Culture

Education

The idea of education and its importance is very much highlighted and respected amongst the Greenwich Village community. There are many high end and expensive colleges in the area such as NYU, NYU Stern School of Business, The New School, The New School’s School of Drama, Parson’s School of Design, Cardozo School of Law and more. These specialized and respectable colleges reflect the upper class inhabitants and progressive mindset possessed by much of the neighborhood. The college environment feeds to the more liberal aspect of Greenwich Village, as well as contributes to its overall culture. College students add a culture of education, opportunity and a young feel to the neighborhood. The neighborhood feels as though it is booming because of the high volume of young students, tourists, and residents present in Greenwich Village.

Religion and Places of Worship

There are many churches in the area for worship such as St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village, First Presbyterian Church, The Church of the Village, The Journey Church-Village and more. There are also some synagogues in this area such as Congregation Darech Amuno Greenwich Village Synagogue, Village Temple, Conservative Synagogue of Fifth Avenue and more. All of these beautiful buildings seem to be active as they have events posted for people’s involvement. Additionally, NYU has different religious centers within its campus where students may freely practice their religion, such as the Catholic Center at NYU.

Lifestyle

The area is mostly inhabited by upper class citizens of caucasian descent, many of whom are young and progressive. Additionally, the LGBTQ community makes up a large portion of the culture, as the area is home to the Stonewall Inn. Greenwich Village is known for its “hipster” and “trendy” vibe and feel. Walking around here made it feel just so. Most of the restaurants in the area are comprised of various ethnic foods such as Mexican, Italian and French delicacies, but there are not as many food carts or Chinese food places in comparison to other areas and neighborhoods in Manhattan. Furthermore, there are very few big name food-chains (like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts) which reflects the support of small businesses (like the O Café and Mah Ze Dahr bakery). Greenwich Village also houses the fashion industry and many people in the area are fashion influencers and designers, further demonstrating the trendy and creative nature of this neighborhood.

Arts

Greenwich Village is known for being a dynamic, cultural hotspot where trends and ideas are consistently being cultivated. Around 2016, there were about 40 theaters ¹, famous music venues (such as the Blue Note, Webster Hall and Le Poisson Rouge), and headquarters or retail operations for major names in the fashion industry (ie. J. Crew
Group, Theory LLC, & Diane von Furstenberg) ². This comes across as a paradox, however, as only 1,200 residents (0.7% of New York City) are employed in the arts and entertainment, and a little more than that are employed in the fashion industry. These industries are so prominent because of how much people earn, and in turn these people receive many benefits. Residents employed in arts and entertainment “averaged about $47,250, with aggregate earnings totaling about $56 million.” The reason why this industry succeeds in the Village is because of its prime networking location. Additionally, the Village hosts festivals and events, like the Fringe Festival, that employ few people but generate a lot of profit for local businesses. This area now has a reputation of being home to the booming fashion industry.

The artistic nature of The Village is exemplified through The Whitney Museum of American Art. This famous art museum displays twentieth-century and contemporary American art ³. It is located on Gansevoort Street. The Whitney is as trendy as the neighborhood it resides in, as it focuses on living artists. It is a more modern and progressive museum in comparison to the other museums in Manhattan, just like the culture of Greenwich Village.