In an effort to parallel Jonathan’s site visit to Morningside Heights, I conducted a site visit to Greenwich Village. I sought to interview people in the area, take pictures of the campus, and observe the general area. I hoped to take note, in particular, of whether the changes occurring within the neighborhood could be easily observed. I arrived at Washington Square Park, the focus of my visit, at around 4:30 PM on May 10th.

My preconceived notions of Greenwich Village were in mind when I began my visit. I had visited NYU and the surrounding campus area just a few weeks before my visit. From my personal visits to Greenwich Village, I had made numerous assumptions about the community. These assumptions included but were not limited to the following premonitions.

1. Washington Square Park is essentially dominated by NYU students. They are constantly there, performing, relaxing, studying, and living out their day to day activities.
2. Greenwich Village is a relentlessly expensive community, as I noted during the times when I bought food.
3. The culture of Greenwich Village and the East Village are very similar.

These three assumptions were all addressed in the four interviews I conducted. In fact, some of the points were mentioned multiple times. I tried to be as arbitrary as possible in my interviews, but the people who agreed to answer my questions were all men. All of the women I invited to be interviewed turned down my request.

When interviewing these people, I asked the same questions that Jonathan did. These questions were:

1. How has the neighborhood changed in recent years?
2. In your opinion, is neighborhood change positive or negative? In what ways?
3. Has the cost of living in this neighborhood increased substantially over the last several years?
4. What has been preserved in the neighborhood throughout the last few years?
5. Do you think that the university has contributed to change in the neighborhood?

FIRST INTERVIEW

“Well, this is New York.”  This response encompasses the general atmosphere of Greenwich Village.  This is New York. It is fluid. It is changing. This man managed to sum up any changes within the community as things that were to be expected. Because this is New York,  changes were bound to happen. Greenwich Village evokes a sense of change simply because it is in New York, according to this man.

New York has a sense of vibrance to it. That was unmistakeable during my visit to Washington Square Park. Below is an example of the culture within the park and overall village. The video depicts a man playing an instrument in the park; he is playing the theme song to the popular show Game of Thrones. 

SECOND INTERVIEW

The Employee. The second man I interviewed was someone who seemed relatively tired of the prices within the area. He spoke of working for affluent people in the neighborhood and he did note the soaring prices within Greenwich Village.

THIRD INTERVIEW

Undoubtedly the most interesting of the interviewees, this man contrasted from the other three people I interviewed. I initially suspected the man to have issues with his sight, but upon talking to him I quickly realized he was drunk. This man, in no way abrasive or rude, acted as an example of the disparity within Washington Square Park and Greenwich Village. While I was walking around the park, I noticed an interesting set up in the layout of the park and the way in which people were dispersed throughout it.

The middle of the park was undoubtedly the most populated area of the park. There were multiple musicians, performers, and food venders. There was no where to sit, hardly any place to step, and there was no area of silence. A number of NYU students were taking graduation pictures; they were tossing their purple caps and flaunting their purple robes. Other students were seen doing their work.

The corners of the park were a different story. There were small enclaves around the perimeter of the park, and these enclaves were filled with homeless people. The upper west corner of the park was most notable in my observations. There were many men sitting around tables holding paper bags.  This is where I interviewed the man in the audio clip above.

The man I interviewed mentioned the rising prices of drinks in Greenwich Village. He also hinted at their being substance abuse issues in Greenwich Village. While every community will have people who are dealing with substance abuse, his mention of this issue contrasts greatly with the affluent and near perfect image of Greenwich Village that former interviewees had.

FOURTH INTERVIEW

The last interview was with the most articulate man of them all. He spoke of the distinction between Greenwich Village and the East Village, as Professor Scott Barton did when interviewing him.

This man mentioned an interesting part of both Greenwich Village and NYU: Founder’s Hall.

Founder’s Hall is an NYU dorm, yet it still has the facade of St. Anne’s Church. This signifies a shift in the culture of NYU. An expensive and private university overtaking a church is a shift that speaks of the need to make money in Greenwich Village while still attempting to respect the roots of the community.

I have a friend who happens to live in this dorm. I decided to ask her a few questions in hopes of gaining some insight on whether NYU has made any effort to inform the residents of this hall of its history.  She has now lived in Founder’s Hall for two semesters and has had a positive experience in it.

Q (Destany Batista) :  When you first moved into Founder’s Hall, did anyone explain the history of the church facade in front of the dorm? It looks a bit out of place.

A (Christina Louder) : It’s funny that you mention that because no one ever explained it, and I’ve been curious for a while. All I know is that NYU can’t tear it down because it’s a landmark.

Q: What do other students think of Founder’s Hall? Is it known for the remnants of St. Anne’s?

A: Not really. People are usually just confused about why a “church” is here. People care more about the large windows in my dorm than anything else. They don’t really care about or question the church.

This interview provided insight on how  NYU impacts the neighborhood and how the neighborhood impacts NYU in turn.  NYU is forced to conform to aspects of Greenwich Village’s history, as proven by NYU’s building a dorm behind the facade of St. Anne’s Church. The residents of Founder’s Hall are not informed of the history of the church. They are just occupying the area in which the church used to reside on.  This signifies a change in the focuses of the community. A church, which was open to all residents, has been overtaken by a dorm of one of the nation’s most exclusive and expensive colleges. Gone are the days of an affordable community.