WEST VILLAGE

The West Village is a part of Greenwich Village and roughly contains the area between 6th Avenue and Hudson River. Christopher Street, known as the birthplace of the gay liberation movement, is located in the West Village. In the 1960s violent police raids took place in gay bars throughout the city, but on June 27, 1969 the gay crowd in the Stonewall Inn defended themselves against the police. This event led to solidarity among the people in the Village and in large numbers they resisted police harassment directed towards their community for the first time. These events, known as the Stonewall Riots, are of big importance for the gay liberation movement. In many countries people celebrate Christopher Street Days to remind people of the hard struggle of gay liberation. New York’s gay parade, which takes place every year in June, ends in the West Village. 

The neighborhood is still known as the gay village, where many gay bars and clubs are located. The oldest gay and lesbian bookstore of the city “Oscar Wilde Bookshop” is also located in the West Village. However, the area also attracts heterosexual people and lots of tourists because it offers nice restaurants, cafés and a good nightlife. You’ll also find nice fashion boutiques in the quiet, tree-lined streets of the West Village.