Greenwich Village, New York

Washington Square Park is most easily recognized by the Washington Arch which stands at the front of the square facing Fifth Avenue. During the summer the park is always full of people walking, relaxing, kids skateboarding, and people talking and playing games.The park was built on former marshland and has been used as a burial ground, execution ground, and parade ground throughout history. It was declared a public park in 1827. The marble arch was erected in the 1890s.

The Jefferson Market Courthouse or "Old Jeff" is one of the Village's oldest and most revered landmarks. Originally a market, the tower held a fire bell used to alert the neighborhood's volunteer fire fighters. Later, it became a courthouse where in 1906 Harry Thawa was tried for murdering architect Stanford White. By the 1960s, however, the building fell into disuse, but was saved from the wrecking ball and turned into a public library.It was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in America in the late-nineteenth century, known for its Venetian Gothic-style spires.

Washington Square Park is most easily recognized by the Washington Arch which stands at the front of the square facing Fifth Avenue. During the summer the park is always full of people walking, relaxing, kids skateboarding, and people talking and playing games.The park was built on former marshland and has been used as a burial ground, execution ground, and parade ground throughout history. It was declared a public park in 1827. The marble arch was erected in the 1890s. It was designed by renowned architect, Stanford White, to mark the centenary of George Washington's inauguration.

The Forbes Building and Galleries is an oddity of a museum, housing everything from Faberge eggs, antique toy boats, a signed copy of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, other presidential memorabilia to French military paintings. The ollection is displayed in changing exhibits.The building was originally the headquarters of the Macmillan Publishing Company and later became the home of Forbes Magazine. The owner, Malcolm Forbes, personally collected all the artifacts contained in the museum.

The Isaacs-Hendricks House is the oldest-surviving home in Greenwich Village, built in 1799.Its first owner, Joshua Issacs, a wholesale merchant, lost the farmhouse to creditors; the building then belonged to copper supplier Harmon Hendricks. The Village landmark was remodeled twice; it received its brick face in 1836, and the third floor was added in 1928.

The Judson Memorial Church was built in 1892 and designed by Stanford White. The church is noted for its stain glass and impressive Romanesque design. More recently, the church is home to community activists campaigning on issues such as AIDS and the arms race, not to mention hosting avant-garde exhibitions and off-Off-Broadway plays.

Sheridan Square is the heart of the Village, where seven streets come together. Named after a Civil War general, Sheridan Square was the setting of the Draft Riots of 1863 where mobs revolted against army service; and of the Stonewall Riots in 1969.

St. Luke's Place is an attractive and historical row of houses dating back from the 1850s. The city's mayor, Jimmy Walker resided here in the 1920s. Fans of TV will recognize one of the houses here from "The Cosby Show". Theodore Dreiser and poet Marianne Moore have lived on this stretch.

The city's narrowest house, 75 1/2 Bedford Street, is just 9.5 feet wide. The poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lived here, then actor John Barrymore and later Cary Grant. The house has been restored and is a private residence.

The Church of the Ascension Parish was formed in 1827 and a small white Greek Revival building was consecrated in 1829. Richard Upjohn designed the current church in the Gothic Revival style in 1840-1. In 1888, Stanford White redid the interior.

The First Presbyterian Church was designed by Joseph C. Wells in 1846, modeled after the Gothic Church of St. Saviour in Bath, England. The church is noted for its brownstone towers.

New York University was founded in 1831 and is the largest private university in America today. It is also known for its film course which has produced such esteemed graduates as Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee.

Patchin Place is a hidden sight in the Village, a small block of residences that once houses poets E. E. Cummings and John Masefield, as well as playwright Eugene O'Neill and journalist-Marxist John Reed.