West Village self-guided audio tour: Flappers, Freaks & Punks

Chumley's speakeasy still has a backdoor entrance where Hemingway and Fitzgerald drank.

A self-guided audio walking tour through West Village narrated by an Emmy-nominated storyteller, starting at St. Luke in the Fields church and moving through the neighborhood's bars, theaters and townhouses where artists, authors and activists shaped the area. You control the pace and timing with the VoiceMap app on your phone. The audio, maps and GPS directions work offline, and you get lifetime access to replay the tour anytime. Bring your own smartphone and headphones.

Step-by-step itinerary

West Village self-guided walking tour

• Start outside Church of St. Luke in the Fields
• Walk through West Village to Jane Hotel
• Pass bars, pubs, and speakeasies
• Visit Chumley’s speakeasy backdoor
• See apartment of John Lennon and Yoko Ono
• View townhouse linked to Sid Vicious
• Discover Grove Court and O. Henry story
• Visit Cherry Lane Theater
• See Twin Peaks house
• Stop at Magnolia Bakery
• View Julian Schnabel’s Palazzo Chupi
• Stroll down Cobble Court
• See church where Timothy Leary handed out LSD
• Visit Whitehorse Tavern
• See Friends apartment building facade
• Pass Bell Laboratories Building

The experience

Start outside the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in Greenwich Village and wind through the West Village on your own schedule. The VoiceMap app displays turn-by-turn directions to each stop and plays audio automatically when you arrive at the right location. You hear stories about John Lennon and Yoko Ono's apartment where they declared the country of Nutopia, the townhouse where Sid Vicious's mother lived, and the Jane Hotel where Titanic survivors gathered for a memorial in 1912. The whole route takes around 90 minutes if you move straight through, but you can linger at any stop or come back another day: your access doesn't expire.

The tour passes through speakeasies and bars where you'll learn that Greenwich Village had more places serving alcohol during Prohibition than before or after it. You'll see the White Horse Tavern where poet Dylan Thomas drank himself to death, the church where Timothy Leary handed out LSD instead of communion wafers, and the Cherry Lane Theater, the oldest Off-Broadway venue still operating, where Samuel Beckett, T.S. Eliot and Tennessee Williams premiered their work. Twin Peaks (one of the quirkiest houses in the Village) sits alongside the Magnolia Bakery from Sex and the City and the Devil Wears Prada, and Julian Schnabel's pink Palazzo Chupi. Grove Court holds a story about a painted leaf that saved a woman's life and inspired O. Henry to write a short story about it.

The app works entirely offline once you've downloaded it, so you don't need data or wifi as you walk. GPS playback means you won't miss a turn, and you can start and stop whenever you want: pause for coffee, come back the next morning, or skip ahead if a stop doesn't interest you. Once you book, you'll get a ticket with a unique code. Install VoiceMap on Android or iOS, enter the code, and you're ready to go.

What’s included

• VoiceMap app access for Android and iOS.
• lifetime access to the audio tour in English.
• offline audio, maps and GPS directions.
• automatic playback when you reach each stop.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours

Is this one for you?The tour starts at St. Luke in the Fields church in Greenwich Village, reachable by subway or bus if you're staying elsewhere in the city: no car needed, and you can begin whenever you arrive. The app's GPS and offline maps mean you navigate on your own without a guide or a group, so it suits anyone who wants to explore at their own pace and doesn't mind using their phone for directions.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can I do this tour on my phone without buying anything else?

Yes. The VoiceMap app is free to download on Android and iOS. You'll need your own smartphone and headphones, and the audio, maps and directions all work offline once you've entered your booking code and downloaded the tour.

What's the story behind Chumley's speakeasy?

Chumley's is a former speakeasy hidden behind a backdoor in the West Village where Hemingway, Jack Kerouac and F. Scott Fitzgerald all had regular tables. The tour takes you to the entrance and explains its role in the neighborhood's Prohibition-era bar scene.

Do I have to finish the tour in one day?

No. You get lifetime access to the tour, so you can start it, pause it, and come back whenever you want. The full route takes around 90 minutes if you walk straight through, but the app lets you control when you start and finish.

What happens at the Jane Hotel stop?

The Jane Hotel is where survivors of the Titanic gathered for a memorial in 1912. The tour explains the hotel's history and its place in the West Village's story as you pass by.

Will the GPS directions work if I don't have cell service?

Yes. The VoiceMap app downloads all audio, maps and geodata to your phone, so turn-by-turn directions and the audio guide work completely offline.

Where exactly does the tour start?

The tour starts outside the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in Greenwich Village. The VoiceMap app displays directions to the starting point once you enter your booking code.