Walking and Eating Tour of Greenwich Village (New York City)

Restaurants, Shops and More

One of the most interesting and historic neighborhoods in New York City, Greenwich Village possesses a reputation as a hangout of writers, artists, and other non-establishment types. Today, though it is highly commercialized, it has successfully resisted the gentrification that has befallen the neighboring Soho - Mom 'n Pop stores, funky shops, and family-owned restaurants still dominate the main thoroughfare, Bleecker St., and around.

Visitors to Greenwich Village are charmed by its quaint looks and European "feel" - the small, winding streets are lined with row houses and brownstones dating from the 1800s, in constrast to most of Manhattan which follows the grid street pattern. Where else can one find oneself at the intersection of West 4th St. and West 12th St.? Moreover, today it is a food lover's haven - numerous ethnic restaurants and specialty shops are tightly clustered in this small neighborhood, some of them family-run businesses handed down from one generation to the next.

To explore beneath the surface of Greenwich Village and sample some of the area's vast culinary delights, I signed up for the "Greenwich Village Food and Culture Tour" offered by a well-reviewed company called Foods of New York Tours. This is a 3-hour walking tour with tastings at several specialty food shops and a history lesson thrown in for good measure. Our guide was Mike, a rotund, wise-cracking man in his 50s with a gentle, easy manner and a long-time resident (over 20 years) of the Village. He has been leading this tour for two years, and is so ingrained in the daily life of the neighborhood that from time to time people would come up and say "Hi, Mike" to him, or he would trade banter and friendly insults with the butchers and service staff at our stops.