Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theatre in New York City, tucked into a quiet bend of Commerce Street in Greenwich Village. The building dates to 1817, when it was a farm silo. Over the years it served as a brewery, a tobacco warehouse, and a box factory before being converted into a playhouse in 1924. The conversion was led by a group that included poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, one of the most celebrated writers of the 1920s. Since then, the Cherry Lane has been a launchpad for some of the most important voices in American theatre. Samuel Beckett, Edward Albee, Harold Pinter, and David Mamet all had works staged here. The intimate 179-seat space has a reputation for producing bold, experimental work that larger theatres won't touch. In 2023, the film studio A24 purchased the theatre for around $10 million, and after renovations it reopened in September 2025. The venue continues to host new plays, revivals, and experimental work. The Village itself is part of the experience. Commerce Street is one of the most charming lanes in Manhattan, curved and lined with brick townhouses that look more like a New England village than midtown. The nearby streets are full of cafes, bookshops, and the ghosts of the Beat Generation. If you're on a Questo quest through Greenwich Village, the Cherry Lane is a stop where the experimental spirit of New York theatre has been alive for over a century.