West Village

Brick townhouses, crooked streets that ignore the grid and corner cafés on every block, a short walk from the Hudson.

The West Village has been where New Yorkers go for charm since the 1800s, and the neighborhood has kept its shape. Streets bend and cross at odd angles, buildings rarely rise above six floors, and the corner bakery is usually older than the people queuing at it.

The best homes are the townhouses on Bank, Perry and Charles streets, with original stoops, garden floors and working fireplaces. Prewar co-ops and small boutique condos fill the gaps, and a rare top-floor apartment can come with a private terrace.

Life happens on foot. Mornings start with coffee on Bleecker, afternoons drift through the shops on Hudson Street, and evenings end at a candlelit dinner or a jazz set. Hudson River Park is a five-minute walk. Few buyers leave once they’ve settled in.