East 4 St, East Village

Phebe's is a joint right on the corner of 4th and Bowery that I think, "I should go in there," every single time I walk past it . . . and, I have yet to go there once. It's cute and always jammin, but for some reason, I have yet to set foot inside there. I should do that. There were a ton of little theatres lining this block at one point, but sadly, they have all been extinguished. And, now there are random shops although I do believe that NY Theatre Workshop still has it's home almost directly across the street from Phebe's and that place is one of the big ones as far as Off - Broadway Theatre goes.
Things on 4th don't get good, in my opinion, until around Avenue A. Up until then, there are little dingus places and incredibly off-putting large apartment complexes. And, then East 4th gets vibrant, busy, young and loud out of nowhere. The block between A and B has Eugenia Kim hats, a great Mediterranean joint, two great Italian places and then Kate's. Kate's is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the city. It's little and always packed and it is incredible. They're brunch is worth every minute you have to wait.
The block between B and C seemed to take a nod from Kate's (or, the other way around, really) because it has two gardens and a creepy public school with an environmental focus. I think it's kind of funny because the gardens and the school have been around for some time and this part of the East Village used to be Meth head central until only a decade or so ago.
4th street is very diverse and has a lot of multicultural history that has yet to be taken over as you get east of Avenue B which is pretty cool. The cool kids are taking over which is nice because it's a lot more lively and safe than it was only a few years back. Transportation is a nightmare in this part of the city and I doubt that mythological 2nd Avenue train is ever going in so that's one con, for sure. And, most of the buildings are walkups. Also, anything east of C scares the bejeezus out of me after midnight, but other than that, the street is really cool.

Manhattan's E 4th St is a classic New York City street, with some great quirks thrown in. Just east of Cooper Square is an excellent lineup of amazing theatres and playhouses, with La Mama Etc. and the New York Theatre Workshop among them. Nearby are an amazing Co-op and coffee house, not to mention a tasty Italian restaurant Cucina di Pesce. As if that block isn't enough, the next offers Jeollado, fantastic Korean and Japanese food out of a former parking garage, and a useful health food store too! A great neighborhood feel, this is a wonderful street.

If you’ve been to the East Village lately, you know what to expect: restaurants, bars, and shops. The good thing about the East Village is that although there has been an influx of commodities, the big chains stay pretty close the NYU/Washington Square area. Which mean that there is still a variety of privately owned businesses that contribute to the diversity of this street.

The East Village has a certain charm, a grit which is often absent in the city's more affluent neighborhoods. I see that a diverse crowd comes here to nest, east, and get down. Try the Bow Bar Bowery and 4th for some ale after a long day, and the people inside are really friendly. The street overall was average, without much going on, but there is so much nearby, it's nice to find a street a little more low key in this bustling neighborhood.

East 2nd is close to the following metro and is accessible to many buses. Foot traffic is moderate, and it is a good neighborhood for young people!!