Eighth Street is known as one of New York City's most iconic thoroughfares. But nowadays, some people call it “shoe alley” because it’s the best place to buy bargain designer shoes or shop the unique fashion retail stores it offers in the area. So yes, you can walk around and shop like most tourists do, or you can consider a different destination and check out the real reason this street and the area around it is so iconic. In the early days, this street was populated with budget friendly housing for artists to create their art. The area attracted a large bohemian element that would later become Greenwich Village. This area was one of the 1960’s counterculture movements where famous artists, outcasts, poets and musicians fought for civil rights, peace and all other things that were anti-establishment. This street has seen its transformations over the years, but there’s still enough historical cool factors for it to pique one’s curiosity. A walking tour covers all the bases when it comes to checking out the art, the structural designs, photography and all the places famous bohemian artists lived and frequented.

As we know, New York has a tradition of awarding honorary street names of its most famous residents and there is currently a campaign underway to co-name the portion of Manhattan’s West 8th Street, where the iconic Electric Lady Studios is located, as Jimi Hendrix Way. As a survivor from the 60’s eighth street glory days, Electric Lady Studios to this day, remains an iconic place for artists to record their albums while still being the oldest working and thriving studio in NYC. This infamous studio was built by Jimi Hendrix and at the time, was the only artist-owned recording studio in existence. Hendrix only spent a small amount of time recording in Electric Lady Studios due to his untimely death. But Electric Lady Studios and West 8Th street is synonymous with Jimi Hendrix and the scene he was a part of.

Rarely do extremely talented people come our way and when they do, they should be honored for their contributions they made to society. Jimi Hendrix took the Electric Guitar to levels never imagined and was a beacon of light for peace, love and inclusion. Not only did he play guitar, but he also played many other instruments, even though he couldn’t read music. He was often criticized for not having any sense of musical discipline. He also had his demons but playing music his way seemed to be the biggest one. He put his whole being into his music which made him so magnetic on stage that it seemed like he could control the audience and reach them in an almost spiritual way. Therefore, when he played his mind-bending performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, it made him an overnight success that helped launch his career. He left this world too soon, but he left quite the legacy and guitar standard for future generations.