Eleventh Street Methodist Episcopal Chapel Landmark Designation
On September 14, 2010, the Eleventh Street Methodist Episcopal Chapel (545-547 E. 11th Street) was designated a New York City landmark.
Critical Public Meeting Tonight to Save Our Neighborhood!
Critical Public Meeting on Saving Third & Fourth Avenue Corridors in the East Village TONIGHT — Wednesday, September 13th Anyone who cares about overdevelopment in the area between 3rd and 5th Avenues, Union Square to Astor Place: Join GVSHP and neighbors at the Community Board #3 Land Use Committee Meeting TONIGHT, Wednesday, September 13 Rutgers Community […]
When Taxi’s Sunshine Cab Company Made A Home in Greenwich Village
On this day in 1978, the award-winning television show Taxi aired its first episode. The much-loved pathos-filled comedy set in a New York full of misfits, dreamers, and malcontents largely took place in the garage of the fictional Sunshine Cab Company, shown to be at 534 Hudson Street, at the corner of Charles Street in Greenwich […]
Business of the Month – Blaustein Paint & Hardware – 51 Greenwich 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. Sometimes you just have to attend to […]
When New York really became New York
On this day in 1664, then-Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrendered what was known as New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to English naval Colonel Richard Nicolls. The European settlement on Lenape indigenous lands extended as far as Wall Street at the time and was the cause of a protracted war, despite the lore of […]
David Rothenberg, Civil Rights and Social Justice Pioneer
Civil rights and social justice crusader David Rothenberg (b. August 19, 1933), the founder of the Fortune Society and a 2015 Village Award winner, has now been added to the GVSHP Civil Rights and Social Justice Map.
Lafayette’s Local Legacy: A Street Brimming With Landmarks
Lafayette Street in NoHo is much on my mind today. September 6 happens to be the birthday in 1757 of the man for whom the street is named, the Marquis de Lafayette — an immigrant and a hero of the Revolutionary War. It’s also on my mind because I grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, and […]
“On the Road” Published
This is an update of a post written by former GVSHP staffer Andito Lloyd. The seminal tome of the Beat generation, Jack Kerouac’s novel, “On the Road,” was published on September 5, 1957. Though written in 1951 on a continuous 120 foot roll of paper it took many years and many revisions to finally get published […]
An East Village Landmark Gets a Facelift
While we all get ready to enjoy the holiday weekend, there is no holiday for preservation! At next Tuesday’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) hearing, an exciting application will be presented for 74 East 4th Street, home to former Village Award winner, La Mama Experimental Theater Club. The application for this East Village landmark (both an […]
In the Village Voice today – August 31, 1967
Though the Village Voice ceased production some time ago, old issues can provide a nice insight into what was going on in the neighborhood and the world in years passed. So today we’re taking a look back at the August 31, 1967 issue, to see how things were looking as the “Summer of Love” came […]
The Art of the Artist’s Studio
This piece was originally posted in 2014 These beautiful late summer days have got us thinking about sun and sky. Which has us thinking about that most iconic of Village architectural features, the artist’s studio. So we thought we’d use the occasion of these warm August days to conduct a brief survey of some of […]
Happy Birthday, Charlie Parker
On August 29, 1920, Charles Parker Jr. was born in Kansas City, Kansas. A towering figure in American jazz, he spent his final years in New York, and lived at 151 Avenue B, in a now-landmarked building often referred to as the “Charlie Parker House,” from 1950 to 1954, one year before his untimely demise. Parker […]
East Village Cheese!
Tonight is GVSHP’s Cheese Please! Members Only Summer Tasting at Murray’s Cheese. We LOVE cheese here at GVSHP! Murray’s is a beloved and renowned Greenwich Village staple, and has been a wonderful supporter of the neighborhood and GVSHP for many years. While Murray’s serves so many New Yorkers from its West Village location, we thought […]
Carole Teller — Photographer, and Artist
Carole Teller’s rich collection of photographs of our neighborhoods over the last half century, which she generously donated to GVSHP, have created quite the buzz on the web of late, with coverage in Lonely Planet, the U.K Daily Mail, NBC, Time Out NY, Gothamist, Curbed, World Journal, and Untapped Cities, among many others. But who […]
How LGBT activism led to NYC’s most notorious bank robbery: The real story behind ‘Dog Day Afternoon’
The most notorious bank robbery in New York City history took place on August 22, 1972, during the decidedly dog days of that long hot summer. Immortalized in the film “Dog Day Afternoon,” it was an unlikely anti-hero tale with a backstory that began in Greenwich Village, interwoven with the social and political currents running […]
Thirsty Thursday! Village boîtes abound!
Greenwich Village is often referred to as the Paris of this side of the Atlantic. I’m not sure I would go quite that far, but truly the Village is glorious and unique in its own way. The look, the feel, and most importantly, the boîtes are a real draw for native New Yorkers and visitors […]
August 23, 1813: “The Bowery” is Born
It was August 23 of 1813 when the Common Council of New York City officially put the name “The Bowery” on the books as a city street name. But New Yorkers had already been calling it by that name for centuries, and native residents of the island had been walking its path for even longer. […]
Rally to Save 112-120 East 11th Street — One Year Ago Today
It seems well over a year ago when we rallied outside 112-120 East 11th Street to protest the demolition of these five tenement buildings with a history of rent stabilized units in them. Over one hundred people joined us that warm August day. This block of the East Village had been identified by the […]
Solving Mysteries in Historic Photos
One of many wonderful things GVSHP does is accept donations of old photos for our historic image archive, so we can share them with the world. Old photos of course can be wonderful to view, and provide valuable information about historic sites, events, or people, as well as charting how things have changed over time. […]
The Skidmore House becomes a landmark
On this day in 1970, the Landmarks Preservation Commission granted landmark status to the dignified Greek Revival house at 37 East 4th Street. This three and a half story house was built in 1844-45 by Samuel Tredwell Skidmore, a relative of Seabury Tredwell, who lived with his family only a few doors away at 29 East 4thStreet, […]
A 15-year-old Greenwich Village student inspired the hit song ‘Summer in the City’
Everyone knows the folk-rock classic “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful, which topped the charts 51 years ago this August in 1966. But fewer know the song’s roots in Greenwich Village–lead singer John Sebastian actually grew up in the neighborhood and the act got their start in the local clubs–and fewer still know […]
Throwback Thursday with Carole Teller’s Photos
You may know that every Thursday, social media (Instagram especially) is abuzz with #tbt. The hashtag stands for Throwback Thursday and it’s a chance for everyone to post fun, funny, or interesting old photos. We love to participate in #tbt because it’s a great chance to highlight historic images of our city, and today we’re […]
Happy Birthday, Madonna!
Madonna Louise Ciccione, known simply as Madonna, was born on this day in 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. The singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, film director, author and businesswoman has won more awards and earned more accolades than could possibly be listed here over the course of her thirty five-plus year career. And although she […]
Happy Birthday, Linda Ellerbee!
Today we celebrate the birthday of journalist and Village resident Linda Ellerbee.
Clifford Odets and The Group Theatre
Clifford Odets, one of America’s greatest playwrights, passed away on this day in 1963 at the age of 57. Odets grew up in the Bronx but migrated downtown as soon as he could in order to be around the artists, musicians, actors and writers who inhabited the Village. He began his career as an […]
Happy Birthday, Alex Haley!
Pulitzer-prize winning American author Alex Haley was born this day, on August 11, 1921. GVSHP’s Civil Rights & Social Justice Map highlights over a hundred sites in our neighborhood associated with civil rights and social justice, including more than twenty sites connected to African-American history and civil rights; click here to see them all. One […]
Ladies Like Beer Too
This is an updated re-posting of a piece written by former GVSHP staffer Dana Schultz. Walk into McSorley’s Old Ale House today and you will see an equal mix of the genders enjoying a beer. It’s hard to imagine that for 116 years this would not have been the case, as women were not allowed […]
The Village’s Twin Peaks: From a quirky ‘Swiss-chalet’ to a landmarks controversy
Few buildings capture the whimsy, flamboyance, and bohemian spirit of early 20th century Greenwich Village as does the building known as “Twin Peaks” at 102 Bedford Street. Described as a “wonderfully ludicrous mock half-timbered fantasy row-house castle” by architecture critic Paul Goldberger, the present incarnation of the building was born in 1925 as a radical remodeling […]
Business of the Month – Flower Power Herbs & Roots, 406 East 9th 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. In the big bustling […]
What’s in Webster Hall’s Past – and Future?
August 8th, 2007 was a joyous day in the GVSHP office – because that’s when we first received written notice from the LPC than they planned to consider Webster Hall for landmark designation. GVSHP had worked hard to achieve this milestone, providing the LPC with a dossier of research on the historic hall and its […]
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 […]
