Religion, Arts, & Entertainment

Greenwich Village is known for its diverse residents and arts. This diversity includes the multiplex of religions scattered in the town. In the earlier development of Greenwich, St. Luke’s Church stood in fields of what is now known as Christopher Street (Wikipedia, 2024). Other churches drove the town such as Judson Baptist Church (1893), Church of the Ascension (1841), and Grace Episcopal Church (1846). Many Protest Episcopal Churches were established in Greenwich in the early 1800s with Gothic Revival Architecture, and most remain open today with their original construction. Though many religions resided in Greenwich, from 1880 to the 1930s, Catholicism radiated through the Village and was even known as the “vibrant Catholic neighborhood.” With prominently Irish Catholics surrounding Greenwich churches such as St. Jospeh’s which was known as the “Mother Church (Shelly, 2003).”

Art became a big culture in Greenwich Village. In alleviating the hardships of the stock market crash in the late 1920s, art in many forms became a successful business and hobby (Encyclopedia, pp. 556). First, the openings of museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art opened in 1931 by the infamous sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Although locations have changed Whitney Museum is still open today. Other museums like the Museum of Living Arts and the Downtown Gallery were founded before the crash in 1927. The Museum of Living Arts was a gallery infamous for works around the world, including Picasso. Studios and art clubs also opened up in this period in hopes of spreading intellect to other aspiring artists. One of these was known as the Clay Club on West 8th Street which became a popular meeting space and workshop for sculptors around Greenwich (Wilson, 2023). Other forms of art surround Washington Square Park such as the Statue of Garibaldi and Bust of Alexander Lyman.

The early 1900’s of Greenwich Village was known as the “Bohemian Movement.” Where radicals of the area rejected traditional structured socialization and led a more informal Bohemian lifestyle (Beals, 2016). This led art, music, and theater to prevail during this time. By the second decade of the twentieth century, many alternative theaters and companies flourished in the progressive environment of Greenwich Village (Encyclopedia, 2011). Cherry Lane Theater (Commerce St), which opened in 1923 and is still open today, is known as New York City’s longest-running off-broadway theater. During the 1930s it ran over 10 off-broadway plays. The Greenwich House Theater opened in 1917 and provided a constructive outlet for the children in the surrounding area, mainly Italian immigrant families (Stephens, 2019). Music was also prevalent in Greenwich Village, providing soothing beats during the Great Depression. The Village Vanguard opened in 1935, serving many musical artists, and boomed with the rise of Jazz and Beat music in later times (Fleischmann, 2019).

During the 1930s, Greenwich Village was a place of value, culture, talent, and fun. Throughout this tour, you’ll learn a little more about the infamous places of Greenwich Village with the subjects of Religion, Arts, and Entertainment that were founded in the early years of lower Manhattan.