New York (city)/Greenwich Village
From World travel guide
Greenwich Village (often simply referred to as "the Village") is a well-known, largely residential district in Manhattan, one of the boroughs of New York. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Broadway on the east, the Hudson River on the west, Houston Street on the south, and 14th Street on the north. The neighborhoods surrounding it are the East Village to the east, SoHo to the south, and Chelsea to the north in Midtown.
It is important to note that the neighborhood to the West of Greenwich Village is not considered part of the Village itself, and is thus often called the West Village to differentiate itself from its eastern neighbor. In the 19th century, the Greenwich Village district was better known as Washington Square.
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Understand
Greenwich Village was once a large industrial park; later, it was colonized by radicals, bohemians, beatniks, artists, and literary greats squatting in abandoned factories. High rents exclude most of their ilk today (their countercultural counterparts are NYU students with parental support) but the Village (as it is known) still has its charm.
Greenwich Village, home to a vibrant artistic and literary community in the 1950s, occupies the island between Houston Street and 14th Street. The central portion surrounds Washington Square Park and includes NYU's large campus and a thriving B&T (bridge & tunnel - a pejorative term) nighlife scene on Macdougal Street. West of 6th Avenue are many historic and attractive brownstones and some of the city's best restaurants and bars. The area's traditional avant garde reputation - it was a major center of the gay rights movement in the 1970s, for example - has somewhat faded as yuppies and movie stars move in.
See
- New York University (NYU) [1] - the main campus for NYU is found in Greenwich Village
- The Cooper Union, Cooper Square (Astor Place and 7th Street). The only private, full-scholarship college in the United States dedicated exclusively to preparing students for the professions of art, architecture and engineering. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, established in 1859, is among the nation's oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher learning. The college, the legacy of Peter Cooper, occupies a special place in the history of American education. http://www.cooper.edu
- St. Marks, Astor Place and 7th St. A row of great little restaurants and pubs surrounding this intersection. There's always quite a mixture of folk walking up and down the street and within the area not to mention the slew of students from Cooper Union and NYU which has plenty of dormitories and facilities nearby.
- Alamo, at the center of Cooper Square. A steel cube which actually rotates as you push on any side. Its sister cube resides on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Washington Square Park and the famous arch is located in the heart of the Village. Though located in the middle of an affluent neighborhood, the Park attracts a hodgepodge of people.
Do
Theatre
Greenwich Village has developed as a home for a significant number of Off-Broadway theater companies and venues:
- Blue Man Group [2], 34 Lafayette Street (Astor Place Theatre), tel 212-254-4370
- Joe's Pub [3] - shows, events, art, Shakespeare, it's the lifeblood of theater in the Village
- Cherry Lane Theater [4],
Buy
- Chelsea Market, [5]. The original Oreo cookie factory now a block-sized market selling gourmet foods, flowers, knick-knacks and offering restaurants, bars, art space and special shows. Has free wireless Internet access throughout and smells like a slice of heaven.
- Oscar Wilde Bookshop, 15 Christopher Street, mailto: wildebooks@aol.com, tel 212-255-8097, [6]. The world's first and oldest gay and lesbian bookstore, founded in 1967.
Eat
You'll find hundreds of restaurants and sidewalk cafés of virtually every culture. All-American, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Polish, Pakistani, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese...the list goes on... At many spots you'll find affordable eats with the chance to enjoy your meal on the sidewalk.
- Tea and Sympathy [7], 108 Greenwich Avenue, tel 989 9735, open Mo-Fr 11.30am-10.30pm, Sa-Su 9.30am-10.30pm - describes itself as "a quintessential corner of England in the heart of Greenwhich Village", typically English meals are available here (perfect for the Anglophile or homesick Brit!)
- Dragon Fly [8] - pan-Asian at very reasonable prices plus a large vegetarian menu.... Beautifully calm setting
Drink
Bars
- the Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street - a veritable icon of the worldwide gay community, not just New York's.
Sleep
- Chelsea International Hostel, 251 West 20th Street between 7th/8th Avenues (Subway: 1 or 9 to 23rd St or 18th St, A, C, E trains to 23rd St. You can also walk from 6th Ave trains at 23rd St), (212) 647-0010, [9]. Small, clean, centrally-located. Internet access, 24-hour reception.
External links
- The Official Online Guide for The Village
- The Village Voice
- Village Alliance - not-for-profit Business Improvement District located in the heart of Greenwich Village one block north of Washington Square Park on 8th Street & extending eastward to Second Avenue & St Marks Place
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