Downtown West, Houston Street to 14th Street, Seventh Avenue to the Hudson River.
The West Village (the extension of Greenwich Village west of Seventh Avenue, where there are some beautiful historic townhouses and co-ops on tree-lined streets) certainly follows its own jazzy rhythms. Spend a day browsing the West Village’s bookstores, cozy cafes, and antique shops with all kinds of bric-a-brac for sale and you’ll think you’re in Paris. The apartments tend to have a historic charm too, many with fireplaces and hidden gardens. Often the older buildings have been renovated, so behind many a landmark façade is a Bulthaup kitchen with a six-burner stove!
More Milan-like is the Meatpacking District on the Village’s Western edge. Here there are big groovy lofts for sale, and retail shopping includes Catherine Maladrino, Stella McCartney, and Yigal Azrouel among its fashion offerings. Rentals in both Meatpacking and the rest of the West Village are highly sought-after, so don’t be surprised if you run into some recognizable actors and actresses as you’re walking down the street! The narrowest townhouse in the city is here in the West Village at 75 Bedford Street — it’s just nine-and-a-half feet wide. But postwar lovers can also find something in the West Village to call their own. If you need a downtown showstopper, try Richard Meier’s Perry Street towers, which offer amazing views of the Hudson. The newest West Village luxury condo, One Jackson Square, offers walls of glass with 360-degree views of Manhattan, custom designed Molteni kitchens, and views of a charming vest-pocket park.