As a native New Yorker and a licensed tour guide I’m constantly being asked my opinion on what the must-have experiences are in the city. My response is always the same: choose a neighborhood, go there and wander.
One of my favorite hoods for this is the West Village, as well as the adjoining Greenwich Village. There’s just so much to do and see, and the ambiance created by the leafy parks, historic architecture, and, in certain areas, cobbled streets and sidewalks, make the local experiences even more enjoyable.
Recently, I was invited by the Washington Square Hotel to stay for two nights and tour the neighborhood using their property as my base. I gladly accepted. And despite having visited the West Village 100+ times on my own, I made a slew of new discoveries, including…
SEE ALSO: A former fashion exec is selling his historic New York City townhouse for $17 million
DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!
Stay: The Washington Square Hotel
The whole formation of my Greenwich Village staycation came thanks to an invitation by this 152-room boutique property, which sits on a quaint cobbled street of NYC full of 18th century architecture, right off Washington Square Park. As soon as I walked through the hotel doors I felt as if I’d been transported to old world Europe, with a grand marble staircase and check-in desk, oval-shaped portraits and black and white photos, lots of deep reds and gold, and a history dating back to 1902 when it was the 8-story residential Hotel Earle in 1902 as a small residential hotel.
The most eye-catching items are the work of Rita Paul — former owner of the Washington Square Hotel. Tiles hand-painted by her hang in the entrance hall, and some accent the floor of the North Square restaurant. More of her tile art brings life to the lobby walls, giving the hotel a Bohemian feel. Rita also worked with Christina Ziegler of CZ Design to bring art deco design to the Washington Square Hotel, thoughtfully redesigning rooms with inspiration from that period.
Price range: $225-$490 per night, including a continental breakfast and free Wi-Fi.
Introduction to the West Village neighborhood.
What can be confusing to many visitors is how NYC neighborhoods quickly blend into one another. One second you’re in the Lower East, then suddenly you’re in the East Village until you’ve stepped right into Alphabet City. In terms of Greenwich Village vs West Village, they can sometimes be synonymous as the West Village encompasses the western part of Greenwich Village (debatably west of 7th Avenue).
Greenwich Village — aka "The Village"— has always been synonymous with bohemian culture and the start of the LGBT movement. In fact, it's here where you’ll find The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar where the modern LGBT movement was born on June 28th, 1969 when patrons fought back against the sanctioned harassment by the police. This was a time when it was illegal to serve LGBT people alcohol or for them to dance together. You can read the whole history here or watch this short documentary:
Photograph the architecture.
I’m far from an architecture buff, but step out of the hotel and you’ll find yourself whispering, "This street is so cute!" every other minute. One of my favorite things to do in Greenwich Village/West Village — and in NYC in general — is wander with my camera and photograph the beautiful buildings in their various styles.
This neighborhood is one of the few to have a wooden home, dubbed Twin Peaks, as they’re technically now illegal due to fire codes. It was originally built in 1830 as a pitched roof wooden cabin for artists. You’ll also find Federal-style homes (the oldest house in Greenwich Village dates back to 1799 and is at 77 Bedford Street), Victorian Gothic structures, Gothic Revival and more. Here is a nice walking itinerary for anyone interested in the local architecture.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider