Greenwich Village was carved from farmland north of New York City in the early 18th century, and by 1739 had turned into a refuge for wealthy residents, banks, and government offices. It was also the site of a famous prison called Newgate early in the next century, as well as the location of stately townhouses that were built in the 1830s and later — the same ones that have made the neighborhood so handsome and desirable today.
The Village centers on Washington Square, evolving into the lovely urban greenspace it now is, with the famous arch designed by Stanford White as its centerpiece and New York University sprawled all around it. By the 20th century, it became the refuge of writers, leftists, Beats, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix; its very desirability has led to real estate developers gnawing away at its edges, carving out neighborhoods like the West Village, Noho, and the Meatpacking District.
Today, Greenwich Village extends from 14th Street to Houston Street on the north and south, from Broadway on the east to an elastic border on the west that falls somewhere between Seventh Avenue South and Sixth Avenue, depending on who you talk to.
The Greenwich Village neighborhood has some of the best (and ironically some of the most inexpensive) eats in downtown Manhattan. Wander down MacDougal Street and you’ll see what we mean.
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