West Village

The West Village is the western portion of Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, New York City, and a landmark in LGBTQ+ history. It is home to the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, where the 1969 Stonewall uprising helped ignite the modern gay rights movement. For decades the area anchored queer life in the city, with bars, bookshops, community organizations, and chosen-family networks concentrated along its side streets. In 2015 the Stonewall Inn became the first site in New York City landmarked specifically for its LGBT history. Gentrification has reshaped the neighborhood, yet it remains a pilgrimage destination and an enduring symbol of the fight for liberation.