Find Art From St. Mark’s Place to Avenue A

Like any good renegade, the East Village has been through its fair share of drama.

This is where the Beats landed, where punk blazed through CBGBs, and where Patti Astor’s Fun Gallery put Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat on the map.

South and west of Tompkins Square Park, against a backdrop of iconic brownstones and five-story walk-ups, next-generation galleries and old school, artist-run spaces keep the neighborhood’s unruly spirit alive. There’s a true mix at play, from the well-established (Swiss Institute, The Brant Foundation, and Wilmer Jennings Gallery) to the boundary-pushing and the just-hatching.

The blocks between galleries reward wandering. Sip some of the city’s best specialty coffee, buy art books or crystals, dig into Anthology Film Archives, or sip icy vodka at KGB Bar while listening to experimental readings from local writers, poets, and musicians.

Take it all in the best way: on foot.