West village vs. Greenwich village
Aug 22nd, 2001, 12:31 PM
#1
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West village vs. Greenwich village
So what is the difference? Is it trendy to call it one name over the other? Is one and old name, the other a new name? Does one cover a greater geographical area than the other or are they exactly the same?
thanks for helping me get this straight!
thanks for helping me get this straight!
Aug 22nd, 2001, 12:35 PM
#2
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Same area. There's a distinct "East Village" (st marks Place/1st avenue areas) so people will sometimes say West village to distinguish them.
Usually people will just say "I'm going to the village" (New Yorkers would never say "I'm going to Greenwhich village"
Usually people will just say "I'm going to the village" (New Yorkers would never say "I'm going to Greenwhich village"
Aug 23rd, 2001, 06:34 AM
#5
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Being a resident of the West Village I'll tell you what the difference is.
Originally Greenwich Village extended from 14th Street to Houston Street, and from the Hudson River to 5th Avenue. The West Village would have been from 7th Avenue going west to the Hudson River. The area east of 5th Avenue was originally called The Lower East Side.
In the 1970's Greenwich Village was becoming the "chic" place to live because everyone wanted to revive the era of poets & beatniks. Real estate agents realized that they were not going to rent apartments in the area east of 5th Avenue and so they started the term "East Village" to equate it with the wonderful life of "Greenwich Village". So these days the area between 14th Street and Houston Street, Hudson River to East River is known as Greenwich Village. The dividing line is 5th Avenue with everything to the West being the West Village and everything to the East being the East Village.
When someone asks me where I live I try to determine how much they know about NYC. If they are not familiar with the city I tell them I live in Greenwich Village. Anyone who is familiar with the city I tell them I live in the West Village.
Originally Greenwich Village extended from 14th Street to Houston Street, and from the Hudson River to 5th Avenue. The West Village would have been from 7th Avenue going west to the Hudson River. The area east of 5th Avenue was originally called The Lower East Side.
In the 1970's Greenwich Village was becoming the "chic" place to live because everyone wanted to revive the era of poets & beatniks. Real estate agents realized that they were not going to rent apartments in the area east of 5th Avenue and so they started the term "East Village" to equate it with the wonderful life of "Greenwich Village". So these days the area between 14th Street and Houston Street, Hudson River to East River is known as Greenwich Village. The dividing line is 5th Avenue with everything to the West being the West Village and everything to the East being the East Village.
When someone asks me where I live I try to determine how much they know about NYC. If they are not familiar with the city I tell them I live in Greenwich Village. Anyone who is familiar with the city I tell them I live in the West Village.
Aug 23rd, 2001, 01:34 PM
#10
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Aug 27th, 2001, 08:32 AM
#13
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You will get lots of different answers regarding the borders of the Village. Usually it depends on which street the writer lives on. Obviously his/her street is the center of it all.
Some people divide the west village at 5th Avenue, some at Broadway, and some at 7th Avenue. Arguments could be made for each. The north/south line has always been 14th Street and Houston Street. The East Village usually refers to the area east of 5th, or Broadway, depending on your bias, to Avenue A. East of Avenue A all the way to the East River is usually referred to as Alphabet City.
To speak in historical terms and divide the Village at 7th Avenue makes no sense. 7th Avenue didn't exist below 12th Street prior to the 1920's. Everything south of 12th Street to Houston was one neighborhood. The character of the village is similar west of 6th Avenue, to Greenwich or Washington Street. West of Washington is landfill which extended the city in the late 1800's.
The area between University and 6th Avenue, and 9th to 13th Street is all very similar. The area south of Washington Square and east of 6th Avenue is similar tenement apartments, very much like the East Village. There are exceptions. Bleeker Street has always been unique, going back two hundred years. It was the most unconventional area of the village one hundred and thirty years ago. One hundred and sixty years ago the nicest part of the village was either on Washington Square of just south of Astor Place.
Anyway, I'm rambling so I'll leave you with the thought that there are many ways to divide the village, most people have different opinions on the topic, each area has much to offer.
Some people divide the west village at 5th Avenue, some at Broadway, and some at 7th Avenue. Arguments could be made for each. The north/south line has always been 14th Street and Houston Street. The East Village usually refers to the area east of 5th, or Broadway, depending on your bias, to Avenue A. East of Avenue A all the way to the East River is usually referred to as Alphabet City.
To speak in historical terms and divide the Village at 7th Avenue makes no sense. 7th Avenue didn't exist below 12th Street prior to the 1920's. Everything south of 12th Street to Houston was one neighborhood. The character of the village is similar west of 6th Avenue, to Greenwich or Washington Street. West of Washington is landfill which extended the city in the late 1800's.
The area between University and 6th Avenue, and 9th to 13th Street is all very similar. The area south of Washington Square and east of 6th Avenue is similar tenement apartments, very much like the East Village. There are exceptions. Bleeker Street has always been unique, going back two hundred years. It was the most unconventional area of the village one hundred and thirty years ago. One hundred and sixty years ago the nicest part of the village was either on Washington Square of just south of Astor Place.
Anyway, I'm rambling so I'll leave you with the thought that there are many ways to divide the village, most people have different opinions on the topic, each area has much to offer.
Aug 27th, 2001, 08:36 AM
#14
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It's really more about semantics and what is vogue "this week".
Technically, it is Greenwich Village (West Village is part of GV) and East Village.
After talking with some of my friends, they seem to think that the term Greenwich Village is really going out of style (i.e only non-New Yorkers use it). I think it's becoming acceptable to say East Village (everything from Broadway to East River) and West Village (Hudson River to 5th Avenue). The area between 5th Avenue and Broadway is still questionable because it sort of claims Union Square to the north and SoHo to the south although that is still under debate because New York University is in the middle and I think they want to be regarded as part of the more progressive East Village.
So the debate continues and I guess I'm going to have to start watching Sex & the City to find out what my area of town is called next week.
Technically, it is Greenwich Village (West Village is part of GV) and East Village.
After talking with some of my friends, they seem to think that the term Greenwich Village is really going out of style (i.e only non-New Yorkers use it). I think it's becoming acceptable to say East Village (everything from Broadway to East River) and West Village (Hudson River to 5th Avenue). The area between 5th Avenue and Broadway is still questionable because it sort of claims Union Square to the north and SoHo to the south although that is still under debate because New York University is in the middle and I think they want to be regarded as part of the more progressive East Village.
So the debate continues and I guess I'm going to have to start watching Sex & the City to find out what my area of town is called next week.
Aug 27th, 2001, 11:55 AM
#15
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My understanding of how "this all came about" is that Real Estate in Greenwich Village was red hot, no supply and tons of demand. So the realtors started calling the area in/near/around Alphabet City the "East Village" in order to fill the apartments in that area. So for a time there was just "the village" and "the east village", however, the realtors always advertised "We Have Village Apartments" in order to get people in the door, only for those potentail tenants to find out the apartments were in the East Village.
I'd speculate that "West Village" came about when a realtor REALLY did have an "origianl village" apartment and wanted people to know they had a hot property to offer, and wanted to make the distinction between the 2 areas. (sorry if the above is written in a confusing manner)
I'd speculate that "West Village" came about when a realtor REALLY did have an "origianl village" apartment and wanted people to know they had a hot property to offer, and wanted to make the distinction between the 2 areas. (sorry if the above is written in a confusing manner)
Aug 27th, 2001, 04:53 PM
#16
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As a long-time resident of the East Village, from before it existed, I realy have a definite idea about its boundaries:
the true East Village goes from Houston Street to Fourteenth Street, between Third Avenue (NOT Fifth Avenue) and Avenue A. Or--all the way to the river (Avenue D). But it has never included the blocks from Fifth Avenue to Third Avenue.
That area absolutely lacks the character of the part of the old Lower East Side that became the East Village. Fifth to Broadway is quite fancy, with good housing stock--doorman buildings, 19th century good brownstones, etc. Broadway to Third is a kind of no-man's land identity-wise, though it is sometimes called NoHo (for North of Houston).
The East Village has St Mark's Place as its center, and is made up mostly of the housing built for immigrants at the turn of the nineteenth century--five story tenements, with some remaining brownstones as well on some blocks on 7th St and St Marks Place. The businesses are a combination of ethnic groceries and restaurants, and mostly off-center boutiques.
the true East Village goes from Houston Street to Fourteenth Street, between Third Avenue (NOT Fifth Avenue) and Avenue A. Or--all the way to the river (Avenue D). But it has never included the blocks from Fifth Avenue to Third Avenue.
That area absolutely lacks the character of the part of the old Lower East Side that became the East Village. Fifth to Broadway is quite fancy, with good housing stock--doorman buildings, 19th century good brownstones, etc. Broadway to Third is a kind of no-man's land identity-wise, though it is sometimes called NoHo (for North of Houston).
The East Village has St Mark's Place as its center, and is made up mostly of the housing built for immigrants at the turn of the nineteenth century--five story tenements, with some remaining brownstones as well on some blocks on 7th St and St Marks Place. The businesses are a combination of ethnic groceries and restaurants, and mostly off-center boutiques.
