NYC’s Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village is famous for its theater, music and comedy, making it a must-go for anyone looking for an intro to New York culture.  But what if a visitor only has time to check out one of the street’s countless venues?

The aptly named Bleecker Street Theatre, also known as 45 Bleecker, is a place where one can sample some of the Bleecker’s (and the Village’s) best live performances under one roof.  The small venue, which houses two theaters, an art gallery and a sandwich shop, regularly hosts a little of everything “Bleecker,” from stand-up to opera to circus performances.

45 Bleecker’s off-broadway showcases local and big-name talent, and often gives nods to NYC’s diverse culture.  This season’s “The Common Air” is a solo “dramedy” about six interlinked characters at JFK Airport during a flight delay, while “Circumcise Me” is a autobiographical comedy about Yisrael Campbell’s life as an “Irish-Italian Catholic-Jew.”  Meanwhile, the theater’s “One Night Stands” series keeps things spontaneous, with impromptu, one-night only shows by eclectic music and theater performers.

For kids and families, Bleecker Street Theatre also features some of NYC’s best magicians and illusionists in its weekly show “Monday Night Magic,” as well as this season’s “Magic & Zone” and “The Quantum Eye.”

And for those who never expected to see opera in the Village, the theater is now the proud home of the Bleecker Street Opera, a newly-formed opera company managed by the former owners of the famed and historic Amato Opera, which closed in 2008, much to locals’ dismay.  The reincarnation of Amato features four productions each season, including classics like “Barber of Seville.”

While definitely a Village destination for visitors, the theater belongs to the community first and foremost.  45 Bleecker is home to 12 step meetings and children’s art and theater programs, and the management makes a point of housing local art organizations that have been displaced from their previous locations.

If Bleecker Street is a Village hotspot, 45 Bleecker is its epicenter– a one-stop destination for sampling the best of Bleecker.