The Hindu Business Line : Off to The Village

It's a noticeably distinct neighbourhood in more ways than one. In the heart of Manhattan, among its well-ordered streets, is a maze of narrow lanes and alleyways that twist and turn and once in a while quite crazily return to where they started.

And again, quite unlike the Manhattan tradition, these streets have good old names, not numbers. Perhaps cattle tracks way back when this was the rustic quarter of the city, it was sometime in the 19th century that they became home to a medley of immigrants, students, activists, creating a jaunty, offbeat environment that lured the creative and way-out eccentric. They retained their non-conformist stance, welcoming into their fold those who chose to be different and so nurturing a culture quite predictably bohemian.

And even today, Greenwich Village (or The Village as it is commonly called) is just the place to unwind... Hidden among its leafy streets are minuscule cafés, pubs, whacky shops, stately churches and quaint old houses from an era gone by.

So if you are in New York City, put on your walking shoes and head for The Village — just as I did. Getting off the metro at 4th West, cut across to Washington Square Park. It's the right place to get acclimatised. I make my way by the commemorative white marble arch though a medley of performers, pigeon-feeders, and chess players, to sit between a daydreamer and a guitar player. Having watched a rather fervent actor practise his lines, I head to the `dosa man', as Thiru Kumar is popularly known, to dig into piping hot idli-vada. It says much for the spirit of the place, that despite the lure of mustard smothered hotdogs, the cart that doles out such unusual fare boasts a dedicated clientele.

Taste buds satisfied I take to the lanes just around the park to where homes under the tall skyscrapers are still just a storey high, with corner patios, miniature gardens like the delightful Willy's Garden across Washington Square North. If you don't look for it, you miss it. Through a porch beyond white columns, a slender path to a corner lush with vegetation and between it all a statue of Miguel de Cervantes... And just a bit ahead the tiny spot that is the Second Cemetery of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, Shearith Israell.

Then there are the churches in the vicinity. Besides catering to varied spiritual needs, they are interesting architecture. There's the Judson Memorial Church with its square tower, the Church of Ascension regal in brownstone — intricate in its Gothic design and The First Presbyterian Church — once called the `church of the patriots.' I walk into its leafy garden to an extremely enthused bunch of elderly ladies holding a garage sale. In Italian-Renaissance style is Our Lady of Pompeii Church, its tower rising oddly from one corner of its rectangular façade.

Cheek-by-jowl with high rises are an assortment of buildings that seem to be caught in a time warp, oozing a certain defiance. While Washington Mews and McDoughal Alley are cobbled streets with beautiful row houses and The Row — a couple of blocks of homes in Greek style, Grove Street is home to a gorgeous wood-framed townhouse, a Swiss chalet look-alike, and a cluster of brick-fronted structures. Bedford Street boasts the narrowest building in all of New York.

In the vicinity too is Chumley's, once a classic pub that retains its old-world charm. I walk into its interior plastered with yellowing prints, veterans' hats, a grandfather clock that's stopped short at 9.30 and barrels being lowered into a cavernous cellar.

Among the stores choc-a-block with offbeat things that cater to a very specific clientele, there's one that needs to be located. McNulty's Tea and Coffee Co — a shop stocked from floor to roof with the most exotic teas and coffees. The connoisseur is spoilt for choice here. Though way beyond my budget, I cannot resist Pi Lo Chin, a green tea from Suzhou, China, and the White Flowery Pekoe.

The Village is a foodie's paradise. While the Italians seem to have overtaken Bleeker Street with their pizzerias and bakeries, there's sustenance to suit a myriad palates at every nook and cranny. Pitas and pancakes, shushi and shwarmas, miscellaneous martinis and esoteric beers... you name it and you've got it. Organic, vegan, pescetarian? You'll find a place to suit your leanings. My favourite is Caffe Reggio, where one chills out on a double espresso and a tiramisu. And later at night to catch up on a bit of theatre and music, there's the legendary Cherry Lane Theatre and the Blue Note — home to the best in jazz.

Many creative giants chose to live in The Village, and it was in these very sidewalks and cafes that great talent was nurtured — Eugene O'Neill, Henry James, Allen Ginsberg, Dylan Thomas, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, and Joan Baez... The Village was pivotal to their artistic aspirations. It was also here that the gay liberation movement began.

Today too, Greenwich Village is passionate about retaining its distinctiveness. It remains a space that retains its tradition of unconventionality. Quite unique, actually.