8 must-visit places on NYC’s Bleecker Street, West Village

At the heart of New York’s chic West Village, low-rise Bleecker Street is lined with some of the city’s hippest indie stores and best-loved foodie haunts. Here is our pick of the highlights. 

1. Bleecker Street Pizza

You could eat pizza at John’s of Bleecker Street, the perpetually mobbed tourist haunt that only sells whole ‘pies’ (as they’re known in New York). Or you could make like a local and grab a slice at Bleecker Street Pizza, inconspicuously located around the corner on 7th Avenue. The signature pie is the Nonna Maria, an upscale version of the margherita made with mozzarella, parmesan and fresh basil. 69 7th Ave.

2. The Garret

From the street, all you can see is a branch of the popular Five Guys burger chain. But walk through the neon-lit restaurant and up an inconspicuous flight of stairs and you’ll discover The Garret, a classic New York bar with exposed-brick walls, battered wooden furniture and a reliably lively (and occasionally rowdy) clientele. Five Guys handles the bar food, sending up Garret-only burger varieties including the Italian Neighbours Burger with prosciutto and marinara sauce. 296 Bleecker St.

3. Village Apothecary

This venerable pharmacy served the West Village throughout the 1980s, when much of downtown New York was grappling with the AIDS crisis. Today, Village Apothecary remains a cherished institution, not only filling prescriptions for locals but also dispensing thoughtful, personalised advice to all-comers. Drop in to discover obscure European cosmetic brands or to pick up American homeopathic remedies. 346 Bleecker St.

4. Prabal Gurung

Before he found fame with his own line of womenswear, Nepali-American designer Prabal Gurung interned for New York fashion fixture Cynthia Rowley at her Bleecker Street boutique. Last year, he returned to his old stomping ground to open his first-ever bricks-and-mortar store. Here, you can browse a selection of Gurung’s Vogue-approved sequined dresses and cashmere shawls plus hand-embroidered T-shirts available nowhere else. 367 Bleecker St.

5. L’Objet 

Urbane New Yorkers love interior designer Elad Yifrach’s luxurious home-décor brand L’Objet, which draws on Middle Eastern and Japanese aesthetics. Its West Village flagship is a browser’s delight (and, it must be said, the stuff credit-card nightmares are made of): within, you’ll find exquisitely soft pillows, sophisticated tableware and L’Objet’s apothecary range, which includes a range of exotic fragrances. 370 Bleecker St.

6. Huckberry NYC

Huckberry, an online purveyor of rugged menswear, popped up on Bleecker Street last year for what was supposed to be a limited engagement, but the store enjoyed such success that it’s now a permanent fixture. It stocks boots, backpacks, barware and more from a range of American heritage brands and hosts everything from surfboard-waxing demos to live concerts on site. 383 Bleecker St.

7. Bookmarc

There are far fewer bookstores in New York City than there used to be, which makes the compact operation, Bookmarc – a passion project of larger-than-life fashion designer Marc Jacobs – all the more charming. Alongside art and photography books by the likes of Annie Leibovitz and Grace Coddington, you’ll find a range of Marc Jacobs accessories and a smattering of pop-culture trinkets. 400 Bleecker St.

8. Magnolia Bakery 

Yes, the wait can be interminable. And yes, there are now branches of this baked-goods phenomenon in several other Manhattan neighbourhoods. But visiting the original Magnolia Bakery store – made famous in the 1990s by the fictional Carrie Bradshaw – remains a rite of passage for all would-be New Yorkers. First timers should sample the classics, including the delicate vanilla cupcake with pink frosting and the chocolate banana pudding made with Oreos. 401 Bleecker St.

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Dan F. Stapleton – Published Wednesday 31 July