When you think of our lovely Greenwich Village, you might reflect on its rich history of Bohemia, its strong ties to peaceful political demonstrations and folk music and its famously eclectic and avant-garde residents. You could say nobody wants to leave Haunted Greenwich Village.
But what if some of those residents never really left?
Bwahahahaha!!!
Some claim that the Village is one of the city’s most haunted neighborhoods.
Washington Square Park is often called New York’s most haunted green.
Have you seen The Hanging Tree, located at the northwest corner?
This lovely English Elm is almost 350 years old, and legend has it that some unfortunate souls met their untimely ends dangling from its limbs.
Take a guided walking tour
You can see The Hanging Tree and more on a guided, two-hour walking ghost tour. The guides are knowledgeable and really into the folklore surrounding many of the buildings in the Village.
Here are some of the haunted places in and around the Park:
- The Edgar Allan Poe house, where the macabre author of The Raven once lived. What lies beyond the facade?
- The Brown Building, site of the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, where some claim that victims of the blaze still wander the halls to this day.
- The building at 12 Gay Street is reportedly haunted by former New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker.
- The Church of the Ascension on 5th Avenue is supposedly hosting nighttime visits from the artist John LaFarge.
- The Cherry Lane Theatre is Manhattan’s oldest off-Broadway theater and reportedly still home for several actors who, er, no longer need their SAG cards.
The guides will fill your minds (and maybe spook the bejesus out of you) with stories of Haunted Greenwich Village, past residents, and with a little luck, maybe you will meet them yourself!
The tours start at 8 p.m. at the Waverly Restaurant on 6th Avenue and cost $35. Head here for more info and to get tickets.
Image via Jordi Carrasco/Flickr
