Exploring the Original West Village Book

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

1 Development of Greenwich Village: A Little Background 15

2 Christopher Street, the Ninth Avenue El and the Story of William "Bill the Butcher" Poole 20

3 Christopher Street Continued: The Fighting Marine, the Stonewall Inn, Lucille Lortel and the Theater de Lys 29

4 Weehawken Street (the Shortest Street in Manhattan), Newgate Prison and the Empire Brewery 40

5 West Tenth and Charles Streets: Pig Alley, The Runaway Bunny and Diane Arbus 50

6 Onward Down Charles Street: Writers, Musicians and a Future Mayor 61

7 Perry Street: Frank Serpico, Jane Jacobs, Sir Peter Warren and Bleecker Gardens 68

8 Up and Down West Eleventh Street: The White Horse Tavern, a Palazzo and Many Writers and Poets 78

9 Busy Bank Street 88

10 West Street: Superior Ink and Herman Melville, Gansevoort Market, the Meatpacking District and the Death Avenue Cowboy 99

11 Up on the High Line, Down on Horatio Street: Odets, Baldwin, Pollock and the Hudson Dusters 108

12 Jane Street and Back to Bank Street: Alexander Hamilton and Max Eastman, Auntie Mame and Abingdon Square 117

About the Authors 127