December 9, 2003: West Village 5
Back in 1994 I used a Dylan Thomas line for my yearbook quote- "Do not go gentle into that good night... Rage, rage against the dying of the light." But even Dylan Thomas had to leave the West Village eventually- and so I'm ending this series. Maybe I'll come back with my camera sometime soon- I'd love to shoot rooftops and backyards, if anyone happens to have an apartment in the neighborhood right now. Until then, why not jump on the 1/9 to Christopher and get some cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery- or a burger at the Corner Bistro? Mmm! Burgers and cupcakes- the perfect meal! [All pictures are available in higher resolution in the gallery section]
Comments
there is a special booth at corner bistro that has heated seats... awesome when you come in from this blustery weather...you're free to shoot from my rooftop if you want...
Jake, have you read Republic of Dreams? It's really an incredible history of Greenwich Village (1910-1960). If focuses most on the West Village, the writers artists, and activists that lived there, and their relationships. Your photo essay reminds me a lot of the book.
if that's the courtyard on grove st, which i believe it is, that is my favorite set of apartment buildings in the village. the courtyard is so nice.
corrie: thanks for the tip! i'll definitely pick up that book.
i wonder what i should do for my next project- i was thinking nolita/noho or the east village. i don't want to go above 14th street or to brooklyn before i finish everything around here. and last night i was walking on great jones street and i was stunned- literally stunned- but how good some of the buildings looked.
what about the crazy transformation of alphabet city?
yeah- eventually i'll make it over to the east village and alphabet city- but i think i'm going to radiate out from thompson street- b/c i lose time walking to the neighborhood i'm shooting.
fuck nolita. i say go for the east village/noho area, for all its notoriety its rarely photographed with the approach you seem to be taking... the fire-station on great jones is one of the best buildings in new york, it's a just perfect building from arch on down. and if you're going to look around great jones, don't forget about it's sibling wide street bond (poor bond street has had a tumultuous history: it's been posh then poor and back again more times than one can count and, now posh again, houses million dollar condos)... most of the streets between second and third avenues hide some remarkable buildings (stuyvesant street, and fifth stand out in my mind) and if you get bored with buildings, the two marble cemeteries around there (one on second street between first and second, visible to the street, and one between second and third that you can access from second avenue) are also fantastic and occasionally open to the public, and the st. marks cemetery is worth checking out for the slowly cracking bell and poor peter stuyvesants grave...
i love ur village photos. magnolia does have the best cupcakes & bistro has the best burgers. hands down. the village is my town and nothing compares to it.
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