Customer Reviews

Greenwich Village And How It Got That Way

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Originally, Greenwich Village was settled by the rich and merchant class of lower Manhattan as an escape from the recurring ravages of yellow fever and cholera. For this reason Greenwich Village was, essentially, never really mapped out; never really settled in accordance to any public plan. Perhaps this haphazard beginning is what gave the area its combined refined yet anarchic flavor that exists until this day.

And this was also the reason for the area becoming attractive to free-thinkers, tourists, bohemians and artists. Complete with maps, illustrations and walking tours of the Village, Terry Miller's "Greenwich Village and How It Got that Way" reveals the extraordinary history and the historic people who made the place their homes. Artists Jackson Pollack and Edward Hopper, poets Edna St. Vincent Millay and Walt Whitman, playwright Eugene O'Neill, and novelist Willa Cather, are just a few of the famous names who lived and created work here, as they created something uniquely American.

"Greenwich Village and How It Got That Way" is a great book for people who will visit the village, and is great for New Yorkers, themselves, to learn about this neighborhood that they thought they knew so well.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points

The ultimate source. Excellent.
For anyone who wants/needs to know
what happened: when, where and who
in The Village. Crtammed full of facts
and great stories, well-researched.
Highly recommended.

This lavish collection of photos and anecdotes offers a comprehensive overview of Greenwich Village and all the eccentric architecture and colorful personalities that have long made it one of the most engaging neighborhoods in New York City. From the elegant world of Henry James to the raunchy world of gay sex clubs, from the legendary bohemians of the 20's to legendary Beats of the '50s, this book covers it all and more. No other book can tell you so much about the Village with so much style, spirit, wit, and pure joy. Indispensable for anyone who loves New York.