. It looks like it's boarded up but there's a secret entrance and the place is just stunning inside. There's a darling back patio as well. The food is great and locally grown and the owners are the dreamiest looking group of men I have seen in one restaurant. You really can't lose here -- especially if you're a girl.

Located in Greenwich Village, Abingdon Square Park is one of those valued, all-too-rare patches of greenery in the urban jungle that is New York City. Only a quarter acre (1000 sq. m) in size, the park is nevertheless pleasant for a morning coffee or afternoon wrap. The street surrounding it, large Abingdon Street, is well-located in the heart of the West Village - a location filled with trendy boutiques, arty galleries, and vegan, gluten-free, and otherwise hyper-healthy eateries. Recette is one popular French bistro in the neighborhood, while other locals swear by the vaguely named "The Place." (Cafe Cluny is also popular). Nightlife tends to be civilized - bars and pubs like the Tavern on Jane are the norm, rather than the dive-y joints of the East Side or the crowded meat market clubs of the Meatpacking district. Ideal for sensible singles looking to combine character with quiet, or for young families not ready to give up a world of granola and free-range eggs ust yet.