East Village, Arts district in Manhattan, US
East Village is a district in Manhattan stretching from Houston Street to 14th Street and from Third Avenue to the East River. The streets are lined with 19th-century brick buildings, fire escapes on the facades and colorful murals on many building sides.
At the start of the 20th century the district was an arrival point for immigrants from Eastern Europe, who lived here in dense housing blocks and opened small shops. In the sixties artists, musicians and activists moved into the affordable apartments and turned the district into a center for counterculture and new art forms.
The district was known since the eighties for the punk rock scene at CBGB and for alternative art galleries in former apartments. Today you find bookstores, off-theater venues and small music clubs on many corners, often open late into the night.
Most streets are easy to explore on foot, and many cafes and restaurants have outdoor seating in spring and summer. Several subway lines stop at stations such as First Avenue, Second Avenue and Astor Place, connecting the district well with other parts of the city.
On St. Marks Place, one of the busiest streets, record shops, tattoo studios and snack stands line up within a few blocks. Many of these small shops have existed for decades and preserve the flavor of earlier years.
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