At Chelsea Market, there are a couple places to buy gifts and arts from. The Flea Market features mainly hand-crafted artists who sell jewelry and clothes. At the center are several shops selling books, kitchenware, gifts, and many more if you simply like to browse through shops. Imports from Marakesh is also at the corner in front of the Flea Market.
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| Imports from Marakesh |
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| Artists Flea Market |
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| Bowery Kitchens |
Although there are many design stores available in Manhattan, the Vitra store is one that designers should make time to visit. The store features furniture from internationally renowned designers such as Charles and Ray Eames and Verner Panton. Many of the collections have been in productions since the 1960's yet remain popular to this day. The Swiss company strives to improve the quality of homes, offices, and public spaces through the power of design.
The lower floor of the store doubles as a design exhibition space, featuring their furniture collections indoors and available to the public for viewing. It is not uncommon to find students and designers frequenting the lower floor for study. Of course, all their items are available for purchase as well.
Chelsea Market in the Meat Packing industry has become one of the world's most famous food halls. There are over 30 different vendors at Chelsea Market, so even 3 meals one day wouldn't be enough to try everything. There are a wide variety of vendors to choose, from bakeries to restaurants to specialty groceries and wines. Chelsea Market will satisfy any time of the day from breakfast to dinner with dessert and in-between-meal snacks as well. There is also an artist's market within the building, where vendors sell hand-made jewelry and clothes.
Some places that might be interesting to visit:
Sarabeth's and Amy's Bread are definitely worth checking out, as both bakeries are known for their pastries and bread. For seafood, The Lobster Place is a one-stop for all. Even if you aren't interested in eating, it's fun to just watch the seafood market working where people pick their own choosing of seafood on the spot. At the end, Ninth St Coffee can provide the much needed cup of coffee to sit down with. A lot of the dessert vendors such as Bar Suzette or Liddabit Sweets are located in the center plaza.
Chelsea Market is also nearby the High Line, so you can buy food and head on over to the park on a nice day out for picnics or just for a stroll after meals.
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| Buon Italia Italian grocery |
Brownstone Diner and Pancake Factory is one of those places that you need to have at least one in a neighborhood: an all-day breakfast and pancake diner that everyone gets the cravings for. The place certainly is capable and already is the center hub of neighborhood gatherings from family friends to after-school activities and the occasional tourists that happen to stop by.
You can satisfy your pancake dreams any time and any day, and their pancake menu is sure to get you stuck deciding among the all the choices. Portions are definitely hearty and goes beyond expectations. You can also ask for bread service while waiting, but the food is relatively fast paced and also it would be a shame to fill in your stomach before the actual meal unfolds. They do have different policies regarding sharing one plate of food between people or minimum charges, but none of them are unreasonable.
Extra Virgin is another one of those "interesting" restaurants in West Village. On a weekday it is certainly worth a visit as the place isn't as packed as it would be during dinner or on weekends. During busy hours however, be prepared to wait a while, and that means more than an hour.
However, their food is certainly pleasing plus their dessert menu was a delight. The apple tart was not overly sweet but tangy, and with the ice cream melting on top it was nothing short of delicious. Their coffee comes in a small pot and a separate metal cup to pour it in, which looks very charming. The place would be, like any other restaurant on West Village during brunch, packed to the elbows, so be prepared.
Sevilla is an authentic Spanish cuisine place located in West Village. The restaurant has been open and served the neighborhood since 1941. The bar is charming to see in the interior, and their seats are quite comfortable as well. The owner is friendly as well, if you stand outside the windows peering inside he will wave at you to come in :)
Just reading their menu will be enough to start off your hunger, which you can satiate for a while with their complimentary bread and butter. Their portions are quite large as well, especially if you have been enjoying their bread. A note to vegetarians, you will be out of options here.
Mary's Fish Camp in West Village will instantly charm you when you step inside. The atmosphere inside and the music will make you feel as if you are at a seaside restaurant, except in New York. The interior is very charming with vintage style posters, a sit down-bar, and tables to the windows.
You can check their chalk board for daily market price seafood, or choose from their menu as well. Oyster crackers are complimentary :) Portions are decent, if anything more than enough for one person. Especially with their limited supply of lobster rolls that come with a mountain of fries. Also a note about their fried oysters: the tartar sauce was the best, with just enough raw onions for refreshing taste. The oysters were a bit heavy on the grease though, but the sauce did help with that. If anything, the experience of dining here is worth a visit.
The Culinary Cafe at Hudson County Community College is definitely a place to go if you're in the neighborhood on a Tuesday. The Cafe, which only opens on Tuesdays for breakfast and lunch, offers buffet meals for a convenient price.
Although you won't be able to order from a variety of choices, their food is always delicious and sure to please you. Their menu changes every week offering salad, soup, entree, dessert, drinks, along with vegetarian options.
The Culinary Cafe is open every Tuesday for breakfast from 8am to 9:30am, and lunch from 12pm to 1:30pm. Cost is $3 for breakfast and $12 for lunch. If you plan to stay at Coolhouse on a Tuesday, make sure to eat here at least once! You can also book the Conference Center for special events, business meetings and other occasions.
West 4th is known to be a quaint, European styled area in New York City. There are many cafes and restaurants that line the street, and choosing where to go can be a task. Here you can find information on select places to help you find your way in West Village.
There are more review posts coming up and links will be updated on this post as they get updated, starting with 'sNice cafe!
