Randy Wicker is considered one of the most influential and impactful LGBTQ+ activists of both the pre- and post-Stonewall eras. Born February 3, 1938, in Plainfield, New Jersey, as Charles Gervin Hayden, Jr., Wicker grew up with his grandparents in Florida. His first encounter with New York did not come until his college years. In […]
Minetta Street does not move through Greenwich Village in a straight line. It bends, narrows, and seems almost to hide from Sixth Avenue. In 1952, one of the things it hid, and held, was Saul Bellow. Before the Nobel Prize, before the Pulitzer, before his name became fixed in the canon of American literature, Bellow […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Heavily armed non-state factions have been engaging in […]
For the past several years I have had the privilege of learning about sites across Greenwich Village, the East Village and NoHo, as I worked on research, archives, and mapping projects for Village Preservation. I have written about many of these locations for Village Preservation’s blog, Off the Grid, and for my final contribution, I […]
Each year, Village Preservation honors and celebrates the invaluable people, places, and organizations that make our neighborhoods some of the most interesting and exceptional in the city. In 1991, Village Preservation (then GVSHP) held our first Village Awards ceremony at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Mariomo of New York University at 24 West 12th Street. This event became an […]
Village Preservation is proud to honor Jane’s Exchange with a 2026 Village Award! Join us to recognize the outstanding contributions this small buisness and five other honorees have made to our communities at this year’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards. The celebration, with emcee Penny Arcade, will take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 6pm, […]
The East Village of the late 1970s and 1980s was a place unlike any other in New York City. Artists rented apartments and storefronts for a fraction of what they would cost today. Galleries appeared in former shops. Performance spaces emerged in basements and clubs. Musicians, painters, poets, filmmakers, playwrights, and drag performers worked side […]
A writer, a poet, and an early advocate for sexual freedom and gay rights, Allen Ginsberg has been a prominent voice for over 100 years in New York. Born June 3, 1926, Ginsberg grew up in a New Jersey suburb just west of New York City. His father, Louis, was a traditional academic type, working […]
Few places better captured the East Village’s transformation from residential neighborhood to countercultural epicenter than 19–25 St. Marks Place. Across nearly two centuries, the address has been many things: elegant row houses, a German social club, a grand ballroom, a Polish community center, an experimental performance space, and most famously, the home of the Electric […]
June is one of the most exciting months of the year at Village Preservation. As summer arrives, we invite you to join us for a diverse lineup of programs exploring everything from Revolutionary-era estates and Jazz Age New York to affordable housing, public housing history, art, and LGBTQ+ heritage. This month also features two of […]
Before it became the Palladium, before it became one of New York’s most famous nightclubs, before it was demolished and replaced by an NYU dorm, the old Academy of Music at 126 East 14th Street had another life. For one loud, electric moment in 1965, it helped introduce New York to the Rolling Stones. The […]
The Asian-American story in the United States is often told through the lens of the West Coast or the bustling streets of Manhattan’s Chinatown. But the Asian-American history of Greenwich Village and the East Village is just as vital and noteworthy. Here, an impressive yet frequently overlooked roster of individuals and organizations played a pivotal […]
Few neighborhoods in New York City carry as deeply rooted a Hispanic cultural identity as the East Village. The very name by which Avenue C has been officially known since 1987, “Loisaida” (a phonetic rendering in Spanish of “Lower East Side”), signals how thoroughly Puerto Rican life has shaped this part of the city. The […]
Village Preservation is proud to honor Carlos “Chino” Garcia as a 2026 Village Awardee! Join us in Celebrating Garcia and five other remarkable awardees at Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards on Wednesday, June 10th, with emcee Penny Arcade, at the historic Great Hall at Cooper Union. Registration is free and open to all. […]
Established May 23, 1895, the New York Public Library is the largest municipal library in the world. Today, the NYPL has over 92 locations across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and holds over 53 million items. Its history is rich and deeply connected to our neighborhoods. The story begins in the mid-1800s, when New […]
Village Preservation is proud to honor Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition as a 2026 Village Awardee! Join us in recognizing the Coalition and five other remarkable awardees at Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards on Wednesday, June 10th, with emcee Penny Arcade, at the historic Great Hall at Cooper Union. Registration is free and […]
The Clash was one of the first bands to merge rock with elements of reggae, dub, funk, ska, rockabilly, and more, becoming perhaps the best-known and most essential elements of the first wave of British punk rock in the 1970s and ’80s. The band emerged from London’s underground scene — their first live performance coming […]
Village Preservation is proud to honor St. Joe’s Soup Kitchen as a 2026 Village Awardee! Join us in recognizing St. Joe’s Soup Kitchen and the five other remarkable awardees at Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards on Wednesday, June 10th, with emcee Penny Arcade, at the historic Great Hall at Cooper Union. Registration is free […]
What we recognize as landmarks and preserve says a lot about who we are. It tells us what we value, as well as what (by omission) we may prefer to ignore. It also helps shape our future, by defining how we see our past, where we came from, and how we got to where we […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. People who romanticize the East Village of the […]
May is Lower East Side History Month, an annual celebration of one of New York City’s most layered and dynamic neighborhoods. Founded in 2014, the month-long observance brings together community organizations, preservationists, artists, historians, and residents to explore the stories that have shaped the Lower East Side, which includes the East Village, Chinatown, and Loisaida, […]
Village Preservation is proud to honor 11th St. Bar as a 2026 Village Awardee! Join us in recognizing 11th St. Bar and the five other remarkable awardees at Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards on Wednesday, June 10th, with emcee Penny Arcade, at the historic Great Hall at Cooper Union. Registration is free and […]
Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive captures and preserves scenes of Greenwich Village, the East Village, NoHo, and landmarks across New York City over many decades. One of our newest collections shows the East Village in the early 1980s, during a critical period when the neighborhood was a hub for artists, musicians, and writers, as well as drifters, and punks, […]
Village Preservation is proud to honor Tavern on Jane, as a 2026 Village Awardee! Join us in recognizing Tavern on Jane and the five other remarkable awardees at Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards on Wednesday, June 10th, with emcee Penny Arcade, at the historic Great Hall at Cooper Union. Registration is free and […]
Did you know that Village Preservation maintains a chronological database of ALL landmarked properties in New York City? This comprehensive spreadsheet displays information in a digestible format that we couldn’t find anywhere else, so we created it ourselves! We initially compiled it for our report, “Analyzing New York City Landmark Designations: 1965-2025,” but quickly realized […]
For decades, our neighborhoods have been hotbeds of musical innovation, creation, and collaboration. From jazz to folk to punk, countless musical styles and movements have been deeply touched by the people and venues in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Noho. At Village Preservation, we consistently produce programs that highlight our neighborhood’s significance within music, […]
Some jazz histories shout. Mary Lou Williams’ story moves differently. It sits at the piano, listens closely, and then changes the room. Williams was one of the great pianists, composers, and arrangers in American music. Born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs in Atlanta in 1910 and raised in Pittsburgh, she began playing piano as a child and […]
The Asian-American story is often told through the lens of the West Coast or the bustling streets of Manhattan’s Chinatown. But the Chinese-American history of Greenwich Village and the East Village is just as vital. Here, an impressive yet frequently overlooked roster of individuals and organizations played a pivotal role in the national story, particularly within […]
The origins of jazz are famously hybrid. The Black diaspora in New Orleans’ cultural melting pot assimilated music as diverse as spirituals and marches around the turn of the 20th century; and it came up with a unique, blues-inflected, syncopated Afro-Western amalgam that, within a few years, would take the country by storm. By the […]
The Greenwich Village Historic District was designated on April 29th, 1969. The district includes roughly 2,200 buildings and spans over 100 blocks, covering much of the neighborhood between University Place and Washington Street, 13th Street and West 4th Street/St. Luke’s Place. Village Preservation was founded in 1980 in part to act as a steward to […]
May is a season of renewal, reflection, and discovery. This year we’re offering a dynamic lineup of public programs that tap into the neighborhood’s deep historical roots while engaging with urgent contemporary issues. From waterfront history to preservation advocacy, and from cultural milestones to community heritage, May’s offerings connect past and present in meaningful ways. […]
A rally in the rain and hundreds of letters sent to the Mayor and Landmarks Preservation Commission by members of the public helped save a 151-year-old landmark building that we almost lost in the South Village. On April 21, the LPC decided to reject an application calling for the demolition of 139 Thompson Street, a […]
2026 marks a significant milestone for one of New York City’s most beloved traditions. For 25 years, Village Preservation’s Spring House Tour Benefit has invited guests inside some of Greenwich Village’s most extraordinary private homes, offering a rare glimpse into the neighborhood’s rich architectural heritage and the vibrant lives unfolding within its walls. Founded by […]
On April 23, 1976, the Ramones’ self-titled debut album was released. The Ramones didn’t record their debut album in the Village. But when “The Ramones” was released on April 23, 1976, the sound the world heard had already been forged downtown. Before punk became a global movement, it was deeply local. It lived in packed […]
In our neighborhoods, several small, community-rooted shops have long embraced environmentally conscious practices, whether through reuse, ethical sourcing, or fostering mindful consumption. This Earth Day, we’re highlighting a group of standout businesses that were Village Preservation Businesses of the Month whose missions align with sustainability in thoughtful and inspiring ways. A Sustainable Village – 50 […]
The year was 1981. The Rolling Stones entered the decade still considered the greatest rock-and-roll band in the world. But the industry was changing. The launch of MTV that year revolutionized music, making video and image essential parts of an artist’s work. While the Rolling Stones had a long history of music video production in […]
Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive captures and preserves scenes of Greenwich Village, the East Village, NoHo, and beyond over many decades. One of our collections shows the East Village in the early 1980s, during a critical period when the neighborhood was a hub for artists, musicians, and writers, as well as drifters, and punks, and […]
The Asian-American story is often told through the lens of the West Coast or the bustling streets of Manhattan’s Chinatown. But the Chinese-American history of Greenwich Village and the East Village is just as vital. Here, an impressive yet frequently overlooked roster of individuals and organizations played a pivotal role in the national story, particularly within […]
The anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and Immigrant Heritage Week, both of which occur in mid-April, offer a powerful lens through which to understand how immigrant communities not only shaped the Village, but also powered the maritime economy that defined New York as a global port. Greenwich Village’s western edge, where cobblestone streets […]
Our Jazz Map of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, is the first-ever, in-depth, interactive map documenting the history of jazz in our neighborhoods, which have for decades been epicenters of jazz performance and innovation. The map tells the story of the music through over a hundred entries, covering local music venues, recording studios, […]
We’ve all seen them: signs tucked under the official names of local streets, honoring a neighborhood notable with a “Way,” “Place,” or “Corner.” Unfortunately, more often than not, the people on these “co-named” street signs are often unknown to most passers-by. But a New York City agency has offered a way for those who are […]
Photographer Peter Bennett grew up in Greenwich Village and lived in the East Village from 1979 through 1988. Working as a bartender at night, during the day he photographed the rapidly changing neighborhood around him. He documented the East Village during the 1980s, and critical time when it became a center for artists, musicians, and […]
Village Preservation is excited to share our newest interactive online resource, our Jazz Map of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo; a multi-layered tool to both explore and share the rich history of our neighborhoods as it relates to that most uniquely American art form, jazz. This dynamic map showcases the clubs, streets, and […]
Though he spent time in many cities, from Los Angeles to Tokyo to Mexico City, Isamu Noguchi always viewed New York as his home. “I’m really a New Yorker,” the famed sculptor said, “Not Japanese, not a citizen of the world”. The city informed all aspects of his career. It provided him with a creative […]
Village Preservation’s new Jazz Map of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo provides you with a guide that covers one hundred years of music and more than one hundred sites where great jazz was recorded or performed or where great jazz players lived. Here are a few highlights and themes you can find throughout […]
In the far eastern blocks of the East Village, where avenue names reflect the letters of the alphabet the East River waterfront looms large, once stood Slugs’ Saloon. Located at 242 East 3rd Street between Avenues B and C in a building constructed in 1873 as a five-story tenement with stores on the ground floor […]
Village Preservation’s Spring House Tour Benefit has become a herald of the spring season. Friends and fans will visit from near and far to enjoy the first Sunday in May and view this year’s unrivaled collection of private homes featuring unparalleled artwork, gardens, backhouses, period details, and inspiring renovations. The benefit generates vital support for […]
April is National Poetry Month, a chance to celebrate the power of language, imagination, and place. Few places in America have inspired as much poetry or had as many poets call it home as Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. For over two centuries, these neighborhoods have served as both refuge and crucible for […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Flann O’Brien’s surreal masterpiece The Third Policeman posits […]
Drawing inspiration from our recent celebrations of the “Women Who Saved the Village” and the “Women of Westbeth,” we turn our focus to three more formidable women from our Oral History Collection. Karen Cooper, Pi Gardiner, and Lucy Komisar embody diverse ways of preserving our community. Karen Cooper: The Visionary of Film Forum As the […]
Nostalgia and preservation are distinct but sometimes intersecting impulses, both of which of course manifest in Village Preservation’s work. The 1990s were Village Preservation’s second decade, and an important time for growth and evolution for the organization. Then as now, twice a year we released a newsletter detailing our work, and maintain an archive of […]
March, which is celebrated as Women’s History Month, comes to a close. But the women who shaped the Village do not fade with the calendar. Their work was never seasonal. It was lived, carved into streets, studios, stages, and sidewalks. What they made still moves through the neighborhood, if you slow down enough to notice. […]
Designated on June 29, 1999, the NoHo Historic District contains some of our neighborhoods’ grandest buildings, representing early feats of structural engineering, innovations in architecture, and urban-scale design. Village Preservation’s NoHo Historic District Highlights Tour tells the stories of just some of these magnificent structures and how they influenced later construction in lower Manhattan and […]
On the afternoon of Saturday, March 25, 1911, sirens blared through the streets of Greenwich Village. Alarmed by the urgency of the fire trucks whizzing by, many residents, including future U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins and future New York State Assemblyman Louis Waldman, followed their path. Arriving at the Asch Building, on the corner of […]
Ever paused on a Village block and wondered, “What’s lying behind those doors?” In neighborhoods like ours, where historic homes are found on every street, it’s hard not to imagine spaces just beyond view, with their interiors shaped by history, ingenuity, and imagination. Each spring, Village Preservation offers a rare opportunity to step beyond that […]
Winter in New York is not for the weak. Avenues become wind tunnels, streets become ice skating rinks, and temperatures can get so low that one tries not leave the house. But, at some point, the roaring, lion-like winds of early March tame into gentle lamb-like breezes, and all of New York rejoices on sidewalks, […]
Today we welcome a new small business to our neighborhoods — help us welcome the next. Tell us which new independent store in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo you’re excited about by emailing us at info@villagepreservation.org. As advocates for local small business, we find great satisfaction in hearing of new independent establishments opening […]
For nearly eight decades, Tony Hiss has observed Greenwich Village not simply as a neighborhood, but as a living continuum of history, memory, and change. In our latest oral history, Hiss offers a deeply reflective account of how place is experienced, remembered, and carried forward across generations. An author of fifteen books and a longtime […]
Keeping “a cool head and a warm heart,” artist Mabel Dwight (January 31, 1875–September 4, 1955) once wrote, was essential to making art that would be a “living influence on the world.” Her lifetime of artistic observations of urban life that helped define a distinctly American modernism, as well as that statement, form the inspiration […]
Much like the “Women Who Saved the Village,” the artists and advocates of Westbeth built a community and ensured many of those responsible for the Village’s creative spirit had a permanent affordable home. From the visionary who secured the complex’s future to the artists who made it home, these women exemplify the grit and grassroots […]
Every month Village Preservation selects a local business to honor in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo through our business of the month program. Potential businesses are identified through nominations, so be sure to nominate your favorite here. Businesses are highlighted through blog and social media posts, which share the backstories of the businesses, and their owners. Business owners […]
One of Village Preservation’s most beloved traditions is our Annual Meeting and Village Awards, at which we celebrate our achievements of the past year and honor invaluable leaders, institutions, businesses, places, and organizations in our neighborhoods. Fondly referred to as the “Oscars of the Village,” these awards showcase the remarkable people and places that have […]
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette met, fell in love, and tragically died within a span of a decade. The two had a love story that captivated a nation…and the press. But their history and connection to New York were far greater than tabloid fodder. Behind the glamour, charm, and politics were two people, […]
In the 1930s and 1940s, Greenwich Village was one of New York City’s most vibrant centers of jazz. Small clubs lined the streets, especially along Seventh Avenue South, where musicians and audiences gathered late into the night to hear a sound that was reshaping American music. Among the artists who performed in these rooms, few […]
Historic plaques can be a wonderful way to educate the public about the remarkable history of our neighborhoods, and the incredible events, people, and movements connected to sites all around us. Village Preservation has unveiled two plaques every year at buildings of historic significance in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo since we launched […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. For centuries, socks were a hand-knitted luxury available […]
Village Preservation regularly works to recognize the many women who shaped our communities, culture, and struggles for equality. Few places in New York contain as many layers of women’s history as the area south of Union Square, where Greenwich Village and the East Village meet. Village Preservation has long advocated for landmark protections for this […]
March is Women’s History Month, and while we celebrate women’s history all year, we do so especially during this particular month when we highlight the countless women of our neighborhoods who have fought tirelessly and courageously for equality, justice, and opportunity in our nation. It is the perfect time to remember that we are continuing […]
Downtown was a short-lived end-of-the-millennium animated series centered around a group of teens and twenty-somethings living and hanging out in lower Manhattan. Only lasting for one season, the show’s thirteen episodes aired on MTV from August to November 1999. Although a cartoon, the show feels realistic, as its characters are drawn from interviews with real people, and […]
A large section of our Village Preservation Oral History Collection focuses on Preservation History, and a majority of these preservationists are women. These women didn’t just save buildings, they saved community and sense of place and purpose. Today we focus on four pioneering women whose legacies continue to protect the character of our neighborhoods. Margot […]
This March, Village Preservation presents a dynamic slate of public programs that embody two defining themes: Women’s History Month and our 2026 Semiquincentennial series, “The Revolutionary Village.” From grassroots activism and immigrant narratives, to music, architecture, and civic engagement, this month’s events explore how the people of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo have […]
One of Village Preservation’s most beloved traditions is our Annual Meeting and Village Awards, at which we celebrate our achievements of the past year and honor invaluable leaders, institutions, businesses, places, and organizations in our neighborhoods. Fondly referred to as the “Oscars of the Village,” these awards showcase the remarkable people and places that have […]
Black history in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo is not abstract. It is tied to specific buildings, specific addresses, and specific institutions that helped shape the course of American history. Two of the most powerful examples are the African Free School in Greenwich Village and the NAACP’s national headquarters at 70 Fifth Avenue. […]
At the corner of Second Avenue and East 12th Street stands a neighborhood staple, and one of New York’s rare interior landmarks. At 181-189 Second Avenue, the Village East by Angelika movie theater opened in 2021, but its history long predates that. With the help of our East Village Building Blocks webpage and the Landmarks […]
The stories of Black New Yorkers are deeply woven into the history of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. From early community institutions and cultural leaders to activists who reshaped American society, these neighborhoods have long been places of creativity, resistance, and reform. To help make these histories visible and accessible, Village Preservation has […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. If you want to check out a vast […]
An exciting feature of Village Preservation’s extensive Historic Image Archive is the ability to filter images by category, or “tag.” We have painstakingly tagged every single one of our more than 5,000 historic photographs (an ever-growing number), so that users can easily view images organized by their interests. Today, we will be using the “winter” tag […]
It’s no secret that we love Greenwich Village around here (along with the East Village and NoHo, of course!). And what’s not to love? The neighborhood is full of architectural beauty, cultural innovation, so many places where history was made… and a whole lot of integrity thanks to its landmark designations and the countless individuals […]
In celebration of Black History Month, and in recognition of the often-overlooked figures in our collective story, today we take a look at the life and work of a few of the incredible Black women who have called our neighborhood home. Whether activists, artists, or teachers, these women’s legacies have impacted the course of history […]
February is Black History Month. At Village Preservation, we celebrate it by highlighting not only the many sites of significance to the African-American community within our neighborhoods, but also the neighbors who have helped shape our history and local culture. Our series of oral histories seeks to capture their legacies and tell their stories. Today, […]
Each year, Village Preservation honors and celebrates the invaluable people, places, and organizations that make our neighborhoods some of the most interesting and exceptional in the city. In 2016, Village Preservation (then GVSHP) gathered at The New School for our 26th Annual Village Awards. Ten years later, New York City has changed but the legacy of […]
As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1776, Village Preservation’s “Revolutionary Village” initiative asks us to consider revolution not as a single historical moment, but as an ongoing process rooted in ideas, dissent, and the persistent reimagining of democracy. Few figures embody that tradition more powerfully than Thomas Paine, born […]
Village Preservation recently released a revamped and updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Maps. Originally created in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District, the map includes Then & Now Photographs of the entire district, and a number of thematic tours of sites around the neighborhood. In honor of Black History Month […]
The lack of affordable housing is a complex problem. And every complex problem, as the saying goes, has an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. In this instance, free market fundamentalism has long provided one such answer — the notion that invisible economic forces will solve affordable housing crises, if we only step aside, […]
Electric Lady Studios exists because Jimi Hendrix refused to rush inspiration. In 1968, frustrated by expensive studio time and rigid schedules, Hendrix purchased the failing Generation Club at 52 West 8th Street in Greenwich Village. His vision was radical and simple: a place where musicians could work without watching the clock, that felt alive. Working […]
Elizabeth Blackwell (February 3, 1821–May 31, 1910) was the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree and was a pioneering figure whose work reshaped both medicine and the social history of our neighborhoods. Over the years, Village Preservation has returned again and again to Blackwell’s story, tracing her footsteps through Greenwich […]
Sixth Avenue cuts through Greenwich Village from north to south. While Fifth Avenue may be more posh, and Hudson Street more homey, Sixth Avenue, too, is home to so many sites that are core to our neighborhood: Jefferson Market Library and Garden, the Waverly Diner, and Father Demo Square, among other locations. And of course, […]
February 2026 brings a rich slate of programs that knit together the stories of local history, national identity, community struggle, and cultural achievement. Several offerings are part of Village Preservation’s Semiquincentennial series, the Revolutionary Village, which honors the broader narrative of America’s first 250 years and how our neighborhoods helped shape them. For Black History […]
Deborah Glick has proudly served Greenwich Village in the New York State Assembly for three and a half decades. When elected in 1990, she became the first openly gay member of the legislature, and continued to break ground throughout her career, including leading the fight for marriage equality in the state. Shortly before she announced […]
Born into one of America’s wealthiest and most high-profile families, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875-1942) was the fourth of seven children of Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843-1899) and Alice Claypoole Gwynne Vanderbilt (1845-1934). Societal expectations dictated that she should remain within the gilded comfort of Fifth Avenue mansions and splendor in which she was born. Yet as […]
On January 27, 2021, we submitted crucial information to support our application for landmarking 61 Fourth Avenue to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. What we documented was not merely architecture, but a place where some of the most influential artistic and cultural voices of the 20th century lived and worked (see our TikTok here). Our letter […]
Within the rapidly changing city, it’s refreshing to find spaces that nod to the eclectic, creative, and vibrant culture that our neighborhoods represent. This essence is captured in many local vintage and consignment shops. Through unique curatorial styles, fashion eras, and business ethos, these shops create a gorgeous patchwork that tells the story of our […]
From 14th Street to Houston Street, river to river, the streets and avenues of our neighborhoods ooze with a rich, unique lore found nowhere else in the city. At its center lies Fifth Avenue, dividing Manhattan’s east and west sides. Like many Manhattan streets, Fifth Avenue grew out of the original 1811 Commissioner’s Plan grid. […]
Fred W. McDarrah did not photograph history from a distance. He stood inside it. Shoulder to shoulder with musicians, poets, organizers, and strangers who believed the street could still change the world. His photographs are not nostalgia. They are evidence. McDarrah’s lens followed the pulse of Greenwich Village and the East Village through the 1950s […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends.3 You should visit Morocco. It offers a remarkable […]
This is one of a series of blog posts which highlights our new Village Independent Democrats collection in our Preservation History Archive. The Village Independent Democrats (VID) are a reform democratic club founded in 1956. In 2023, the club donated their archives to Village Preservation. In early 2024 we released the first part of those digitized archives covering 1955-69, and later that year […]
On January 16, 1826, a resolution was introduced to the Common Council (predecessor to today’s City Council) that would re-appropriate an old potter’s field into the Washington Military Parade Ground. This was a pivotal step in transforming the landscape into today’s Washington Square Park, which it officially became in 1827. Washington Square Park has been […]
Washington Square Park has been one our most beloved public spaces for generations. From potters field to parade ground to one of the most iconic public spaces in the world, its symbolism and utilization are unrivaled since its transformation to parkland was approved on January 16, 1826. This history comes alive in the images preserved […]
While July 4, 1776 is considered our country’s official birthday, the war for independence from Great Britain spans nearly a decade, from 1775 to 1783. January 14 is Ratification Day, commemorating the day in 1784 when the Treaty of Paris was formally ratified and the Revolutionary War officially came to an end. This anniversary offers […]
The start of a new mayoral administration is often a moment of great anticipation, especially when it brings the possibility of meaningful policy shifts. In a detailed letter dated January 1, 2026, Village Preservation extended congratulations to Mayor Zohran Mamdani on his inauguration and laid out a comprehensive set of priorities the historic preservation organization […]
