East Village Apartments & Rentals

Renting an apartment in the East Village will base you in one of Manhattan's vibrant centers. Known as the home of Beatniks, the 60s counterculture, and beyond, this area is funky, arty, and flamboyant. Gentrification may be shifting the landscape but the East Village remains lively.

For much of its existence, the East Village was considered part of the Lower East Side. In the 1960s, hippies, students, artists, and musicians came calling. The neighborhood's identity took shape then. It was a cradle for folk music and punk rock and hip-hop. Both Hair and Rent are set in the East Village. Legendary venues like CBGBs and the Fillmore East are closed now, but this neighborhood isn't close to giving up the ghost. From Broadway and Bowery across to Alphabet City (Avenues A, B, C, and D), from 14th Street down to Houston, the East Village lives large.

With NYU and Cooper Union here, the East Village skews young, late, and occasionally loud. The East Village is known for nightlife. From the Bourgeois Pig to Burp Castle, the bars and their patrons make weekends here exuberant. There's something for every taste, too. Try the Little Tokyo area with its ramen shops and karaoke bars, or take your pick from all kinds of ethnic food options.

St Mark's Place is home to vintage clothes, t-shirt shops, and tattoo parlors. While chains stores are creeping in, you can still find stalwarts like Search and Destroy and Trash Vaudeville. For entertainment, the East Village offers the avant-garde of off-off-Broadway. The New York Theater Workshop and the Public Theater are both impressive mainstays. The Nuyorican Poet's Café advertises "all art forms welcome." Anthology Film Archives screens eccentric and odd films if that's more your mood. To get green, head to Tompkins Square Park, East River Park, or one of the neighborhood's many community gardens.

Rentals in the East Village can be reasonable, particularly if you're looking to share. With all the students in the area, this option is more available than elsewhere. You'll find walk-up former tenement buildings and luxury condos, but elevators and doormen aren't too common. One-bedrooms in the East Village rent for at least $2,000 with a two-bedroom averaging $3,341. The East Village's diverse residents tend to be younger and artistically inclined. There are three subway lines running through, but Alphabet City is out of the way. Expect less than a 15-minute commute to many areas unless you're living close to the river.

The East Village has a branch of the New York Public Library as well as NYU's The Fales Library. It may be lacking in schools for children, but it hosts the aforementioned universities. For culture, check one of the museums or attend neighborhood festivals such as the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival or the HOWL! Festival. The East Village falls into Manhattan's Community District 3.

Zip codes serving East Village are 10003 and 10009.