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Alive with an intense “I dare, therefore I am” vibe, the East Village extends from 14th Street to Houston Street and Bowery (or Third Avenue) to Avenue D. Sometimes called Alphabet City after the A through D lettered avenues on its east perimeter, this neighborhood is a hotbed for squatter politics, Brady Bunch fashion and classic New York “what are YOU lookin’ at?” attitude. It’s not easily mistaken for any other part of Manhattan.
Considered part of the Lower East Side until the 1960s when various artists from the West Village moved eastward seeking cheaper housing, this area is home to an eclectic group. Picture this: Kids hanging out on building steps and old men playing dominos on makeshift tables outdoors. Liquor stores where customers yell requests to clerks encased in bullet proof glass. Huge graffiti murals. Stunted trees struggling on street islands of packed dirt and crab grass. Mumbling wanderers pushing shopping carts full of street finds. Tattooed and pierced bodies making various statements or none at all. Hell’s Angels. Cyber cafés full of the intelligensia sipping overpriced coffees and talking technology. Fancy lingerie shops and boutiques full of items you’d see at Barney’s. Random languages spoken by old, young, legal, illegal, rich and poor. Unassuming bars, dim and smoky with pool tables and incredible juke boxes.
Rents are going up in the East Village. Grit is glorious and those with money will pay to experience it (knowing they can get a quick fix of refinement in SoHo when the urge arises). As a result, artists are finding it difficult to compete for places and are turning to boroughs like Brooklyn for cheaper housing or more space for the dollar. For the most part, apartment buildings in the East Village are tenements and prewar units with a considerable number of low income housing projects on Avenue D. Luxury buildings exist but are not widespread. As a rule, it’s hard to predict how dilapidated or divine apartments might be inside from the outside. Some “YOU MEAN SOMEBODY ACTUALLY LIVES HERE?” buildings have units with skylights and ISDN lines, while others have bathtubs in their kitchens and toilettes in the stairways. Likewise it’s hard to tell who lives there. Yuppies, artists, squatters, immigrants and long-time residents often live in close proximity.
The gym thing does not seem to have caught on in the East Village and Thompson Square Park is no runner’s paradise, (though the park was cleaned up recently and is a good place to sit and people watch). The public space is small and crowded with strollers and other slow moving types. Those wanting to work up a sweat should sign up for a gym in a nearby neighborhood or get a good pair of pavement-pounding shoes and hit the streets. Baseball diamonds and tennis courts are found at the East River Park which is located between the East River and FDR Drive between 12th Street and Montgomery Street on the Lower East Side. While it doesn’t rival Central Park in the hearts of New Yorkers those wanting scenic views of the city’s bridges and the Statue of Liberty while they work out should not pass it by.
Although prices often go up with the “discovery” of certain neighborhoods, good food still seems to be pretty cheap and plentiful in the East Village. Whether you prefer Indian eats and live sitar music or potato latkes and stories of the old neighborhood you’ve got options. Because the area also has a slew of night clubs, music venues and bars, the number of 24 hour kitchens is higher than in most neighborhoods around the city…dangerous for dieters who get late night cravings.
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Metropolis Real Estate of Manhattan | 167 Lexington Avenue Suite 100 | New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212.696.1900, Fax: 212.696.0220 | Email: info@metropolisre.com
Our Connecticut Branch:
1200 Summer Street, Suite 105, Stamford, CT 06905
Tel: 203.653.1406, Fax:203.653.7219
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