What are the schools like in West Village, New York City?

New York public schools, in general, are really shoddy. Most people I know send their kids to either private school or a charter school if they can't afford the private.

Sorry, I have to disagree with the above. My kid went to PS3, on Hudson St between Grove & Christopher, and loved it. The teachers were extraordinary, the kids were great and the sense of community was amazing. Middle school gets tricky, and we had a few bumps in the road, but he's now in 7th grade at Clinton School For Writers & Artists (West 33rd St), and it's good. The budget cuts have been draconian and create some obstacles...bigger class size, fewer resources, etc. But it really is possible to work around that and to provide some of the resources that are lacking.