Since AnnaSophia Robb graduated from high school, the Colorado native has been adjusting to life in the big apple. At just 18-year-old, Robb moved to New York City to film the beloved teen drama, The Carrie Diaries, where she starred as the titular, Carrie. The series is among other popular titles you might have seen the actress in, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bridge to Terabithia, The Act, and most recently Dr. Death. For V’s second episode of “My New York,” the actress brings us around the West Village, giving us a look into how the neighborhood nurtured her passion for the arts. Robb became infatuated with this theater-loving neighborhood of the city when she attended New York University, a campus nestled in the heart of West Village. “You can really feel the history,” says Robb. “I love the little cracks [in the sidewalks] and the people who have lived there for absolutely ever.” Among these historic places include Lucille Lortel, the public theater where Robb performed her first theater showing. It was there within the historic walls where she nurtured a deep love for her craft, the city and its energy.

Check out episode 2 of V Magazine’s “My New York” created in collaboration with MOUSSY VINTAGE 

Stay tuned for new episodes launching every Friday here on Vmagazine.com, the series will spotlight NYC’s movers-and-shakers as they guide us through the formative spots in the city that have inspired and cultivated their craft.

Read the full length interview with AnnaSophia Robb below! 

V MAGAZINE: Hi AnnaSophia! Take us back to when you moved to New York. 

ANNASOPHIA ROBB: So I actually moved to New York in 2012. I got the Carrie Diaries. I filmed the pilot for the Carrie Diaries, my senior year of high school and then it got picked up. I actually stayed in the hotel across the street while we filmed the pilot, which is a funny story. So I spent my first year in New York, on Prince and Sullivan at 195 Prince Street. And then we filmed in Williamsburg. So I ended up moving to Williamsburg in 2013 and then I’ve been there ever since. So after the Carrie Diaries, I ended up going to NYU. So I spent a lot of time in downtown West Village, Greenwich Village. It’s such a fun place to just walk around. I think it’s definitely what people who don’t live in New York imagine when they when they walk around. And of course, it is pretty bougie. But there are also little spots that have been there just forever, which is what I love. You can really feel the history. And because downtown was settled first, it’s just so historical. I love the history, I love the little cracks and the people who’ve lived there for absolutely, ever. That’s always my favorite.

V: And you brought us to Lucille Lortel, can you tell us more about that? 

AR: I love that theater. My very first production, the only play I’ve ever been in so far, was at the Lucille Lortel. It was an all-female version of Macbeth, adapted and directed by Erica Schmidt. And it was amazing. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I have a lot of love for that theater. I also think it gave me pneumonia. Because I remember rehearsing, we are up in the balcony and one of the doors was open to the attic and I remember distinctly like, laying my face on the ground, which I should never should have done and I had pneumonia for the rest of the show. I couldn’t get rid of it. But I I love it. It’s just like this old beautiful rickety theatre. It’s public theater so that’s what makes it so special and it’s protected. It’s not like a fancy organization pumping money. It’s very much like of the people because Lucille Lortel wanted, artists to be able to make theater. 

V: And can you explain the significance of Marie’s Crisis Café?

AR: When I was filming The Carrie Diaries, one of our producers loved musical theater. He was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you have to go to Marie’s Crisis.’ I was spring chicken in New York. I was 18. You know, I just graduated high school, but I didn’t have a fake ID. And I was too afraid to go to bars because I didn’t have an ID. And I also didn’t want to get like, caught and embarrassed, you know, how people love to prey upon young actors and make up stories. But anyway, so I waited until I was 21, to go to Marie’s Crisis, and I couldn’t wait because I had heard so much about it. And it was right by NYU and there’s always a big line. It’s so much fun and it’s so tiny and it’s been around forever. They take it really seriously, but like, if you’re not singing, you better get out. One time I was in there with my now fiance, and he was talking with his sister and they yelled at him, because that he wasn’t singing along. He loves musical theater as well so he’s like, usually the one who’s screaming at the top of his lungs. But all of these incredible performers come down and they just belt it out. And then one of my professors in college, I had a musical theater class and our accompanist would play on Wednesday nights there.

V: And then you also took us to the Cherry Lane Theatre. Does that have a special significance to you? 

AR: Yeah, I’ve seen a bunch of shows at the Cherry Lane Theatre. It’s definitely I wish I knew more of the history. But it’s another really great little West Village Theatre. And I love going to that one in particular because it’s just such a unique location and then before a show and after-show everybody just sort of spills out and then you can go to a nearby restaurant and get a drink. I recently saw Ramy [Youssef]. I think that was the last show, which was stand up. 

V: I was just saying when we were shooting I love the little quaint, quiet corners of the West Village, like little streets that resemble suburbs and smaller towns.

AR: Yeah, for New York, which is normally so loud, the West Village, there are definitely parts that are really quiet. 

V: Another thing I wanted to touch on that ties into that is, you’re from Colorado, which is a slower pace I can imagine to New York – how do you feel the pace of life compares? 

AR: Yeah, I mean, New York, definitely has a pace. It’s funny, my Nana goes, ‘Oh, you’re my New York City girl.’ And it’s hilarious. She lives in Boulder so everything’s just a little bit more relaxed, more chill there. I definitely think my anxiety fits with the city, it’s probably also spurred on by the energy of the city. It’s a symbiotic relationship, for sure. But I think that’s also why I love so many of the public gardens or I guess, the private gardens, but they’re open to the public. Like at St. Luke’s, the private school that has a garden that we went into which there are so many little spaces and nooks and crannies. The city is stressful and it’s just a lot of walking. And I think going from place to place. It’s not like LA or Colorado or any other city where you live in your car and you can keep all of your stuff in your car and you don’t have to interact with people. New York, you’re just constantly facing people. New York is a friendly city because you have to be able to tolerate people and help them. You sort of look out for each other, partly because you’re looking out for yourself, but you’re just, I don’t know, you make eye contact with people. And I really like that about the city. 

V: What’s the best place to people-watch in New York?

AR: I always like McCarren, Washington Square Park. Union Square is fine. I used to like it more. But I don’t know. It’s just not my favorite. I’d say Washington Square Park is definitely one of my favorites because it has different designated zones – there’s like, the stoner area – well, now that’s kind of everywhere. But there’s always gonna be the guys who are playing chess in the like, the north and southeast corners of the park. Then you have the dog park with all the parents and if you stay there too long like you get dirty looks because you’re just watching the children be cute, but they’re all creeped out. There’s people who sell everything. There’s always the bubble guy, the chalk guy. There’s the skateboarders that pay no attention to anybody and everybody always gets hurt somehow, because like they hit somebody who’s walking by. There’s the NYU students who are studying like the focused quad in the northwest side. It’s, it’s just fun, because like, you know if you want to do something in the park, you know where to go.

V: What type of NYU student were you in the park? 

AR: I was super nerdy so I was always studying. I would usually read on the benches that would be my spot. I liked the idea of the grass, but, you never really know what you’re gonna find in that grass.

V: So fill in the blank – New York is…

AR: New York is home. I’d say I feel more like home than other places, for sure.

V: Why’s that? 

AR: Because I’ve spent most of my adult life here. It’s like a relationship, everybody has good and bad days, you have to work on finding your spots, there are places you really don’t like, it can like really lift you up, it can really bring you down. But the longer, you have a relationship with it, the more storied it is. So it’s constantly evolving. And they’re constantly new people coming in and out. I also like the types of people that it brings here like people really hustle like people have to work their asses off to make it here. It brings a certain type of person who wants to work, they come here to work.

V: When you’re away from the city, what do you miss the most about New York? 

AR: I miss bodegas a lot. I miss the subway. I know pizza sounds stupid, but something happened over the pandemic when I was like, ‘This is great. I really love love pizza.’ I love the dogs. I love dog watching. I love how close everything is together. There’s a lot of different neighborhoods, but everything is in walking distance or biking distance, or the subway so it’s just pretty easy to navigate. I love the theater. I love the ferry, it’s my favorite mode of transportation. 

V: And on days off in the city where can we find you? 

AR: I mostly stay in Brooklyn now because I’ve lived there for like eight years. So I would say all over Brooklyn – McCarren Park. I love a ferry. I love taking the ferry from Greenpoint down to the Brooklyn Bridge. And I love Brooklyn Bridge Park. So much fun. And then taking a bike and then going even further down, going to like, Cobble Hill. 

V: Do you like to Citi bike? 

AR: Yeah, I do. I’m the slowest biker in the world. My partner thought that I had a broken bike and then it was like, ‘No, no, I’m just real slow.’

V: What is the most rewarding part of what you do? 

AR: New roles, I’d say. I love meeting people. It’s fun to be able to tell stories. I think it’s really fun to be able to explore just different storylines and share. It’s fun once you’ve made something, knowing that it’s impacted somebody’s life.