Indisputably one of the City's most beautiful and verdant neighborhoods, the West Village has grown from its bohemian roots into a globally renowned shopping, dining and nightlife destination—so it's no wonder that everyone from up-and-coming artists, designers and musicians to famous types like Sarah Jessica Parker, Anna Wintour and Julian Schnabel call the area home. The birthplace of the gay-rights revolution and continuing home of a vibrant gay community, the West Village has come to be characterized by an exhilarating eclecticism: evening entertainments can range from genre-bending performance art to avant-garde orchestras, MTV buzz bands, best-selling authors and, naturally, all-night dance parties hosted by the likes of Mark Ronson. Shops filled with bins of musty rare vinyl are a stone's throw from minimally designed high-fashion emporiums, while a deliciously greasy $2 slice of pizza is never more than a five-minute walk from a Mario Batali culinary experience. Despite the diversity of its offerings, the West Village remains primarily a neighborhood, an area whose brownstones and cobblestone streets make it an easy (and appealing) place to get lost—all the better to find its hidden treasures. Lucky for us, then, that there are so many to discover.

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