Introduction

Greenwich Village refers to the entire area between Houston and 14th Streets, but is usually more clearly defined as the East and West villages, divided by Broadway. Also known as "the village", it is comprised of charming townhouses and quaint, tree-lined streets.

The West Village's main thoroughfare, Bleecker Street, is brimming over with restaurants, shops, and sidewalk cafes that tempt you to sit all day, watching the crowds until the coffee runs dry.

If you happen to in New York City on Halloween, the Village Halloween Parade is the place to be. If you can stand the crowds, you will undoubtedly enjoy the outrageous costumes and festivities which make it one of the best celebrations of the year.

Sheridan Square (Intersection of Seventh Avenue, West 4th and Barrow Streets), was named after Civil War hero General Philip Sheridan whose statue stands in Christopher Park. The intersection is a quaint spot to admire the villages culture, and also catch a good glimpse at lower manhattan in the distance as you precede your way north into the heart of Greenwich Village.

Since the 1960s, the West Village has become the center of the city's gay and lesbian community. A number of shops, bars and nightclubs in the area around Sheridan Square and along Christopher Street specifically cater to this market.

Washington Square Park, situated in the center of the village, was a colonial cemetary and, during the Revolutionary War, a notorious hanging ground. When it was converted into a public park in the 1820s, however, the surrounding area became th e center of New York's high society. Later, as the bohemian core of the city, many famous authors and artists lived and worked here - among them Henry James, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain and Edna St. Vincent Millay.

The imposing Washington Memorial Arch was built in 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the presidential inauguration of George Washington. Just above the arch, on the parks north side, is The Row - a series of distinctive Federal-style brick homes.

New York University, the countrys largest private university, is centered around Washington Square Park. The buildings on this urban campus are recognizable by the purple NYU flags that mark them.
Tucked away a block north of Washington Square Park, the cobble-stoned Washington Mews was originally built as stables for the homes facing the park. Converted into carrige houses around the turn of the century, they now serve as housing for the New York University faculty.

Just east of Broadway, you can see the once fashionable homes known as Colonnade Row (428-434 Lafayette Street) built in 1833 by millionaires John Jacob Astor and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Nearby, the Merchants House Museum is the village's only historic museum.

During the 1950s, artists migrated across Broadway to the inexpensive East Village. By the 1960s, beatnik philosophers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg were famous residents. Today, the tradition of the coffeehouse, with its music and poetry, is still an important part of the culture here, though new labels such as "spoken word" and "anti-folk" are used to categorize the evolution of these genres.

Unlike its western counterpart, the East Village is a little rough around the edges. Many of its residents consider it to be the last authentic bohemian neighborhood in the city, and it clings to its reputation as a haven for the creative and progressive.

The East Village has plenty of live music clubs and late night bars. On St Mark's Place, the East Village's main street, you will find a variety of cafes, bars, record stores and clothing boutiques. It is littered with live music flyers announcing the punk and rock shows which occur nightly. On the Bowery, legendary rock club CBGB(315 Bowery, 212.982.4052) has hosted famous bands like the Ramones and Talking Heads. Don't let the grubby exterior fool you, this place still books future stars. Webster Hall, one of biggest nightclubs in New York, is a great place for dancing to the various types of music that are played on four different floors.More information on Nightclubs can be found in E!NYs Nightlife topic.

Attractions

Merchant's House Museum, is a landmark townhouse, built in 1832, is New York City's only family home preserved intact from the 19th century.

Located close to Washington Square Park, this was the home of a wealthy hardware merchant, Seabury Tredwell, and his family from 1835-1933. It became a museum in 1936 and is a fine example of the architecture which once dominated entire city blocks, as well as a fine representation of the lifestyle of an upper-middle-class 19th-century New York family.
Location:29 East 4th Street, at Bowery. (212)777.1089

Jefferson Market Library was built in 1865, as a volunteer firehouse. When it later became a courthouse, it was named after President Thomas Jefferson. Now part of the New York Public Library system, "Old Jeff", as it is affectionately known, features Venetian Gothic-style spires, a watchtower and bell. In 1877, it was voted one of the ten most beautiful buildings in the U.S. and is still considered an architectural treasure.
Location:425 Sixth Avenue, at West 10th. (212) 243.4334.

Forbes Magazine Gallery contains the private collection of the late financial publisher Malcolm Forbes. The gallery displays thousands of antique toys, and outstanding collection of objects by Russian jeweler Peter Carl Faberge (including the most famous Faberge eggs) and an autographed copy of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Location:62 Fifth Avenue, (212) 206.5548

Built in 1799, St. Marks-in-the-Bowery Church is one of New York's oldest remaining churches. Situated on the former farm of Dutch colonial governor, Peter Stuyvesant, he and several generations of his descendants are buried here.
Location: 131 East 10th Street. (212) 674.6377

Open Spaces & Parks

On weekends, the former fountain in the middle of Washington Square Park acts as a stage for street performers (from musicians to comedians to sword-swallowers) who draw an audience of interested passers-by and bored teenagers. If there are still remnants of bohemian culture in the Village, this park is where you are most likely to find them - amongst the acoustic guitars, African drums, and amateur poetry.

Once a favorite haunt of New York's high society. Washington Square Park fell into decline during the 1970s and early 1980s and became infested with drug dealers. In the mid-80s, however, a massive clean-up program was initiated and the park is now a pleasant and lively place to visit.

In Alphabet City, just east of Avenue A, you will find Tompkins Square Park. Once a scene of social and political unrest, this park has recently become gentrified and is a good place to take a break after a shopping trip in the East Village.