What To Do In NYC's East Village Neighborhood

UPDATE: If you're scrambling for some weekend plans, we've got just the hit list. This story was originally published on January 4.

Welcome to R29 column, Building Blocks, a celebration of the places we call home, and all of the hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems we love — plus, the new neighborhood spots we're discovering all the time. Each go-round, a different editor will show you around their five favorite spots in their 'hood. Today, check out what our global editor, Connie Wang, loves best about the East Village.

I still shudder to think about my aversion to moving into my first apartment in the East Village — there are actual Gchat conversations that exist still between me and my roommate about how we were worried about the lack of restaurants, bars, and things to do in our new neighborhood — after all, our experiences with NYC extended as far as Woody Allen films and a single Fashion Week where we had stayed in some ridiculously beautiful Chelsea apartment (the one and only duplex I've ever been in, since). Needless to say, I was an idiot back then. The East Village is awesome.

Plus, R29 HQ is also conveniently situated in the East Village, so it's become an embarrassing fact that between work-, home-, play-, and chill-time, I rarely venture outside of my neighborhood. But, there really isn't a reason to. The area's rife with all my favorite things: amazing restaurants, hole-in-the-wall haunts, and great boutiques…most of which I can enjoy without a Wall Street salary. Let me show you six of the places you'll most likely see me at if you come down to my neighborhood.