So what, you ask, is life in the East Village like? Do we have bonfires, or weekly kum-by-yah sing-along's? Do we sojourn on a weekly basis to consignment and thrift shops? Or go to hipster bars and talk about the consistency and bushiness of our hipster beards? Nay, dear readers. Though life in the Village is quite different from that in, say, Upper East Side or FiDi (although no one calls it that,) East Village is its own pillow of atypical wonder.
To set the stage: in early September, I moved into a cozy (read: I've purchased shoes that come in boxes bigger than) studio, complete with 20 square feet, a cupboard, and enough closet space for three overpriced shirts from Anthropologie. However, I have rooftop access, which means panoramic views of Peruvian Chicken restaurants, CVS, and - oh, and the Empire State Building.
There is no lack of gastro-diversity. Pick an Avenue - be it B, A, 1st, or 2nd, and walk down. In a quarter mile, you will pass Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Ethiopian, Indian, sushi, pubs, vegan, organic, and, of course, the American Staples of Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, and Taco Bell. A foodie's paradise. Luckily, all that walking cancels out any negative affects of so much gluten, starch, protein, and saturated fat. And let's not forget Hot & Crusty, the staple of my Manhattan existence. Though it sounds vaguely like a venereal disease, H&C is the mecca for late-night eats, early morning brunch, or a mid-afternoon munch.
My newest obsession is liquiteria, an organic, vegan-friendly smoothie and soup place on Second Avenue. I've been a flip-flopper on the healthy/fried eating habits for weeks. Literally, weeks. But now that I have liquiteria on my side, the battle's a bit easier. It's always the texture of vegetables that get me - I abhor cooked carrots, mushy cauliflauer, anything that has been steamed or baked too long. So the fact that I can get all those healthy, hippie benefits of veggies from drinking juice? Um, oui, s.v.p.
If there are only two reasons as to why I love East Village so, one is because of the food. The second, there is no lack of interesting bars and watering holes. I've even become a "regular" at one of these said drinking establishments, something that would have made the me of six months ago ridiculously giddy and irritating to the passer-by.
And, with that in mind, I'm off to frequent one of those fine places. Pip pip, cheerio.
New York Fun Fact of the Day: I live only two blocks from where Billy the Kid squatted after committing a line of heinous crimes against society.
