Jane Jacobs, co-chair of the Committee to save the West Village, at a press conference at the now closed Lions Head Restaurant in Greenwich Village. Photo by Phil Stanziola - New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress
“You’ve got to get out and walk. Walk, and you will see that many of the assumptions on which projects depend are visibly wrong.”
— Jane Jacobs, “Downtown Is For People”
On May 4th, 2016, over 30 people participated in the Jane Jacobs Centennial Pub Crawl, an event organized by CNU NYC and The 555.
The group convened under the Arch in Washington Square at 7 PM, visited Vanderbilt Hall at the NYU Law School, continued to West 4th Street (via Minetta Lane), paused for a beer at the home of classical architects Richard Sammons and Anne Fairfax, continued on West 4th, and arrived at 555 Hudson Street, Jacobs’ house, around 9:30.
On our way. Photo by Gianni Longo
The conversation touched on Jacobs’ ideas, her passion for Greenwich Village, her celebration of street life, her role as a community activist, and her success in preserving large areas of the Village and SoHo from demolition.
Yet, the dialogue was mostly influenced by the places the group visited and West 4th Street in particular. That diverse and varied street that crosses and intersects village landmarks, inspired a conversation on development policies and priorities, small blocks and superblocks, Vision Zero, pedestrian safety, and the distinctive advantages of small, well scaled streets.
The crawl ended at the White Horse Tavern for a final drink.
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