When I travel to New York City, it’s typically a quick trip for work. I know Midtown well since company offices are just blocks from Rockefeller Center. However, the last time I was in New York, I decided to take some time to explore the New York I really wanted to see – Greenwich Village.

We walked from Midtown to The Village down Fifth Ave., photographing along the way. I don’t recommend taking this route without good shoes and lots of breaks, but it’s the best way to see a little of the city, including the Flatiron Building and the New York Public Library.

Bleecker Street was our final destination in The West Village. Tired from our walk, yet too early to find a spot for dinner, we settled into a booth at Peculier Pub at 145 Bleecker St. At Peculier Pub a patron can choose from hundreds of beers and plug the jukebox for hours. Since it was early in the day, the crowd was a mix of college students and professionals at this neighborhood dive.

Dinner was an easy choice based on the reviews I had looked up on my smart phone. Sangam Indian cuisine, just up the street at 190 Bleecker St. was a shoebox restaurant with five tables, but the smells from the kitchen confirmed what the reviews had said. Sangam was authentic homemade Indian with no frills, all flavor and a monstrous amount of food for $7. (Editor’s note: Sangam is now closed.)

After dinner we wandered through the streets of the West Village. The bohemian artistic vibe now all but gone, Greenwich Village feels like a comfortable neighborhood that anyone could call home.

The end of our evening put us at Sullivan Hall, at 214 Sullivan St. Trying to find at least a shred of the bohemian flavor that once was, we thought seeing live music in The Village would bring us one step closer to an era past. The band that night was a reggae group from Boston with a smooth beat that did not disappoint.

New York City is best done in pieces. If you have time, pick a neighborhood and settle in for a few minutes. You’ll feel like a local faster than you think.