Walk & Draw: MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens
On Saturday, GVSHP held a second Walk & Draw event, this time to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens historic district.
Roundup of posts on immigration and the Village
Immigration is a core theme in the history of New York City, and in the Village this is reflected in both the architecture and remaining and past cultural enclaves. People from all over the world come to our neighborhoods, adding to the vibrancy and life within them. We here at GVSHP are proud of and […]
The Glittering and Gritty History of 24 Bond
If you happen to look up while strolling down Bond or Lafayette Streets, you might come upon a curious sight – dozens of small, golden statues dancing along the wrought iron and brick of a traditional NoHo facade. Celebratory and airy, they’re a delightful addition to the heavy, industrial look of the rest of the […]
‘Heard it through the grapevine?’ The source was probably at 6th Avenue and 11th Street
On August 6, 1966, the first known recording of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” was made by the Miracles. Written by Motown pioneers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, the song was re-recorded several times, most famously by Gladys Night and the Pips and Marvin Gaye, whose version landed on the top of the charts […]
MacDougal Sullivan Gardens — One of New York’s Oldest and Most Special Historic Districts
On August 2nd, 1967, MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens was designated a New York City historic district. These 22 homes surround a beautiful private garden oasis, and this was one of the first historic districts to be designated in our area, prior to even the Greenwich Village Historic District in 1969 (only the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District was designated earlier, […]
St. Mark’s in the Bowery: Sam Shepard’s First Theatrical Home
“…But who knows what is real anyway? Reality is overrated. What remains are the words scrawled upon an unwinding panorama, vestiges of dusty stills peeled from memory, a threnody of gone voices drifting across the American plain. The One Inside is a coalescing atlas marked by the boot heels of one who instinctively tramps, with open […]
The Ashcan School and the Beginnings of the Whitney
The streetscapes and street life of New York City are some of the most robust sensorial experiences. From towering skyscrapers to bright flashing lights to pungent (sometimes fragrant) smells and blaring sounds, the city runs on energy. It has been said that if the United States were a car, New York City would be its […]
Happy Birthday Marcel Duchamp!
This is an updated reposting of a blog by former staffer, Lauren Snetiker, July 28th, 2015 Today marks what would have been Marcel Duchamp’s 130th Birthday. Duchamp was born in France on July 28, 1887, trained as a painter in Paris until 1905, and spent much of his adult life living in Paris and New […]
Impeachment and the Village
On July 27, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommended that President Richard M. Nixon be impeached and removed from office. And while many remember the two year saga which placed the executive office and country in turmoil, they might not remember that several prominent Villagers were at the forefront of this chapter in our history. […]
How a 15th-century French migration gave us the term ‘Bohemian’
“Bohemian” may be hard to define, but we all know it when we see it. But even in a city like New York, where bohemian can be used to describe everything from a polished West Village cafe to a South Bronx squat, few people know why exactly we today use this term, connected to a […]
USPS’ Landmark Legacy: the Cooper Station Post Office
On July 26, 1775 the United States Postal System was established by the Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. Franklin, in his turn, put in place the foundation of many aspects of today’s mail system. Today, the U.S. Postal Service is one the nation’s largest civil employers, with over 40,000 […]
How Zoning Shapes Our Neighborhoods
On July 25, 1916, New York City adopted the very first zoning rules anywhere in the country. This system for regulating the size, height, use, and other related characteristics of new development revolutionized the way cities looked and developed, and changed forever how we see property rights and our responsibilities and obligations to our neighbors […]
Ten Years as Landmarks for Two Nearly Two Hundred Year Old Houses
On this day in 2007, two historic federal style row houses at 486 and 488 Greenwich Street (between Spring and Canal Streets) built in 1823 by the Rohr family were designated landmarks by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. These two houses were among thirteen federal houses which GVSHP and the New York Landmarks […]
Happy Birthday Larry Fagin
The late poet Larry Fagin was born on this day in 1937, and would have turned 80. Well known in the East Village and poetry circles, sadly Larry passed away in May, 2017. He was a contributor to GVSHP’s book, Greenwich Village Stories, author of numerous books of his own, taught at The New School, was an assistant […]
A Glimpse of the Gilded Age on Renwick Row
We are fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood rich in 19th century architecture — both individual buildings and entire streetscapes. But while well-preserved 19th century buildings are not uncommon in the Village, perfectly preserved 19th century interiors that we can still view, especially from the apex of the Gilded Age, are quite rare. Rarer still […]
Rosetta Stones Right in Our Home: Little Germany
On July 19, 1799, the Rosetta Stone was discovered during the Napoleonic Campaign in Egypt. This stele is inscribed in three languages — Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Ancient Greek — and became the key to finally translating and unlocking the secrets of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script. Like ancient Egypt, our neighborhoods have been a shifting […]
Hunter S. Thompson: Iconoclast and Writer For Our Times
Where is a journalist like Hunter S. Thompson (July 18, 1937 – February 20, 2005) when you really need him (or her)? The wild and wooly world we live in is a mixed up brew of politics with a side shot of pop culture; just the firewater that that Thompson could guzzle and spit out in […]
Five Accomplished Writers and Thinkers Discuss Basquiat, NoHo & Identity
Didn’t make it to a recent GVSHP program? Visit our website to see photos, videos, and sometimes even presentation materials from recent programs. Photos and video from Saturday’s Basquiat and NoHo panel are now online! This past Saturday, just two doors down from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s last home and studio, GVSHP and Ayanna Jessica Legros presented a panel exploring the artist, his identity, and […]
Village Remains Tops for Artists in NYC
From the Center for An Urban Future Report Greenwich Village has long enjoyed a reputation as a mecca for artists. The same can be said of nearby NoHo and SoHo, though the reputation for those neighborhoods is slightly newer (about fifty years, as opposed to well over a hundred for the Village). The list of […]
Echoes of Bastille Day in Greenwich Village
On July 14, 1789, the Storming of the Bastille was the galvanizing event that kicked off the French Revolution. The Bastille was a fortress-prison that held both political prisoners and a cache of weapons. By storming the oppressive structure, the revolutionaries were not only able to obtain armaments to further their cause, but provide a symbol […]
“Not Another Starbucks” Rally Today
When word got out that a Starbucks was slated to open for the nearly 10,000 sq. ft. space at 125 St. Mark’s Place at Avenue A, it was seen as yet another corporate chain store encroachment in the neighborhood. Coming at the same time that a Target is proposed just a few blocks north on […]
More is More: Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II
In this series, ‘More is More,’ we look at historic district extensions in our area. The Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II was designated June 22, 2010 after a multi-year campaign led by Village Preservation. Although this is an extension of the Greenwich Village Historic District which was designated in 1969, it was also the first phase […]
Vice President, Villager Shoots and Kills Hamilton
1804. Weehawken. Dawn. Guns. Drawn.* Perhaps the most famous duel in American history took place on July 11, 1804, a result of a bitter political rivalry. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton had been at loggerheads off and on throughout their careers, but escalating tensions between the two led to their face-off on a dueling ground […]
July 9, 1819: Slavery, Gentrification, and the Last Execution in Washington Square
This is a re-posting of a piece written by GVSHP’s Matthew Morowitz. Sunday, July 9th marked the 198th anniversary of the last execution that took place in Washington Square – the site of our neighborhood’s now-beloved public park. To commemorate this striking and layered anniversary, we are reposting an article on the subject originally written […]
Business of the Month: Myers of Keswick, 634 Hudson 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. If you’ve ever noticed […]
Marsha P. Johnson: Trans-activist, Stonewall Revolutionary, Village Resident
In the wake of the Stonewall anniversary last month, it’s a good time to look back at some of the inspiring figures that were involved with the uprising that helped cement Greenwich Village as the birthplace of the modern Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) right’s movement. Marsha P. Johnson, a black transwoman, is iconic […]
Cool Down With Keith Haring!
The thermometer tells us we are definitely in the throes of summer. However, we’re fortunate enough to have a city pool in our midst where you can not only immerse yourself in cool water, but also in a prime example of the 1980’s New York art scene. The Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, formerly known as […]
Happy Birthday, Debbie Harry
Deborah Harry, lead singer of the seminal punk and new wave band Blondie, was born July 1, 1945. Both she as an artist and the group Blondie grew out of the ferment of the downtown scene of the Village and East Village in the 1970’s. From modest beginnings, they would go on to leave an […]
Sheltering People with HIV/AIDS – In Fiction, and Reality
This summer, members of GVSHP’s first-ever book club (myself included!) are reading Tim Murphy’s Christodora together. It’s a time-travelling exploration of evolving neighborhoods, the impact of HIV/AIDS, and how the lives of New Yorkers can intertwine and connect in ways you never quite expect. Each week, members receive an email containing story recaps, additional reading, discussion […]
Happy Birthday to the Strand Bookstore!
Today we celebrate 90 years of the Strand Bookstore. This beloved neighborhood institution was founded in 1927 by Benjamin Bass as a used bookstore on the famous Book Row, which consisted of 48 book stores along Fourth Avenue from Astor Place to Union Square. Strand remains among the last of these bookstores. Today is actually owner Fred Bass’s 89th […]
The Legacy of the Stonewall Riots
The infamous raid on the Stonewall Inn occurred at 3am on June 28th, 1969, and was followed by five nights of ongoing protests. These events came to be known as the Stonewall Riots or Uprising, which is considered to be a major turning point in the gay rights movement, or in many ways the birth of […]
The Church of the Village: Remembering Injustice Against Gay Clergy Event
On Wednesday, June 21st, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation attended a plaque unveiling at the Church of the Village to honor former gay clergymen. Reverends Clarence Edward Egan and Paul Abels were both pastors in the Village, very active in the neighborhood, and firmly rooted in fighting for civil rights and social justice. […]
PFLAG Plaque Unveiled
On Sunday, June 23, 2013 outside the Church of the Village at the corner of Seventh Avenue and West 13th Street, GVSHP helped to unveil a plaque to commemorate the first meeting of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). The organization, which now has 350 chapters in all 50 states, had its humble […]
Happy Birthday to Villager Gloria McDarrah!
To celebrate the birthday of Villager and oral history interviewee Gloria McDarrah, we’re reposting an earlier Off the Grid piece written by Lauren Snetiker. Since writing this piece, GVSHP has released even more oral history interviews. See a full list on our website, and look out for more releases later on in 2017. GVSHP is excited […]
Happy Birthday, Housing Activist Frances Goldin
“This is my home, and I love it here” Frances Goldin said about the Lower East Side, her home for over 70 years. GVSHP loves Fran (as she likes to be called) and we celebrate her seven decades (!!!) of activism on her birthday (tomorrow), June 22nd. Fran was born in 1924, living in Harlem and […]
LGBT History in All Corners: NoHo
June is Pride Month, an especially exciting time in our neighborhoods. LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and environs, and this month we’re highlighting the LGBT history of the West Village, East Village, South Village, and NoHo. Many of these sites can be found on our GVSHP Civil Rights and Social Justice Map, and we […]
St. Marks’ Historic District Extension, Designated June 19, 1984
The St. Mark’s Historic District Extension was designated 15 years after the St. Mark’s Historic District and only consists of two buildings, 102 and 104 East 10th Street. But they are quite an important pair of buildings, which one might be surprised were not included in the original landmark designation. No. 102 is actually the […]
Business of the Month: Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 East 11th 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. Summer is upon us, […]
The Espionage and Sedition Acts
The Espionage Act was passed on June 15th, 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I in April of that year. Its goals included limiting interference with recruitment efforts and preventing the support of enemies of United States during wartime. In his message to Congress, President Woodrow Wilson warned that the war would require a […]
Gansevoort Market – Open for Business in 1884
Gansevoort Market, a giant, open-air farmer’s market located on the enormous block between Gansevoort and Little West 12th streets, Washington and West Streets, officially opened for business on June 15, 1884. This was the former site of Fort Gansevoort, and is now the home of the Gansevoort Market Meat Center and the Whitney Museum. That […]
LGBT History in All Corners: the South Village
June is Pride Month, an especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with our neighborhoods, and this month we’re highlighting the LGBT history of the West Village, East Village, South Village, and NoHo. All of these sites can also be found on our GVSHP Civil Rights and Social Justice Map, […]
Pride Month in NYC: More Historic LGBT sites to visit in our neighborhoods
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village. The Stonewall Riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation movement in the United States. Celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, and concerts. […]
LGBT History in All Corners of the Village: East Village
This is the latest post in our Pride Month series, read the first on the West Village here. June is Pride Month, which makes it especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with our neighborhoods, and throughout the course of this month we’ll be highlighting the LGBT history of […]
Frank O’Hara’s East Village
This post is adapted and updated from an earlier Off the Grid post written by Karen Loew in 2014. On June 10, 2014, GVSHP and Two Boots Foundation had the great pleasure of marking, with a commemorative plaque, the home of poet Frank O’Hara at 441 East 9th Street (just west of Avenue A). In […]
What do the East Village and Bartlesville, OK have in common?
Two pretty big things, actually, which is surprising, considering one is the funky heart of our nation’s largest city, while the other is a ‘city’ of 36,000 in pretty sparsely-populated northeastern Oklahoma. And we’re betting that depending upon your areas of interest, while you may know one surprising connection between the two places, you probably don’t […]
Let Me Introduce To You: Sgt. Pepper’s Greenwich Village Band
The classic Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, considered by many the greatest and most influential rock album of all time, was released on May 26, 1967 in the U.K., and June 1, 1967 in the U.S. The lasting influence of “the first concept album” is undeniable, but so too is the Village’s […]
Greater Transparency Now Mandated for the Board of Standards and Appeals
Last week the Mayor signed a raft of bills passed by the City Council that will lead to a series of reforms to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) zoning variance process. Thanks to your involvement, whether through an email action or at our recent BSA forum, together we have made progress on […]
It’s the Butter that binds us! 2017 Village Award Winner Patisserie Claude delights and defines.
Off the Grid is highlighting our 2017 Village Awards winners in our upcoming June 6th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Patisserie Claude is a business that makes us all proud to live in the Village. Not only is it one of the most civilized of […]
LGBT History in All Corners of the Village: The West Village
June is Pride Month, which makes it an especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and its environs, and throughout the course of this month we’re focusing on four areas of our neighborhood — the West Village, East Village, South Village, and NoHo — to highlight […]
2017 Village Awardee: GOLES
Off the Grid is highlighting our 2017 Village Awards winners in our upcoming June 6th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here GOLES stands for “Good Old Lower East Side,” which is an apt name for this group which works hard to preserve the spirit and character […]
GVSHP’s First Historic Plaque, On First Street
This is an updated version of a previous post by Andito Lloyd. On May 30, 2012, GVSHP officially launched its historic plaque program in partnership with the Two Boots Foundation with the unveiling of our very first plaque, commemorating the life of Justus H. Schwab and the role he played in the social movements that […]
A History of the East Village in 10 Objects
The following is an updated re-posting originally authored by Dana Schulz. As May is Lower East Side History Month, we at GVSHP thought it would be nice to revisit a post from 2012 which gives a nod to ‘A History of the World in 100 Objects,’ the British Museum’s BBC radio series and book.” We […]
GVSHP Oral History: Otis Kidwell Burger
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation recently released two new oral histories. Today, we dive into Otis Kidwell Burger‘s.
2017 Village Award Winner: Dinosaur Hill
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2017 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 6th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Dinosaur Hill, an East Village stalwart for over 30 years, is a toy store which features an eclectic and unusual collection […]
When Little Italy Annexed the East Village
Earlier this year, we were gifted with a truly extraordinary set of photographs from a photographer and longtime East Villager. There’s still some work to be done before we can present you the entire bunch (stay tuned for more on that soon!) but until then, I thought I’d share an image that really caught my […]
Remembering Mary Help of Christians
Note this is an update of a post previously posted by Matthew Morowitz. A Roman Catholic Church formerly located at 440 E. 12th St., Mary Help of Christians was demolished in the summer of 2013 to make way for new development. To try and preserve the site, there was an outpouring from the community in an […]
2017 Regina Kellerman Award Goes to a Memorial, a Park, and a Restoration
GVSHP’s Annual Village Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 6th at the New School Auditorium, 66 West 12 Street from 6:30 PM until 8 PM. The Regina Kellerman Award is presented each year at the VA’s in honor of the Society’s first executive director, who dedicated her inspiring career to the preservation of […]
Local Landmark: Tompkins Square Library
Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Drew Durniak Since it opened on December 1, 1904, the Tompkins Square Branch of the New York Public Library has served as an important community resource. Situated on East 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, the building itself was designated an […]
On This Day in 1966: 376 Lafayette Street is Landmarked
It was on May 17th, 1966, that the Schermerhorn Building at 376-380 Lafayette was designated a New York City landmark. The grand Romanesque Revival edifice was actually the third on Lafayette Street to be given landmark status, following Colonnade Row and the Astor Library (now home to the Public Theater, a 2017 Village Award winner!).
Saving the One-Time Home of Polo Ponies, Rosie the Riveter, and Minimalist Masterpieces
On May 15, 2012, 128 East 13th Street was designated a NYC Landmark following a six year effort by Village Preservation. This is one of the rare cases where a great building was saved literally as it faced the wrecking ball. In 2006, plans were released to demolish the property and build seven story condo. GVSHP […]
2017 Village Award Winner: The Public Theater
The arts are the soul and life of our civilization. They are the link which we use to identify individual and shared expressions. It is widely recognized that The Public Theater is one of our nation’s greatest institutions for theater and a cultural leading light. We in the Village are incredibly fortunate that their […]
Happy Birthday Martha Graham!
On this day in 1894 the revolutionary dancer and choreographer Martha Graham was born. She is largely responsible for modern dance as the art form we know today. Graham was an essential part of the early- to mid-century Village arts scene. In 2015 we unveiled one of our historic plaques in honor of her, with The New School, at 66 […]
Congratulations to 2017 Village Awardee: B & H Dairy
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2017 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 6th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. B & H Dairy has been a mainstay in the East Village since 1938, located at 127 2nd Avenue. In 2015, B […]
2017 Village Award Winner: Frank Collerius
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2017 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 6th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Frank Collerius has been the branch manager of the Jefferson Market Library (JML) since 1999. Frank has truly succeeded in […]
Business of the Month: La Sirena, 27 East 3rd 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. Some small shops pack […]
Announcing the 2017 Village Awardees!
Join us on Tuesday, June 6th at 6:30 pm for the 37th GVSHP Annual Meeting and 27th Village Awards — RSVP required; click here. Co-hosted by The New School 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 […]
Happy Birthday to Tenement Tattler Jacob Riis
In commemoration of Jacob Riis’s birthday on May 3rd, we’re re-posting an earlier piece by Ted Mineau about Riis’ life and work. Interested in reading more about the famous photojournalist? Check out all our past posts on Riis and his legacy. On May 3, 1849, Jacob August Riis was born in Denmark. At age 21, he immigrated […]
The 19th Annual Spring House Tour Benefit is This Sunday!
EXPLORE SIX STATELY GREENWICH VILLAGE HOMES ON THE 19TH ANNUAL SPRING HOUSE TOUR BENEFIT
Happy Anniversary to Far West Village Landmark Victories!
On May 2, 2006, two new historic districts were designated in the Far West Village, the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension and the Weehawken Street Historic District, as part of GVSHP’s on-going campaign since 2001 to secure protections for this historically, architecturally and culturally rich area. The Greenwich Village Historic District Extension was the first-ever […]
Happy Birthday Greenwich Village Historic District!
Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Drew Durniak Map of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click to enlarge. On April 29th, 1969, Mayor John Lindsay was still smarting from the botched cleanup of the February 1969 snowstorm, The 5th Dimension was at the top of the pop charts with […]
The 2017 Spring House Tour is right around the corner!
This year’s Spring House Tour Benefit is right around the corner; on Sunday, May 7th to be exact! This year’s tour features seven incredibly beautiful Village properties including hidden gardens, fabulous art, and the answer to “what’s behind that golden door on Morton Street?”
Can They Build That? Find out tomorrow night.
Ever wonder “Can they build that?” when you see one of those grotesque out-of-scale and out-of-context flashy renderings a developer, or even the Mayor, publicize to the world? Zoning regulations and landmark protections generally determine what is allowed to be built on a site, but what if an owner wants to build outside of that, to […]
The Origins of St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery Church
One of my favorite places in New York has always been St. Marks Church-in-the-Bowery on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street. Long before I actually stepped inside it’s peaceful courtyard or impressive interior, I was so charmed by the way it sits diagonally on its lot – an obvious vestige of a bygone, pre-grid era in New […]
Comedy Night at the Village Underground
Join GVSHP and an amazing lineup tomorrow night at our third annual Comedy Night. We have secured some of the best comics around – this isn’t amateur hour!!! Starting at 7pm (doors open at 6) at the Village Underground, 130 West 3rd Street, join GVSHP and the eight comedians who have graciously donated their time:
April 23, 1976: Ramones Debut Album Released; Music Changed Forever
On April 23, 1976, the Ramones self-titled debut album was released, changing the face of music forever. Clocking in at just 29 minutes, ‘The Ramones’ was the absolute antithesis of the bloated, album-oriented, arena rock of the era. It was quick, it was simple, and anyone could play it in their basement or local bar […]
On This Day: Bell Labs Invents the “Talkie”
Seen a movie lately? If so, you have the West Village’s Bell Laboratories (now known as Westbeth) to thank for all the dialogue, music and sound effects that you heard. On this date in 1926, the revolutionary technology responsible for what were then known as “talkies” — or the addition of soundtracks to motion pictures […]
Happy Birthday, Marlis Momber
NYC has designated this as Immigrant Heritage Week, because on April 17, 1907, more immigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island than any other day in history. Today also happens to be the birthday of notable East Village photographer and immigrant Marlis Momber. For these reasons and just because it’s a great read or listen, […]
April 19, 1927: Mae West Sentenced on Morals Charges at Jefferson Market Courthouse
“Miss West, are you trying to show contempt for this court?” “On the contrary, your Honor,” Mae sweetly responded. “I was doin’ my best to conceal it.” Known for her easy, breezy banter, laden with double entendre, Mae West was a force to be reckoned with. In the mid-1920’s, West’s much-lauded vaudeville career was on […]
The End of the West Washington Market
On this day in 1954, the West Washington Market, which stood on the west side of West Street at Gansevoort Street for sixty-seven years, was demolished, ending its tenure as the City’s meat, poultry and dairy market center. The Gansevoort Market area was actually home to three distinct markets that existed here at various times […]
Mourning President Lincoln Along Broadway
This is an updated re-posting of a piece originally penned by GVSHP staff member Drew Durniak. It was on April 14, 1865 that President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington. The event was the first assassination of an American president and sent shock waves throughout the nation. […]
Business of the Month: Whitney Chemists, 50 University Place
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. When New Yorkers lament […]
April 12, 1901: Back When the “New Law” was New
This was originally posted by Amanda Davis, GVSHP’s former Director of Preservation & Research. It has been updated with new information. New law tenement at 151 Bleecker Street in the South Village. Photo by GVSHP. The 20th century had hardly begun when the New York State legislature signed into law a new act to address […]
Bob Dylan’s First NYC Gig: April 11, 1961
He blew into town on a cold January day in 1961, slammed the door of his car, walked into Café Wha and landed a gig that night. That’s the legend, anyway. Truth is that he slogged around uptown hustling for gigs in the Theater District for months before the Village beckoned. But once he found […]
The Freedman’s Bank in the South Village
On March 3, 1865, The Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company, commonly referred to as The Freedmen’s Bank, was created by the United States Congress to aid freedmen in their transition from slavery to freedom. During the bank’s existence, 37 branches were opened in 17 states and the District of Columbia, making it one of the […]
Happy Birthday, Paul Robeson
Although Paul Robeson is most strongly associated with the Harlem Renaissance, this dynamic public figure cut his teeth on the Greenwich Village theater circuit and fully embraced the bohemian, progressive, and activist lifestyle that made the neighborhood so famous. A college football star, lawyer, actor, and activist, Robeson was even the subject of a great sculpture […]
More is More: The NoHo Historic District Extension
In this series, ‘More is More,’ we look at historic districts extensions in our area. In the previous posts, we covered the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension and the St. Mark’s Historic District Extension. Today we are going to look at the NoHo Historic District Extension, designated May 13, 2008. Following the designation […]
Historic Court Decision Had Roots in Village House
The historic 2017 federal court decision that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people are protected from employment discrimination under the civil rights act has deep roots in a house in the South Village at 186 Spring Street — a hotbed of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) civil rights activity in the post-Stonewall era. In fact, […]
Ten Years Ago Today – The End of Old Chumley’s
Ten years ago today, a chimney at 86 Bedford Street separated from an interior wall and collapsed into the world-famous Chumley’s bar. Chumley’s would never be the same again. The bar (now a restaurant) did recently reopen, in October 2016. According to Architectural Digest, it was updated to “evoke the 1920s glamour of New York’s […]
King’s Assassination Began Fifteen Year Quest for a National Holiday
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Witnesses point towards the fleeing gunman moments after King was shot. This ended the life of one of the 20th century’s most revered and influential figures. It also began a fifteen year […]
Remembering Jeanne Manford and the Founding of PFLAG
On this date in 2013, GVSHP and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) unveiled our plaque to memorialize and celebrate Jeanne Manford at the Church of the Village at 13th Street and 7th Avenue. Jeanne had died a few weeks earlier at the age of 92, but forty one years earlier in 1972 she […]
Women’s History Month: Saluting Eleanor Roosevelt
On this last day of Women’s History Month, we would be remiss if we didn’t salute one of my favorite 20th century female figures, Eleanor Roosevelt. Aside from being First Lady (1933-1945), a political leader, a social reformer, a civil rights activist, a writer, a mother and a UN delegate (1945-1953 & 1961-1962), she was […]
The Ramones’ First Performance
On March 30, 1974, the Ramones played their very first public performance. The Ramones are of course considered the inventors of punk rock, as well as the ultimate downtown band and the embodiment of the CBGB’s scene. The Ramones’ lightning-fast performances rarely lasted more than a few minutes.
This Day in History: The Rosenbergs are Convicted
The following is an updated re-posting originally authored by Dana Schulz. It was on this date in 1951 that the infamous Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of espionage. The Jewish-American Communists, along with Soviet spy Morton Sobell, were accused of selling nuclear secrets to Russia. Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass, worked at Los Alamos National […]
The First Ghetto Is Founded, and the Reverberations are Felt Centuries Later
On March 29, 1516, the Venice Ghetto was established by decree of the Venice Ruling Council. The very first ghetto, it was a tiny 2 1/2 block area on a small, dirty island housing over 4,000 people. The name comes from the Italian getto meaning “casting,” or Venetian geto meaning “foundry.” The Venice Ghetto, long after the […]
Rally and Public Hearing Today, No Variance at the Old Post Office site
The developer of the old Stuyvesant Post Office still wants to build higher than zoning allows on the block wide site between East 13th and 14th Streets west of Avenue A in the East Village. Today we hold a rally and public hearing to oppose the variance application for 432 East 14th Street. In the […]
Last Chance to Recognize Your Favorite Village Person, Business, or Organization….
Today is the deadline for submitting a nomination for the 2017 Village Awards. We have already received many nominations, but we know that you know the perfect unsung hero deserving of an award. Don’t wait, let us know today! Use the easy form below.
Remembering Two Disasters: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the East Village Gas Explosion
106 years ago, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, which was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in American history. This tragedy is commemorated each year with memorials and reflections upon the plight and progress of workers, women, and immigrants. The Shirtwaist Factory Fire also offers a time to reflect on another more recent tragedy […]
Edith Wharton vs. Washington Square
This Saturday and Sunday, expert tour guide Joyce Gold will lead tours celebrating the radical, notorious women of Washington Square. The square and its environs have a long been home to creative, politically active, and influential women. In the spirit of these women and Joyce’s upcoming tours, I’ve been thinking a bit about another innovative […]
Women’s History Month Celebration of Jane Jacobs
The celebration of Women’s History Month cannot go without being reminded of the venerable Jane Jacobs. Much has been written about her here on Off the Grid, but let’s pause a moment to reflect on her impact as a pioneering woman in the field of both urbanism and activism.
