Greenwich Village, often referred to in New York as simply “the Village”, is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City.
A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families. Greenwich Village, however, was known in the late 19th to mid 20th centuries as an artists' haven, the bohemian capital, and the East Coast birthplace of the Beat movement. What provided the initial attractive character of the community eventually contributed to its gentrification and commercialization.
The name of the village is Anglicized from the Dutch name Greenwijck, meaning “Pine District”, into Greenwich, a borough of London. These are some vintage photos captured everyday life in Greenwich Village in the 1950s.
.jpeg)
|
| A street scene in Greenwich Village, New York, with a woman hosing down the pavement next to an ice-delivery van. 1950. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg)
|
| American jeweller, Sam Kramer helping one of his 'Space Girls' with her motorbike helmet on a Greenwich Village street. His clipped Afghan Hound waits for him patiently. 1955. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| A young couple deep in conversation in Washington Square. 1952. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| Two men playing chequers in Washington Square. 1950. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| A domestic garden functioning temporarily as an art gallery in Greenwich Village, 1955. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| A 36 ft high sandblast sculpture, a scaled up copy of a 2 ft high model created by Pablo Picasso in 1954. The statue has been completed by Norwegian sculptor Carl Nesjars, who has worked with Picasso on several sculptures in Europe. 1968. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| People listening to folk singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott on a Sunday afternoon in Washington Square, Greenwich Village, 1955. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| A tourist on a walking tour of New York visits the shops and cafes of Greenwich Village. 1956. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| Young residents of Commerce Street, Greenwich village, wearing their Sunday finery. 1951. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| A kitten observes a 'No Vacancy' sign on a cat 'house' from an adjacent window ledge. The 'house' was built by Miss Alice Manchester, proprietor of the Greenwich Village Humane Cat Leaue which finds homes for more than 800 cats a year. 1950. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| Eighth Street, New York, the arterial street of Greenwich Village, 1955. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| Washington Square North, New York which American writer, Henry James used as the setting for his novella, Washington Square. 1955. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg) |
| A woman on a bench reading a newspaper in Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, 1955. (Getty Images) |
.jpeg)
|
| American artist Moses Sawyer instructing a pupil in life model painting in his Greenwich Village studio. 1955. (Getty Images) |