Living in the West Village, Manhattan
The West Village is currently one of New York City's trendiest and most expensive nighbourhoods. Living in the West Village comes with an artsy reputation and hoards of tourists so be thrift hunters prepared to share your streets with temporary arrivals along with old mainstays. While most of the young artists have vacated due to high rents, the area still retains a 'place to be' type feel and living in this area will be lively and interesting. The West Village's borders are 14th Street to the north, Houston Street to the south, Sixth Avenue to the west and the waterfront to the east.As mentioned, rent in this area is obscenely expensive and most one-bedroom apartments go for over $3000 and continue to rise in price from there depending on location and the quality of the property. There are several luxury buildings but, for the most part, the area is made up of three and four storey brownstones.
Due to the large number of rich types and celebrities, the West Village doesn't have the same friendly vibe that can be found in other areas of New York. While young people pour into the area for the great vibe and trendy hangouts, it's not really known as being an area for young people due to the high rents. People are out at all hours of the night and the area is very safe because of that.Greenwich Avenue is lined with high-end boutique shops along with thrift shops and funky indy book stores. In short, you can find it all here as far as shopping goes. The West Village Thrift Shop which is owned and operated by Housing Works is one of the best kept secrets in the area. Wealthy people drop off the things they don't want anymore and bargain hunters snap them up from the thrift store. The nightlife in the West Village is very good and there are plenty of bars to choose from. For a popular local watering hole try the White House Tavern. The area is particularly gay-friendly as well and if that is your scene then you will be spoiled for choice with places to go.
The area is serviced by several subway stops: 14th Street (A,C,E,L), Christopher Street/Sheridan Square (1 train), West Fourth Street (A,C,E,B,D,V,F), and Houston Street (1 train). The suburb is serviced by the M8, M14, and M21 buses. Because the West Village is a generally wealthy area, cabs are fairly easy to find. The PATH train to and from New Jersey has stops at Christopher Street and 9th Street.Overall the area is trendy, busy and expensive but it is also one of the main centers of all of the action in Manhattan. If you can afford to live here you will no doubt have a great experience and have your finger on the pulse of what is happening in Manhattan.
