City Portraits - The East Village

Photo by myself somewhere deep in the East Village.

A facade covered in graffiti, chipped concrete steps, an uncovered garbage can.

The East Village is known for being slightly grungy with a touch of Goth. There's a high percentage of Japanese restaurants, cute boutiques and tiny bars.

The result is an eclectic neighborhood that is as ruggedly charming as it is authentic.

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Friday Mark and I spent some time in the East Village, one of our favorite areas, partially because of the availability of parking (!).

We brought Rupert in to romp around Tompkins Square Park, which has an enormous new dog run. He befriended a whole pack of dogs, which within minutes of meeting were chasing him around the perimeter.


Here he is with his buddies at the watering hole.

Tompkins Square Park was known for being dangerous not long ago. Today you can still find odd characters sleeping on benches or wandering around. It's not dangerous, but do keep your wits about you.


Just across the street from the park, The Upper Rust, an antiques store with lovely country charm.


Otherwise, the East Village is known for tiny clothing boutiques featuring vintage pieces or individual designers.


The unique interior of Sakaya, a specialty store on East Ninth Street. Here, you can find all the sake you'd like, each in its beautifully designed bottle.




Above, good old St. Mark's Place, a street always crowded with tourists and young kids. Here, you can find all sorts of memorabilia. Take home a t-shirt, piercing or tattoo.

City Portraits is an ongoing, once-in-a-while installment featuring parts of New York.

Related posts: City Portraits - Shelter Island, City Portraits - The High Line, Chelsea and Signs of the Times.