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From our recording studio in Brooklyn, we make audio that celebrates human creativity, history and the spaces we live to learn about.

Immerse yourself in a neighborhood where creativity, activism, and transformation resonate through its history. Discover hidden gems and stories from musicians, cheesemongers, historians, and artists who've revived places on the brink of obscurity, catalyzing global movements.

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Priceless New York: Greenwich Village

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New York

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“It is by all odds the loftiest of cities. It even managed to reach the highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.”
― E.B. White

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Michael: On behalf of Mastercard and Gesso, Welcome to this Priceless Walk through Greenwich Village, ending at the High Line.  
You should be in Washington Square Park, right now, between the arch and the fountain.   
Over the next couple hours, we're going to uncover what makes this neighborhood so iconic.   
 Hi, I'm Michael, and I'm one of the creators behind Gesso. We're all about uncovering the fascinating stories tucked beneath the surface.  
I'd like to think that our audio tours bring history and culture to life, connecting us all through shared human experiences.   
Today we'll hear from musicians, cheese mongers, pizza aficionados, historians, bar owners, and artists who know these treasured places best.   
For those of you using the Gesso app, stories and directions will automatically play as you arrive at the next stop.  
Feel free to hit play and pause whenever you please, and take as many detours as you like. If you ever find yourself wondering if you're in the right spot, don't worry, there's a map you can refer to.   
For now, have a seat on the bench by the fountain for a minute, while I tell you the story of the Arch Conspirators.  
 On the frigid winter evening of January 23rd, 1917, eddies of snow whirled to the ground, blanketing Greenwich Village in white.   
The park's arch, grand, and marbled, towered like a noble sentinel from a bygone Roman era.   
What any passerby wouldn't have seen, looking at the arch on this snowy evening, was a huddled group of friends, layered in blankets and winter wear, secretly hurrying up the arch's interior staircase.   
Grace (WSP): They spread out blankets, hung up lanterns, balloons and had some tea, and, talked and laughed until dawn on the top of the arch.  
Michael: That's Grace Harman from the Washington Square Park Conservancy.   
Grace (WSP): There is a little maintenance door in the side of it. They snuck in and they climbed up the spiral staircase, to the top of the arch.   
Michael: That maintenance door is still there.   
Grace (WSP): The door is locked now ever since they snuck up there.   
There was a poet, Gertrude Drick, a couple of painters, John Sloan and Marcel Duchamp and there were some actors from Provincetown Playhouse, Russell Mann, Betty Turner, and Charles Ellis.  
Michael: At the end of the night, they read a proclamation declaring a free and independent Greenwich Village.   
Grace (WSP): They were declaring the space for free and independent thought. It wasn't necessarily the start of it, but I think it's definitely safe to say that it was a watershed moment, and what's really cool is actually one of those artists, John Sloan, did an etching of the night called Arch Conspirators.   
Michael: You can find it on The Met's website. When the arch conspirators made their famous declaration in 1917, the neighborhood's wealthy residents were beginning to see an influx of new neighbors.  
Grace (WSP): The neighborhood at that time was really becoming that center of, young Bohemia. Very wealthy people were starting to really mix with this artistic and intellectual class. The park itself was a bit of a divider for a while, and, you know, there's a reason that those row houses are on the north side of the park versus the south side of the park.   
Michael: And because it's public space, it was used by everyone, regardless of social class.   
The park also served an important role for activists.  
Grace (WSP): It starts actually in the late 1800's.   
There have been, demonstrations for women's rights, pro choice rallies, major political rallies, the beatnik riots in the sixties. During 2020, there were a lot of Black Lives Matter events and demonstrations.  
Michael: Let's start moving. Stand up with your back to the arch, and walk around the fountain to the right. There are two parallel paths that head out to the right. Take either one.    
I'll chime in with the next direction in a minute.  
Even though the park has served such an important role in allowing citizens to demonstrate, the park has faced at least one major challenge to its existence when Robert Moses, the New York City Parks Commissioner who is notorious for bulldozing entire neighborhoods, made plans to send traffic right through the park.   
Grace (WSP): Jane Jacobs and actually another, local activist, named Shirley Hayes, were mothers who brought their children to the park and really didn't want to see it, turned into a major roadway so there were tons of, public protests, and letter writing campaigns spearheaded by women and eventually they put enough pressure on Robert Moses and Washington Square Park remains as beautiful as it is.  
Michael: Up ahead, take the farthest path on the left.  
The survival of Washington Square Park was about more than just preserving its beauty though.  
Grace (WSP): I don't know if Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, any of the protests that have taken place as far back as the Stonecutters Riot in the 1800's, I, I cannot imagine what the impact of those would have been without the platform of Washington Square Park. Where would those people have gathered?  
Michael: But gather, they did. And when they craved food, coffee, and live music, they headed to MacDougal Street, which is where we're headed now.   
As we exit the park, cross to the left and keep walking on MacDougal.

 \|||// Michael: On behalf of Mastercard and Gesso, Welcome to this Priceless Walk through Greenwich Village, ending at the High Line.  
You should be in Washington Square Park, right now, between the arch and the fountain.   
Over the next couple hours, we're going to uncover what makes this neighborhood so iconic.   
 Hi, I'm Michael, and I'm one of the creators behind Gesso. We're all about uncovering the fascinating stories tucked beneath the surface.  
I'd like to think that our audio tours bring history and culture to life, connecting us all through shared human experiences.   
Today we'll hear from musicians, cheese mongers, pizza aficionados, historians, bar owners, and artists who know these treasured places best.   
For those of you using the Gesso app, stories and directions will automatically play as you arrive at the next stop.  
Feel free to hit play and pause whenever you please, and take as many detours as you like. If you ever find yourself wondering if you're in the right spot, don't worry, there's a map you can refer to.   
For now, have a seat on the bench by the fountain for a minute, while I tell you the story of the Arch Conspirators.  
 On the frigid winter evening of January 23rd, 1917, eddies of snow whirled to the ground, blanketing Greenwich Village in white.   
The park's arch, grand, and marbled, towered like a noble sentinel from a bygone Roman era.   
What any passerby wouldn't have seen, looking at the arch on this snowy evening, was a huddled group of friends, layered in blankets and winter wear, secretly hurrying up the arch's interior staircase.   
Grace (WSP): They spread out blankets, hung up lanterns, balloons and had some tea, and, talked and laughed until dawn on the top of the arch.  
Michael: That's Grace Harman from the Washington Square Park Conservancy.   
Grace (WSP): There is a little maintenance door in the side of it. They snuck in and they climbed up the spiral staircase, to the top of the arch.   
Michael: That maintenance door is still there.   
Grace (WSP): The door is locked now ever since they snuck up there.   
There was a poet, Gertrude Drick, a couple of painters, John Sloan and Marcel Duchamp and there were some actors from Provincetown Playhouse, Russell Mann, Betty Turner, and Charles Ellis.  
Michael: At the end of the night, they read a proclamation declaring a free and independent Greenwich Village.   
Grace (WSP): They were declaring the space for free and independent thought. It wasn't necessarily the start of it, but I think it's definitely safe to say that it was a watershed moment, and what's really cool is actually one of those artists, John Sloan, did an etching of the night called Arch Conspirators.   
Michael: You can find it on The Met's website. When the arch conspirators made their famous declaration in 1917, the neighborhood's wealthy residents were beginning to see an influx of new neighbors.  
Grace (WSP): The neighborhood at that time was really becoming that center of, young Bohemia. Very wealthy people were starting to really mix with this artistic and intellectual class. The park itself was a bit of a divider for a while, and, you know, there's a reason that those row houses are on the north side of the park versus the south side of the park.   
Michael: And because it's public space, it was used by everyone, regardless of social class.   
The park also served an important role for activists.  
Grace (WSP): It starts actually in the late 1800's.   
There have been, demonstrations for women's rights, pro choice rallies, major political rallies, the beatnik riots in the sixties. During 2020, there were a lot of Black Lives Matter events and demonstrations.  
Michael: Let's start moving. Stand up with your back to the arch, and walk around the fountain to the right. There are two parallel paths that head out to the right. Take either one.    
I'll chime in with the next direction in a minute.  
Even though the park has served such an important role in allowing citizens to demonstrate, the park has faced at least one major challenge to its existence when Robert Moses, the New York City Parks Commissioner who is notorious for bulldozing entire neighborhoods, made plans to send traffic right through the park.   
Grace (WSP): Jane Jacobs and actually another, local activist, named Shirley Hayes, were mothers who brought their children to the park and really didn't want to see it, turned into a major roadway so there were tons of, public protests, and letter writing campaigns spearheaded by women and eventually they put enough pressure on Robert Moses and Washington Square Park remains as beautiful as it is.  
Michael: Up ahead, take the farthest path on the left.  
The survival of Washington Square Park was about more than just preserving its beauty though.  
Grace (WSP): I don't know if Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, any of the protests that have taken place as far back as the Stonecutters Riot in the 1800's, I, I cannot imagine what the impact of those would have been without the platform of Washington Square Park. Where would those people have gathered?  
Michael: But gather, they did. And when they craved food, coffee, and live music, they headed to MacDougal Street, which is where we're headed now.   
As we exit the park, cross to the left and keep walking on MacDougal.

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Washington Square Park

Tour Item

English

1. Washington Square Park.mp3

Michael: In the 1950's, the voices of the Beat Generation echoed through the cafes and the streets of Greenwich Village, defining a new, rebellious literary movement. Allen Ginsberg's Howl, published in 1956, and Jack Kerouac's On the Road from '57, are just snapshots of the seismic shifts occurring in the arts during this period. With the 1960's, the folk artists, including Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, found their voices and audiences in the same cafes right here on MacDougal Street.   
When you reach West 3rd, cross over to the right side, and then continue walking on MacDougal for another block in the same direction.  
Here, legends were born and boundaries were pushed, as artists used their platforms not just for expression, but for activism and societal change. MacDougal Street's cafes were a crucial player in the transformative era of cultural evolution and resistance.   
Some of them were all about the coffee. Like Cafe Reggio up ahead on the right, which opened its doors in 1927.  
Its founder, a Calabrian immigrant, introduced the village and the country to its first ever cappuccino.  
At other cafes, like Cafe Wha?, which is further up ahead on the right, the coffee was just a way to pay the bills.   
Hap: Originally it didn't have a liquor license.  
Michael: We're joined by Hap Pardo, who's the director of musical operations at Cafe Wha?.  
These sidewalks are really narrow, and we're going to talk to Hap for just a minute. So pull over on Minetta Lane out of the pedestrian traffic.  
In 1959, a man named Manny Roth decided to open Cafe Wha? in a building that was formerly horse stables. During the 1960's, it would become the launchpad for many well known musicians, comedians, and poets.  
Hap: It's really hard to go through the entire list because it's pretty much everybody that played New York City in the 60's. It would be almost impossible to name them all.

Um, Bob Dylan's first night in town asked if he could play a few tunes and he went on to have a fairly regular gig. I believe Manny fired him three times.   
Peter, Paul, and Mary. Mary was a waitress at Cafe Wha? When she met Peter and Paul who were playing on stage one night.   
The Velvet Underground.  
Every major comedian from the era, Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, other comedians who we no longer talk about, but...   
The summer of 66 Jimmy Hendrix, who was then known as Jimmy James and the Blue Flames were essentially the house band at Cafe Wha?, playing five nights a week.   
It's where Bruce Springsteen's first band, the Castiles got their start. He actually spent the day at Cafe Wha? when he was supposed to be graduating High School because the, uh, principal told him he had to cut his hair or he couldn't come to graduation.   
Michael: While in recent years, Cafe Wha? has continued its legacy of being a proving ground for young performers, these days, it also opens its intimate stage to more established ones.   
Hap: People are seated stage level. They're seated right in front, literally inches away from the performer. And you're right there with them like it's a living room.

Anybody from George Benson, to the Backstreet Boys, to John Mayer, Britney Spears.  
Michael: Manny Roth was the uncle to David Lee Roth, who would go on to be the lead singer of Van Halen.  
Hap: In 2012, Van Halen got together for the first time since 1984 and David Lee Roth said I'm more nervous about this gig than being at The Garden. That Cafe Wha? was a Temple and, it just meant so much for him to play there. His Uncle, Manny, was in attendance and it was really, really meaningful and really special that we are still around and we're still keeping that original legacy alive.  
Michael: Let's keep moving. Continue on Minetta Lane and cross the big intersection up ahead. I'll see you on the other side.

115 MacDougal Street \|||// Michael: In the 1950's, the voices of the Beat Generation echoed through the cafes and the streets of Greenwich Village, defining a new, rebellious literary movement. Allen Ginsberg's Howl, published in 1956, and Jack Kerouac's On the Road from '57, are just snapshots of the seismic shifts occurring in the arts during this period. With the 1960's, the folk artists, including Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, found their voices and audiences in the same cafes right here on MacDougal Street.   
When you reach West 3rd, cross over to the right side, and then continue walking on MacDougal for another block in the same direction.  
Here, legends were born and boundaries were pushed, as artists used their platforms not just for expression, but for activism and societal change. MacDougal Street's cafes were a crucial player in the transformative era of cultural evolution and resistance.   
Some of them were all about the coffee. Like Cafe Reggio up ahead on the right, which opened its doors in 1927.  
Its founder, a Calabrian immigrant, introduced the village and the country to its first ever cappuccino.  
At other cafes, like Cafe Wha?, which is further up ahead on the right, the coffee was just a way to pay the bills.   
Hap: Originally it didn't have a liquor license.  
Michael: We're joined by Hap Pardo, who's the director of musical operations at Cafe Wha?.  
These sidewalks are really narrow, and we're going to talk to Hap for just a minute. So pull over on Minetta Lane out of the pedestrian traffic.  
In 1959, a man named Manny Roth decided to open Cafe Wha? in a building that was formerly horse stables. During the 1960's, it would become the launchpad for many well known musicians, comedians, and poets.  
Hap: It's really hard to go through the entire list because it's pretty much everybody that played New York City in the 60's. It would be almost impossible to name them all.

Um, Bob Dylan's first night in town asked if he could play a few tunes and he went on to have a fairly regular gig. I believe Manny fired him three times.   
Peter, Paul, and Mary. Mary was a waitress at Cafe Wha? When she met Peter and Paul who were playing on stage one night.   
The Velvet Underground.  
Every major comedian from the era, Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, other comedians who we no longer talk about, but...   
The summer of 66 Jimmy Hendrix, who was then known as Jimmy James and the Blue Flames were essentially the house band at Cafe Wha?, playing five nights a week.   
It's where Bruce Springsteen's first band, the Castiles got their start. He actually spent the day at Cafe Wha? when he was supposed to be graduating High School because the, uh, principal told him he had to cut his hair or he couldn't come to graduation.   
Michael: While in recent years, Cafe Wha? has continued its legacy of being a proving ground for young performers, these days, it also opens its intimate stage to more established ones.   
Hap: People are seated stage level. They're seated right in front, literally inches away from the performer. And you're right there with them like it's a living room.

Anybody from George Benson, to the Backstreet Boys, to John Mayer, Britney Spears.  
Michael: Manny Roth was the uncle to David Lee Roth, who would go on to be the lead singer of Van Halen.  
Hap: In 2012, Van Halen got together for the first time since 1984 and David Lee Roth said I'm more nervous about this gig than being at The Garden. That Cafe Wha? was a Temple and, it just meant so much for him to play there. His Uncle, Manny, was in attendance and it was really, really meaningful and really special that we are still around and we're still keeping that original legacy alive.  
Michael: Let's keep moving. Continue on Minetta Lane and cross the big intersection up ahead. I'll see you on the other side.

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Cafe Reggio, Cafe Wha?

2. Cafe Reggio, Gaslight, Cafe Wha_.mp3

Michael: Follow the sidewalk as it veers a bit to the left. You'll stumble on a village staple: Joe's Pizza.   
As a kid in Naples, Italy, running back home after school, Joe used to stop every day at one of the shop windows to watch an old man make pizzas. 
Scott Wiener: Joe's opened on the corner of Bleecker Street and Carmine in 1975.  
Michael: That's Scott Wiener of Scott's Pizza Tours. If you've ever dreamed of making a living playing video games or eating pizza, here is someone who did it.  
Scott Wiener: I am a professional pizza enthusiast running tours in New York City and running a non profit called Slice Out Hunger.  
Michael: Scott explains that while there were many pizza shops around in the 1970s, not many have made it over the years.   
Scott Wiener: Some pizzerias will change hands through generations, or they'll be sold to other families, and that's when you lose sight on what it originally was. But with Joe's, Joe and his family have been running it since day one.   
Michael: There must be something really special going on that a recipe doesn't need changing for 50 years.   
Scott Wiener: There's nothing about what Joe's uses or how they use it that's really different from other pizzerias. They're just consistent with it. So the flour that they use is pretty much the same flour that you find in most pizzerias in New York, especially slice shops.   
A lot of pizzerias like to use a California tomato, but they use an Italian tomato. It's a little bit more fruity and a little bit less sweet. And they enhance that by not salting their tomato sauce.   
Their cheese that they use is a low moisture part skim and so it's the kind of cheese that browns a little bit when it melts, and they don't use too much of it.  
And their pizzas are huge. So when you get a slice in the shop, it's a large pizza, it's a 20 inch pizza  
Michael: Up next, more cheese. When you're back outside, face Joes and turn left. Then, make a quick right on Bleecker. I'll meet you around the corner.

5 Carmine Street \|||// Michael: Follow the sidewalk as it veers a bit to the left. You'll stumble on a village staple: Joe's Pizza.   
As a kid in Naples, Italy, running back home after school, Joe used to stop every day at one of the shop windows to watch an old man make pizzas. 
Scott Wiener: Joe's opened on the corner of Bleecker Street and Carmine in 1975.  
Michael: That's Scott Wiener of Scott's Pizza Tours. If you've ever dreamed of making a living playing video games or eating pizza, here is someone who did it.  
Scott Wiener: I am a professional pizza enthusiast running tours in New York City and running a non profit called Slice Out Hunger.  
Michael: Scott explains that while there were many pizza shops around in the 1970s, not many have made it over the years.   
Scott Wiener: Some pizzerias will change hands through generations, or they'll be sold to other families, and that's when you lose sight on what it originally was. But with Joe's, Joe and his family have been running it since day one.   
Michael: There must be something really special going on that a recipe doesn't need changing for 50 years.   
Scott Wiener: There's nothing about what Joe's uses or how they use it that's really different from other pizzerias. They're just consistent with it. So the flour that they use is pretty much the same flour that you find in most pizzerias in New York, especially slice shops.   
A lot of pizzerias like to use a California tomato, but they use an Italian tomato. It's a little bit more fruity and a little bit less sweet. And they enhance that by not salting their tomato sauce.   
Their cheese that they use is a low moisture part skim and so it's the kind of cheese that browns a little bit when it melts, and they don't use too much of it.  
And their pizzas are huge. So when you get a slice in the shop, it's a large pizza, it's a 20 inch pizza  
Michael: Up next, more cheese. When you're back outside, face Joes and turn left. Then, make a quick right on Bleecker. I'll meet you around the corner.

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Joe's Pizza

3. Joe's Pizza.mp3

Michael: Keep an eye out on the left for Murray's Cheese.  
Katie O'Connor: Hi, my name is Katie, from Murray's Cheese.   
Michael: Murray's started as a small shop in 1962 and was always a neighborhood favorite but it's grown up quite a lot over the years.   
Katie O'Connor: Rob Caufelt, who had taken the shop over in 1991, had a vision to bring in even more cheeses from, not only around the world but also elevating emerging American brands, during the renaissance of domestic cheese making.   
Michael:  Murray's was acquired by the grocery store chain Kroger in 2017, and it now operates in over a thousand stores nationwide. This flagship store remains largely the same.   
Buying cheese in a specialty grocery store like this is an awesome opportunity to talk to a knowledgeable cheesemonger.   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): My name is Matthew.   
Michael: You can pretty much ask anything.   
For example, hey Matthew, does cheese taste different depending on the season?  
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Goat cheeses are always very delicious in the spring just because of the lactation cycle usually. You also find cow cheeses tend to have more of a brighter color to as well from them being grass fed during the summer.  
Michael: How about an idea for an underrated cheese pairing?   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Cheese and chocolate, is a very underrated pairing.   
The salty butteriness of triple creams goes very nicely with a nice darker chocolate  
Michael: Do I just spread the cheese on the chocolate, like I would on a cracker?   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): So what I usually do is I kind of like chunk up the chocolate bar, and then for triple creams, I would take out the inside of the cheese, so the paste, and just spread it on top of the chocolate and just eat it like that.   
Michael: Ooh, what cheese is that?  
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Challerhocker, which is another Alpine from Switzerland. Full-fat milk, so it's very nice and dense in its texture, really nutty, really sweet.   
Michael: I came here on Mastercard's Priceless Walk through Greenwich Village.   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Use Mastercard20 for 20% off your purchase in store at our Bleecker shop.  
Michael: Our friends at Mastercard have another little gift behind the counter for you while supplies last. Just ask one of the staff here. Psst, it's a picnic blanket.   
When you're ready to leave this cheese paradise, take a left as you walk out the door, and then turn left on Morton Street.

254 Bleecker Street \|||// Michael: Keep an eye out on the left for Murray's Cheese.  
Katie O'Connor: Hi, my name is Katie, from Murray's Cheese.   
Michael: Murray's started as a small shop in 1962 and was always a neighborhood favorite but it's grown up quite a lot over the years.   
Katie O'Connor: Rob Caufelt, who had taken the shop over in 1991, had a vision to bring in even more cheeses from, not only around the world but also elevating emerging American brands, during the renaissance of domestic cheese making.   
Michael:  Murray's was acquired by the grocery store chain Kroger in 2017, and it now operates in over a thousand stores nationwide. This flagship store remains largely the same.   
Buying cheese in a specialty grocery store like this is an awesome opportunity to talk to a knowledgeable cheesemonger.   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): My name is Matthew.   
Michael: You can pretty much ask anything.   
For example, hey Matthew, does cheese taste different depending on the season?  
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Goat cheeses are always very delicious in the spring just because of the lactation cycle usually. You also find cow cheeses tend to have more of a brighter color to as well from them being grass fed during the summer.  
Michael: How about an idea for an underrated cheese pairing?   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Cheese and chocolate, is a very underrated pairing.   
The salty butteriness of triple creams goes very nicely with a nice darker chocolate  
Michael: Do I just spread the cheese on the chocolate, like I would on a cracker?   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): So what I usually do is I kind of like chunk up the chocolate bar, and then for triple creams, I would take out the inside of the cheese, so the paste, and just spread it on top of the chocolate and just eat it like that.   
Michael: Ooh, what cheese is that?  
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Challerhocker, which is another Alpine from Switzerland. Full-fat milk, so it's very nice and dense in its texture, really nutty, really sweet.   
Michael: I came here on Mastercard's Priceless Walk through Greenwich Village.   
Matthew (Cheese Monger): Use Mastercard20 for 20% off your purchase in store at our Bleecker shop.  
Michael: Our friends at Mastercard have another little gift behind the counter for you while supplies last. Just ask one of the staff here. Psst, it's a picnic blanket.   
When you're ready to leave this cheese paradise, take a left as you walk out the door, and then turn left on Morton Street.

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Murray's Cheese

4. Murray's Cheese.mp3

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Michael: After you turn left on Morton, turn right on Bedford.  

7 Morton Street \|||// Michael: After you turn left on Morton, turn right on Bedford.  

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Left on Morton, right on Bedford

5. Left on Morton, Right on Bedford.mp3

Michael: At 90 Bedford Street, you'll find an unassuming brick building that might seem like a typical New York apartment building. 

But depending on how much TV you watched in the 90's, you might recognize it from somewhere else. 

In 1994, when the TV show Friends debuted, this building's exterior was used as the establishing shot for the characters' apartments.   
Of course, anyone who's ever rented in New York City knows that the apartment from that show was totally a set in Burbank, California, since it wasn't a shoebox. And no, the fountain isn't the one from Washington Square Park.  
Nevertheless, in perhaps one of the last ever pre-internet viral successes, viewers from around the globe laughed, cried, and grew up with six friends just trying to make it in New York.   
A selfie with this building in the background is the perfect way to bring a smile to the face of any dear friends you may have.  
Now let's keep moving. Turn right on Grove. I'll meet you in a couple blocks.

90 Bedford Street \|||// Michael: At 90 Bedford Street, you'll find an unassuming brick building that might seem like a typical New York apartment building. 

But depending on how much TV you watched in the 90's, you might recognize it from somewhere else. 

In 1994, when the TV show Friends debuted, this building's exterior was used as the establishing shot for the characters' apartments.   
Of course, anyone who's ever rented in New York City knows that the apartment from that show was totally a set in Burbank, California, since it wasn't a shoebox. And no, the fountain isn't the one from Washington Square Park.  
Nevertheless, in perhaps one of the last ever pre-internet viral successes, viewers from around the globe laughed, cried, and grew up with six friends just trying to make it in New York.   
A selfie with this building in the background is the perfect way to bring a smile to the face of any dear friends you may have.  
Now let's keep moving. Turn right on Grove. I'll meet you in a couple blocks.

Mastercard - Friends building.jpg

Friends Apartment

6. Friends Apartment.mp3

Michael: Up ahead, turn left when you see Marie's Crisis Cafe.   
While our schedule doesn't allow for a visit today, it's worth noting that this cozy piano bar, a village staple since its opening in 1929, holds a unique place in history as the death place of the influential writer Thomas Paine. Through his potent writing in works like The American Crisis, which the bar's name refers to, he emboldened the spirit of rebellion in the American colonies, proclaiming, "These are the times that try men's souls!". His writings during the American Revolutionary War not only stirred the resolve of soldiers and citizens alike, but also underscored the moral and pragmatic imperatives of the struggle for independence.   
Turn left on 7th. I'll wait for you on the next block.

61 Grove Street \|||// Michael: Up ahead, turn left when you see Marie's Crisis Cafe.   
While our schedule doesn't allow for a visit today, it's worth noting that this cozy piano bar, a village staple since its opening in 1929, holds a unique place in history as the death place of the influential writer Thomas Paine. Through his potent writing in works like The American Crisis, which the bar's name refers to, he emboldened the spirit of rebellion in the American colonies, proclaiming, "These are the times that try men's souls!". His writings during the American Revolutionary War not only stirred the resolve of soldiers and citizens alike, but also underscored the moral and pragmatic imperatives of the struggle for independence.   
Turn left on 7th. I'll wait for you on the next block.

Mastercard - Marie's Crisis.jpg

Marie's Crisis

7. Marie's Crisis.mp3

Michael: When you see Village Cigars, cross the street in the same direction you arrived, and then cross the street to the right.  
Did you know there was a time, really not that long ago, when homosexuality was considered a criminal offense in New York?  
Kurt Kelly: It was illegal to serve alcohol to a homosexual.  
Michael:  That's Kurt Kelly, one of the owners of the Stonewall Inn. After you make the second street crossing towards Duplex, keep walking another half block until you see Stonewall Inn ahead on the left.  
Because it was illegal to serve alcohol to a homosexual, some institutions operated without a liquor license.  
So the Stonewall Inn was one of their original safe spaces where people could go to be who they are, and to love who they wanted to love. But back then, the Mafia was buying up all the gay bars because they saw money in it. And when they didn't pay off the cops, they would come in and they would harass the customers, they would extort money from the bar, and they would arrest people. And it was 1969, June 28th, and they came in to raid the place, and the customers were fed up. And they fought back.

This uprising marks the start of the Stonewall Riots, a pivotal event in the global LGBTQ+ rights movement. 

Stacy Lentz: I don't think we'll ever know how exactly the Riot started.  
Michael: We're also joined by Stacy Lentz, another part owner and the CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back initiative.  
It's important to stop for a moment and truly appreciate the bravery of all who took part in the resistance during a time when LGBTQ+ identities were heavily stigmatized and criminalized. Notable activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were among the participants who faced immediate threats of arrest and violence, as well as enduring the ripple effects of public shaming, job loss, and further persecution due to their courageous defiance.  
Kurt Kelly: For the first time people in like Nebraska or Kansas were watching us on TV and saying "oh my god I'm not alone. I, I, I'm not the only gay person in this world". And then seeing straight allies speaking out for them, protecting them on TV, they're going, "not all straight people hate us".   
Stacy Lentz: It really taught people how to organize, fight back and gave them that impetus to keep that movement and what happened at the Riots going.   
Kurt Kelly: I mean, a year after the Riots, they had the first Gay Pride Parade. And they've had one every year, ever since.   
Michael: Kurt, Stacy, and their co owners bought the Stonewall Inn in 2006 when the previous owner went bankrupt.   
Kurt Kelly: We were up against a Starbucks, um, a jazz club or a nail salon.  
At that time, it was, wasn't being treated as the historical value that it is.   
It was a dump. It was awful. We wanted to switch that and turn that around. We wanted to keep the history going.  
Stacy Lentz: We wanted it back at the center of the community again, to make sure that everyone felt welcome there and really make it a vehicle to keep fight alive that began there in 1969 to keep the Stonewall Inn legacy alive and spread it to the places, faces and spaces that need it the most.  
Michael: Recently, the Stonewall Inn and the Park were given National Monument status.  
Stacy Lentz: They decided that the entire footprint in that area and that park area out front of Stonewall would be made, the first ever LGBTQ+ national monument, and that was done by President Obama in 2016.  
Michael: Stacy and Kurt put together the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, with education as its core focus.   
Stacy Lentz: There are places in this world where they haven't had their Stonewall moment. And we want to use the Stonewall Inn, to raise awareness, to make sure that that happens for folks, and we get full global equality one day.  
Kurt Kelly: I think it's very important that the youth get educated to know their history. If you don't know your history, we might not have a future.  
Michael: Inside, you'll find scattered artifacts from its history as well as a fully functioning and very welcoming bar.   
Kurt Kelly: It's for everybody. It's for lesbians. It's for gay men. It's for drag queens. It's for transgender. It's for leather daddies. It's for the bears. It's for straight allies. It's even for straight people.  
Michael: Its time to keep moving. With your back to the Stonewall Inn, turn right and go back across the big intersection that you came across earlier.

53 Christopher Street \|||// Michael: When you see Village Cigars, cross the street in the same direction you arrived, and then cross the street to the right.  
Did you know there was a time, really not that long ago, when homosexuality was considered a criminal offense in New York?  
Kurt Kelly: It was illegal to serve alcohol to a homosexual.  
Michael:  That's Kurt Kelly, one of the owners of the Stonewall Inn. After you make the second street crossing towards Duplex, keep walking another half block until you see Stonewall Inn ahead on the left.  
Because it was illegal to serve alcohol to a homosexual, some institutions operated without a liquor license.  
So the Stonewall Inn was one of their original safe spaces where people could go to be who they are, and to love who they wanted to love. But back then, the Mafia was buying up all the gay bars because they saw money in it. And when they didn't pay off the cops, they would come in and they would harass the customers, they would extort money from the bar, and they would arrest people. And it was 1969, June 28th, and they came in to raid the place, and the customers were fed up. And they fought back.

This uprising marks the start of the Stonewall Riots, a pivotal event in the global LGBTQ+ rights movement. 

Stacy Lentz: I don't think we'll ever know how exactly the Riot started.  
Michael: We're also joined by Stacy Lentz, another part owner and the CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back initiative.  
It's important to stop for a moment and truly appreciate the bravery of all who took part in the resistance during a time when LGBTQ+ identities were heavily stigmatized and criminalized. Notable activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were among the participants who faced immediate threats of arrest and violence, as well as enduring the ripple effects of public shaming, job loss, and further persecution due to their courageous defiance.  
Kurt Kelly: For the first time people in like Nebraska or Kansas were watching us on TV and saying "oh my god I'm not alone. I, I, I'm not the only gay person in this world". And then seeing straight allies speaking out for them, protecting them on TV, they're going, "not all straight people hate us".   
Stacy Lentz: It really taught people how to organize, fight back and gave them that impetus to keep that movement and what happened at the Riots going.   
Kurt Kelly: I mean, a year after the Riots, they had the first Gay Pride Parade. And they've had one every year, ever since.   
Michael: Kurt, Stacy, and their co owners bought the Stonewall Inn in 2006 when the previous owner went bankrupt.   
Kurt Kelly: We were up against a Starbucks, um, a jazz club or a nail salon.  
At that time, it was, wasn't being treated as the historical value that it is.   
It was a dump. It was awful. We wanted to switch that and turn that around. We wanted to keep the history going.  
Stacy Lentz: We wanted it back at the center of the community again, to make sure that everyone felt welcome there and really make it a vehicle to keep fight alive that began there in 1969 to keep the Stonewall Inn legacy alive and spread it to the places, faces and spaces that need it the most.  
Michael: Recently, the Stonewall Inn and the Park were given National Monument status.  
Stacy Lentz: They decided that the entire footprint in that area and that park area out front of Stonewall would be made, the first ever LGBTQ+ national monument, and that was done by President Obama in 2016.  
Michael: Stacy and Kurt put together the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, with education as its core focus.   
Stacy Lentz: There are places in this world where they haven't had their Stonewall moment. And we want to use the Stonewall Inn, to raise awareness, to make sure that that happens for folks, and we get full global equality one day.  
Kurt Kelly: I think it's very important that the youth get educated to know their history. If you don't know your history, we might not have a future.  
Michael: Inside, you'll find scattered artifacts from its history as well as a fully functioning and very welcoming bar.   
Kurt Kelly: It's for everybody. It's for lesbians. It's for gay men. It's for drag queens. It's for transgender. It's for leather daddies. It's for the bears. It's for straight allies. It's even for straight people.  
Michael: Its time to keep moving. With your back to the Stonewall Inn, turn right and go back across the big intersection that you came across earlier.

Adobe Stock - Stonewall.jpeg

Stonewall Inn

8. Stonewall Inn.mp3

Michael: After you cross, walk one block on Bleecker. Then take a right on Bleecker, and walk for about five blocks, or ten minutes, until Bleecker comes to an end. I'll meet you up there.

85 Christopher Street \|||// Michael: After you cross, walk one block on Bleecker. Then take a right on Bleecker, and walk for about five blocks, or ten minutes, until Bleecker comes to an end. I'll meet you up there.

Mastercard - right on Bleecker.jpg

Turn right on Bleecker

9. Turn right on Bleecker.mp3

Michael: Up ahead at this intersection, Bleecker becomes Hudson. Just walk across the intersection and you'll see another street veering off to the left, which is Bethune. Take that street for two blocks. 

Bank Street \|||// Michael: Up ahead at this intersection, Bleecker becomes Hudson. Just walk across the intersection and you'll see another street veering off to the left, which is Bethune. Take that street for two blocks. 

Mastercard - left on Bethune.jpg

Slight left on Bethune

10. Slight left on Bethune.mp3

Michael: We're going to turn right at the next intersection. But first, let's look at the building on the diagonal corner to the left. The big yellow brick one that looks like an old train track used to run through it.  
From 1898 to 1966, the building functioned as the Western Electric Company, and then Bell Telephone Labs.  
Pioneers here made not only huge leaps for early televisions and talking movies, but also laid foundational work that would pave the way for modern communication tools, like mobile phones. By the late 1960s, as industries evolved, Bell Labs had moved to New Jersey, leaving this building empty. A relatively new concept called adaptive reuse was proposed to repurpose the building.  
Christina Maile: Westbeth was founded as artist housing back in 1970. Its mission was to provide affordable housing for artists.   
Michael: Christina Maile has been a resident here for over 50 years, since it opened.   
Christina Maile: Being an artist is like the worst thing in the world in terms of economics.  
So you had to balance, you know, being an artist, being a parent, going to work, making the rent. When you get a studio, it's like you can breathe.  
Michael: Famed architect Richard Meier converted the industrial facility into 384 living and working units for artists of various disciplines, from painters and poets to dancers and musicians. Do you see those large windows and high ceilings?  
Christina Maile: So all of these ceilings that you see in the building are brick arches. And what that allowed them to do was to put in heavy machinery on these floors without having so many columns   
Michael: Look up towards the third level. If you find yourself wondering if an old train track used to run through this building, you're right, it did. That's a remnant from the old High Line, which we'll be seeing more of soon.  
Christina Maile: The most important part of it was seeing all the other people moving in.  
You immediately share the opportunity to be passionate. the energy has never dissipated.   
Michael: It's more than just a residence. It became a community where artists can connect, collaborate, and inspire one another.  
Christina Maile: This was the first time a community like ours, had been formed. So when we did move in, there was no agenda, no mission statement. We just had to find a way to, first of all, get to know each other, and second of all, acclimate ourselves to this beautiful building in this really, at the time, very dangerous, but exciting neighborhood. It's this incredible community, where you feel as you walk in, the hum of people creating.  
Michael: Thanks to this community and shared studio spaces, Christina was able to explore different disciplines over the years.  
Christina Maile: I moved in as a writer, and, my first husband was a painter.   
But, being in Westbeth, which allowed us to have theater space, rehearsal space for free, allowed us then to discover more things about ourselves and who we were.  
We co- founded the Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective. And I joined because I said, you know, I'm going to try writing plays.  
Why not? You know, I mean, that's like the freedom to... be who you are. Because I had never written a play before.  
We had a wonderful run. We got great reviews. We got reviews on TV and in the Times and in the papers.   
Michael: Westbeth is recognized as a great case study on how urban spaces can be repurposed to support and nurture the arts.

Alright, time to keep moving. Turn right on Washington Street and walk another four blocks. I'll meet you up there.

55 Bethune Street \|||// Michael: We're going to turn right at the next intersection. But first, let's look at the building on the diagonal corner to the left. The big yellow brick one that looks like an old train track used to run through it.  
From 1898 to 1966, the building functioned as the Western Electric Company, and then Bell Telephone Labs.  
Pioneers here made not only huge leaps for early televisions and talking movies, but also laid foundational work that would pave the way for modern communication tools, like mobile phones. By the late 1960s, as industries evolved, Bell Labs had moved to New Jersey, leaving this building empty. A relatively new concept called adaptive reuse was proposed to repurpose the building.  
Christina Maile: Westbeth was founded as artist housing back in 1970. Its mission was to provide affordable housing for artists.   
Michael: Christina Maile has been a resident here for over 50 years, since it opened.   
Christina Maile: Being an artist is like the worst thing in the world in terms of economics.  
So you had to balance, you know, being an artist, being a parent, going to work, making the rent. When you get a studio, it's like you can breathe.  
Michael: Famed architect Richard Meier converted the industrial facility into 384 living and working units for artists of various disciplines, from painters and poets to dancers and musicians. Do you see those large windows and high ceilings?  
Christina Maile: So all of these ceilings that you see in the building are brick arches. And what that allowed them to do was to put in heavy machinery on these floors without having so many columns   
Michael: Look up towards the third level. If you find yourself wondering if an old train track used to run through this building, you're right, it did. That's a remnant from the old High Line, which we'll be seeing more of soon.  
Christina Maile: The most important part of it was seeing all the other people moving in.  
You immediately share the opportunity to be passionate. the energy has never dissipated.   
Michael: It's more than just a residence. It became a community where artists can connect, collaborate, and inspire one another.  
Christina Maile: This was the first time a community like ours, had been formed. So when we did move in, there was no agenda, no mission statement. We just had to find a way to, first of all, get to know each other, and second of all, acclimate ourselves to this beautiful building in this really, at the time, very dangerous, but exciting neighborhood. It's this incredible community, where you feel as you walk in, the hum of people creating.  
Michael: Thanks to this community and shared studio spaces, Christina was able to explore different disciplines over the years.  
Christina Maile: I moved in as a writer, and, my first husband was a painter.   
But, being in Westbeth, which allowed us to have theater space, rehearsal space for free, allowed us then to discover more things about ourselves and who we were.  
We co- founded the Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective. And I joined because I said, you know, I'm going to try writing plays.  
Why not? You know, I mean, that's like the freedom to... be who you are. Because I had never written a play before.  
We had a wonderful run. We got great reviews. We got reviews on TV and in the Times and in the papers.   
Michael: Westbeth is recognized as a great case study on how urban spaces can be repurposed to support and nurture the arts.

Alright, time to keep moving. Turn right on Washington Street and walk another four blocks. I'll meet you up there.

Mastercard - westbeth exterior.jpg

Westbeth Artists Housing

11. Westbeth Artists Housing.mp3

Michael: At the next intersection, you'll notice the start of the High Line, which is where we're headed.  
Cross here and make your way up using either the stairs or the elevator. As you go, glance down the block to the left. That's the Whitney Museum of American Art.   
We're not going in there, but I do want to tell you about the museum while you keep making your way up to the High Line.   
Founded in 1930 by sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. This museum was her response to major art institutions overlooking modern American artists.   
She even tried donating her vast collection to the Met, but they weren't collecting modern art at the time.   
Ariel: So, she started her own museum.   
Michael: That's Ariel. He's a filmmaker and native New Yorker and runs the social media handle Urbanist.live.   
The Whitney has moved locations a few times, but they've been located here, at the start of the High Line, since 2015.  
Ariel: And they got Renzo Piano to design this building that is both imposing when you view it from the side of the Hudson River, but also very open and light when you view it from the side of New York City.  
Michael: When you arrive at the top of the High Line, you'll be able to see the iconic terraces on the exterior of the museum, which, by the way, offer some really unique views of the city.  
Ariel: There are four outdoor spaces on this building that is an extension of the museum's collection.   
Michael: The museum continually updates its exhibits, capturing the many facets of America. Art here serves as a reflection of contemporary society, in line with the founder's philosophy.   
You should be at the start of the High Line. This park is actually more of a path, and extends for almost one and a half miles. You can explore as much or as little as you like, and I'll tell you about it while you walk.

107 Gansevoort Street \|||// Michael: At the next intersection, you'll notice the start of the High Line, which is where we're headed.  
Cross here and make your way up using either the stairs or the elevator. As you go, glance down the block to the left. That's the Whitney Museum of American Art.   
We're not going in there, but I do want to tell you about the museum while you keep making your way up to the High Line.   
Founded in 1930 by sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. This museum was her response to major art institutions overlooking modern American artists.   
She even tried donating her vast collection to the Met, but they weren't collecting modern art at the time.   
Ariel: So, she started her own museum.   
Michael: That's Ariel. He's a filmmaker and native New Yorker and runs the social media handle Urbanist.live.   
The Whitney has moved locations a few times, but they've been located here, at the start of the High Line, since 2015.  
Ariel: And they got Renzo Piano to design this building that is both imposing when you view it from the side of the Hudson River, but also very open and light when you view it from the side of New York City.  
Michael: When you arrive at the top of the High Line, you'll be able to see the iconic terraces on the exterior of the museum, which, by the way, offer some really unique views of the city.  
Ariel: There are four outdoor spaces on this building that is an extension of the museum's collection.   
Michael: The museum continually updates its exhibits, capturing the many facets of America. Art here serves as a reflection of contemporary society, in line with the founder's philosophy.   
You should be at the start of the High Line. This park is actually more of a path, and extends for almost one and a half miles. You can explore as much or as little as you like, and I'll tell you about it while you walk.

Adobe Stock - Whitney.jpeg

Whitney Museum of American Art

12. The Whitney Museum of American Art.mp3

Michael: Imagine the 1930's. New York's bustling West Side, trains clattering along 10th Avenue, ferrying goods in and out of Manhattan's industrial neighborhoods. But with the traffic came danger.   
An elevated railway was needed to lift the trains away from the city streets.   
For decades, the Westside Elevated Line served the city dutifully, as a muscular symbol of New York's industrial era.  
Yet with the city's evolution, it lost its purpose. And by the 1980's, it was deserted.   
In 1999, two local residents, Robert Hammond and Joshua David, found their way past the chain link fences to explore the deserted elevated platform. Above the nonstop energy of New York City streets, they discovered a hidden prairie in the sky. Picture resilient wildflowers peeking through rusty, silent train tracks, and tall grasses swaying against the urban backdrop, whispering stories of bygone days. 

Amidst the concrete and the iron remnants, birds had found a tranquil retreat. Singing melodies in this secret garden. 

In this unexpected fusion of urban decay and nature's quiet rebellion, they saw not just the ghost of industry past, but a beautiful way to experience nature in an urban setting.   
But when they found out it was about to be demolished, they decided they had to save it. They started the non-profit, Friends of the High Line, igniting a grassroots campaign to save it and repurpose it.  
Amazingly, despite the odds stacked against them, they pulled it off. Two neighborhood residents started a movement that turned an old, forgotten railway into one of the coolest green spaces on the planet.   
Stretching above the bustling city streets, the High Line is a masterpiece of urban renewal. A ribbon of greenery cutting through the city's concrete.  
What was once a neglected relic of industrial New York underwent a remarkable metamorphosis, setting a new precedent in urban rejuvenation and becoming a blueprint for cities worldwide, proving that with community involvement and vision, forgotten spaces can be reimagined and repurposed. Keep an eye out for all sorts of hidden details, reused materials, and callbacks that reference its original railway use.  
Today you can walk on the High Line for almost one and a half glorious miles.   
As we stand here amidst the lush greenery, contrasted starkly against the urban jungle surrounding us, consider this. Both Washington Square Park and the High Line our starting and ending point on today's walk, and two of New York's most loved landmarks, were nearly lost to development.   
Spaces that have come to symbolize creativity, resistance, and transformation were almost silenced before those stories could ever really unfold.   
The Stonewall Inn and its vital historical legacy was preserved and Westbeth Artist Housing transformed an empty building into a case study for how cities can support and nurture the arts.  
Do you remember the story of the arch conspirators?  
Grace (WSP): They were declaring the space for free and independent thought.   
Michael: Along our walk today, we've witnessed the same spirit of resolute determination, demonstrating a very simple truth.  
The essence of this neighborhood was sculpted not by its structures, but by the audacious hearts that dared to make it their own.   
We hope this walk has filled you with inspiration and wonder for these incredible spaces as well as a dash of rebellious spirit that has saved them.   
From all of us here, including Gesso, the producer of the tour, and Mastercard, who made it all possible, Thank You for joining us today on this Priceless Walk. For more inspiring and one of a kind experiences like this one, visit Priceless.com. 

Whether you're here for a visit or staying for a while, may your time in Greenwich Village be filled with inspiration, wonder, and a renewed appreciation for the wisdom this vibrant neighborhood has to offer.  
Let's go for another walk together soon.

820 Washington Street \|||// Michael: Imagine the 1930's. New York's bustling West Side, trains clattering along 10th Avenue, ferrying goods in and out of Manhattan's industrial neighborhoods. But with the traffic came danger.   
An elevated railway was needed to lift the trains away from the city streets.   
For decades, the Westside Elevated Line served the city dutifully, as a muscular symbol of New York's industrial era.  
Yet with the city's evolution, it lost its purpose. And by the 1980's, it was deserted.   
In 1999, two local residents, Robert Hammond and Joshua David, found their way past the chain link fences to explore the deserted elevated platform. Above the nonstop energy of New York City streets, they discovered a hidden prairie in the sky. Picture resilient wildflowers peeking through rusty, silent train tracks, and tall grasses swaying against the urban backdrop, whispering stories of bygone days. 

Amidst the concrete and the iron remnants, birds had found a tranquil retreat. Singing melodies in this secret garden. 

In this unexpected fusion of urban decay and nature's quiet rebellion, they saw not just the ghost of industry past, but a beautiful way to experience nature in an urban setting.   
But when they found out it was about to be demolished, they decided they had to save it. They started the non-profit, Friends of the High Line, igniting a grassroots campaign to save it and repurpose it.  
Amazingly, despite the odds stacked against them, they pulled it off. Two neighborhood residents started a movement that turned an old, forgotten railway into one of the coolest green spaces on the planet.   
Stretching above the bustling city streets, the High Line is a masterpiece of urban renewal. A ribbon of greenery cutting through the city's concrete.  
What was once a neglected relic of industrial New York underwent a remarkable metamorphosis, setting a new precedent in urban rejuvenation and becoming a blueprint for cities worldwide, proving that with community involvement and vision, forgotten spaces can be reimagined and repurposed. Keep an eye out for all sorts of hidden details, reused materials, and callbacks that reference its original railway use.  
Today you can walk on the High Line for almost one and a half glorious miles.   
As we stand here amidst the lush greenery, contrasted starkly against the urban jungle surrounding us, consider this. Both Washington Square Park and the High Line our starting and ending point on today's walk, and two of New York's most loved landmarks, were nearly lost to development.   
Spaces that have come to symbolize creativity, resistance, and transformation were almost silenced before those stories could ever really unfold.   
The Stonewall Inn and its vital historical legacy was preserved and Westbeth Artist Housing transformed an empty building into a case study for how cities can support and nurture the arts.  
Do you remember the story of the arch conspirators?  
Grace (WSP): They were declaring the space for free and independent thought.   
Michael: Along our walk today, we've witnessed the same spirit of resolute determination, demonstrating a very simple truth.  
The essence of this neighborhood was sculpted not by its structures, but by the audacious hearts that dared to make it their own.   
We hope this walk has filled you with inspiration and wonder for these incredible spaces as well as a dash of rebellious spirit that has saved them.   
From all of us here, including Gesso, the producer of the tour, and Mastercard, who made it all possible, Thank You for joining us today on this Priceless Walk. For more inspiring and one of a kind experiences like this one, visit Priceless.com. 

Whether you're here for a visit or staying for a while, may your time in Greenwich Village be filled with inspiration, wonder, and a renewed appreciation for the wisdom this vibrant neighborhood has to offer.  
Let's go for another walk together soon.

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