West Village Wanderings

The West Village is one of my favorite New York City neighborhoods. The past couple of weekends, my friends and I have wound up down in the village and have discovered some great little places for a night out. While there are a million places to go in the village, these are a few of my favorites should you find yourself looking for things to do in that area of the city:

Hudson Clearwater: Last Saturday, one of my favorite people came in from Connecticut and, after some swanky drinks at the top of the Standard Hotel in the famed Boom Boom Room, we headed to this speakeasy style restaurant. It is hard to find, but when you do make it inside you are handsomely rewarded. I would imagine this place is even more incredible in the summer, as part of the adventure to find it takes you through a beautiful twinkly lighted garden. My friend and I had lovely glasses of red wine and basked in the warm atmosphere. The duck and the sea bass were delicious; seasoned to perfection. Yum. I am a big fan and will definitely be back. 

Employees Only: Continuing with our speakeasy kind of night, my friend and I headed to Employees Only for a drink and some conversation. This place was adorable. Despite being ridiculously narrow, it was an awesome place to have a drink and catch up. We scored seats at the bar and chatted while we took in all of the prime people watching opportunities. 

Las Ramblas: Last night, I met up with a couple of friends for our monthly girls night out. We wandered into this cute, litte, Spanish restaurant that I adored, which was ironically named after the only street that I detested while traveling in Barcelona. The pomegranate sangria was so yummy, especially in conjunction with the awesome company, and after ordering almost the entire menu of tapas, we were in love with the food too. 

163: While waiting for a table at teeny tiny Las Ramblas, my friends and I wandered the picturesque neighborhood and stumbled into the cutest shop. We were pretty excited because everything in the store was 50% off. I scored a cute necklace for next-to-nothing! I would definitely recommend this store if you are in the area. 

Images Via

Marie's Crisis: Saving the best for last...This place is so. much. fun. Seriously. There is a pianist who plays only show tunes and the entire audience sings along. Technically a gay bar, it is the most diverse crowd I have ever seen convened in one tiny underground bar. My friends and I had a blast and I am already planning my next visit! 

I am hoping that this long, cold winter is finally coming to a close. It was so nice to see so many people out wandering the streets last night and to feel like spring might finally be on the way...

Have a happy rest of the weekend!