A Walk Through Greenwhich Village

            We took a Greenwich Village walking tour and met at Washington Square arch on Sunday. It was my first time to go into the Washington Square Park. It is a peaceful and beautiful park that borders New York University (NYU) and is home to New York City's iconic white arch. Strolling and sitting in the park, were NYU students, couples cuddling together, street performers, musicians, artists sketching and painting on easels, protesters, small dogs running, cooling fountains, and playing children. .
             Greenwich Village is a largely residential neighborhood, which was known in the late 19th to mid 20th centuries as an artists' haven and the Bohemian capital. It is like being in an entirely different city than most of Manhattan. There are many nice little stores and markets, mature landscaping and tree-lined streets.
             Washington Square Arch is a manifest landmark in the park. The arch itself is 77 feet high. It was originally made of wood and stucco but redone in marble in 1891. It was designed by Stanford White and dedicated on May 4, 1895. Construction began in 1888 to mark the centennial of Washington's inauguration. The arch was the first major structure to embody the principles of the growing City Beautiful movement and the formation of the Municipal Art Society (Carlson). I have been to Arc de Triumphe in Paris; the architecture styles are similar in using the Beaux-Arts. When I passed under the Washington Square arch, I found that it was decorated with amazingly symmetrical squares, worked into the stone on the coffered ceiling, which I did not notice before. .
             Entering the park, there is a sculpture of Giuseppe Garibaldi; He is an Italian hero and a freedom fighter who exiled from Italy and lead insurrections in his name of Italian unity. He draws his sword as if still fighting today. Opposite to the park, there is a church that is called Judson Memorial Church. It was founded as a Baptist church in 1890.