East Village is a neighborhood in Manhattan that is bounded by 14th Street on the north, the East River on the east, Houston Street on the south and Broadway on the west. It is east of the better known Greenwich Village area. East Village includes the Alphabet City (Avenues A - D) and Noho (Houston Street - Astor Place, Broadway to the Bowery) neighborhoods.
The area was dubbed the “East Village” in the fifties and sixties, to distinguish it from the lower East Side and to present it as a haven for artistic types, sort of a new Greenwich Village.
The East Village's has a colorful history as well as vibrant social and cultural outlets. It has been a haven for musicians in particular. CBGB, the nightclub considered to be the birthplace of punk music, was located in the neighborhood. A number of well known bands and singers who got their start at clubs and venues in the area, including Patti Smith, Talking Heads, the Ramones Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys.
The East Village art gallery scene was a source for the development of modern art in America, with such artists as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquest and Jeff Koons having exhibited in the neighborhood.
Other notable residents have included Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Deborah Harry and Blondie, Iggy Pop, Jack Kerouac and, in earlier times, Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The area is also noted for its diverse nightlife, reflecting East Village’s wide diversity of lifestyles and atmosphere. |
