9. The Mews: A Historic Cobblestone Street on Campus

The Washington Mews

The Mews is a tiny charming cobblestone street from the 1830s. It is located between University Place and 5th Avenue, just north of Washington Square Park. Washington Mews is owned by NYU and lined primarily with faculty houses that were once small stables and two-story carriages which housed horses, carriages, and coachmen. The coachmen served the wealthy residents who resided near the park, and the horses played a crucial role in traveling around the city.

In the 20th century, the Mews was the home of artists and writers. Sailors’ Snug Harbor on Staten Island leased the Mews to NYU in 1949 and up to today, the university has maintained these buildings. NYU’s French center, La Maison Francaise, is located on the south side of the street’s University Place entrance, and NYU’s German center, Deutsches Haus, is located on the north side and was open to the public for the 2018 season of the Chelsea Music Festival.