Greenwich Village

History

Greenwich Village is known far and wide as the center for Bohemian life in New York. Its cobblestone, tree-lined streets make it one of the most sought after neighborhoods to live in, even today. Contained within West 14th Street and Houston vertically and West Street and Broadway horizontally, it sits nestled between Soho, Chelsea, and the East Village. It is home to NYU, Washington Square Park, The Stonewall Monument, and much more. Given its literary roots and progressive inhabitants, it’s no surprise that the neighborhood has retained its “place to be” status.

Historical Spots

  • Stonewall Inn
    • The Stonewall Inn, located at 53 Christopher Street, was the site of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. Police raided the gay club on June 28th and sparked a riot that led to six days of protest based on their rough and cruel procedures for emptying the bar of customers and workers. The protests took place outside the bar and at Christopher Park and included multiple violent conflicts with police. The events shed light onto the Gay Rights Movement in a time in history where bars could be shut down for serving alcohol to anyone suspected to be LGBTQ+. The riots played a large part in the overturning of these laws just two years later. (History.com Editors 2017)
    • “The Stonewall Inn NYC NY” by dog97209 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 The Stonewall Inn NYC NY
  • New York University
    • NYU, a private research university founded in 1831, is at the heart of Greenwich Village. Notable alumni include Lady Gaga, Alec Baldwin, Martin Scorcese, Woody Allen, Judy Blume, and Neil Simon among a plethora of others. The campus is all around Washington Square Park, with the Park acting as a central point of the urban campus.
    • “NYU” by Camillo Miller is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 NYU
  • The Comedy Cellar
    • This isn’t your typical New York comedy club. Located at 117 Macdougal Street, it has hosted household name acts like Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer, Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart, and Sarah Silverman. Above the club itself is the Olive Tree Cafe, where comedians are often seen hanging out after their sets.
    • “Comedy Cellar. Louis CK. New York City.” by Carl Mikoy is licensed under CC BY 2.0Comedy Cellar. Louis CK. New York City.

Literary Landmarks

  • 75 1/2 Bedford Street
    • This house holds two important titles: the narrowest house in Manhattan, and the former home of Edna St. Vincent Millay. A well-loved poet and playwright, the writer’s digs were far from glamorous. The 999 square foot residence now goes for upwards of $3.25 million given its rich history. The current owner is George Gund IV.
    • The Wall Street Journal uploaded a video touring the tiny residence: https://www.wsj.com/video/life-in-a-tiny-townhouse/0045CB49-8862-41E3-A69C-37F4236E5B57.html
    • Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/371206250Image result for 75 1/2 bedford st nyc
  • Washington Square Park
    • The park in the center of the Village is a hub for culture and creativity. It has also been featured in numerous texts, including Willa Cather’s “Coming, Aphrodite!” and “Washington Square” by Henry James.
    • “Washington Square Park” by Jaszek is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Washington Square Park
    • The San Remo
      • Before it was a restaurant, this spot located at the corner of Bleecker and Macdougal Streets saw the likes of Tennesee Williams, James Baldwin, Allen Ginsburg, and Jack Kerouac come in at all hours of the night. It was even featured in one of Kerouac’s novels under the name “The Mask.” (Fodor’s Editor 2012)
      • Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SanremoPlaque.jpgImage result for san remo cafe nyc
    • Patchin Place
      • This secluded street holds a legend of a conversation between two well-loved authors. Allegedly, when author Djuna Barnes lived on this street from 1940-1982, writer E. E. Cummings who also lived on the street would call out “Are you still alive, Djuna?” due to the fact that she so rarely left her residence (Joseph 2018) In addition, many other authors including Theodore Dreiser and Ezra Pound called the street home.
      • Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patchin_Place_through_gate.jpgImage result for patchin place creative commons

Works Cited

Barbanel, Josh. “Grand on a Small Scale.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 20 Sept. 2013, www.wsj.com/articles/grand-on-a-small-scale-1379643562.

Editors, History.com. “Stonewall Riots.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 31 May 2017, www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots.

Editor, Fodor’s. “New York City Walking Tour: Explore Literary History in Greenwich Village.” Fodors Travel Guide, Fodors Travel Guide, 16 May 2012, www.fodors.com/news/new-york-city-walking-tour-explore-literary-history-in-greenwich-village-5334.

Joseph, John. “Patchin Place.” Art Nerd New York, 2018, art-nerd.com/newyork/patchin-place/.

“List of New York University Alumni.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 May 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_York_University_alumni.

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