Comedian Picks Five Favorite Greenwich Village Spots

A few weeks ago I ranked my top five Village places for Ladies Night Out; Greenwich Village, one of New York’s most historic neighborhoods, also looks good in the light of day. Here are a few of my favorite places — both old school and new wave — to visit.
Envelope please….

5. Varsano Chocolates. If you walk down West 4th Street, stop in this delicious cholocate store. We’re particularly fond of the dark chocolate sea salt caramel and the coconut chewies. But, you cannot go wrong with any of the handcrafted mouth-watering chocolate. Pick up a few pieces to take with you while you hang out at #4 on this list. Tell Marc that Ted Greenberg and Mascot Greenberg sent you.

4. Basketball Court at West 4th St. — The great thing about New York is that some of the best places are free or cheap. You don’t always have to blow $20 on a cocktail or $60 on truffle oil mac and cheese. Sometimes, you can watch a pick up basketball game or handball games and revel in the sunshine. The competition at this West 4th Court is stiff. And not just on the court. Trying to snag a good viewing spot can be rough on sunny days, but it’s worth a look no matter what.

3. Elegant Nails — Mascot Greenberg and I must look good for our fans at our weekly late night comedy show — Ted Greenberg’s The Complete Performer. Elegant Nails, located on Sixth Avenue, keeps us pampered with reasonably priced pedicures and manicures and great massages. Airy and spacious, the salon exudes a relaxing vibe from the moment you walk in from the busy Manhattan street. Reading about Kim Kardashian also helps put us in a great mood. Just what a guy and his mascot needs to chill out.
Don’t just trust me. Elegant Nails gets a 4.5 rating on Yelp.

2. Gray’s Papaya. Few things say New York more than yellow cabs, the Statue of Liberty and hot dogs. Grab a couple and you won’t break the bank. Located on the prime corner of 6th Avenue and West 8th Street, the store’s windows offer the perfect vantage point to watch New Yorkers stroll by. If you need some healthy fare to balance out your hot dogs, LifeThyme, a Village staple, is just a couple of doors down. Munch on the homemade kale chips or vegan cheese popcorn.

1. Milk & Cookies. If I could write sonnets, I would write them by the baker’s dozen for this bakery. Charming, friendly staff and cookies to die for. Just ask the Mascot. You can design your own cookies, but why would you when what they serve is so scrumptious? Try the ice cream sandwiches — you can choose what cookies to put on either end of your ice cream. Uncroyable! And, they let the Mascot get behind the wheel of their adorable (and eco-friendly) delivery car.