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The short answer: Start the morning in Tompkins Square Park, walk St. Marks Place and Astor Place in the afternoon, spend the evening in the bars and venues around Second Avenue, and end the night with a slice at Nuovo York Pizza, 105 E 9th St. We’re open until 3am Sunday–Thursday and 4:30am Friday–Saturday, so the East Village day doesn’t have to end early.

Morning: Tompkins Square Park and the community gardens

Tompkins Square Park is the East Village’s backyard, with big elm trees, a busy dog run and weekend crowds. From there, walk the side streets between Avenues A and C to find the neighborhood’s community gardens, small green lots that residents turned into gardens over the past few decades. Mornings are the quietest time to see them.

Afternoon: St. Marks Place, Astor Place and Cooper Union

• Walk St. Marks Place. East 8th Street between Third Avenue and Avenue A was a center of New York’s punk and counterculture scene and is still one of the liveliest food streets downtown.

• Spin the Alamo. The big black steel cube at Astor Place, a 1967 sculpture by Tony Rosenthal, has been a meeting point for decades. With a push, it rotates.

• See Cooper Union. Abraham Lincoln gave his 1860 Cooper Union address in the Great Hall here, a speech that helped make him a presidential candidate.

Late afternoon: books and a classic bath

• The Strand. A short walk north at Broadway and 12th Street, the Strand is known for its “18 miles of books” and its outdoor dollar carts.

• Russian & Turkish Baths. On East 10th Street since 1892, one of the oldest bathhouses in the city.

Evening: old bars and live venues

• McSorley’s Old Ale House. On East 7th Street since 1854, with sawdust on the floor and two choices: light or dark.

• Live music and poetry. Webster Hall on East 11th Street hosts concerts, and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on East 3rd Street is known for slam poetry.

Late night: pizza on East 9th Street

When most kitchens close, the East Village keeps going. Nuovo York Pizza is one block north of St. Marks Place at 105 E 9th St and is open until 3am Sunday–Thursday and 4:30am Friday–Saturday.

Why it’s different
Our founder is a chemical engineer, so we measure what most kitchens guess: dough cold-fermented for 72 hours, sauce tested to pH 4.2 before every batch, and imported Italian tomatoes, cheese, flour and olive oil, baked in a 550°F deck oven.

What to order

• A cheese slice ($4), the simplest test of any New York pizzeria

• A square slice named after the neighborhood: Washington Square, Union Square, Cooper Square or Tompkins Square

• A whole 18-inch pie for the group

Three ways to spend a day in the East Village

• The classic day: Tompkins Square Park → St. Marks Place → Astor Place → The Strand → a slice on East 9th Street.

• The night out: Dinner on St. Marks, a concert or a show, McSorley’s, then pizza before 3am.

• The rainy day: Russian & Turkish Baths, The Strand, then pizza to go.

Getting to the East Village

Take the 6 train to Astor Place or the L train to First or Third Avenue. From Astor Place, Nuovo York Pizza is a one-minute walk to 105 E 9th St.

FAQ

What is the East Village known for?

Its history as a center of New York counterculture and punk, St. Marks Place, Tompkins Square Park, old bars, community gardens, and some of the city’s best cheap and late-night food.

What are free things to do in the East Village?

Walk St. Marks Place, spin the Astor Place cube, visit Tompkins Square Park and the community gardens, and browse The Strand’s outdoor carts.

What is there to do in the East Village at night?

Live music, poetry, old bars and late-night food. Nuovo York Pizza at 105 E 9th St is open until 3am Sunday–Thursday and 4:30am Friday–Saturday.

Where can I get late-night pizza in the East Village?

Nuovo York Pizza, 105 E 9th St, one block from St. Marks Place and Astor Place.