Szia, Nadia! – Immigrant History through the Lens of Netflix’s “Russian Doll”
Spoilers ahead for the first and second season of “Russian Doll” limited TV series Our neighborhoods have long been seen as a refuge and melting pot for immigrants of all nations and origins. Eastern and Southern Europeans and Chinese immigrants created communities within the heart of the Lower East Side, while Italians and African Americans […]
The Documents of History: Mattachine Society of New York’s Archival Papers of 1951-1976 at the New York Public Library
As Village Preservation prepares to unveil a plaque commemorating the “Sip-In” at Julius’ Bar on April 21, 1966, one might wonder about the Mattachine Society of New York, which organized this historic event as part of their broader participation in the 1945-1969 Homophile Movement in New York City and beyond. We know the leaders of […]
Remembering Christopher Moore and Honoring New York City’s Whole History
Christopher Moore (b. January 20, 1952, d. March 13, 2022, of complications from COVID and pneumonia) was a curator, archivist, author, storyteller, researcher, and the longest-serving member of New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, from 1995 to 2015. Moore became a notable fixture in the New York City preservation movement through his work to preserve […]
The Long Road To Our Landmarks Law
On April 19, 1965, New York City passed its landmarks law. While credit for passage of this law is often attributed to the demolition of Penn Station, the tragic loss of that beautiful Beaux Arts monument was just another straw on the proverbial camel’s back. The ability to protect our important built history which came […]
Celebrating Our Neighborhoods’ Immigrant Heritage
New York is a city of immigrants and, moreover, we are a nation largely of immigrants (Native Americans and the descendants of those brought here as slaves being the main and notable exceptions). This is especially true of our neighborhoods, which have attracted immigrants of all stripes for centuries. Immigration and the diversity of our […]
Bessie Smith: Blues Icon, Trailblazer with Village Connections
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an icon. Her talent, accomplishments, and message lit a path for many who have come after her to rise to the top of their own profession. Anita Baker nominated Smith for her posthumous induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That was in 1989, […]
Business of the Month: Carmine Street Guitars, 42 Carmine Street
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. Perhaps you dream of being guitarist extraordinaire Bill […]
#SouthOfUnionSquare, the Birthplace of American Modernism: MORE Artist Studios at 30 East 14th Street
“South of Union Square, the Birthplace of American Modernism” is a series that explores how the area south of Union Square shaped some of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. Throughout the 20th century, the area south of Union Square attracted painters, writers, publishers, and radical social organizations, many of whom were […]
The Gilded Village: Where Two Thirds of the Population Lived
Our Gilded Age blog posts have previously looked into some of the major stores and influential people of the era in our neighborhoods South of Union Square. This period, from the end of the Civil War until around 1900, is renowned for its excess, luxury, and wealth enjoyed across American cities. Rapid economic growth bolstered […]
Skyscraping and River-Spanning Landmarks of Midtown Manhattan Go #BeyondTheVillageAndBack
Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo are not known for having the large structures that can be found in Midtown (and thanks to last week’s rejection of a plan in the state budget to remove the limit on size of residential development in the city, our communities hopefully won’t be getting any supertall buildings […]
Private Lives: The Poignant Photography of Gail Albert Halaban
“What we can see out in the sunlight is always less interesting than what we can perceive taking place behind a pane of windowglass. In that pit, in that blackness or brightness, life is being lived, life is suffering, life is dreaming….” Baudelaire, Windows The pandemic has been, for many of us, the defining […]
Beer Now, Beer Then, Beer Here, Beer Everywhere
Filled with mingled cream and amber, I will drain that glass again. Such hilarious visions clamber Through the chamber of my brain. Quaintest thoughts, queerest fancies Come to life and fade away. What care I how time advances; I am drinking ale today — Edgar Allan Poe This ode to ale by one-time Village resident […]
Purdy & Henderson: Engineering NYC from #SouthOfUnionSquare
The neighborhood South of Union Square has no shortage of trailblazers in the arts, architecture, commerce, and social justice. Architects, like James Renwick, Jr., Louis Korn, Goldwin Starrett of Starrett & Van Vleck, and Albert Buchman of Buchman & Fox for example, typically get the lion’s share of the accolades for the design and construction […]
Making a Place for Play — WPA Era Neighborhood Playgrounds in our Neighborhoods
Approved as part or the New Deal on April 8th, 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) had a significant impact on our neighborhoods’ social resources and cultural capital. Considered to be one of 20th century America’s largest investments in social infrastructure, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) pursued over 26 different projects in the Greenwich Village, […]
Picturing the World Trade Center
The twin towers of the World Trade Center dominated the New York City skyline for almost thirty years, from their grand opening on April 4, 1973, until their destruction on September 11, 2001. They were visible from almost all corners of the city, and on a clear day, one could see them from up to […]
The Designers Behind the Architecture South of Union Square
The Historic District South of Union proposed by Village Preservation has many amazing buildings designed by great architects of the 19th and 20th centuries. We have previously (and extensively) highlighted the work of James Renwick Jr. in the area. But many other incredibly accomplished architects — some of equal prominence and standing to the renowned […]
Welcome to the Neighborhood: Bronx Brewery, 64 Second Avenue
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 in […]
Civil Rights History at 92 Grove Street
There are many sites throughout Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo that have played an important role in Black history and the struggle for civil rights in the United States. One of those sites, located in the West Village across from Sheridan Square, did so twice, in two separate centuries, in two very different […]
The Gilded Village: the Renwicks and the Roosevelts
This is the latest installment in our Gilded Village blog series. The Gilded Age was a time of contradictions and change: extreme wealth and desperate poverty; political stability and corruption; venal greed and generous philanthropy; social retrenchment and reform; an ever-more powerful establishment and a rising immigrant class. Nowhere were the paradoxes and churn of […]
April Programming at Village Preservation
Greenwich Village, NoHo, and the East Village. You will have an opportunity to learn more about the history of arts and culture in our neighborhoods, as well as participate in workshops that build our ability to continue to preserve our land as well as culture unique to our communities.
‘In America, They Don’t Let You Burn’: The Legacy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Anna Gullo, a survivor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, believed, “In America, they don’t let you burn.” But the tragic events of March 25, 1911 proved her wrong. So did the failure to prosecute Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, the factory owners who locked the factory doors to protect their profits rather than their […]
John Brown and Edmonia Lewis: Civil Rights Crusaders Who Intersected in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village has long been a mecca and incubator for radical social justice advocates. With Village Preservation’s interactive map of the Greenwich Village Historic District as well as our Civil Rights and Social Justice Map, we can take a virtual walk through the neighborhood to visit significant sites related to many of these remarkable activists. […]
Stormé DeLarverie: Village Guardian
A self-proclaimed “gay superhero,” Stormé Delarverie (≅ December 24, 1920 – May 24, 2014, Pronouns: she/her in public, he/him in performance) was a drag king, bouncer, and neighborhood activist who outspokenly protected LGBTQ+ communities in our neighborhoods and Lower Manhattan. Pronounced “Stormy De-Lah-vee-yay,” she made a name for herself as the (alleged) spark that started […]
The Irish Emigrant Aid Society’s Greenwich Village Roots
On March 22, 1841, the Irish Emigrant Aid Society was established “to afford advice, information, aid and protection to emigrants from Ireland and generally to promote their welfare.” The Society was founded by Bishop John Hughes and Dr. Robert Hogan, president of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and leading Irish merchants, philanthropists, and politicians. […]
The Gardens Less Travelled
When spring arrives, our wonderful neighborhoods are alive with activity. Many more people are out and about, enjoying the unique beauty of our slice of the big city, where you can see the blue sky and the greenery of gardens, trees and flowers. The multitude of green spaces in our neighborhoods beckon at these times. And […]
Great NYC Museums Go #BeyondTheVillageAndBack
New York City is blessed with a broad range of historic and internationally recognized cultural institutions across the five boroughs. But few know how many of them have origins here in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. A look through our recently released Beyond the Village and Back maps, one covering Manhattan below 72nd […]
Welcome to the Neighborhood: Via della Scrofa, 60 East 4th Street
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 on behalf of small business, we find great satisfaction in hearing of new independent establishments opening […]
The Gilded Village: Shopping in the Neighborhood #SouthOfUnionSquare
The Gilded Age in New York City, from roughly the end of the Civil War to 1900, is a cacophony of contradictions. On the surface, the era was defined by excess, luxury, materialism, abundance, technical advancement, and extreme new wealth, which brought with it unprecedented corruption, inequality, and unrestrained greed. The Gilded Age is easily […]
Barbara Kahn: Playwright With Impact Beyond The Stage
Barbara Kahn recently joined Village Preservation for a celebration of the her oral history with the organization (watch the video here). Barbara and friends offered a selection of performances from Barbara herself as well as her longtime collaborator, Robert Gonzales Jr. The performances of monologues and a song were followed by conversations about Barbara’s process […]
Catholic Churches: Anchor of New York’s 19th Century Irish Community
Irish Catholic immigrants to New York were one of the earliest and largest major immigrant groups to our city, outside of the Protestant immigrants from the United Kingdom who were much more readily accepted as “Americans.” They came here in ever-increasing numbers from the 18th century, seeking food security, jobs, religious and political freedom. Upon […]
Aiding and Supporting Ukraine Via East Village Businesses and Institutions
New York City is home to the largest Ukrainian population in the country, and the East Village has long been the heart of that community. After the recent attacks against Ukraine, many New Yorkers are left wondering how they can aid their neighbors and the Ukrainian community. If you are seeking ways to do so, […]
Business of the Month: Stevdan Stationers, 473 Sixth Avenue
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. As any writer or reader of love letters […]
Local Lesbian Bookstores: Founders of a Feminist Future
Historically, our neighborhoods have hosted many independent and unconventional bookstores. These small institutions have helped define the character of our neighborhoods as a literary capital of the Western world. With apartments as small as ours, these bookstores took on the role of collective public living rooms, acting as places of community gathering and organization. But, […]
Suffragists of Greenwich Village
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Following decades of activism, the 19th Amendment was adopted on August 18, 1920. Unsurprisingly, many people and organizations located in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo […]
Preserving the Past is Female!
Historic Preservation is a field where we seek to preserve communities and history through the built environment. The field requires knowledge of architecture, planning, law, and culture, among other areas. With such a multitude of skills required, no wonder it attracted so many prominent women like First Ladies Jackie Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson. In […]
The Federal Style Begins
On March 4, 1789, the U.S. Constitution went into effect as the first Congress met at Federal Hall on Wall Street, ushering in the form of government we utilize in this country to this day. It also was effectively the starting point for a form of architecture that shared the same name as the new […]
Recognizing the Civic Institutions of Little Ukraine
Ukrainians have long loomed large in the cultural tapestry of the East Village. Indeed, well before the neighborhood was dubbed the East Village, many knew a portion of it — and still do — as Little Ukraine. Like many immigrant groups, the first wave of Ukrainian immigration into the United States consisted of individuals flocking […]
Past Village Awardees Inspire New Nominations
Each year, Village Preservation honors neighborhood institutions, leaders, business, places and organizations at its Annual Meeting and Village Awards. This fun event highlights and celebrates the invaluable people, places, and organizations that make our neighborhoods some of the most interesting and exceptional in the city. Nominate your favorites by March 15
“Hidden Figures” #SouthOfUnionSquare: The Unsung Female Engineers Who Built Some of NYC’s Greatest Landmarks
The unprotected area South of Union Square for which we are seeking landmark status has no shortage of trailblazers in the arts and architecture, in commerce, and those who fought in the arena for equality and advancement. Some were very prominent figures like W.E.B. DuBois, Jackson Pollock, Billie Holliday, and Martha Graham. Others, however, made […]
All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church — A Beacon of Ukrainian Culture in the East Village
Village Preservation’s offices are located next to the East Village’s wonderful “Little Ukraine” neighborhood. One of the most eye-catching Ukrainian institutions in our neighborhood is just a few doors down from our home in the rectory of St. Mark’s Church In-the-Bowery: All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church at 206-208 East 11th Street. The parish grew out […]
“Beyond the Village and Back” Takes Us #SouthOfUnionSquare
Village Preservation recently unveiled our interactive Beyond the Village and Back Maps, the latest in our series of maps that tell the story of our neighborhood. With so many entries, we’ve had to divide it into two storymaps: one covering Manhattan below 72nd Street, the other for the rest of the city. The storymaps highlight […]
Greenwich Village Rooftop Cottages in the Roaring ’20s
The announcement of rooftop additions in our beloved historic districts frequently – and rightfully so in most cases – causes a surge of anxiety for preservationists. We do everything we can to make sure that the addition does not disrupt the historic streetscape from the public right of way, is aesthetically appropriate to the design […]
Taking a Closer Look at “Fortune and Men’s Eyes”
Telling the stories of incarcerated young men in the 1960s, Fortune and Men’s Eyes was a drama written by John Herbert in 1967 to process and analyze his own experience in Canada’s prison system. It was produced by Greenwich Villager and LGBTQIA+ rights activist David Rothenberg at the Actor’s Playhouse at 100 Seventh Avenue So., […]
Edna St. Vincent Millay: Greenwich Village Was In Her Blood
Few people are as closely associated with Greenwich Village as Edna St. Vincent Millay. After all, the neighborhood appears in her name – her middle name, St. Vincent, honored the hospital located on West 11th Street where her uncle’s life was saved just before she was born. In fact, she often referred to herself as […]
Thaddeus Hyatt: Trailblazing Greenwich Village Abolitionist and Inventor
Greenwich Village has long been the home of many of New York City’s most radical social justice advocates. With Village Preservation’s interactive map of the Greenwich Village Historic District we can take a virtual walk through the neighborhood to visit the homes of many of these remarkable activists. One recent addition to that map is […]
Explore NYC History with Two New Maps That Take You ‘Beyond the Village and Back’
Think of some of the most iconic sites in our great city, and what comes to mind? The Statue of Liberty. The Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building. The Queensboro Bridge. Now consider some sites across the five boroughs that tie into our history over four centuries, and you might name the Hall of Fame […]
Business of the Month: Gizmo Notion Corp., 160 First Avenue (Now at 626 East 14th Street)
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. Perhaps being homebound for extended periods of time […]
Suffragists of the East Village
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Following decades of activism, the 19th Amendment was adopted on August 18, 1920. Unsurprisingly, many people and organizations located in Greenwich Village, East Village, and NoHo played […]
The Origin of Love Tour: Spreading a Love that Started in the Village
The off-broadway version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered at the village’s own Jane Street Theatre on February 14, 1998. Looking at the playbill from performances during that era, one can see a number of contributors from our neighborhoods, including the Westbeth Theatre Center. John Cameron Mitchell and Stephan Trask’s glam/punk musical would eventually become a movie directed by Mitchell. It then went onto Broadway, receiving critical acclaim, Tony Awards, and the return of John Cameron Mitchell to the role he originated downtown.
Mayor Proposes to Slash Staff and Budget for Landmarks Preservation Commission
Mayor Adams’ recently released draft proposed budget includes a steep cut to the funding and staffing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The LPC is already the smallest city agency, charged with overseeing tens of thousands of landmarked properties across New York City, and surveying hundreds of thousands more to ensure that historically significant sites […]
Hugh Hurd: Artist and Civil Rights Hero for the Village and Beyond
Hugh Hurd was a longtime village resident who worked across the arts, labor, and civil rights movements to influence major shifts in how African Americans are treated in America.
Robert Fisch Collection: Windows To The Past On The Side Of A Building
Our historic image archive is full of thousands of images that give us unique insights into New York City life. Recent additions show drag performances in the 1990s, the HighLine before it became a world-famous park and tourist attraction, and changes to our surrounding architecture over the years. The Robert Fisch collection is our most […]
Women Crush Wednesday: Susan Glaspell and the Birth of Modern American Drama
This is one in a series of posts discussing the role that Greenwich Village played in the development of Modern American Theatre. Click here to read more. Why is the name Susan Glaspell so rarely invoked when discussing the birth of modern American Drama? Or American letters? In fact, she was quite well known in her […]
‘The Birth of a Nation’ Galvanizes a Movement #SouthOfUnionSquare
Throughout the 20th century, the area south of Union Square attracted painters, writers, publishers, and radical social organizations, many of whom were challenging accepted American social and cultural ideals. The release on February 8, 1915 of The Birth of a Nation — a silent white supremacist propaganda film credited with both resurrecting the Ku Klux […]
Reading Between the Lines: The Life of Nella Larsen
East Villager and Harlemite Nellallitea “Nella” Larsen (neé Walker, 13 April 1891 – 30 March 1964) was an American novelist who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance and American Modernism literary movements. Born to a Danish mother and Afro-Caribbean father, Larsen identified as mixed race, and her two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929), explore race […]
Charles Lindbergh & The Village
Charles August Lindbergh was born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, Michigan to a Swedish immigrant and U.S. Congressman of the same name and chemistry teacher Evangeline Lodge Land Lindbergh. He was fascinated with the mechanics of motorized transportation at a young age. Lindbergh dropped out of college in 1922 to begin flight training, and […]
A Pastry’s Long Journey to the Village
Here’s the secret: First, find yourself a dairy cow (or in a pinch, just some fresh milk). Keep it cold. Second, you’ll need sugar, salt, yeast, eggs, spring water, and high-protein flour. Now, all you’re missing is the butter — the best high-fat butter you can get your hands on. Import it from Poitou-Charentes if […]
URGENT: Hochul Plan to Lift Residential Density Limit in NYC Advances to State Budget; Write Legislators in Opposition TODAY!
Governor Hochul’s plan to eliminate the statewide limit on the maximum density of residential development was included in her proposed 2023 budget, leaving it up to State Legislators to oppose it or it will become law. This would remove the longstanding, reasonable, and necessary cap on residential development in New York State that limits it […]
Oral History: Calvin Trillin’s ‘West Village’
“My name is Calvin Trillin and I’ve lived in the Village off and on for more than 50 years, I guess. What I do for a living is I’m a writer, mostly The New Yorker and some The Nation, and books and a variety of things.” Thus starts Village Preservation’s latest entry in our collection of oral history, which explores the journey this humble award-winning journalist, humorist, food writer, poet, memoirist and novelist took from his Midwest origins to his being a regular presence in the West Village for decades.
35 East 12th Street: A Home for the National Negro Congress
As we continue to research the area south of Union Square, we uncover more incredibly important history along these streets. One example is the longtime presence of the National Negro Congress and the Southern Negro Youth Congress at 35 East 12th Streetreet. This nine-story brick loft building was erected in 1896 by builder P. Gallagher […]
Welcome Aboard, Leeanne G-Bowley
Today we welcome aboard Leeanne G-Bowley (pronouns: she/her) as Village Preservation’s Director of Programming. Leeanne brings with her experience across an incredibly varied 15-year career that emphasizes community, culture, learning, and equity. Leeanne has created impactful events, workshops, and cohort programs here in New York City and around the world. Through a career spanning work […]
Contextual Rezoning South of Union Square: A Vision Worth Revisiting
On January 28, 2014, Village Preservation submitted a request for consideration of a contextual rezoning of the University Place and Broadway corridors south of Union Square. This proposal, which followed an extensive analysis of the neighborhood, constitutes a significant chapter in our ongoing effort to protect and promote the quality of life in our neighborhoods. […]
David Amram: Inspiring Musicians in the Village, and Throughout the World
While our blogs typically focus on the history of our neighborhoods and the incredible trailblazers who came before us, it is particularly satisfying to write about great artists who are still among us. David Amram is one of those extraordinary people. Village Preservation conducted an oral history with Mr. Amram on January 28, 2014, and […]
The Social Realist Artist Studios of 240 West 14th Street
Originally constructed as a private mansion in the 1850s, 240 West 14th Street became a hub of Social Realist painting in the 1930s when a large group of artists loosely affiliated with the Art Students League and the Fourteenth Street School began renting numerous studios in the building. The Social Realist movement was crucial to […]
Andrew Carnegie’s Legacy at Seventh Ave So. and Leroy Street
The Hudson Park Library, which opened on January 24, 1906, is one of Manhattan’s twenty remaining Carnegie libraries. This red brick structure was designed by the renowned architectural firm of Carrere & Hastings (who just a few years later would design and build the main branch of the New York Public Library at 42nd Street), […]
A Dominating Narrative: The Mineshaft and BDSM Culture in the Meatpacking District
Notice: The following text contains references to sexual materials and activities appropriate for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised. 835 Washington Street has had many past lives. In the 1930s, it was a humble butcher and meatpacking plant, until the industry declined in the 1950s and ‘60s. Then in the 1970s it was a […]
The Supposed Streets of Little Africa
Beginning in the late 18th century, the area more or less defined by today’s Bleecker, Mercer, Thompson, Sullivan, MacDougal, and Carmine Streets started to grow as a free Black community in New York City. Institutions were formed — the Abyssinian Baptist Church moved to 166 Waverly Place in 1864 and stayed there for four decades; […]
National Cheese Lover’s Day
National Cheeselovers Day is celebrated on January 20th each year. Not to be confused with National Cheese Day (celebrated on June 4) or National Wine and Cheese Day (celebrated on July 25th), this day is for those of us who love to celebrate all that is cheese! In honor of this glorious occasion, today we highlight […]
19th Century Irish Immigrant Community Building #SouthOfUnionSquare
As we continue to research the historically and architecturally significant area South of Union Square, we uncover more important history that unfolded in the area every day. Recently, we discovered the presence of philanthropist, businessman, and Irish immigrant Andrew Carrigan, who helped transform the lives of Irish immigrants in New York in the 19th century, […]
New Oral History: Calvin Trillin and More than a Half Century in Greenwich Village
We’re proud to share our latest oral history with writer, humorist, and longtime Greenwich Village resident Calvin Trillin. Trillin has lived on and off in Greenwich Village for over 50 years, and speaks extensively in his oral history about his time here from first arrival to present day. He also looks back at his Midwestern […]
New Historic Image Collection Captures Four Decades, Lost Institutions, 9/11, LGBT Celebrations
Today we are proud to share the first part of a collection of hundreds of photos donated by longtime Greenwich Village resident Robert Fisch, primarily of the Greenwich Village of his youth in the 1980s, landmarks and familiar sights of the neighborhood and city in the decades since then, the former World Trade Center and […]
Opposing Gov. Hochul’s Proposal to Allow Supersized Development in NYC Neighborhoods
Earlier this month, Governor Hochul proposed eliminating the longstanding, reasonable, and necessary cap on the size of residential developments in New York State, which limits it to a floor area ratio of 12 (12 FAR). To give context, the over 1000-ft.-tall supertall towers of 57th Street’s “Billionaire’s Row” were built under zoning that only allows […]
Edward Hopper’s Village: Early Sunday Morning on Bleecker Street
Greenwich Village and surrounding neighborhoods have played host to some of the most significant artists and art movements of the 20th century. One of the most well-known artists of the 20th century, Edward Hopper, lived and worked at 3 Washington Square North. His iconic painting Nighthawks, 1942, was likely based on a diner at 7th […]
The Humble and Hol(e)y Bagel
Being treated as an object of contention is, to New Yorkers, a form of high praise. By this measure, the quintessential New York food must be the bagel. A source of disagreement over its origins, its definition, its best purveyors, and its proper add-ons, the bagel offers those looking for a debate over breakfast a […]
The Civilian Warfare Gallery: Artists in Combat
Founded by artists and partners Alan Barrows and Dean Savard in 1982, Civilian Warfare is one of the most under-interpreted yet incredibly influential galleries in the East Village’s art scene. Barrows and Savard started the gallery during the height of the Regan Era and the HIV/AIDS Crisis, when the East Village was plagued by rampant […]
Victory: Punitive SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Measure Vetoed!
We are thrilled to report that late Friday Mayor Adams vetoed a draconian, punitive measure we opposed introduced by (now former) City Councilmember Margaret Chin and approved in December by the City Council (including local Councilmembers Carlina Rivera and Corey Johnson). That measure would have imposed crippling fines on noncertified artist residents of certain types of […]
Highlighting Landmarking Effort for 50 West 13th Street’s African American Voting Rights Crusader
Village Preservation is redoubling our efforts to seek landmark designation for the endangered 50 West 13th Street, an 1846 rowhouse that has served as the home of the 13th Street Repertory Theatre since 1971, and for decades in the late 19th century was the home and place of business of Jacob Day, one of New […]
The Eclectic Streetscapes #SouthOfUnionSquare
Beautifully detailed 1899 “Mail & Express” Broadway Streetscape Illustrations demonstrate the urgency of Village Preservation’s campaign to landmark the area #SouthOfUnionSquare. The neighborhood #SouthOfUnionSquare can be characterized as a true crossroads — where art, politics, industry, commerce, the New York elite, and the working class collided to create an eclectic built environment and cultural ferment emblematic of […]
The Bouwerie Lane Theatre: Long-time Home of the Iconic Jean Cocteau Repertory
On January 11, 1967, one of the most beautiful buildings in all of New York was designated an individual landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. 330 Bowery (54 Bond) was built in 1874 and designed by Henry Engelbert in the French Second Empire style. Originally designed as a bank building for the Bond Street Bank, […]
Fourteenth Street and Fifth Avenue: A Window into the Development of the City
We have previously researched the Dutch ownership of the lands within the area south of Union Square, land that was originally home to the native Lenape people. The Dutch took over the Lenape’s land and began allocating different parcels to wealthy Dutchmen, leaders, and new settlers in the area. The prominent Elias Brevoort, a wealthy […]
#SouthOfUnionSquare, the Birthplace of American Modernism: Atelier 17
“South of Union Square, the Birthplace of American Modernism” is a series that explores how the area south of Union Square shaped some of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. Throughout the 20th century, the area south of Union Square attracted painters, writers, publishers, and radical social organizations, many of whom were […]
Business of the Month: Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books, 34 Carmine Street
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. Why suffer the dehumanizing impersonality of online shopping […]
The Defiant Lillian Hellman
Lillian Hellman, the playwright, memoirist, and novelist, was born in New Orleans on June 20, 1905. Her family moved to New York City when she was 5 years old, but continued to travel back and forth to New Orleans throughout her childhood. Hellman attended New York public schools while the family was in residence in […]
Urge Mayor Adams to Veto Draconian SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Measure
Intro 2443A was passed by the City Council late last year along with the SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement Plan, with almost no discussion or debate. The bill imposes draconian penalties upon residents of SoHo, NoHo, and parts of Chinatown who are not certified artists, endangering their ability to remain in their own homes, some of […]
Welcome to Our 2022 Interns!
Village Preservation’s team is a strong one – we’re lucky to have a group of interns who are looking to gain experience in historic preservation in a non-profit environment. Internships are paid, and our interns come from all educational and life backgrounds. We work together to tailor internship experiences to fit an intern’s skills and […]
