Bohemian Greenwich Village

TOUR STARTING POINT: UNDER THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ARCH

OPENING MUSIC:  First 24 seconds of Positively 4^th Street by Bob Dylan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aehwEu8SBSo

Stop 1: Discussion:

• Mention of song -Positively 4^th Street, featuring one main street of the Village, written and sung by by Bob Dylan in 1965 – when he was a counter-culture hero
• Brief overview of Greenwich Village – what streets are its boundaries, origin of name, heritage of “bohemian” living – arts, music, free thinking, left-wing politics
• Washington Square arch as scene of a “secession” of Greenwich Village from the United States in 1917  by a group of artists as  an example of how early the Village has been home to the bohemian

D walk south past  fountain, cross street to Washingston Sq South  – song: Lady Gaga, Born this Way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl0N7JM3wZk

Stop 2:  NYU

• Brief overview of New York University – moved to Village in 1835, presence in the Village, famous alumni include Lady Gaga, Alec Baldwin, Martin Scorsese
• Judson Church -discuss its role in the avant garde arts, and in LGBTQ history
• Mention of other historical sites related to the LGBTQ community in the Village – Stonewall Inn, Christopher St

walk west towards MacDougal Street  -

Song – Jimi Hendrix, Foxy Lady

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PVjcIO4MT4

Stops 3-6: MacDougal Street, walking south from 3^rd Street

• Discussion of MacDougal Street as a main street for artists, musicians, and writers who lived and performed here – Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix, Jackson Pollock
• Stops to view
  • Cafe Reggio, site of the first espresso machine in the US (with recommendation to stop the tour and get a drink/snack there), where JFK gave a speech in 1959, and the Beat poets would gather (Sound – Allan Ginsberg reading the opening of his epic poem Howl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-P2fILsLH8 )
  • Café Wha – where Bob Dylan first came to when he got to NYC in 1961, Jimi Hendrix performed there in 1965,  Woody Allen as a stand up comic, Bruce Springsteen
  • Former site of the Folklore Center, main home of the folk revival, which blended music and politics in the 50s and 60s (Song – Pete Seeger, If I Had a Hammer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO39e5Uznu4

Final Stop 7: Bleecker and MacDougal

Sound: Clip of Richard Pryor 1965 comedy  : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xls4m3uvCZs

• walk east on Bleecker to 147, the Bitter End
  • Discussion of importance of the Village as a place for non-conforming performers to try out the material, because of the open mindness of its residents and visitors
  • Discussion of famous performers who got their initial break at the Bitter End club – Peter Paul and Mary, Judy Collins, Neil Diamond, Richie Pryor, and Joan Rivers

Depending upon time, tour can be extended to other sites to visit to see the spirit of Greenwich Village 

• Stonewall Inn
• White Horse Tavern
• Cooper Union
• St Marks Place
• Village Vanguard