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East Village



  

History


Unlike the hip place it is today, East Village originated as a farmland estate. The farmland was owned by Dutch Governor Wouter van Twiller. In 1651, Petrus Stuyvesant purchased the deed to the farm. The farmland was held by over 7 generations of the family until parcels were sold in the 1800s. The dirt roads of East Village held some of the wealthiest town houses and households of New York.

In the 1850s, when the Germans and Italians began migrating to New York, the city of East Village transformed for a time to Little Germany. Little Germany held the largest population of Germans, aside from Berlin and Vienna. When the SS General Slocum burned down in the East River on 1904, then the official community of "Little Germany" also dissolved.

Since the 1800s, East Village has went through a variety of transformations. Until the 1960s, East Village continued to be a home to working-class immigrants. In the mid-1960s, a variety of hippies, artists, and musicians moved into East Village. East Village was given its name to disassociate itself from the Lower East Side, so that creative types promoting their businesses could give East Village a touch of high class. As the area attracted more real estate investors and developers, it continued to commercialize its name of the East Village.

Today, the East Village has become one of the funkiest cities in New York for artists and musicians. The film "Rent" even placed its setting in East Village for a variety of struggling artists and musicians trying to make it big in New York.

Description


There are a variety of eclectic communities within East Village. These are Alphabet City, Louisaida, St. Mark's Place, and the Bowery. While there is still a presence of artists and musicians in East Village, the art scene does seem to be declining with the closing of several prominent nightclubs. The area is becoming more commercialized with luxury high rise condominiums. Some of the most breathtaking gardens of New York are held in East Village.

Residents


About 50,000 people live in East Village. Some of its communities are fiercely tight-knit with a devotion to historic preservation. New York University owns many of the buildings in East Village, which has caused some tensions within the East Village communities. Many young creative types flock to East Village for its cheap apartments, while there are still residents who have lived in East Village since its 1980s "punk rock" roots.

Rental Housing


East Village holds some of the cheapest housing options in New York. Many students can find great deals on studio apartments starting at $1,500. Two bedroom apartments are also highly affordable in East Village, starting at $3,000 and increasing in price depending on amenities and the presence of a doorman.

Fun Stuff to Do


There are plenty of things to do in East Village. If you enjoy nightlife, then East Village is the place for you. Elsa is an awesome place to visit. An original "speakeasy" during the Prohibition Era, Elsa is a true historic gem in East Village. The Bourgeois Pig features soulful music, for those that like a great drink and fabulous music. There is no shortage of exciting life in East Village, which makes it a great pick for young professionals and students seeking cheap rent.