What’s in Greenwich Village? Where are the cute shops?
Tina Tang’s Guide to Her Fave Neighborhood stores and restaurants

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SHOPPING

• Otte: 121 Greenwich Avenue
  A cute clothing boutique that has another outpost in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They carry Indie labels that are commonly seen on Shopbop.com. Customer service is not the most attentive, but the well selected merchandise makes it worth visiting.
• MXYPLYZYK: 125 Greenwich Avenue
  Fun, quirky house-wares shop that has been in the West Village for a long time. They always have original and eccentric designs in the store. A mandatory stop when shopping the Village.
• Flight 001: 98 Greenwich Avenue
  The flagship store of this mini empire. They have stores all over the country and even sell their goods to other selective stores. Essentially, they carry cool items related to travel: travel bags, passport books, travel alarms, etc. If you need it to travel, they have what you need (but in the most chic possible design).
• Tibet Kailash Store: 48 Greenwich Avenue
  Pashmina scarves, Tibetan statues - this is the place to get your incense and beautifully handcrafted Tibetan goodies. The owner is kind and very helpful.
• Alphabets: 47 Greenwich Avenue
  This great fun little store carries knick- knacks that you would want to bring home and say, “I got this in NYC”. They carry Paul Frank designs, quirky greeting cards, and t-shirts with ironic sayings such as “Jesus is my homeboy”.
• Jonathan Adler: 37 Greenwich Avenue
  Yes, that Jonathan Adler! His lovely and covetable home goods and furniture just make you want to move into the store. This Greenwich Village resident has finally opened a store near his home--and we are grateful he did!
• Zachary’s Smile: 9 Greenwich Avenue
  More than a thrift shop – the owners design their own with vintage fabrics. There is another outpost in Soho, but of course, the proximity of this store, makes it my favorite of their mini chain. I love coming here for impulse clothing purchases.
• CO Bigelow: 414 6th Avenue
  An institution in the Village. It’s an old fashioned apothecary that also sells hard to find Italian toothpaste and other unnecessary but absolutely luxurious drugstore items.
• Albertine and Claudine: 13 Christopher Street
  These little clothing boutiques are always mentioned in Lucky Magazine. Albertine carries the dressier of the two with Claudine carrying the more casual. The owner keeps her shops well stocked with unusual off-the-beaten-path designers. While wearing anything from these stores, friends will ask you, “Where did you get that?”
• Laina Jaine: 45 Christopher Street
  2 sisters own this intimate and well stocked lingerie store. Girly and frilly undergarments are easily found at this neighborhood store.
• Housing Works Thrift Shop: 245 West 10th Street
  The best high end thrift shop around. Wealthy people donate to this shop so you will always find labeled well kept clothing in here as well as nicely kept furniture.
• Marc Jacobs: 403 Bleecker Street
  His neighborhood empire is making us want to change the name of Bleecker Street to Marc Jacobs Avenue. 3 stores reside on this tree lined little street. If you have some extra cash to play with, this is a lovely place to get those things that make you feel wonderful.

FOOD:

• Tea & Sympathy: 110 Greenwich Avenue
  This tiny enclave to British cuisine is not only cozy, but the authentic food will remind you of your visits to London. They also own A Salt & Battery, a take out fish and chips joint. Make sure to come here early or during the off hours as this little place gets crowded easily.
• Gusto: 60 Greenwich Avenue
  Cosmopolitan, and oh so “Sex In the City”, fine Italian restaurant. During the lunch hour in the middle of the week, you will see chicly dressed young things. (And, of course, you will be wondering what they are doing there on a Tuesday at 1pm). It’s not only a chic spot, but the food is scrumptiously refined.
• 41 Greenwich Restaurant: 41 Greenwich Avenue
  Sophisticated American Food. Owners Rowaida Younes and Jay Plumeri have created a warm vibe that brings the locals here for dinner and special events. After a day of shopping, this is a perfect spot to treat yourself to a very nice meal. They really are the cutest couple in the neighborhood.
• Wogie’s: 39 Greenwich Avenue
  In the mood for beer and a hearty Philly Cheese Steak with Waffle Fries? Is your watering as I describe it? Turn to Wogies. It’s a neighborhood bar owned by Philly native, Aaron Hoffman, who is the guy you wish was your next door neighbor. It’s a great place to watch a sports game with friends, or to meet local New York natives.
• Bird Bath Bakery: Corner of 7th Avenue and Charles Street
  The cookies here are undescribable. After my first visit, I recruited all of my employees along with me on my addiction to Bird Bath. It’s an eco conscious extension of the City Bakery. The special focus of this little windowed bake shop is that they strive to be Green in their energy conservation, packaging and overall business ethos. Obviously, I come here five days a week to get my coffee with their farm fresh heavy cream.
• Café Asean: 117 West 10th Street
  The owner Simpson Wong is not only marvelous chef, he is a character! Simpson’s Southeast Asian focused restaurant is cozy and very Greenwich Village. The outdoor patio in back is a perfect dinner spot in the summer and spring. Simpson’s cooking is totally authentic to the region and completely delicious. I order out from here at least once a week!
• Morandi: 211 Waverly Place
  This “rustic Italian trattoria” is the newest addition to the burgeoning Keith McNally restaurant empire. Pastis and Balthazar are the well known French sibling restaurants. This open air café/restaurant always hosts a lively crowd of in-style and chic clientele. The food is respectable, but the ambiance is what people come here for.
• Sant Ambroeus: 259 West 4th Street
  This is my absolute favorite restaurant in the all of NYC! This refined restaurant not only serves heavenly Italian cuisine, but it also bakes its own biscotti and other Italian pastries! The service is impeccable; this must be the reason why Sarah Jessica Parker calls this her preferred neighborhood restaurant. That’s right, SJP lives around the corner from this lovely intimate cuisine heaven. I adore this place. There is never any question of where to turn to when I am looking for a delicious evening of self-indulgence.
• Magnolia Bakery: 301 Bleeker Street
  I must mention them because Sex in the City put them on the map and I always have customers coming in to ask where this cupcake heaven is located. There is always a line here, even at midnight on a Monday night. They do create fabulous cupcakes. But, the Red Velvet Cake is truly my personal favorite.
• Sumile: 154 West 13th Street
  3 words you need to know about this place: sushi, fresh, inventive. This restaurant is very Greenwich Village. It is sophisticated, yet comfortable, and absolutely delicious.
• Gonzo: 140 West 13th St
  This local Village restaurant, with its mini outdoor patio in front, serves real Italian style thin crust pizza with unusual combinations such as fresh corn and mash potatoes. Food combinations that you’d never guess correspond, melt delightfully in your mouth.