The ultimate guide to New York City's best neighborhoods

13.09.2023 - 23:35 / lonelyplanet.com / Art

With more than 8 million people crammed into five boroughs spanning a mere 300 sq miles, New York City is a boisterous metropolis that famously refuses to sleep.

Its riot of sights and sounds vary so much from one block to the next – let alone from borough to borough – that you could take a month and visit a different part of town each day, and you'd still only scratch the surface.

Home to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building and the Theater District, midtown is an obvious destination for first-time visitors, but don’t stop there – there’s a ton left to discover after you’ve crossed those spots off your list. Here are eight New York City neighborhoods you should make time to explore. 

East of Third Ave, south of 14th St and north of Houston is the East Village, once celebrated for its gritty punk-rock scene but now better known for its trendy, upscale vibe – albeit one that retains a hint of an edge. It’s just harder to see it now, thanks to the plethora of restaurants, bars, shops, theaters and concert venues that have sprung up in the past decade or two.

St Mark’s Place is one of the main drags, and while it’s jammed with kitschy stores and cheap vendors in spots, there are also some real gems hiding in plain sight, especially as you travel further east toward Tompkins Square Park.

But really, no matter which block you stumble down, it’s hard to go wrong – you’re sure to find something tasty, whether it’s blintzes and pierogi from the legendary Veselka, a cardamom bun from La Cabra, a delicious bowl of Thai noodles from Soothr, or cheeseburger tacos and spicy cucumber margaritas from Empellón al Pastor at happy hour. 

On the other side of Houston and stretching down toward Chinatown, the Lower East Side is a neighborhood molded by immigrants, and its history is a fascinating one best experienced at the Tenement Museum on Orchard Street. The New Museum and the International Center of Photography Museum are also nearby.

On Houston itself, two institutions nod to the area’s Jewish roots: Katz’s Delicatessen, equally beloved for its smoked pastrami and its appearance in the “I’ll have what she’s having” scene from When Harry Met Sally, and Russ & Daughters, an appetizing shop known for its caviar, knishes and smoked fish.

Further south on Orchard Street, Scarr’s Pizza grinds its own stone-milled flour to make the perfect unpretentious slice, while Dirt Candy on Allen St serves ultra-creative vegetarian food. To sample a little bit of everything, check out Essex Market and its subterranean food hall, the Market Line, which features vendors from around the neighborhood and across the city.

Historically, Greenwich Village has been a hub of LGBTIQ+ life in New York: its Stonewall Inn was the