Culinarily, the East Village is one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. The area has long supported an immigrant population, but it’s also a magnet for younger New Yorkers from all over the city — and indeed all over the world — intent on eating and drinking, and craving something new. As a destination for Chinese food, it is now the equal of any in the city, and Mexican food is another high point. Among its other glories are a continuing Ukrainian, Japanese, Puerto Rican, and Jewish presence, and newer establishments offering Portuguese, Laotian, Argentinean, and Himalayan fare. Pick a cuisine, and we bet you can find it there.
But where is “there”? The disputed boundaries go from the north side of Houston to the south side of 14th; and from Third Avenue to the East River, thus including what is now called Alphabet City (largely due to the musical Rent). Take a walk along the neighborhood’s three-block backbone of St. Marks Place to get an inkling of the East Village’s level of tumult and range of dining options, from French fry-stuffed burritos to Moroccan tajines.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.
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