<p>I just spent the past few days walking around NYC and it totally reaffirmed my belief that NYU is the most perfect place on the planet. Let's make a list of the best places "on campus" - near NYU buildings and in Greenwich Village: </p>
<p>Washington Square Park (arch at Washington Square N & 5th): The center of NYU! A great place for people-watching, too. </p>
<p>Versailles (30 West 8th): This shop is filled with crazy, sequined, rhinestoned gowns and mini-dresses. When you want to channel Beyonc</p>
<p>An addendum: Perilla chef/owner Harold Dieterle wasn’t just a contestant on Top Chef - he won the title of Top Chef during the show’s first season.</p>
<p>@CBParent - Thanks for the addendum! He’s an amazing chef. I’ve eaten there twice and I was thrilled both times. My favorite dishes were the risotto side dish, the coconut-crusted cod fish, and the pear doughnuts.</p>
<p>I love to hear what people’s first impressions of the area are. My first year I didn’t do enough exploring, but I’m making up for that now. I live in Soho too, which is such an infinitely better neighborhood.</p>
<p>Endless boutique and department shopping at your fingertips, tremendous food all around you, Little Italy and Chinatown blocks away, I love where I live now.</p>
<p>You’re forgetting Union Square and the greenmarket, Mamoun’s on Macdougal, the W. 4th ballparks, so much else!</p>
<p>Just based on my experience having lived in New York:</p>
<p>Stand: A semi upscale burger joint, I believe on 11th or 12th and University. You haven’t experienced a milkshake until you’ve had one of theirs, particularly the toasted marshmallow shake. Also a big fan of the bacon egg and cheese burger, overall it’s absolutely amazing.</p>
<p>Magnolia: Do I even need to say it?</p>
<p>Flight Club: Literally the greatest sneaker store in the world (as in this is a consensus reached by pretty much every sneaker head in the world, myself included), things can get pricey, but there’s something for everyone regardless of price range. Finding it is a hassle, and that’s intentional as they really prefer to keep it as a place mostly comprised of sneaker heads, the main store is on greene between 8th and waverly, just take a left when you see Johnny Rockets and go down the block until you see the window with the flight club sign. It’s definitely worth the trip even if you don’t buy anything.</p>
<p>Grey’s Papaya: In short it’s one of the best hot dogs in New York, there are several of these spread throughout the city, what is unique is that they are all under a different name (i.e Mike’s Papaya in Tribeca, Blue’s Papaya uptown, Papaya King like 3 blocks away from Grey’s). Grey’s is the best, not sure why but I could literally eat a dozen of those dogs. It’s on 6th ave and 8th street, right across from the Barnes and Noble (or some other book store).</p>
<p>[I love to hear what people’s first impressions of the area are. My first year I didn’t do enough exploring, but I’m making up for that now. I live in Soho too, which is such an infinitely better neighborhood.]</p>
<p>Very artsy and somewhat gritty were the impressions I had as an adolescent in the early '90s considering I grew up not too far from the NYU campus. Nowhere near as nice and polished compared to the last several years.</p>