East Village

With an established music and art scene, funky shops, bars and an eclectic palette, the East Village truly defines what it means to be hip. Once known as the grittier end of the Village, the neighborhood today now rivals its western neighbor in both safety and desirability.

Over the last 100 years, the East Village neighborhood has been considered one of the strongest contributors to American arts and culture in New York. The East Village art gallery scene helped to galvanize modern art in America, with such artists as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jeff Koons exhibiting.

The area was once known primarily for being a headquarters of Hell's Angels, punk rockers and drug dealers. Now, young professionals, artists and college students with a desire to live in an edgier part of Manhattan call East Village NYC their home. Tompkins Square Park, once a metaphor for all that was seedy about the area, is now filled with strollers and dogs. The tattoo parlors and record stores are now making room for up-and-coming designers and upscale house wares. This area remains, however, as a place for those who love authenticity and can truly let their hair down.