A Freshman’s Guide to the Village
Every September, the Village takes on a particular kind of energy. NYU students hauling luggage across Washington Square, the Cooper Union class grabbing cafes on Astor Place, The New School’s design majors staking out cafes, and parents lingering after drop-offs, reluctant to leave.
More than 60,000 students call Greenwich Village home each fall. If you’re one of them: welcome to the Village! Here’s the lowdown on the different areas of your new home:
Eighth Street: The Re-Inventor
Once the epicenter of counterculture, Eighth Street has lived a dozen lives—beatnik bookstores, punk clubs, shoe emporiums.
Today, it’s a mix that rewards curiosity. Walk a block and you’ll find superior study spots at Stumptown and Moshava Coffee, food and drink drawing inspiration from all over the world, and fitness studios tucked between designer apparel shops. Think of it as the Village’s reset button: whenever you need a change of scene, start here.
Sixth Avenue: The Everyday Pulse
Sixth feels like the Village’s main artery—steady, reliable, and always moving.
Coffee fuels it (Whether grabbed from Bagel Pub or a deli), but so do groceries, gyms, little shops that quietly become your essentials, and the iconic Jefferson Market Library. It’s the stretch you’ll cross every day without thinking, until suddenly you realize you can’t imagine life without it.
University Place: The Village’s Gathering Table
University Place is where the Village slows down just enough for you to catch your breath.
The sidewalks are wide, the restaurants spill onto the street, and there’s always a mix of students, locals, and families lingering over coffee or dinner. It’s the stretch you turn to when you want both ease and energy: a brunch spot for Sunday mornings at Gray Dog or Jack’s Wife Freda, a quiet café for midweek study sessions, and a handful of restaurants perfect for parents’ weekend or a celebratory dinner with friends. If the Village is your home, University Place is the dining room table—always set, always welcoming.
Astor Place: The Crossroads
You’ll know you’re at Astor when you see “The Cube”—the giant black sculpture that yes, you can spin.
This plaza is where art students sketch, office workers find a moment of leisure in the sun, and neighbors gather. Astor is wide, loud, and alive.
St. Marks Place: The Carnival
Neon lights, ramen steam, karaoke spilling into the street—St. Marks is the Village’s carnival.
It’s the place for impulse bubble tea, specialty sweets, or a post-midnight bowl of noodles. Come here when you need to shake off the seriousness of school.
Washington Square Park: The Living Room
At the center of it all is the park.
Chess players, musicians, picnics, the fountain where you’ll sit between classes. Washington Square is the Village’s living room, and whether you’re studying under the arch or people-watching on a blanket, it will quietly shape your time here more than any lecture hall.
ENJOY your new home
Wander often, get lost once or twice, and know that the Village will meet you with a slice, a story, or a song. It’s not just where you go to school—it’s where you’ll build your New York.
