Only in Greenwich Village can you stand on the corner of Waverly Place and Waverly Place – one of the many quirky little streets that makes Greenwich Village an exciting place to explore but a little difficult to navigate. A few friends and I had a delightful time two weeks ago exploring Greenwich Village with Judith Pucci of Downtown Tours. I know Judith from the 9-11 Tribute Center where we are both docents. Judith, a longtime Greenwich Village resident, leads a wonderful, informative walking tour of her neighborhood. Judith tells the story of Greenwich Village by sharing historical facts on three events that shaped the area – the grid, yellow fever epidemic and the big cut. She has wonderful anecdotes to share. Did you know that Gay Street isn’t named for a feeling of happiness or for a sexual preference? It is named after the land owner, Mr. Gay.

Also learned that NYU owns all the land around Washington Square Park but the city owns the park. It made me feel smart when Judith asked “has anyone read Washington Square by Henry James?” I was able to answer yes since the library book club read it last year. 🙂

Judith is a wealth of information, wonderful storyteller and an excellent tour guide. You won’t be disappointed if you take a tour with her. I have included a link to her website. https://sites.google.com/site/downtowntoursnyc