Around Washington Square: An Illustrated History of Greenwich Village

Manhattan is a collective of highly different but complimentary districts, whether it be The Financial District, Lower East Side, Soho, Chelsea, Mid Town, Upper East and West Sides, or wherever. I do not believe that many people would disagree with me that Greenwich Village stands out among all Manhattan Districts as, perhaps the most recognised throughout the world and synonymous with and closely linked to Manhattan's evolution from a Dutch Colony to nowadays, as well as an important center for The Arts, Activists, Intellectuals and Indigents, brahmins and bohemians. By the mid 1800's it had become home of New York's wealthiest and most powerful citizens and boasted Manhattan's finest churches and homes, its most exclusive clubs, its best endowed libraries and galleries, and its grandest hotels, shops, and theaters.There are many books on The Village, and I have a few of them but this work of Luther Harris is superbly written and accompanied by fascinating photographs and enormously enhances one's appreciation of The Village, its history, its people and, most importantly captures the charm, energy, and individuality of Greenwich Village.After reading this book,when I now see the Arch at Washington Square now, I look upwards to the parapets to check that there has not been a recurrence of the sit-in there on a wintry night in 1917, staged by a group of well-lubricated poets and artists who declared Washington Square a free and sovereign republic, independent of uptown. After a bitterly cold night's sit-in the six secessionists climbed back down and went about there ways and not much came of this attempt to liberate Washington Square. There are many other 'tidbits' like this which add colour and interest to the area and reinforce The Village's of radical (but in most cases) peaceful thinkers.A joy to own, a joy to read and a joy to review.

Charming look into Greenwich Village, packed with great details.