With its cobbled streets and classic architecture, Greenwich Village has retained that feeling of Old New York better than most neighborhoods in Manhattan. While high-end housing like the Greenwich Village luxury apartments at the recently renovated Hilary Gardens make the Village a desirable place to live, the area’s rich history and unique personality make it feel like a wonderland. Hilary Gardens residents are in the ideal location to regularly taste this history at one-of-a-kind bars and restaurants that either recreate the past or were themselves part of it!

The Village first came onto the cultural and culinary scene in the prewar years, when it was the center of the Bohemian movement of artists and writers in New York. Dining options included traditional European tables d’hôtes, where guests dined with the host family and ate what was prepared without ordering off a menu. These (mostly) Italian diners were the heart of the Bohemian artist’s diet and also provided opportunities to converse about issues of the day over good food and mediocre wine. This experience, combined with better vino and an upgraded seafood menu, is available today at spots like Il Mulino and Babbo, which preserve the area’s Italian heritage.

Near the middle of the 20th century, with Prohibition having come and gone, the Village became home to a new group of artistic outsiders and the hub for a proliferation of nightclubs and gay bars that catered to a wide range of aesthetic interests. Both Barbra Streisand and Bob Dylan got their starts playing in these hip joints, which often stood on the same block as classic chophouses where the upper crust puffed cigars and sipped brandy in oak-paneled parlors. One Village gay bar, The Stonewall Inn, eventually made history with a riot that kicked off the LGBTQ civil rights movement that has altered the course of history. The Stonewall Inn still stands and celebrates that momentous event each year, encouraging Villagers and visitors to take their part in history.

Today, Greenwich Village combines historically relevant venues and cuisines with new and exciting restaurants to create one of the most dynamic culinary neighborhoods in the world. For history lovers and dedicated foodies, there’s no place like Greenwich Village, and the luxury apartments at Hilary Gardens are the perfect base from which to explore this deep well of cuisine.
So, head over to the building’s website to check availability and begin your new life as a Villager today!