GREENWICH VILLAGE

The Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Manhattan. Once it was a rural hamlet, entirely separate from New York - that is why its streets-layout doesn't coincide with most of Manhattans grid-plan. Since the early 20th century, artists, writers, actors, musicians and intellectuals have populated the Village giving it a strong bohemian feel. The bohemian days of Greenwich Village, however, are long gone, because of extraordinary high housing costs in the neighborhood.

Today, besides being a largely residential area, it has become a center of nightlife with lots of bars. New York's University NYU has its main campus there, and located in the heart of the Village lies the historic Washington Square Park which is alive with students, skateboarders and street performers during the day.