Times Square from Above
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New York City Townhouses - Greenwich Village - By Vivienne Gucwa

There are so many hidden architectural treasures that are scattered throughout New York City. This is one that I had never seen until recently. This is Grove Court. Grove Court is a row of townhouses that are nestled in far from the street in Greenwich Village (or the West Village depending on who you talk to). The space is tucked away and marked by an iron gate. In fact, it's easy to miss due to its distance from the rest of the neighboring buildings that line the street it is on.

The houses that sit in this beautiful alley were first built in the 1840s and Grove Court spent the majority of the 19th century as a spot for the economically challenged lower classes. The story goes that the poor who inhabited these houses were so poor that they were unable to enjoy a typical spot of ale and instead had to drink the leftover remnants of the local pub's beer barrel (the proverbial "bottom of the barrel"). So, for a short period of time, this spot was often referred to as "Mixed Ale Alley".

The townhouses were sold to realty company in the 1920s who re-vamped the look of Grove Court hoping that its newer, more charming incarnation would attract a newer crop of artists and writers who were flocking to the West Village.Grove Court is currently a treasured hidden enclave and the townhouses that sit at the end of this ivy-covered alley are worth millions of dollars. 



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Times Square from Above
Times Square from Above
Times Square from Above
See photo in original gallery.