The Far West Village  

Its residents often refer to the Far West Village neighborhood as a “homey” neighborhood. They say everyday feels like Sunday here. Artists, photographers and designers living in studio apartments in converted warehouses (plenty in this neighborhood) are supported with the take-out and quaint stores, such as Myers of Keswick. The West Village also has Hudson’s Video Library, rich with BBC shows and foreign language movies. Residents walking on their way home stop at the Golden Rabbit stationery store at 561 Hudson St. to collect their packages and laundry. People say it’s magical down here. Walking down the street you can see someone you know in just 20 minutes, or meet people you don’t know just as easily.

In first half of the 18 th century this area was filled with tobacco plantations, no one would suspected that this place would become on of the most desired neighborhoods in New York City. Later the area was filled with factories and warehouses, with tenements between them. The residents of the tenements were generally immigrants; most were working in the factories and warehouses of the neighborhood. Today only few of the industrial buildings still remain in the neighborhood, a reminder of the old west village, they are located along the meatpacking district just south of the 14th St. Now this NYC neighborhood has become fashionable, apartments cost 20 times as much compared to the prices of the late 50’s.

Apartments available for rent are located in a former printing house on Hudson St, which has been converted into a condominium loft building with a doorman. The former Federal Archives Building has also been converted into rental apartments. The soap factory on 166 Bank St. is now a hi-end co-op loft building and the former Sixth Precinct station house is now Le Gendarme rentals.

There is a Pre-K-6 public school, P.S. 3 on 490 Hudson St. It is an alternative arts-oriented elementary school, a wonderful place to educate a child with imagination. West Village residents also send their children to the P.S. 41 at 116 West 11 th St. Finally, there is a nursery school in the neighborhood, The West Village Nursery School at 73 Horatio St.