Beyond the Village and Back: Arthur Miller Edition

In our series Beyond the Village and Back, we take a look at some great landmarks throughout New York City outside of the Village, the East Village, and NoHo, celebrate their special histories, and reveal their (sometimes hidden) connections to the Village. Our Historic Image Archive is a veritable treasure trove of images that depict New […]

Strange Bedfellows Happened on West 9th Street: Ida Tarbell, Hans Hofmann, and Margot Gayle

When conducting research for our Greenwich Village Historic District 1969-2019 Maps and Tours, we discovered that investigative journalist Ida Tarbell, artist Hans Hofmann, and one of our favorite preservationists, Margot Gayle, all lived in the same building at 38-44 West 9th Street, although none at the same time. So today we take a deeper dive […]

Legendary Comedy Clubs of Greenwich Village

New York may be known for its lively comedy scene, but Greenwich Village takes the cake when it comes to producing the most renowned comedic legends. Comedy spots all over the Village helped shape the careers of comedians like Joan Rivers, Woody Allen, Dave Chapelle, and many more. Joan Rivers in 1965. Image courtesy of […]

Tiro a Segno, a Fixture in the Italian South Village

Located in the heart of the South Village and the South Village Historic District is the oldest continuing South Village Italian organization, Tiro a Segno, today located at 77 MacDougal Street. It has been at this location since 1924 and has served the Italian American community since its founding on August 14, 1888. Tiro a […]

Village Firehouses Past and Present

The city might at times feel like its on fire during the summer, but there have been times in the past when it has actually been. In the 1970s the Bronx was burning and Lower East Side was also suffering from fires and abandoned buildings. Before that, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire became one of […]

Mazel Tov! Yiddish Theater is born

On August 12th, 1882, the very first Yiddish theatrical performance in New York City was held in a building which still stands at 66 East 4th Street, between the Bowery and Second Avenue. Over the next four decades, the Yiddish theater would become a focal point and social outlet for the 3.5 million Jews that […]

Uncovering the stories behind downtown’s overlooked synagogues

On August 8, 2008, Village Preservation and the East Village Community Coalition (EVCC) submitted a request to the LPC to landmark a little-known but remarkable survivor– Congregation Mezritch Synagogue at 515 East 6th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A.  The building was the last operating “tenement synagogue” in the East Village. A young, little-known developer named Jared Kushner was […]

President Announces Resignation

On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective noon the following day. Following months of impeachment proceedings, Nixon could read the writing on the wall that his time as President would be coming to an end, one way or another. There were several prominent Villagers who played key roles in the push […]

How One Building Turned Greenwich Village Into an Artists’ Mecca

This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  Ever wonder what started Greenwich Village’s role as a mecca for artists?  A good deal of the credit can go to a single building which changed the way artists […]

    Welcome Aboard, Dawson Knick

    Today we welcome aboard Dawson Knick, who will be taking over our Program and Administrative Associate position, replacing Laura Fleischmann. We are sad to see Laura go, but we wish her the best of luck with her new adventures. Dawson’s excited to continue his work with the Village Preservation team, assisting with member services, public […]

      The Pepper Pot Inn, “The Realest Thing in Bohemian Atmosphere”

      When searching through the chronicles of Greenwich Village history, some things almost seem too Village-y to be true, with all their quirky details and theatrical anecdotes. A prime example: The Pepper Pot Inn at 146 West 4th Street, a 1920s multi-level restaurant that became a sensation. Purchased in 1918 by Carlyle “Doc” Sherlock and his […]

        ‘Catholic Boy’ Jim Carroll and The Downtown Scene

        It’s rare to become a published poet by age 16, finding yourself praised by the some of the foremost Beatnik writers.  It’s even rarer when no less than Patti Smith says that by age 21 you were ‘pretty much universally recognized as the best poet” of your generation.  Add to that having your first album […]

        More Historic Photo Mysteries Solved — Brownstone Revival and New York Apocalypse Edition

        Village Preservation has a collection of over 2,000 images in our Historic Image Archive, ranging from the 18th to the early 21st century, most of Lower Manhattan, but with some images across the five boroughs.  The majority were donated, and some come with absolutely no information about date or location. We’ve managed to figure out […]

        John’s of The Village

        No, this post is not about where to find public restrooms in the Village. It is, though, about a very important part of New York City’s culture: Italian cuisine. Italian Immigrants have made a lasting impact on both Greenwich Village and the East Village, both of which had significant Italian immigrant and Italian-American communities.  Many […]

          The East River Park’s Past and Future

          In the 1930s, today’s East Village and Lower East Side, long the country’s most crowded and notorious slum, was being dramatically transformed. The nation’s first federally-subsidized public housing was being built. Immigration from Europe, once the neighborhood’s lifeblood, had been cut off by restrictive laws, though new laws granting citizenship to residents of Puerto Rico […]

            Amelia Earhart: Aviatrix, Feminist Fashionista, Villager

            This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. Aviatrix Amelia Earhart is a household name for shattering a record-breaking 18,415-foot glass ceiling in her airplane.  Almost as famous is her mysterious disappearance […]

            Remembering Margot Gayle, In Her Own Words

            Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant neighborhoods. Each includes the experiences and insights of leaders or long-time participants in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life. Born May 14, 1908, […]

            836 Broadway, a Cast Iron Beauty, and Now A Landmark

            On June 11th, 2019, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated seven buildings in the area south of Union Square as individual landmarks. While these seven buildings are just a fraction of a fraction of the buildings we called for to be landmarked in connection with the City’s shady Tech Hub “deal”, and […]

            Jewish History of the Greenwich Village Historic District

            This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  With neighborhoods like the Lower East Side and Upper West Side in close proximity, Greenwich Village, and more specifically the Greenwich Village Historic District, is not one of the […]

            Jo Davidson’s “Plastic History,” Featuring His Village Friends

            This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  Jo Davidson may not be a household name, but his work is familiar to many New Yorkers.  Born on March 30, 1883, Jo Davidson grew up on the Lower […]

            The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center — Finally a Landmark

            This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. We’ve recently had ten new buildings in our area designated landmarks, which also means ten new designation reports rich in history available to pour […]

            If the Washington Square Hotel Could Talk (or Write, or Sing)

            This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. In the 19th century, the neighborhood around the north side of Washington Square Park was a prestigious residential neighborhood. Developers looked to expand this […]

            Richard Wright in Greenwich Village

            This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. Richard Wright (September 4, 1908 — November 28, 1960), novelist and short-story author, is considered among the most important figures of 20th-century American fiction.  […]

            A little FUN Gallery with Patti Astor

            “A long time ago in the 1960s, a young white girl from Ohio committed herself to being a revolutionary,” begins a short feature documentary about Patti Astor and her FUN Gallery (see within). FUN Gallery opened originally in the tiny basement storefront at 229 East 11th Street in 1981, later moving to 254 East 10th […]

              Gem Spa: An 80 Year Old Institution Fighting for its Survival

              New Yorkers love their small businesses, so it was no surprise that the plight of East Village mainstay Gem Spa drew so much attention and support from local residents and visitors alike.  The almost 80-year-old corner stand has always sold a plethora of handy items, from snacks to newspapers, drinks to hats, toiletries and sunglasses […]

              The Roosevelt Building — Where Great History and Architecture Intersect

              On June 11th, 2019, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated seven buildings in the area south of Union Square as individual landmarks. While these seven buildings are just a fraction of a fraction of the buildings we called for to be landmarked in connection with the City’s shady Tech Hub “deal”, and […]

                The long road to landmark: How NYC’s Stonewall Inn became a symbol of civil rights

                Millions converge in New York City each year in late June to celebrate events which took place in and outside of a Greenwich Village bar in 1969. The Stonewall Riots are not only be memorialized here in New York City, but those events have come to take on international significance. There are celebrations and marches in countries across the globe, […]

                A Terra Cotta Gem Shines on West 14th Street

                I often get asked what my favorite building is in our area, and 154 West 14th Street ranks up there as one of my tops. Located at the very prominent corner of Seventh Avenue and West 14th Street, this polychromatic, 12-story visual delight is replete with glazed terra cotta in hues of white, beige, yellow, […]

                Graphic Designer Extraordinaire, Milton Glaser

                Milton Glaser’s “I ♥ NY” logo is one of the most iconic and most replicated logos of the late 20th century, filling the storefronts of our city’s souvenir markets and found on road signs, magazine advertisements, key chains, t-shirts, and much more.  But it’s just one of many achievements and successes in the field of […]

                  Stonewall Inn: State and National Register Pioneer

                  Six sites were recently designated landmarks by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission based on their LGBT history and association, two of which were part of a five-year campaign by Village Preservation: the LGBT Community Center and the former Gay Activists Alliance Firehouse. This comes four years after the first and until recently only NYC individual landmark […]

                  New York State WorldPride Welcome Center Opens in Greenwich Village

                  This June is LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Pride month as well as the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, and among the many events and announcements was the grand opening of the New York State WorldPride Welcome Center. Where? Greenwich Village, of course.  Located at 112 Christopher Street,  the new […]

                    Wanda Gág: Village Eccentric, Artist, and Cat Storyteller

                    We’re on a roll with children’s book writers of the Village! Read our previous posts about E.B. White, Robert McClosky, Margaret Wise Brown, Maurice Sendak, and Otis Kidwell Burger. Though many creatives found great success in New York and Greenwich Village in their day, many of them have also faded a bit from our collective […]

                      Making Way for Ducklings in a Greenwich Village Bathtub

                      One day in 1939, famed writer and illustrator Robert McCloskey took a trip to a market near his Greenwich Village apartment and left with a group of live ducklings in tow. He brought them to his home at 280 West 12th Street, which he shared with his roommate, the illustrator Marc Simont, and placed them […]

                        St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery’s Pride Ribbon Project

                        To honor and recognize LGBT Pride Month, each year the St. Marks Church-In-The-Bowery produces an art installation along 2nd Avenue between 10th and 11th Street, the Pride Ribbon Project. The installation will be up through the end of June, and we highly encourage you to come to see this in person and read through and […]

                        Village Rallies for NAACP, with Lorraine Hansberry

                        Politics and rallies have always been an integral part of the DNA of Greenwich Village. One particularly significant rally of note took place on June 13, 1959.  Dubbed “Village Rallies for NAACP,” it took place in Washington Square Park, and among the speakers was Greenwich Village’s own Lorraine Hansberry.  Hansberry was the co-chair of the […]

                          East Village Building Blocks Tour: Little Ukraine

                          Our neighborhoods are gloriously filled with immigration history. The East Village alone could tell a vast part of America’s immigration history. One such group that immigrated to our shores and landed in our neighborhood is the focus of our attention today — Ukrainians! To explore some of the Ukrainian sites in the neighborhood, we’re sharing […]

                            E.B. White and his Greenwich Village

                            When people hear the name E.B. White, most immediately think of the much-adored children’s’ classics, Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and Trumpet of the Swan. However, his work extended far beyond that genre, and his literary “hats” included essayist, novelist, humorist, and poet (although he described himself as a “non-poet who occasionally breaks into song”).  Like […]

                              Oral History: Maria Kenny of Kenny’s Castaway

                              In 1977, Pat Kenny opened Kenny’s Castaways at 157 Bleecker Street, a “dusty and dim New York music club” which for 36 years welcomed some of the most iconic performers in music. The legendary venue closed its doors in 2012, with so many heartfelt stories and condolences from longtime friends. But its legacy will not […]

                              Business of the Month: Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, 125 East 7th Street & 61 Grove Street (CLOSED)

                              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. Who doesn’t love a good success story?  […]

                              East Village Building Blocks Tour: the LGBTQ East Village

                              While the neighboring West Village may have the more well-known sites, the East Village contains a rich assortment of places connected to LGBTQ history, including the homes of noted artists, writers, musicians, and activists. It also holds a vast array of performance venues and gathering spaces that attracted and helped launch the careers of many […]

                                Dr. Simon Baruch and the Bathhouse Movement

                                The buildings we pass in our neighborhoods can offer windows into some rather specific aspects of New York history, and the interesting and sometimes complicated figures involved in the city’s development. One prominent example is what we can learn from some buildings in our neighborhood about public bathing habits and hygiene during the 19th century. […]

                                  The Landmarked New School Auditorium — Home of Village Preservation’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Village Awards

                                  The Village Awards recognize the people, places, and organizations which make a significant contribution to the quality of life in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. The 2019 Awards and Annual Meeting will be held at The New School Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street. The striking 500-seat auditorium,  designed in 1931, was designated […]

                                    East Village Building Blocks Tour: Theaters!

                                    The East Village has been fertile ground for theatrical innovation since the beginning of the 20th century. Off-Off Broadway productions began in the East Village as an anti-commercial and experimental or avant-garde movement of drama and theater. To celebrate the iconoclasts and innovative creators in our neighborhoods, we’ve created a tour of current and former […]

                                    Estate of Fred W. McDarrah, 2019 Village Awardee

                                    On June 12th, 2019 we will be celebrating seven outstanding awardees at our Annual Village Awards — RSVP here. Read blog posts about each of our 2019 Village Awardees here. Each year, Village Preservation presents one special Village Awardee with the Regina Kellerman Award. Regina Kellerman was Village Preservation’s first Executive Director, and a passionate advocate for historic preservation. […]

                                    The Man Who Sculpted Our Image of Abraham Lincoln

                                    On May 30th, 1922, fifty-seven years after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, over 35,000 people gathered at the western end of the National Mall in Washington D.C. to see him once again. Sitting within the grand, neoclassical Lincoln Memorial building designed by architect Henry Bacon, the statue of the beloved president seemed to convey to the […]

                                    Business of the Month: Elite Shoe Repair, 105 West 10th 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. Walking down West 10th between 6th and […]

                                    Little Missionary’s Day Nursery, a Tradition in Good Works

                                    Since 1896, the Little Missionary Day Nursery has been serving the families of the Lower East Side and the East Village, providing care and education for the young children of this area. It was founded by Sara Curry, who dedicated her life to the care of the neighborhood’s impoverished children and their families.

                                      The Source Unltd, 2019 Village Awardee

                                      Read blog posts about each of our 2019 Village Awardees. Santo and Margaret Mollica told our friends at Manhattan Sideways the unusual origin story of their small business, The Source, which reflects much about why it is anything but your average local business. It involved a psychedelic church, the fire department, and a case of mistaken identity. Santo […]

                                      The Bitter End, 2019 Village Awardee

                                      People commonly note that Bleecker Street is a far cry from what it was half a century ago, with high-end retail chains replacing its bohemian past. But, thankfully, a few stars of that era have stayed alive, including the well-known music venue The Bitter End at 147 Bleecker Street. Since its opening in 1961, The […]

                                        East Village Building Blocks Tour: Synagogues

                                        If you’re walking around the East Village, you’re likely standing on (or near) holy ground. To illustrate this, we’ve created a tour of current and former synagogues in the neighborhood. This incredibly rich, multi-layered community was home to some remarkably beautiful houses of worship with stained glass, turrets, and more still visible. While many of […]

                                        The Bubble Man in Washington Square Park

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. It has been one month since our grand celebration for the Greenwich Village Historic District’s 50th Anniversary in Washington Square Park. This free and […]

                                        Tea & Sympathy, 2019 Village Awardee

                                        For the almost three decades, Tea & Sympathy at 108 Greenwich Avenue has been a fixture in Greenwich Village for greeting, meeting, and eating. Serving tea and traditional British comfort food, this iconic and authentic British eatery is beloved by locals and visited by people from all over the world. In June at Village Preservation’s […]

                                        East Village Building Blocks Tour: Dry Dock District

                                        Alphabet City owes much of its initial development to shipbuilding, the industry that used to dominate the area. Known as the Dry Dock District, this area used to bustle with thousands of workers building waterborne vessels, as well as in supporting trades such as iron works and wood mills. Residences were built around the area […]

                                        The Hallowed Music Halls of the Greenwich Village Historic District

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  Music is an integral part of the cultural legacy and impact of our neighborhoods! In March 2019 we explored the iconic music venues and punk meccas of the East […]

                                        When Our City Government Was Trump’s Apprentice

                                        The Trump SoHo was approved for construction by the City on May 8, 2007, over the objections of dozens of elected officials and a broad coalition of community and business groups from across New York led by Village Preservation. Unfortunately, the City decided that the interests of deep-pocketed developers “trump” zoning protections for our neighborhoods, […]

                                        Hettie Jones, 2019 Village Awardee

                                        Hettie Jones is a talented writer, a loving mother and grandmother, a forceful activist, a nurturing teacher, and a friendly neighbor and preservationist. She is the stuff neighborhood dreams are made of. Showing no signs of slowing down at 85, she is easily one of the earth mothers of our community – and we’re thrilled […]

                                        Go inside 7 landmarked houses in Greenwich Village this weekend

                                        This Sunday, Village Preservation will hold its 21st annual Spring Benefit House Tour. As this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District, all the homes and the reception site are landmarked structures located within the district. The tour is the main annual fundraiser for Village Preservation, allowing us to conduct hundreds […]

                                        A New Archive for GVHD50: Retaking the 1969 Designation Photos

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. In the years leading up to April 29, 1969, when the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Greenwich Village Historic District, […]

                                        Pineapples, Pinecones, and Acorns, Oh My – in the Greenwich Village Historic District

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  Walking back to the office after a rally for landmarking the interior of the White Horse Tavern, I saw the most delicious architectural pineapples along West 11th Street.  You […]

                                        GVHD50 and Stonewall50 – LGBTQ Sites of the Greenwich Village Historic District

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. Rounding up each person, place, and moment in the Greenwich Village Historic District’s LGBTQ history would take longer than it does to line up […]

                                        Tulip Time at Abingdon Square Park

                                        Spring is here, and people are gaping at the blossoms and stopping for selfies in front of the dogwood and magnolias and tulips.  In our city, green space is precious and rare, and we need every bit of it, new or old. One of the local favorites is an oldy but goody –Abingdon Square.

                                        A Truly Historic House Tour! Village Preservation’s 21st Spring House Tour in the Greenwich Village Historic District

                                        We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District (GVHD50) with a bash in Washington Square Park. But thankfully, there’s even more GVHD fun right around the corner.  The actual anniversary is April 29th, when we will be rolling out some truly fantastic online tours of the district, and our 21st Annual […]

                                        Small Stores Thrive in Landmark Districts

                                        It may come as little surprise that many people prefer the vibrancy of a historic neighborhood over the sterile monolithic towers and gargantuan chain stores that dominate all-too-much of the cityscape.  Besides the incredible architecture and charm, these are walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods popular with all ages.  But are they good for small businesses and retail […]

                                        11 landmarks of immigration in Greenwich Village

                                        Each year, immigrant history week is celebrated in late April, commemorating the day in 1907 when more immigrants came through Ellis Island than any other day in history. More than a few of those immigrants came through Greenwich Village, which has a long and storied history of welcoming newcomers from across the city, country, and […]

                                        Artists Homes of the Greenwich Village Historic District

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of The Greenwich Village Historic District (GVHD). The GVHD contains a treasure-trove of important history, […]

                                        A Walk Through Astor Land with East Village Building Blocks

                                        One of New York most prolific and high-profile building families, the Astors left their indelible mark on countless areas of the city. Though their name is typically connected to grand pieces of our city’s history, like the Astor Library and, of course, Astor Place, an enormous collection of their output hides almost in plain sight: […]

                                        Business of the Month: Left Bank Books, 41 Perry 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. I was ecstatic to find out about […]

                                        GVHD50 Partner Roundup: Restaurant Edition

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. Friends; we have such great friends!  Last year, as we set our sights on celebrating the extraordinary milestone of the 50th anniversary of the […]

                                        Churches of the Greenwich Village Historic District

                                        This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  Churches are found throughout the Greenwich Village Historic District, and were built as early as 1821, and as late as the 1970s, after the district’s designation in 1969 (one […]