City University of New York
LaGuardia Community College
An in depth study of
Greenwich village
a journey from the 16th century to the present
(Neighborhood research)
Submitted by:
Rachel Bianca Mallari
Submitted to:
Dr. Janet
Michello
The appreciation of the past is the key to understanding the present. The
cultural and social changes that occur within the society constitutes to its current
structure. The scope of this research perpetuates insightful information in the
evolvement of a specific neighborhood, Greenwich Village.
The historical milieu of Greenwich Village can be traced back from the 16 th
century when it was a marshland called Sapokanikan by the Native Americans
who camped and fished in the meandering trout stream known as Minetta Brook.
During the Dutch period, the settlement was mainly cleared pastures and planted
crops. In 1712, Greenwich Village was officially incorporated as village.
Prominent colonialists such as Sir Peter Warren, Vice-Admiral of the British Navy
and commander of its New York Fleet, amassed a vast land area in the village.
After the American Revolution, the city was purchased or inherited by well-to-do
citizens of the young Republic. The street layouts was plotted with bends in the
street pattern and extreme variation in block sizes and shapes due to the
adherence to the owners’ existing property lines.
In 1812, the establishment of public meat market became the primary area
of development. The houses along the area were occupied primarily by weavers,
craftsmen and merchants whose business is located few blocks away along the
Hudson. There was an epidemic outbreak of yellow fever and cholera that led
many residents to flee in 1822. Greenwich Village remained an indistinguishable
part of the metropolis for various reasons. “The first [reason] was that its early
street pattern blocked the through north-south avenues of traffic, thus detaching
it from the rest of the City…Second, many of its early families held on their
houses tenaciously for generations, forming a sizable residential nucleus
performance ( Lindsay, p.12)”. In the beginning of World War I, the village was
popularly known as a bohemian enclave with secluded side streets, low rents,
and a tolerance for radicalism and nonconformity. The traditional boundaries of
Greenwich Village extends from the Hudson River on the west to 4 th Avenue and
the Bowery on the east and from Houston street on the south to 14 th street on the
north. However, nowadays, it actually covers lesser area as defined by its official
boundary map.
During the early 19th century, there was a rapid growth of new institutions
serving the spiritual, educational, and cultural needs of the growing community.
Educational institutions such as New York University, New School University,
and Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of law were established.
The village was home for the budding performing artists. Also it was a focus point
of new movements and ideas, whether political, artistic, or cultural. A
homosexual community actually formed around Christopher street in the 1960s.
The start of the nationwide movement for gay and lesbian rights and other rally
for antiwar protesters took place in Greenwich Village. In addition, the village was
the place for international meeting ground for writers in every genre. It was stated
in American Masters that, “It [Greenwich Village] was where a young James
Baldwin was first introduced to a larger writing community, and where Dashiell
Hammett and
Lillian
Hellman
were
involved
in
the
left-wing political
movement…”. Most of the Abstract expressionist including Robert Motherwell,
Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko resided in the village. Also, Andy Warhol and
Lou Reed were the product of the village. “The character of the neighborhood
changed markedly at the close of the century when German, Irish, and Italian
immigrants found work in the breweries, warehouses, and coal and lumber
yards… (Jackson, p. 507)”.
Today, the sky rocketing rent in lower Manhattan makes it impossible for
striving young artist to afford to live in the village. Moreover, the growing
awareness of the village’s idiosyncrasies facilitate tourists attraction; thus making
it even harder for average family income to live in the area. According to the
2000 U.S. Census Bureau in Greenwich Village, the population over 16 years in
labor force is 65.2 %. The per capita income is $16,592. The predominant
ethnicity in the village is White with 98.1 %.
Upon doing the research, I gained tremendous insight about the
history of Greenwich Village. It evolves from a crop land into a
picturesque and artistic neighborhood. It became the home of radical
artists and politicians. It also came to my attention that the streets in
the village are typically named rather than numbered. Greenwich
village retained its narrow and curved street layouts. A lot of
prestigious universities and historical parks were created in the area.
It’s a rather nice neighborhood to live in.
Works cited:
Jackson, Kenneth. The Encyclopedia of New York City. Yale
University Press, 1995. 506-509.
Lindsay, John. Greenwich Village District. Historic Designation
Report. Vol I, 1969.
PBS. American Masters. 3 June 2005 <http://www.pbs.org>
U.S. Census Bureau. American Fact Finder. 6 June 2005
<http://www.factfinder.census.gov>