The East Village air

Avenue A is a north–south avenue in the East Village, Manhattan, east of First Avenue and west of Avenue B. It runs from Houston Street to 14th Street, where it continues into a loop road in Stuyvesant Town, connecting to Avenue B. Below Houston Street, Avenue A continues as Essex Street. It is the western border of Tompkins Square Park and is considered to be the same of Alphabet City. Under the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811 the avenues would begin with First on the east side and run through Twelfth in the west. East of First Avenue the plan provided four additional lettered avenues running from Avenue A eastward to D wherever they could be fitted.

Did you know that initially, what is now the East Village was occupied by the Lenape Native Americans. Later the area was divided into plantations by Dutch settlers. During the early 19th century, the East Village contained many of New York’s most opulent estates. By the late 1960s, a lot of students, artists, musicians – and hippies began to move into the neighborhood, and the East Village was given its own special identity. Since at least the 2000s, gentrification has more and more changed the character of the neighborhood.

Maybe many natives are missing these good old times. But I always like strolling through the East Village because it is very nice and relaxing. For me as a guy who did not grow up here the quarter still has a very special flair and indentity. It was a wonderfull sunny day one year ago when the colored leaves fell down and the low-lying sun throwed long shadows. New Yorker say that the summer in the city ain’t over before the end of october.

.

Av. A, Manhattan, New York, NY