Washington Square Park

This cozy Greenwich Village park is always filled with students, residents and tourists alike. It is one of the few green spots in the area and has undergone many incarnations since it was the site of Minetta Creek in the 1600s. At the northern end stands the famous arch, built in 1892 to commemorate the centennial of George Washington's inauguration. The arch was designed by the iconic Stanford White and throughout the park you can find many interesting historical features and facets, some are hidden and others are in plain sight. The area was also the neighborhood for many famous artists and writers, including Henry James, Edith Wharton and Edward Hopper; many lived in the Greek Revival style row houses at the northern end of the park. Today, most of the buildings in the neighborhood are owned by New York University.