Greenwich Village From 1913 To 2013

Greenwich Village From 1913 To 2013

Greenwich Village in the early 1913 exhibited a different lifestyle than the current lifestyles today. It is a city with narrow alleys and diagonal streets in Manhattan. The city is a leading tourist attraction centre because of the diversity and uniqueness of the topography and population that spans across it. McCormick notes that the espousal of a dynamic society is manifested in the transiency of the living standards, cultural changes and adaptations, technological improvements, economic shifts, number (of the population), movements, and interaction with other communities and societies (88).It is in this regard that this study discusses changes that Greenwich has experienced through the years 1913 to 2013.

Greenwich is a city village that still harbours the remains of an old city. In the early 1913, ithad some characteristic look that was quite different from its current look. Some of the features included small roads that spanned around it. These small roads have changed with time due to the growing demand for access of the region. Thechanges are evidenced today by numerous pavements surrounding it, now referred to as tenements.

Another major difference is the demographic composition of the village.The population of the city in 1913 was low and the houses were smaller than the current skyscrapers that adorn the city. The small city pavements limited the number of motor vehicles that went through the city, and thus shielded the village from the busy hustles and bustles of the noisy city vendors. However, with the growing demand for space and increased immigration into the area, the road network slowly started paving way for more expansive roads.This bred population increase in the village. The modern 2013 Greenwich Village has with time seen an upsurge in the number of immigrants. Therefore, demographic compositions in the village have since changed. For instance, according to the federal census in 1910, the population of the village stood at 124, 603, with 55,000 of the figure being immigrants. Accordingly, the statistics tells us that the population of the village remained relatively low during the 1913. This is variably different from the current demographic statics. The population in 2013 is way above the quoted figure.

With increased population and racial diversity, the city village has also assumed a new face; noise and turbulence from traders and city vendors. In 1913 the village was relatively quiet with only native New Yorkers who inhabited the city village. The situation changed as new immigrant communities occupied it. The village slowly shifted from a quiet and tranquil state to a noisy and industrial centre. This can be attributed to the increased access and racial tolerance from the original inhabitants.

Early periods of 1913 also saw many artists occupy the city. These people expressed themselves through art, poetry, and spoken word. In one of the artists’ illustrations, the city village is described as one which would breed fortunes from both poor and rich backgrounds; perhaps a foresight into population upsurge and racial multiplicity.

Another common feature in 1913 was the reform agenda. The village was humming with women determined to bring reform to the public’s attention and the legislature’s agenda. It was the period of agitation for emancipation from suffrage, child rights, food, and safe working conditions. Many grievances were aired during this time. Most groups sought audience for recognition by the state.This fight for human rights is deemed to be the seminal cause of widespread demand for rights of individuals. For instance, early 70s the homosexuals and gay community aired their grievances, leading to commotions which came to be referred to as the stonewall rebellion. These agitations have also been attributed to racial tolerance and immigration of foreigners to Greenwich. This assertion is captured bySilverman who argues that the non-conforming arts and the cultural tolerance may have been the peg upon which the gay and lesbian community started demanding their rights in 1960 (28).

The scenario in 2013 is quite different. With legislative changes the rights of the gay and homosexuals are respected after the statutes were interpreted and rights accorded. However, one must note that though there has been calm and semblance on the issue of gay and lesbian rights, the disapproval and resentment of gay people manifested in the early 60s and 70s is still evident among the communities still living in the village.

One cannot exhaustively analyze Greenwich without a reflection on the social scope on the people in 1913s. One evident character of the people then was conversations and expressions. The people indulged in public talks and free speech, where they aired their grievances and shared with one another’s perils in life. They believed that conversations would make sense of the needs they greatly yearned for. Indeed, they believed that free speech in private exchanges, as well as public oratory could create a democratic community where the sexes, social classes, and ethnicities could gather,McCormick (115).

Among the social indulgencies of 1913, were the early theatrical companies and art galleries that were established along its streets. Various members of society immersed themselves in displaying their art through paintings, writings, and staging plays in the neighbourhood studios and theatre centres. McCormick asserts that the Bohemenian cultural art was the key thing then (162). Many other writers hold that the city was a picturesque of arts and of rich diverse cultural compositions. Moreover, there sprouted theatrical companies, which ignored the financial position of Broadway. Artists showcased their arts in small galleries and the press also helped publish them.

The artistic value of the city in 2013 has not died or faded to levels of extinction. In fact, there have been improvements, especially in the advancement of technology that present and deliver the arts to the public. There have been various schools of arts that have been started in the Greenwich Village. Universities, theatre schools, cinema theatres, public halls, and other facilities for displaying art have been set up in the region; hence, marking a different age in the proliferation of the art. With the advancement in technology, the concept of artistry has also been taken to a higher notch. Creation of multimedia artistic works and sharing of the same have vastly improved. While in the early 1940s, 60s, and the late 70s were occasioned by lesser technological growth, as is the case in global technological advancement, the present community in the village has changed in several ways. Communication of art is now done online, through social media websites, news channels, and other platforms such as organised artistic shows and galleries.

Other differences cast by Greenwich Village were how houses were built. Towards the 1930s and late early 40s, people lived in secluded streets of low rents, and were more tolerant to radicalism. However, from the late 1940s upstream to the late 80s most of the secluded streets started giving way to the high-rise apartments and flats. The low rents, which were reminiscent of the old Greenwich Village, were replaced with high priced apartments. Rents shot high and the village gave way to the upper class members of the society. Decrepit houses were pulled over in the early 1970s to pave the way for the artistic flats for the well to do members.Shires mentions that a great number of celebrities live in the Greenwich Village, including the daughter of a former president, TV anchors, and many more others (51). The living standards have also gone up in the village. It is important to note that the secluded streets have now been replaced with both high-rise flats and virtual villages of neighbourhoods. Members connect through online platforms. The number of households with internet connectivity has grown substantively, unlike the earlier years where there was no internet use and most services were manually done.

Another point to consider is the present racial composition of the village as compared to that in 1913. It is evident that the current composition of the village is more multiracial than in the previous years. Majorly in the early periods, the French, Italians, and Irish speakers had immigrated into the area, making it a metropolitan centre. In the present, there have been upsurges in the population diversity of the people living in the area. Wealthy immigrants from virtually all over the world have invaded the area, making it a multi-racial village and connected only by the commonality of the spoken English language (Silverman 71).

In the 1950s, the “beat movement” led to galleries and coffee shops in 8th street. Evidently, there were no social platforms or the internet, where people could freely communicate and gather support for their different courses, which they undertook. Therefore, they met in coffee shops where they talked about societal issues. The world has changed lately. In 2013, people converse through the internet in social media platforms like Facebook, MySpace, Skype, yahoo, twitter, and many others. Seasons have changed. It is also necessary to mention that in the 70’s many people (conservationists) undertook the process of preserving the old face of the village. They began by defending the demolition of the old buildings, arguing that the building would remain as a cultural heritage and charm to the city (Shires 51).

Numerous differences and similarities can still be traced of the period that has passed since then. I am of the opinion that the current Greenwich village has improved for the better than the previous times. However, despite the improvements that have happened throughout this period, we have lost many things as a community. For instance, in the past, the streets in the village were named while now they are numbered. Streets like Factory Street, Herring, and Amity have now all been numbered, killing the cultural idiosyncrasies of the old village.

The city is now a tourist attraction centre, owing to a history that spans a century from the time when the Dutch and African slaves inhabited the village. There are several houses that have been safeguarded by the conservationists; hence, depicting the lives of the natives and the early immigrant communities. True to the words of McCormick, they add charm and fascination to the city’s heritage (19).

The economic activities in the village have also changed by a great extent. Some of the activities include; serving as a tourist attraction centre, fishing, trading, real estate investments, cultural artistry, theatrical works, the movie industry, industries and educational set ups.The economy of the village has grown substantially. Shelley asserts that the real estate industry has exponentially grown in the village because most of the areas are inhabited by the upper class in society (75). The pulling down of decrepit houses and plummeting of the high-rise flats is a manifest proof of the growth. With increased rental houses and raised living standards in the region, businesses have thrived in the area. The universities which have been set up have also tapped into the potential of the community, bringing in a plethora of cultural diversity.

Theatre arts and the movie industry have also boosted the economy of the village, where most people have been involved in the creation of content and writing plays. The media industry has also grown substantially to beat the rival villages. A good number of the community still do fishing along the city Trout Rivers and lakes. The road network has also improved tremendously, leading to better access and involvement of virtually every aspect of the community.

In conclusion, the study reveals that Greenwich is a dynamic village. Numerous changes and demographic shifts in the Village from 1913 to 2013 portray the changes that have occurred. The extent to which the dynamism has been manifested goes beyond the description achieved here-in. We must understand that the greatest change is the innate social state and mind-set of the people. How the community thinks, relates with one another and how certain things are done illuminates some of the changes. Therefore, we can deduce that Greenwich Village has definitely undergone tremendous changes; some good and some bad. We have also seen that the periods of the village’s existence are different, but with similarities to that of the old 1913village. I therefore conclude that change is inevitable for any progressive society. It is the norm in all dynamic societies.

Works Cited

Machleder, Elaine. “Inside Greenwich Village: A New York City Neighbourhood, 1898-1918.” Library Journal 126.11 (2001): 86. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

McCormick, John. “Notable New York: The West Side & Greenwich Village.” Library Journal 131.5 (2006): 89. ProQuest.Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

Shelley, Thomas J. “Catholic Greenwich Village: Ethnic Geography and Religious Identity in New York City, 1880-1930.” The Catholic Historical Review 1 (2003): 60. Academic OneFile.Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

Shires, Nancy P. “The Greenwich Village Reader: Fiction, Poetry, and Reminiscences.” Library Journal 126.20 (2001): 122. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

Silverman, Scott H. “Republic of Dreams: Greenwich Village; the American Bohemia, 1910-1960.” Library Journal 127.11 (2002): 80. ProQuest.Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

“Union Village (Greenwich), Washington County, New York.” (2010): Credo Reference Collections. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.