A loop through the Village's food and music landmarks: two historic pizzerias, the MacDougal St comedy strip, the crooked streets around Grove St, and two basement jazz clubs.
Best time: Late afternoon into evening, so the walk ends at a jazz club
The route, stop by stop 1 Joe's Pizza (Carmine St) Start with a plain slice. 10 min.
Family-run counter slice shop since 1975 and the textbook thin New York cheese slice; you eat standing up or on the sidewalk like locals do.
2 John's of Bleecker Street 1929 coal-oven pizzeria; look in or come back for dinner. 5 min.
Coal-fired brick oven pizzeria since 1929 with carved-up wooden booths; whole pies only, no slices.
3 Mamoun's Falafel 1971 falafel counter on MacDougal St. 10 min.
Syrian-run falafel counter open since 1971, one of the oldest in the city; tiny room on the MacDougal St comedy-and-bar strip, open late.
4 Comedy Cellar Check the night's lineup; book a late show. 2 min.
Basement stand-up club since 1982 where headliners regularly drop in unannounced to test material; lineups are posted on the day.
5 Minetta Tavern 1937 tavern on Minetta Lane. 2 min.
1937 Village tavern revived by Keith McNally; the Black Label burger (dry-aged beef with caramelized onions) is one of the city's famous burgers.
6 Via Carota Put your name down for dinner. 5 min.
Trattoria from chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi (both James Beard Best Chef winners 2019); the insalata verde and cacio e pepe are why people wait.
7 Marie's Crisis Cafe Show-tune piano bar next door. 20-30 min.
Basement piano bar where the whole room sings Broadway show tunes together; the site was a tavern associated with Thomas Paine's death in 1809.
8 Smalls Jazz Club Basement jazz until the early hours.
Tiny basement club since 1994 with sets running until the early morning; the late-night jam sessions are where working New York musicians show up.
9 Village Vanguard End at a ticketed set (book ahead). 90 min.
Basement jazz club open since 1935 with a jazz-only program since 1957; more than 100 live albums (Coltrane, Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins) were recorded in this wedge-shaped room.
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