The Ballad of Greenwich Village.

"The Ballad of Greenwich Village" Documentary.

 If you ever want to know about Greenwich Village, its history, then watch the 2005 documentary that was directed and written by Karen Kramer: "The Ballad of Greenwich Village". 

 A lot has happened to the Village since my days of going to The Top of The Village Gate, The Dugout, The Bitter End, Kenny's Castaways and Circle In The Square Downtown. Places like The Bottom Line, Cafe Reggio, Cafe Wha? and The Comedy Cellar reigned as staples in the West Village. 

 Of all the places in the Village, MacDougall Street was my favorite in New York City. From Minetta Lane Restaurant, to Cafe Reggio and Chez Jacqueline, MacDougal had it all. It was a vibrant and bustling street that was awake 24hours a day. 

 What I really liked about this documentary is that it brought me back to my college days (1979–1983). Don't get me wrong, I still spend plenty of time in the village… from the theater in the West Village (theater has shrunk considerably from the 1980's in the Village); to the cafe's (Dante and Reggio); and the great restaurants that now exist today, maybe some of the very best in the city. 

 To hear writers and musicians talk about the village from the 50's till 2005, it really brought me back. I was never at Cafe Society nor The Gaslight as I was to young, however, I was a lot of the places that they spoke about. I was disappointed that the documentary never showed The Top of The Village Gate though. The Gate was a hub for musicians and writers. It spent a lot of time talking about "Chumlies" and less time talking about "The Whitehall Saloon". I felt that the "Gate" was more relevant than most, it lasted until 1991 when it was sold; part of it remains today. 

 The documentary interviews several people who were instrumental in the Village during the 60's; people like Woody Allen, Edward Albee, Judy Collins, Norman Mailer, Tom Paxton and more. It features musicians like Richie Havens and Collins; a big part of the Village was its Folk Singers as well as poets and actors. It also was a haven for activists who protested every issue at hand at that time… whether Vietnam, Woman's Rights, Gay Rights, Iraq War and everything else, the Village was always ready at the helm to march and protest.

I personally found the people from the Village, especially the woman to be uptight liberals. I went to the Village because I loved the difference from the rest of the city. It was a city within the city if you will. The streets were different from the rest of the city. Streets like Commerce St and Minetta Lane I found to be beautiful. The tree lined streets like Perry St. were spectacular. I would go (still do) to eat in great restaurants, I see theater at The Players, One Sheridan Square, see shows at Cafe Wha?, The Blue Note, Vanguard, and eat at Reggio and Dante's. I find the Village to be a special place, even anathema of the politics in the Village, I honor the legends that came here in the 60's from everywhere in the world to make it as a writer, musician or as an actor. The Village was the place to be and people came in droves.

The one thing that this documentary brings out is what has been bothering me about the Village for a long time: NYU (New York University) has bought up a lot of the Village with tax free dollars. As a University, it does not pay taxes. Not only has NYU bought the Provincetown Theatre and many other landmarks, but a lot of property, legendary property. NYU is taking away the cosmetics of what the Village was and should always be.

If the Village both East and West does not get respite under NYC laws, it may very well get bought up by NYU. I am hopeful that the City will step in and prevent this because the Village is too important, too historic to change.

#Broadway Bob, Greenwich Village, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Woody Allen, Jack Kaouric, The Beat Writers, Cafe Wha?, Minetta Lane Tavern, Cafe Reggio, The Bottom Line, Circle In The Square, Al Pacino, American Buffalo.