One of the doorways of “the Row” on Washington Square North, once a center of gentility in NYC in the 1830s and a good example of one of our best eras for architecture and decorative arts, now remains one of the last survivors of that era and is still in constant use. It is considered one of the finest rows of Greek Revival houses in the country. Romanticized in novels such as Washington Square by Henry James and Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, this row started out as the home of the wealthiest and later became inhabited by Village bohemians and many legendary artists, such as Edward Hopper and Albert Pinkham Ryder, who were inspired by the environs.

In 1939, the row of townhouses numbered 7-13 were gutted and converted to an apartment house, retaining the facades, with a common entrance on Fifth Avenue around the corner. They are now NYU residences. Number 8 in the photo was once the former residence of the mayor. You can see these doorways from the park, and it is peaceful to look on such a strong reminder of the past still vibrant in the present.