Welcome to Greenwich Village
Overview
If you’re new to Greenwich Village, and you’re walking along admiring its townhouses and co-ops, the spot where West Fourth Street crosses West Tenth Street might cause you to scratch your head a little. Even the Village’s most modern luxury condos get a bit of European charm from the meandering, tree-lined streets, and leftovers from the 19th century when Greenwich Village was new.
Washington Square Park, which is having its green spaces freshened up, is the heart of Central Greenwich Village. The north side of the park is lined with landmark townhouses; the park itself sports an iconic arch designed by Stanford White. Lower Fifth Avenue is a strip known as “The Gold Coast,” home to magnificent prewar co-ops with many bedrooms, grand lobbies, high ceilings, and often doormen in livery. Famous residents of Greenwich Village attracted by the townhouses and apartments include former first daughter Barbara Bush, musician Steve Earle and actress Uma Thurman.
Home to New York University and its 50,000 students, Greenwich Village has historically nurtured writers and artists, whether they were famous or just trying to make rent. The Cedar Tavern on University Place is an offshoot of the Greenwich Village bar that entertained painter Mark Rothko and beat writer Jack Kerouac. Further west, is the “West Village,” an area of legendary jazz spots and magical little shops with all varieties of clothing and books for sale. Because the Village’s bedrock is shallow, townhouses and even rental apartment buildings are low, so the neighborhood offers plenty of bright blue sky to add to its legendary charm.
Boundaries
Between 14th Street and West Houston, and from the Bowery to 7th Ave.
Subway Stations
A, C, E to West 4th St. | B, D, F, V to West 4th Street | 1, 9 to Christopher Street-Sheriden Square | 1, 9 to Houston Street
Schools
- Cooke Center Academy
- St Patrick School
Attractions
- Bleecker Street
- The Church of St. Luke in the Fields
- Film Forum
- Hudson Park
- Judson Memorial Church
- The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
- Stonewall
- Washington Square Park