The West Village is one of our favorite neighborhoods in New York City. Cool, understated, sophisticated, casual, bohemian, creative—it is hard to imagine a reason why you would not want to live here. Average property values here hold steady and grow strong historically. We love to help our clients with properties in the West Village’s Landmarked Historic Districts.

Like central Greenwich Village to its east, this part of Manhattan followed a similar path from being farmland to a quieter 19th century residential enclave, and eventually an area with a decidedly bohemian edge. Its historic residential character is visible in stately townhouse rows of brick, brownstone, and repurposed industrial lofts like Westbeth, which was converted from a factory by a then unknown young architect named Richard Mier.

The West Village is associated with the 20th Century writers and artists who called it home— Willa Cather, E.E. Cummings, Alan Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac among them. This creative heritage lives on within institutions like the Cherry Lane and Lucille Lortel Theatres.

Both beautiful and idiosyncratic, the streetscape and plan of the West Village is part of its charm. Largely built on the original grid of the city before 1811 it meets the current one above Houston street creating a labyrinth of angles causing confusion among tourists and residents alike. Part of the larger Greenwich Village neighborhood, some West Village streets are still paved with Belgian block. Restored 19th century townhouses are found on most blocks which give the rich texture of New York City life.

The Greenwich Village Historic District was a pioneering effort when it was established in 1969 and has been expanded since. The district became a model for others throughout the city and country. New major additions in its northernmost corner, also known as The Meatpacking District, include the High Line park and the Whitney Museum of American Art drawing millions of visitors each year.

Opinions differ about the area’s exact borders, but the traditional ones are to the Hudson River on the west, West 14th Street to the north, Greenwich Avenue to the east, and Christopher Street to the south.