Why are the streets of Manhattan's West Village so unusually charming and romantic? Why does it make such an excellent place for a night out in New York City? Why is the real estate so expensive? And when did it become a distinct place separate from Greenwich Village?

We hope to get to the bottom of these questions in the first part of our epic new limited series on the history of the West Village.

People have been living in this region of Manhattan Island for centuries -- first the Lenape, then the Dutch, who gave the area its distinctive name ("Groenwijck"). During the English colonial period, several large estates were developed here, and their memories survive today in certain street names -- like Christopher Street.

By the 19th century, the fear of yellow-fever epidemics in the crowded city south of here brought new residents, new housing development -- and new streets, built every which way, conforming to hills, farms, and private property. It immediately clashed with the city's plan for an organized Grid Plan of streets and avenues. The result is a bewildering map that often seems to bend space and time (as at the intersection of West 4th and 11th Streets).

Visit our website for more Bowery Boys podcasts and images from this show. This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon

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