West Village is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The area is roughly bounded by the Hudson River on the west and Sixth Avenue on the east, extending from 14th Street south to Houston Street. The Far West Village extends from the Hudson River to Hudson Street. Bordering neighborhoods are Chelsea to the north, Hudson Square(created in 2009) and South Village to the south, and Greenwich Village to the east. The neighborhood is primarily residential, with a multitude of small restaurants, shops, and services. The area is part of Manhattan Community Board 2, as well as of the Sixth Precinct of the New York City Police Department, which also covers an area east of the West Village between Sixth Avenue and Broadway from Houston to 14th Streets.
HISTORY
Known as “Little Bohemia” starting in 1916, West Village is in some ways the center of the bohemian lifestyle on the West Side, with classic artist’s lofts in the form of the Westbeth Artists Community and Julian Schnabel’s Palazzo Chupi. It is also the site of sleek new residential towers designed by American architect Richard Meier facing the Hudson River at 173/176 Perry Street.
The High Line connects the historic district to the nearby neighborhoods of Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Hudson Yards. The elevated train tracks, mostly running parallel to Tenth Avenue, have been converted to an open greenway. The tracks once served the businesses in the area, but have been long abandoned and converted into a popular public park.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The approximate residential population in the West Village is 34,000 people based on seven 2010 Census Tracts for Manhattan Community District 2. The following are some population characteristics:
- Fewer kids. 10% of the population in the West Village is less than 20 years old (27% of population of entire US is less than 20 years old)
- More 20-39 year olds. 45% of the population in the West Village is 20–39 years old (versus 27% in entire US)
- More women. Females aged 20–39 make up 25% of the population in the West Village (13% of population in entire US) Females aged 20–29 make up 14% of the population in the West Village versus 7% in the entire US. Females in West Village represent 52% of the population versus 51% in all of the US.
- More foreign-born. 80% of the population was born in the US (87% in entire US)
- More money. Average household income by census tract was $180,000 (compared to $51,000 average household income by state for entire US)
A NYU study estimates 1,610,000 workers commute to Manhattan during the workweek, and the West Village is the destination for 8,000 of these commuters.
About 13,000 out-of-town visitors also visit the neighborhood daily. A portion of these approximately 139,452 domestic and international visitors that enter the city daily visit or stay in the West Village; an average of 11,000 people visit the High Line everyday.
The average number of people who visit the West Village from these three demographics is 55,000 people daily.