History in Asphalt

An illustrated talk about Greenwich Village and the forces that shaped its pattern of streets, with Manhattan historian Joyce Gold

Village streets can bring even seasoned New Yorkers to their knees. Streets bend, diagonals come out of nowhere, roads stop for no good reason, and thoroughfares change direction. Such intersections as Waverly Place & Waverly Place, and W 4th Street & W 10th, Street do little to help.

There are good reasons behind the confusion, but it takes some digging to uncover them. Joyce Gold will explain how topography, natural boundaries, Indian paths, and estate ownership carved the first convoluted pattern of roads. And she will also show the strange result of the city’s insisting upon connecting areas north and south of the Village. Joyce Gold is a legendary New York City tour guide, whose specialties include the women of Washington Square, the history of the Meatpacking District, and the streetscapes of Greenwich Village. Ms. Gold holds a Masters in Metropolitan Studies from New York University, and has taught courses about the history of New York at the New School and NYU for over thirty years.