Exploring the Original West Village

by Alfred Pommer

Greenwich Village is a tourist's dream and a favorite weekend destination for New Yorkers. A part of Manhattan Island that holds its own amid the noise and confusion of the twenty-first century, it still retains much of the character of the old farming community that was part of the original settlement of Manhattan. The West Village, the northwest section of the neighborhood, is bounded by the Hudson River on the west and Greenwich Avenue on the east and is where it all began. Famous people such as Sinclair Lewis, Fiorello LaGuardia, William "Bill the Butcher" Poole, Frank Serpico, James Baldwin and Jackson Pollock, among dozens of others, called this neighborhood home. Stroll down the back streets and along the waterfront and peer behind the facades of these historic structures to discover its fascinating history, hidden secrets and little-known tales.

Genres: History

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2011

Reviews

[Lisa-Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great guide to walking around the West Village in New York City (14th Street to Christopher Street) which I now have reason to do because part of my family lives near there. The authors include a lot of history and take you street by street through the years from the 17th to the 20th century. The area started as a Lenape Indian village known as Sapokanikan until the arrival of Dutch farmers. It remained far away from the city center of New York, which was below the “wall” in Wall Street, until the 1800s. Then transportation improved with the Hoboken Ferry, the 9th Ave Elevated Railroad, and omnibus roads. But the familiar rectilinear grid of Manhattan stopped at 14th Street and so, the village remained a unique neighborhood of winding streets and crazy street names. In the 1800s there was some gentrification around Washington Square and a wild mix of churches, factories, warehouses, apartment buildings, and row houses everywhere else.

The authors boldly tell one story which winds into another story which diverts into a different tale entirely. Bill the Butcher and Frank Serpico meet the Stonewall Inn and the songs of Bob Dylan. It fits. Photographs are included which help you picture “then” and “now.” I really liked the casual style and look forward to all my future walking adventures in this idiosyncratic neighborhood!

[Sjfstudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful "walking tour" of this historic and picturesque part or New York City. Lots of historical tidbits interspersed with info on the architecture and people who lived and walked these streets. Well-written and engrossing. A must-read for anyone interested in NYC.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slim volume focusing on the literary and the quirky in this historical neighborhood