Village people

A little while ago, I went on a Netflix binge right back to Season 1 of “Law and Order”.  It became immediately obvious to me that New York City was (and really remains) as much a character on the show as "the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders" [dun dun].  And over the course of the show, you really get to see how NYC neighbourhoods have changed over the years. 

Consider Greenwich Village.  On Season 1 of "Law and Order", Greenwich Village was junkie central and the source of many a troubling 911 call.  But it wasn't always that way.

Back in the early 1500s, Native Americans knew “The Village” as Sapokanikan, meaning ‘tobacco field’.  When the Dutch settlers cleared 200 acres of land there in 1630, they renamed it Noortwyck, or ‘Farm in the Wood’, and their tobacco crops flourished.  The English conquered the settlement in 1664 and annexed the area as the little village of Grin’wich. 

Newgate Prison, circa 1800
Photo credit: Examiner.com

Law & order really came to the area from 1797 when “The Village” was the site of blustery Newgate Prison, New York's first penitentiary.  But by 1829, Newgate couldn't accommodate all of New York's criminal element, so the much larger Sing Sing Prison was constructed further up the Hudson Valley.  Greenwich Village calmed once more.

Residents moved back into the neighbourhood, and over time they opened art galleries, local theatres, and churches, creating the eclectic and eccentric community vibe of the 1950s-60s.   

Modern day Greenwich Village has an energetic community spirit, and regularly promotes public events and exhibitions for visitors and locals alike.  It is a lively and accessible residential area with a bohemian feel: a mix of mid-rise apartments, historical shops, iconic architecture, trendy bars & restaurants, and many celebrity residents.