The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues

UPDATE July 14, 2013 Just finished the book The last time 550 pages were this compelling was when I read Randy Shiltz AND THE BAND PLAYED ON, about the history of the AIDS crisis.That topic occupies only one small chapter toward the end of THE VILLAGE, but the author has patiently documented the entire 200 year history of this neighborhood with exacting research to show the outsider history of the artist writer musician drinker hustler residents throughout each era.By the time we reach the mid e [...]

Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography cclapcenter I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP it is not being reprinted illegally Like most people, I ve always primarily associated the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan with the Abstract Expressionists and Beat poets of the post World War Two era, when the near total destruction of Europe made this unassuming neighborhood the new global center of hipness and cool, a literal symbol of [...]

The definitive history of Greenwich Village, from the rural hills outside New Amsterdam to the capital of American bohemianism to the epicenter of the AIDS crisis Fascinating material, great writing, and brisk pacing that includes good details while moving quickly enough to get through 400 years in about as many pages Highly recommended for anyone who has lived in, visited, or wanted to know the Village.

Wonderfully evocative history of the creative cauldron that was is Greenwich Village from the 1600s to today From the original Dutch to Dylan, and on Bohemians, artists, writers, performers, and Salon supporters flocked to this corner of Manhattan Inspiring

John Strausbaugh s account of the history of Greenwich Village is terrific Starting from the beginning, when the city was first settled by colonizers, Straussbaugh describes the nature of the Village as a place where those who did not fit in anywhere went to belong While the Village has known so many different and unique scenes and movements throughout the centuries, the nature of the village as the place for those who don t belong anywhere else has continued for over 400 years The historical ac [...]

The subtitle says it all 400 years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, A History of Greenwich Village Greenwich started as a country living community for the rich John and Abigail Adams built a home there It later was moved in order to build multi family homes, became a theater, a stable and was then torn down The city encroached and surrounded bucolic Greenwich Still Village like in scope it became a community of creative, unorthodox artists and misfits.Strausbaugh did his homework The [...]

Was Greenwich Village a community of freaks and misfits, losers and dopers Or was it an arts powerhouse, a center of genius and creativity The answer is yes to both This is a fascinating history of a fascinating place by someone obviously familiar with the neighborhood From Dutch New Amsterdam to today s gentrified New York, it is a star studded account of movers and shakers in the arts and culture Rich in short bios, interesting anecdotes, and social commentaries A catalog of colorful and outra [...]

This is an incredibly detailed history of one neighbourhood, but also a broad political and social history of New York in general I always said if I could live anywhere at any time it would be Greenwich Village in the 60s, but after reading this book I m not so sure There were a lot of things happening, and it was a great place and time for creativity but there was also a downside that ran through the village during every decade which John Strasbaugh explores brilliantly in this book He manages [...]

This a very enjoyable history of Greenwich Village in New York City I was worried that it would tip too much into a celebrity watch and occasionally it did lean that way but not badly Strausbaugh kept such snippets brief and mainly linked to the Village I found the early history of the area as it passed from a pastoral buffer from the Indians to being engulfed by the City very interesting Theater and film history, as well as the evolution of the gay community and the involvement of the mafia and [...]

Page 391 is where we finally get to Bob Dylan and Greenwich Village I was waiting and WADING through much of the book to get to that point I guess I should have just gotten a Dylan biography There are really interesting stories throughout this 400 year span of history, but I found myself just wanting to get to the 60s already, and anyway the author seemed to dwell, sometimes ad nauseam, on everybody s sexuality which didn t interest me too much after a while, even though it may be an accurate po [...]

In the village, it is always the best of times, always the worst of times If you can develop a tolerance for the repetition of the artsy person doesn t fit in at home moves to village fits in writes paints acts but mostly drinks shoots up fucks fights dies penniless in a rent controlled hovel narrative, this is a really fun and informative read One HUGE problem NO MAP So you might want to Google one and print it out to have handy when you read this.

Quite an accomplishment Read it for an overview of the enormity of the importance of the Village to American culture, or read it to focus in on any particular period I chafed when the author referred to Roger McGuinn as Jim McGuinn, but then I discovered that Roger used to go by Jim, so I bow to the author s devotion to accuracy If you love Greenwich Village, you should read this book.

Dissertation research.This was a really good read and gave me a really in depth history of Greenwich Village.It also has a really detailed bibliography which is something I need for my research.

Enjoyed reading early history, beatnik era and folk Big Dylan fan One child lived on Bedford Street Enjoyed seeing those who lived there and near there Recommend Enjoyed reading early history, beatnik era and folk Big Dylan fan One child lived on Bedford Street Enjoyed seeing those who lived there and near there.

I just went on a special twentieth anniversary trip to NYC with my husband Now I m obsessed with all things New York This book is a portrait of all the people who made Greenwich Village what it once was The latter part of the book deals with the gentrification of the area and is a bit of a downer, but it s important too.

One of the better books of New York history I ve read in a few years It s actually the second book I ve read in the past year about a specific neighborhood, the first being Laurel Canyon, another interesting read.Although the books covers a lot of ground, it does give short shrift to some interesting aspects of Greenwich Village history, most notably the Off Off Broadway shows Three Penny Opera and The Fastasticks, which had a profound impact on, not only New York, but the rest of the country Th [...]

I m one of the B T guys the author speaks of even with all the weekends I spent in the 70s in some of the clubs piers he writes of I still would get lost if I found myself a block or two from Sheridan Square or Christopher St A map would have been very helpful.Other than a wish that perhaps there had been very early history of the Dutch Native Americans the detail paid to each period was appropriate I enjoyed many of the anecdotes specifically about Ed Koch, John Lennon Allen Ginsberg The chapt [...]

Loved this book but it has led to a dresser top full of books that I read about in this book I ll never get though them all That aside, this was a really enjoyable, informative book however, Strausbaugh sometimes throws names around that he seems to assume the reader know like Neal Cassady I m not sure Neal Cassady is a person that most people know much about Luckily the internet makes it possible to pull up a synopsis of the folks he mentions but that are not fully explained That was pretty muc [...]

Enjoyed this book tremendously But when I recommended this to family over the holidays I received a blank look Personally it was wonderfully written If you think of New York and you live out west you probably aren t thinking of the caverns of Wall Street What comes to mind are the funky neighborhoods of Greenwich Village Probably because that is what you heard about and read about your whole life What teenager reads about Wall Street To examine the part of the world that gave some of our best or [...]

Not always the best use of language but it was a very well structured book that was nearly novel esque in the way Strausbaugh described the Village s history through telling stories, characterizing real people, and offering first hand quotes and recollections from people who experienced the Village in certain times and settings Definitely confirms that the Village consisted of and always will consist of phonies and wannabes that don t know what they re doing, but the Village will hopefully conti [...]

a huge cultural saga worth having and keeping, unforgettable Prepare yourself for a great walking tour of Greenwich Village through historical periods and many changing landscape Wear good shoes and bring a camera, for the book is almost exhausting in its coverage Also bring a good map, asClick to read complete book review of The Village 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues A History of Greenwich Village by John Strausbaugh

I enjoyed many different aspects of this book It was a total joy to read Four hundred years of Greenwich Village s history is covered I was familiar with its most recent history and as far back as the Beat Generation but my knowledge of anything earlier was scant I found the earlier history to be the most fascinating part of the book The photos are also excellent and complement the text very well I enjoy reading about cities, people and history and this book has it all in spades Highly recommend [...]

Rather interesting book on the history of Greenwich Village, in lower Manhattan, from the earliest days of Dutch settlement to the gentrification of contemporary times, chronicling the artists, singers, poets and malcontents that have lived there throughout history good touching on New York City politics, the political careers of people like Ed Koch and the preservation efforts of Jane Jacobs and others, as well as the birth of the gay rights movement.

Big picture book about the downtown Bohemian enclave in New York City as it s passed through many different phases Best for those who don t know a lot about the story, it has sensationalistic tendencies, which is at least defensible given the Village s sensational self image But the you know about a particular figure or event, the you re likely to want to quibble with Strausbaugh s emphasis and handling of detail.

Adored this book Adored the experience of reading it during which google was my best friend Google maps, a PBS documentary about the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, images, poems, writings, biographies, artwork, etc At a length of close to 700 pages, I eventually had to consciously reign myself in or spend the next year reading this book Now to return to the actual place

A catalogue of colorful characters who have inhabited Greenwich Village, an urban refugee camp for America s marginalized till high rents killed it In spite of hundreds of page and a half bios, you can argue that the place has only ever had one tenant the self made, self destructive artist God As such, despite its immense cast, Strausbaugh s compendium is a repetitious read.

This is a well researched and complete book telling the story of Greenwich Village and it s special energy from it s creation at the beginning of the Republic, through the rich decades of the twentieth century, to today s elite bedroom community of 1 percenters Lots of great first hand information I felt like I had a great tour through our own renaissance s primary home and source.

Interesting, though some of his stories conflict in minor ways with what I ve heard or seen for example,I watched Casavetes Shadows a few months ago and it looked like the light skinned young girl s brother chased off the white kid she d just lost her virginity to, but he said that the boy left her when he realized she was black and he mischaracterized WBAI but it s interesting.

I used this as a research tool for information about Greenwich Village to be used in a book I am writing It was just the right book for that The storytelling is elementary, the language ordinary, but the research and passion for the place are top notch.

An interwoven series of mini biographies centered around Greenwich Village, New York, mainly of literary figures and musicians with a smattering of politicians, mobsters and regular folks Interesting and often entertaining.