Washington Square Park

Arch, fountain and buskers: the Village living room

Hours: Daily 6am to midnight
Tickets: Free
Address: At the south end of Fifth Avenue, between Waverly Place and W 4th Street

Fifth Avenue ends under a white marble arch, and around the fountain a pianist, a singer and a ring of NYU students share the same patch of pavement. The southwest corner has rows of chess tables where strangers play each other. NYU buildings and red-brick townhouses wrap the square, so it feels like a neighborhood living room, and on sunny days the fountain rim is the prime seating. It is the natural starting point for a Village walk.