The Italian Village, Walking Tour

The Italian Village, Walking Tour

Greenwich Village isn’t just about artists, writers, and Bohemians. For almost 150 years, a vibrant Italian-American community has existed on the neighborhood’s southern edge. Starting in Washington Square Park, Marc Catapano will explore the history and cultural legacy of the “Italian Village,” visiting such landmarks as Our Lady of Pompei and St Anthony of Padua, plus sites associated with the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Learn about notable Italian-American locals, such as Gregory Corso, poet and one of the youngest members of the Beat Generation; Diane DiPrima, poet and activist; and mobster Crazy Joey Gallo, “beatnik gangster” and the subject of a Bob Dylan song. And take a dive into the rich Italian culinary legacy, from coffee houses and pizzerias, to bakeries and grocers.

The Cornelia Street Café in Exile: A Documentary (2025)

The Cornelia Street Café in Exile: A Documentary (2025)

For 41 years, the Cornelia Street Café was a Village fixture, a great place to go, whether to relax with friends and a bottle of wine, or to write at a corner table, fueled by excellent coffee. Downstairs, on its diminutive stage, Suzanne Vega might be trying out a new song, Oliver Sacks presenting a science evening, Eve Ensler directing an early performance of The Vagina Monologues. David Amram played regular gigs in what he called “the Cornelia Street Stadium.”