West 12 St, West Village

West 12th lacks a little of the charm of the rest of the West Village as it is slowly creeping toward becoming Meatpacking District territory. But, there are a lot of great restaurants on West 12th and a lot of conveniences as well. It's a great street and there are things worth patronizing frequently on West 12th. But, it's not the street you want to live on if you have your choice of living anywhere in the neighborhood.
There are some ridiculous condos on the corner of 12th and the Westside Highway. I have a friend that lives in one and they are massive, very modern and very expensive. They have an incredible view of the Hudson and I would not say no to living in any of these buildings. Directly across Washington are two great but very different places. Barbuto is a lovely Italian restaurant that has decent food but an awesome set up. All of the windows open up so in the summer, it's as if the entire restaurant is outdoors. I have spent many Sunday afternoons "outside" at this place. Across the street is a place called Tortilla Flats. It has terrible food but what lacks in that it makes up for in nightly games, karaoke or bingo. It's always rowdy and always fun. The next block east houses some amazing old homes. They're from the 18th and 19th centuries and they are beautiful and very true to the West Village aesthetic. It's a pretty dramatic turn from the block at 12th and Washington.
West 12th between Hudson and 8th holds Abingdon Square. It's a mini-park that would be lovely to sit in during the spring except for the fact that I have never once been able to find an empty bench when the weather is nice. But, I guess good outdoor spots are hard to come by in this city. The Beatrice Inn is just up at West 4th and this place is in a perpetual state of opening and closing. It's a really cool building so it's a shame that when it's open, it is completely overrun by annoying, trendy people that pretend to be hipsters. It's not bad on an off night, though . . . when it's open. Directly across the street is one of my favorite brunch spots: Cafe Cluny. It has impeccable food and I never not seen this place busy. I have walked home from the gym at 8 am on a Tuesday and seen people in there already. It has a great energy, it's cute, and again, the food is great.
Speaking of the gym, the nicest Equinox in the city is right at the corner of Greenwich and 12th. It's my gym and it is fantastic. All gyms in New York are outrageously expensive and this one is worth every extra peso you have to cough up. I don't even like the gym, and I love this place.
There's a lot packed into 12th in the West Village but it's not the prettiest street in the neighborhood by a long shot. I suppose because there's so much going on, it's just not as quaint as the other streets. But, it's still very cool and I wouldn't say no to living on it.