For the better part of the century Greenwich Village and the West Village have been popular places for young and old alike. Many streets are cobblestone and lined with trees. There are brownstones and brick townhouses which date back 200 years (if not more). Unlike most of the city, the streets here are not laid out in a grid. As a result, even natives sometime need a map in this part of town. Many famous writers and original thinkers have lived and worked in this area. There are many fascinating local spots – from the White Horse Tavern on Hudson Street, to the speakeasies which had been housed in any number of homes along Bank or Bethune Streets. There is almost no zoning for “high-rises” in this area and therefore it’s still dominated by small brownstone homes (many of which are single family dwellings) as well as small stores that have been in Greenwich Village families for decades (maybe centuries). All this comes at a price: rents and sale prices are some of the highest in the city. The West Village is considered more quiet than Greenwich Village which houses New York University, Washington Square and Bleecker Street. Greenwich Village is home to many of the city’s famous music bars (the Blue Note, The Bottom Line and Marie’s Crisis) as well as some of the greatest Off-Broadway theaters (Minetta Lane and the Lucille Lortel) and hundreds of restaurants, bars and novelty shops.