This attractive, mostly low-rise area is considered by many to be the
most "human-scale" neighborhood in all of Manhattan. It is no coincidence
that Jane Jacobs' "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" was inspired
by the author's observation of the neighborhood life on the blocks surrounding
her West Village apartment.
Architecturally, the West Village has been preserved pretty well, which is a plus if you
like the character of old buildings, but a minus if you're looking for an affordable
yet modern apartment. There are few modern buildings and only a handful of them would
qualify as "high-rise". The main reason for this is a geological quirk: the famous Manhattan "rock" foundation, easily reachable in Midtown and in the Financial District area, lies very deep in the West Village area. Thus, building high will be either expensive or dangerous. Disappointing? Maybe (if you're a developer). But the result is a lovely, mostly low- and mid-rise, neighborhood dominated by 19th and early 20th-century brownstones, townhouses, and small apartment buildings, and oozing the charm of quite
another New York era.
