West Village
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- For the West Village development in Dallas, Texas, see West Village, Dallas, Texas
The West Village is the western portion of the Greenwich Village neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Though there are no defined boundaries, the area is usually defined as bounded by the Hudson River and either Sixth Avenue or Seventh Avenue, extending from 14th Street down to Houston Street. Bordering neighborhoods include Chelsea to the north, the Hudson Square section of SoHo to the south, and the core of Greenwich Village to the east. The area is part of Manhattan Community Board 2.
A sub-neighborhood, the Far West Village, extends from the Hudson River to Hudson Street.
The neighborhood is distinguished by streets that are "off the grid" — set at an angle to the other streets in Manhattan — sometimes confusing both tourists and city residents alike. These roads were laid out in the 18th century, approximately parallel or vertical to the Hudson, long before the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 which created the main street Grid plan for the rest of the city. Even streets that are nominally part of the grid can be idiosyncratic, at best. West 4th Street crosses West 10th, 11th and 12th Streets, ending at an intersection with West 13th Street. Heading north on Greenwich Street, West 12th Street is separated by three blocks from Little West 12th Street, which in turn is one block south of West 13th Street.
Known as "Little Bohemia" starting in 1916[1], West Village is the center of the bohemian lifestyle on the West Side, with classic artist's lofts (Westbeth Artists Community) and new residential towers designed by American architect Richard Meier facing the Hudson River at 173-176 Perry Street. The Meatpacking District at the top of this neighborhood, also known as the "Gansevoort Historic District", is filled with trendy boutiques and night clubs.
The High Line project plans to connect the historic district to the art galleries in Chelsea and points north. In the plan, elevated train tracks running parallel to Tenth Avenue will be converted to an open greenway. The tracks once served the businesses in the area, but have been long abandoned. Instead of demolishing the structure, the unique features will be used to benefit the entire city.
[edit] Sites and attractions
- Jefferson Market Branch, New York Public Library
- High Line
- Hudson River Park
- Meatpacking District
- St. Luke in the Fields Church
- Stonewall Inn
- Village Vanguard
- Alison Nelson's Chocolate Bar
- Westbeth Artists Community
[edit] Subway service
- 14th Street on the IND Eighth Avenue Line
- West Fourth Street–Washington Square on the IND Sixth Avenue Line
- 14th Street on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
- Christopher Street–Sheridan Square on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
- Houston Street on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
[edit] References
- ^ (nd) Greenwich Village East and West - History and Legacies. Arts and Music Pennsylvania. Retrieved 6/17/07.
[edit] External links
- Gansevoort Historic District
- Wikipages West Village, a wiki-based business directory for the West Village
- Veri West Village, Self-publishing neighborhood network
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