Greenwich Village (New York City, New York)

Greenwich Village (also known simply as "The Village") is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It has historically been a bohemian place for starving artists, beatniks, hippies, and gays and lesbians, along with the fashion conscious. This polygon includes the area of the sub-neighborhood in the western part, simply known as the "West Village"; but does not include the so-called 'East Village' neighborhood to the east, which owes it associated name to a much later affectation and which is in fact separated from it geographically by the NoHo neighborhood.

A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families. Greenwich Village, however, was known in the late 19th to mid 20th centuries as an artists' haven, the bohemian capital, and the East Coast birthplace of the Beat movement. What provided the initial attractive character of the community eventually contributed to its gentrification and commercialization.

The name of Greenwich Village is Anglicized from the Dutch name "Groenwijck", meaning "Green District", into its cognate Greenwich, a borough of Greater London. It is home to the main campus of New York University and consequently has a very high resident student population.
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Coordinates:  40°44'2"N 74°0'10"W

Comments

  • This square actually encompasses what most New Yorkers would think of as "the West Village."
  • In addition to artists and bohemians, the West Village was an important Italian-American community through at least the 1970s.
  • yes the beatniks and bohemians thrive here! from the beats of the tap of your shoe on the sidewalk to the underground jazz clubs this community rocks!