Greenwich Village - Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village (or simply Village) is a predominantly residential neighborhood located in the western downtown area of ​​the borough of Manhattan of the city of New York.

To know

It should be known that the "East Village" has historically never been part of Greenwich Village and by many New Yorkers it is still considered part of the Lower East Side, while the term "West Village" is a synonym for Greenwich Village, or at least that part of the neighborhood that lies west of 6th Avenue. During the nineteenth century the area that today corresponds to Greenwich Village was known as Washington Square. Washington Square Park remains one of the symbols of the neighborhood, but in fact the terms "The Village," "Greenwich Village," and "West Village" are interchangeable.

Geographical notes

The neighborhood, known in the 19th century as the "Washington Square area", is roughly bordered by 14th Street to the north, Houston Street to the south, the Hudson River to the west and Broadway to the east.

The neighboring districts are: to the north Chelsea, South SoHo and to the eastEast Village.

The East Village is sometimes referred to as an integral part of Greenwich Village, but for Manhattanites it is more appropriate to consider them as two separate neighborhoods.

Background

The first settlements were established in marshy land. After the reclamation of the Dutch settlers who around 1630 used the area as pasture (known as Noortwyck), there was the occupation of New Amsterdam by the English (1664) and Greenwich Village began its development. However, it remained an autonomous rural village, without being swallowed up by the dizzying growth of Manhattan.

The Village is famous for the bohemian scene and the alternative culture of which it has been the theater and which it has spread. Traditionally it is a hotbed of new movements and ideas, starting from the avant-garde of the early twentieth century up to the present day, thanks also to the type of people who populate and frequent it.

Greenwich Village was once a vast industrial area, later it was practically colonized by artists, bohemians, beatniks and writers who settled as real squatter in abandoned factories. Today rather high rental prices have ruled out all of these characters (replaced by NYU students whose rent is typically paid by their parents), but the Village continues to retain its charm.

In the 1950s the Beat Generation and its movement had their hub in this neighborhood where poets, songwriters, writers, students, musicians and artists fleeing the conformist society gathered. They laid the foundations for the future hippie movement of the 1960s. In 1969, in a gay club in the Village, the Stonewall Inn, the homosexual liberation movement symbolically began.

Greenwich Village is also where the TV series was set Friends as Monica's apartment was located on Grove Street, and there are several references to nearby areas such as Bleecker Street and Soho (although the series was actually shot at Warner Brother's studios in Los Angeles).

How to orient yourself

The street pattern of Greenwich Village does not coincide with the typical Manhattan grid as the neighborhood was once a colonial village separated from the rest of the city. An urban redevelopment plan for New York developed in the nineteenth century made it possible to leave the layout of the streets unchanged, which remained disordered compared to the other areas (narrower, particular curves, etc.). Furthermore, the streets are identified with a name, contrary to the widespread city habit of assigning them a number that distinguishes them.

How to get

Underground

Greenwich Village is served by several subway lines:

• the lines 1, 2, is 3 they run under 7th Avenue, with 1 stopping at Christopher Street station (near picturesque Sheridan Square) and all three stopping on 14th Street (one passage allows you to change between 14th St. / 6th Avenue stations).
• the lines TO, B., C., D., IS, F., is M. stop in the center of the Village at West 4th Street station (intersection of West 4th Street and 6th Avenue), with the A, C, and E serving the station between 14th St. and 8th Avenue, the F and M serving the station between 14th St and 6th Avenue (there is a passage between 14th St./6th Av. and 14th St./7th Av. station).
• the line R. passes under Broadway, along with the No. at night and on weekends, it serves 8th Street NYU and Union Square stations on the edge of the neighborhood.
• The line L runs under 14th Street, stopping at 14th St./6th Av., 14th St./8th Av., and Union Square stations.
• the lines 4, 5, 6, is Q they also pass through Union Square.

PATH

• PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) stops at Christopher Street, between Hudson and Greenwich Sts. and on both 9th St. and 14th St. along 6th Avenue.

PATH trains are very convenient and inexpensive if you need to travel from areas of 6th Avenue to 33 Street (one block east of Penn Station) and also to Hoboken and Journal Square in the New Jersey. You can go from Journal Square to the PATH line which ends at Newark - Penn Station (not to be confused with New York's Penn Station), and from there go to Newark Airport using local buses.

Bus

Double-decker sightseeing tour buses run along 6th Avenue, but it's best to take an MTA bus and make your own tour.

In Greenwich Village the buses that run uptown / downtown are:

• M20 goes uptown on Hudson Street and 8th Avenue, downtown on 7th Avenue
• M5 and M6 go uptown on 6th Avenue. The M6 ​​bus goes downtown on Broadway, M5 on 5th Avenue to 8th Street, then east on 8th and downtown on Broadway to the Houston Street terminus.
• M3 goes uptown on University Place and downtown on 5th Avenue.
• M2 goes uptown on 4th Avenue and downtown on 5th Avenue.
• M11 goes uptown on Greenwich Street and downtown on Hudson Street to and from Abingdon Square.
• There is also the M7 line, which terminates in downtown on 14th Street and Broadway, just north of Union Square.

There are also so-called buses crosstown (East West):

• M14 passes along 14th St.
• M8 goes west on 9th and Christopher Street, east on 10th and 8th Street.

Line M14 is the one with the most trips at any time of day. There is also another line on Houston Street, the M21, but it is less frequent and tends to be blocked by traffic so it is best not to consider it if there are viable alternatives. The M21 does not run between midnight and 6am. For more information there is the official website MTA.

On foot

If you are close enough to the Village to walk, do it. Walking around is the best way to discover the unique atmosphere of this extraordinary Manhattan neighborhood, the contrasts and continuities with the rest of the island and the other districts.

Greenwich Village Walking Tours organizes walking tours in particular areas of the Village.

By bike

The park along the Hudson River has a very nice and busy bike path. Many people then cycle along different streets in the neighborhood that are often much quieter than in other areas of Manhattan.

How to get around

What see

• New York University (NYU). NYU's main campus is located in Greenwich Village, around Washington Square Park. 
• Grove Court, Grove Street (Just off Hudson Street). Here it is set The Last Leaf, one of the best-known short stories by the American writer O. Henry. 

• Jefferson Market Courthouse. 

• Washington Square Arch. The park, frequented by many people, and its famous arch are located in the center of the Village. 

• Church of the Ascension. 

• Judson Memorial Church. 

Events and parties

• Halloween parade. October 31st. The traditional Halloween parade is held every year in the Village, the largest in the country. 

What to do

Greenwich Village is home to several off-Broadway theater companies and several venues for listening to live music.

• Cherry Lane Theater, 38 Commerce Street, ☎ 1 212 989-2020. 
• Bitter End, 147 Bleeker St, ☎ 1 212 673-7030. Historic music club ("" New York's Oldest Rock Club "") opened in 1961 here, at the beginning of their career, artists that became legendary such as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Jim Croce, David Crosby, Bob Dylan, Arlo performed Guthrie and many others. Even today you can listen to many artists playing, all for free or with a minimum entrance fee. Very intimate atmosphere. 
• Village Vanguard, 178 7th Avenue South (north of 11th St.), ☎ 1 212 255-4037. Jazz music. 
• Blue Note, 131 West 3rd St. (between 6th Av. and Macdougal St.), ☎ 1 212 475-8592. Jazz and blues music. This is one of the most famous clubs of the genre in the world and on its stage the greatest world exponents of jazz and blues have alternated. It looks more like a bar than a place dedicated to music (people eat, drink and talk during the shows), but if you are passionate you cannot miss an evening here. 
• Small's, 183 W. 10 St. (between W. 4th St. and 7th Av.), ☎ 1 212 675-7369. A nice place to listen to jazz. 
• Terra Blues, 149 Bleecker St. New York, NY 10012 (between Thompson Street and LaGuardia Place in Greenwich Village), ☎ 1 212 777 7776. $10-20. Sun-Thu: 7-3pm, Fri: 7-4pm, Sat: 6-4pm. Terra Blues is a modern blues room in the heart of Greenwich Village and is home to the best bluesmen in New York and beyond. Each evening starts at 7:30 pm with an acoustic set, followed by a band at 10:30 pm. 

Shopping

There are shops where only vinyl records for old phonographs are sold, no CDs or cassettes. One of these is on Carmine Street.

• Generation Records, 210 Thompson Street, ☎ 1 212 254-1100. The best place in town for hardcore, metal, industrial, punk and alternative fans. 
• Matt Umanov Guitars, 273 Bleecker St., ☎ 1 (212) 675-2157. Mon-Sat 11-19, Sunday 12-18. If you are a fan of guitars, Matt Umanov's shop must not escape you. Vintage instruments, collectibles and prices obviously in line with the products. 
• Three Lives & Company, 154 W. 10th Street (In Waverly). A small independent bookshop, somehow it is an emblem of the Greenwich Village atmosphere, courteous, passionate and knowledgeable staff. 

How to have fun

The Village is also the cradle of a lively art scene, still in turmoil, and a place where several off-Broadway theaters are concentrated. Comedians and jazz musicians alternate in the trendy clubs of the neighborhood.

Night clubs

• Three Sheets Saloon (formerly The Town Tavern), 134 W. 3rd St. (side of Sixth Ave.), ☎ 1 212 777-1733. 
• Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street, ☎ 1 212 488-2705. A symbolic place of the world gay scene, not only in New York. 

Where to eat

In the Village you will find restaurants, bars and cafes of every style and origin: American, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and the list goes on. You will often find affordable prices and the possibility of eating outdoors, sitting at the tables directly on the sidewalks. Of course, there are also luxury restaurants.

Moderate prices

• John's Pizzeria, 278 Bleecker St (at Bleecker and Jones), ☎ 1 212 243-1680. Classic New York pizzeria. They only accept cash. 
• Joe's Pizza, 7 Carmine Street (at 6th and Bleecker), ☎ 1 212 366-1182. Another very famous and very popular place. You can also get some pizza slices to eat on the street. 

Average prices

• Arturos, 106 West Houston Street (in Houston and Thompson), ☎ 1 212 677-3820. Sun 15-24, Mon-Thu 16-1: 00, Fri Sat 16-2: 00. Famous pizzeria with wood oven. Often live jazz. 
• ^{[link not working]}Tea and Sympathy, 108 Greenwich Avenue, ☎ 1 212 989-9735. Mon-Fri 11: 30-22: 30, Sat-Sun 9: 30-22: 30. A piece of England in the heart of the Village. 
• dad, 110 Waverly Place (between Washington Square West and 6th Av.), ☎ 1 212 777-0303. The most famous of Chef Mario Batali's restaurants, especially for pasta dishes. Also known for being one of the most difficult restaurants in New York to book a table. 
• Eight, 1 5 Av. (corner of 8th St.), ☎ 1 212 995-9559. Pizzeria from the Batali chain, much cheaper than Santa, but it's the whole restaurant concept that is different. 
• Red Bamboo, 140 W. 4th St. (one block southwest of Washington Square Park), ☎ 1 212 260-7049. Vegetarian cuisine. 
• Lupa Osteria Romana, 170 Thompson St. between West Houston and Bleecker Sts., ☎ 1 212 982-5089. every day from noon to midnight. Another restaurant associated with Mario Batali, but the head chef is Steve Connaughton. Very good and not as expensive as the others. Better to book or expect long lines. 

High prices

• Blue Hill, 75 Washington Place (between Washington Square West and 6th Av.), ☎ 1 212 539-1776. Luxury restaurant known for excellent ingredients. 

Where stay

Average prices

• Washington Square Hotel, 103 Waverly Pl (Near Washington Square Park), ☎ 1 212 777-9515. Art deco style hotel, nice atmosphere. 

How to keep in touch

Useful information

However, many people from all over the world who have never visited the Village know the newspaper Village Voice, which is actually published inEast Village.

The Village is full of tourists, honeymooners and ordinary uptown residents who come to take a tour around here. With all this gene around, the residents of the neighborhood feel quite peaceful, which they particularly appreciate. For this you will have no problem finding someone willing to help you by giving you directions or taking a picture of you or recommending a place to go to eat or drink something. At the same time, however, the Village is by no means an amusement park: those who live here are generally quiet people, and are not on vacation. Many need to sleep before waking up and going to work so avoid making noise and doing anything in public that you too would not stand.

Other projects

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