Greenwich village is located on the lower west side of Manhattan. The neighborhood is bordered by Broadway to the east, part of the Hudson River to the west, Houston Street to the south, and 14th Street to the north. Sort of  centered on Washington Square Park and New York University. The neighborhoods surrounding it are the East Village and NoHo to the east, SoHo to the south, and Chelsea to the north. It has been a hub for the homoesexuality movement. During the 1960’s many gay, lesbian, and transvestite people came here to live because the residents in the area had a bohemian or hipster attitude. Artists and other more laid back “colorful” people came here for the area’s uniqueness. This attitude led them to be more accepting of the LGBT community when the rest of New York city was not. Because the homosexuals were discriminated every where else besides greenwich village the community became strong enough to demand for equal rights. During this time being a homosexual was seen as a mental illness rather than a life choice. Although there were actions that some gay organizations did before 1969, nothing sparked a change like the Stonewall riot. Came to be a turning point for equal rights.