Village People, Halloween Edition: Shirley Jackson

Halloween is right around the corner, so for this installment of Village People, let’s take a look at a Greenwich Village resident who knew a thing or two about fear and suspense – author Shirley Jackson. During her too-short life, Jackson was a master of the suspense and horror genre, enjoying success during her lifetime […]

Village Purr-servation

At GVSHP, we’re proud and protective of many of our community’s more well-known residents.  Recently, one of them was attacked in a high traffic online forum, sparking widespread outrage… 

    St. Anthony of Padua

    The following was originally posted by Drew Durniak.  It showcases one of the South Village’s most significant and historic presences both architecturally and culturally, St. Anthony of Padua. It is located at the corner of West Houston and Sullivan Streets at the north end of the third phase of GVSHP’s proposed South Village historic district.  […]

    South Village Roundup

    Last week, news broke that the City will be moving ahead with the final phase of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District, a roughly ten-block, one hundred sixty building area south of Houston Street between Sixth Avenue and West Broadway.  This amazing news is the culmination of a more than ten year campaign to seek […]

    Look Up! Its the South Village!

      Two and a half years after the designation of the South Village Historic District, the official brown terra cotta signs are now appearing identifying the streets included in the landmark district.  This district is part of the original proposal for South Village designation submitted to LPC by GVHSP in 2006.  To date, the City […]

    The House of Death

    14 West 10th Street is a Greek Revival house near Washington Square Park with a dark history.  It is probably most well known for being a one-time residence of Mark Twain, but did you know it’s also the site of a terrifying haunting and gruesome tragedy? Let’s take a closer look at what some people […]

    Margaret Sanger’s 1916 Clinic

    It was on October 16th, 1916 that Margaret Sanger opened her first family planning and birth control clinic in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Although Sanger’s groundbreaking clinic wasn’t in Greenwich Village, its politics were very much of the neighborhood, and in fact were fostered by Sanger’s deep involvement with many radical and progressive movements centered in Greenwich Village at […]

    The Ridiculous Theatrical Company

    A significant chapter in the Village’s extensive theater history belongs to The Ridiculous Theatrical Company.  Founded in 1967 by dramatist, actor and agent provocateur Charles Ludlam, the Ridiculous Theatrical Company (RTC) was part of the theatrical genre, the Theater of the Ridiculous.  This was an American movement that started in 1965 with its beginnings in […]

      This Day in Preservation History- October 11, 2005: City Approves Far West Village Rezoning

      In the ten years leading up to 2004, the Far West Village along West Street experienced huge changes. Large, out-of-scale luxury developments were built where only low-rise buildings had been found for generations along the waterfront. In response, GVSHP and other local community groups banded together to push for landmark protections and downzoning of the neighborhood from […]

      Plaque Unveiling for Sculptor Chaim Gross

      Yesterday we were honored to unveil the latest in our Historic Plaque Program at 526 LaGuardia Place, where  sculptor Chaim Gross lived and worked.  You may have passed by it many times and not be aware of the magic inside. Working predominantly in wood, stone, and eventually bronze, the work of Chaim Gross conveyed a […]

      Le Corbusier: Master of Modern Architecture born October 6, 1887

      When it comes to modern urban design and planning, perhaps no name figures more prominently than that of Le Corbusier. A Swiss born French architect, he was one of the founders of modern architecture. The International Style, primarily the vernacular of Le Corbusier, was born of the progress of building materials. Compressed concrete, reinforced concrete, […]

        A Lot Happening on East 11th Street

        11th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues is a pretty short block. But there is a lot of history and activity going on. The block is home to Webster Hall, a building with a long and storied history that GVSHP helped get landmarked in 2008. GVSHP’s partner, the Neighborhood Preservation Center, is celebrating its 17th birthday […]

        Archigrafika: Your Friendly Neighborhood Graphic Designers

        If you get GVSHP’s monthly program brochure in your mailbox, you may have noticed something different the last few months. We’ve got a whole new look! The programs brochure went through a little makeover this summer, and we’ve got Greenwich Village-based design firm Archigrafika to thank for it. Archigrafika was founded in 2009 by Pratt […]

        Support Small Businesses, Today at City Hall

        Ever walk by those many empty storefronts, or past the multitude of metastizing chainstores, and wonder what can be done to preserve and protect our small businesses? Today there is a hearing at City Hall by New York City Council Committee on Small Business jointly with the Subcommittee on Zoning & Franchises regarding promoting retail […]

        The City, Infected With Progress

        Let’s talk about…gentrification. Did your heart just start racing? The term gentrification and its many implications is such a hot button issue, so complex and layered, that just reading the word may strike dread in your heart. The term was first coined by British sociologist Ruth Glass in 1964, and she defined it as a […]

        Greek Revival Gone Wrong

        On October 1, 2010, the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) agreed to GVSHP’s request to find 326 and 328 East 4th Street eligible for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.  According to the significance statement issued by the NYSHPO, “the two adjacent three story, brick houses at 326 and 328 East […]

          Village Parks and Gardens Round-Up

          Autumn is in the air here in the Village! As the leaves start to change and the air becomes cooler and more crisp, what better way to enjoy than out and about in some Greenwich Village greenspace?  In addition to providing some bucolic backdrop, the parks in the Village are as historic as the buildings.  […]

          Unrecognizable: Former Village Institutions and what has taken their place

          It’s no secret that the Village has changed.  However, due to rising demand for real estate, hyper-gentrification threatens the unique and special fabric of our neighborhoods.  It’s not just small and independent businesses and cultural institutions that are being lost, but the livelihoods of many Village residents.  These were the places they worked, places they shopped, […]

          Edward Albee: Icon of American Theatre

          “I’d read about the Village, how Bohemian it was, and after getting thrown out of college, couldn’t wait to get here.” So were the words of groundbreaking playwright Edward Albee (March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016).

            The First Landmarks Preservation Commission Hearing, and the First Designated Landmarks

            On September 21, 1965, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) held its very first public hearing. Twenty-eight buildings were on the agenda, including five in Brooklyn, fifteen in Manhattan, one in the Bronx, and seven in Staten Island. Eight of the properties are located in GVSHP’s catchment area between Houston and 14th Street. We have written extensively about […]

            A Tale of Four Schools — Program Thursday

            School has started and we are eagerly anticipating our fascinating program this Thursday evening organized with The Loisaida Center Inc. at their 710 East 9th Street location near Avenue C.  The program is about one of the foremost architects of school buildings from the turn of the last century, and will include presentations about how his work featured in their […]

            East Village Saturday Festivals Abound!

            Village Preservation is fortunate to be participating in two terrific events this coming Saturday, September 17th and we invite our friends and readers to come and visit us! Astor Alive! Festival is being presented by the Village Alliance and is free to the public. The Festival will celebrate The New Astor Place, a vibrant cultural […]

            Merchant’s House Round-Up!

            This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Merchant’s House Museum.  The museum is the only historic house museum in the Greenwich Village/Soho/NoHo neighborhoods, and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of domestic architecture from the period, the late-Federal and Greek Revival styles (the house dates to 1832).  On Wednesday, September 21st, […]

            14th Annual Taste of the Village!

            Where can you enjoy the best of Greenwich Village bars, restaurants, and shops, all in one handy (and beautiful) location? At Washington Square Park on September 14th,  where thirty of the neighborhood’s best food and drink purveyors will be in one place for the 14th annual Taste of the Village! The event has been very popular since […]

              A year ago today, the horrible Intro. 775 was heard, later passed

              With a raft of demolition permits in the air, it reminds us that a year ago today one of the most anti-preservation pieces of legislation was first heard at the NYC Council Land Use committee. Intro 775 had a purported goal of protecting landmarks, but that notion was downright Orwellian to anyone familiar with the bill. Unfortunately, Intro. 775 became law in June of […]

              Thirsty Thursday! Some Cool East Village Bars

              Looking for a cool place to hang in the East Village? We have a few ideas for you.  Since the Village abounds with some of the coolest places on earth to imbibe, this is really only a starting point. Of course, we went out into the field to do some research! (it was our pleasure, […]

                Happy Birthday, Elinor Wylie!

                On this day in 1885, poet and novelist Elinor Wylie was born.  Wylie’s writings were popular in the 1920’s and 30’s, and lived in Greenwich Village from 1921 until her death.

                Groundbreaking Gadgets on 4th Avenue

                The following post was originally written five years ago to showcase one of our neighborhood buildings with an interesting history, 133 Fourth Avenue. From 1904-1926 this 1897 building on the corner of 13th Street and 4th Avenue was home to the trailblazing hardware store, Hammacher & Schlemmer. Since 2011, the building has seen a few updates, […]

                  The Birth of the Mega-Bookstore

                  It’s “back to school” time again, when the temperatures drop (very slightly), students flood back to campus, and we all sharpen our pencils after a leisurely summer. Campus bookstores across the country will be expecting big crowds these next few weeks, as students make their lists of which books they’ll need to get them through […]

                    Village People: Grover Van Dexter

                    At 283 Bleecker Street, a charming green awning once announced the name of an equally charming shop – Second Childhood, a local business dedicated to antique and unique toys for children of all ages. Owned by longtime neighbor Grover Van Dexter, who preferred to be called simply “Van,” this Bleecker Street shop was the quintessential […]

                      Birthday Blog with Charles Busch!

                      Charles Busch is the quintessential Villager. A prolific playwright and actor, he has lived in the West Village for most of his adult life. This reporter has been a life-long fan of Charles and so on this, his ??? birthday, I caught up with him amidst his busy schedule to ask him for his thoughts […]

                      Dog Day Anniversary

                        The wedding of John Wojtowicz and Ernest Aron (later Elizabeth Eden). On August 22, 1972, what may be the most legendary bank robbery in New York City history took place.  And it had some interesting Village connections. On that sweltering August day, John Wojtowicz, Salvatore Naturile, and Robert Westenberg entered a bank on the […]

                      Hugh Ferriss Lived Here

                      Occasionally in the course of my research of buildings in our area, I come across a familiar name.  Last week exactly that happened.  In  looking into the history of 35 East 9th Street, I found that it had a famous resident at one time, Hugh Ferriss. For those who aren’t familiar with the name, you […]

                      Happy Anniversary, Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District

                      On August 16th, 1966, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District. This small but distinct neighborhood is part of the South Village. It sits on a street grid designed by Aaron Burr in 1797, although the area was mostly developed between 1820 and 1829, cut out of a John Jacob Astor estate. The District […]

                      The Death of A Legend

                      On August 12th, 1988, art legend Jean Michel-Basquiat was announced dead at Cabrini Medical Center on East 19th Street.  According to the autopsy, Basquiat died from “acute mixed drug intoxication (opiates-cocaine).” In the months leading up to his death, Basquiat was reportedly doing up to a hundred bags of heroin a day.

                      East 11th Street, a Slice of East Village History

                      As both we and the media have recently reported, two months ago GVSHP requested the landmark designation of a potential historic district on East 11th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues.  GVSHP was aware that a developer was planning to move ahead with plans to demolish a significant stretch of this block, which we had long […]

                      Rulers and Royalty of the Village

                      Gone but not forgotten, below is a list of just some of the individuals who have carried honorary titles in connection to the Village.  Each one was influential in the arts or in advocating for the unique character of the neighborhood.  Their legacies will forever remain testaments to how they shaped the Village, and how the Village […]

                      Miriam Cahn Collection

                      Longtime GVSHP member Miriam Cahn has called the Village her home for over 45 years. She was a special education teacher at Lennox Hill Hospital for many years before retiring to fulfill her calling as an artist. She recently contacted GVSHP to donate some of her extensive art collection to GVSHP. Her original collection covers a […]

                      Who Was Jacob M. Felson?

                      Recently, GVSHP has been reporting on and testifying against the plans for a building to replace the 2 story parking garage at 11-19 Jane Street.  Built in 1921, the structure is an early work by architect Jacob M. Felson.  While not a household name, some of Felson’s later buildings are among the most distinctive and characteristic structures of […]

                      Studio Windows: A Preservation Victory

                      Last Tuesday the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) handed preservationists what may seem like a small victory, but was nevertheless an important one.  The LPC denied an application to remove a 1930 studio window from 246 West 11th Street, an 1842 Greek Revival row house in the Greenwich Village Historic District.  The applicant proposed to replace it with a […]

                      Jared Kushner’s (Preservation) Record

                      The Donald has been getting a lot of attention lately, what with his running for President and all.  So too has his family, which is being touted as an integral part of his campaign apparatus, and his most intimate advisors. When the irrepressible Mr. Trump started his campaign last year, we decided to stroll down memory […]

                      Jean-Michel Basquiat and the East Village art scene of the 1980’s

                      Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life and work are synonymous with the East Village/NoHo art scene of the 1980’s.  From his early years as a burgeoning young artist while studying at City-as-School, a progressive high school Village Preservation proposed for historic district designation which operates on the principles of John Dewey’s theory that students learn by doing, Basquiat was […]

                      Happy birthday, Tom Birchard!

                      Today we’re celebrating the birthday of Veselka owner and GVSHP board member Tom Birchard. As the owner of Veselka for the past several decades, Tom knows a thing or two about life, business, and history on the East Side. So he was an obvious choice for GVSHP’s oral history project — an ongoing campaign to […]

                      Kleindeutschland Roundup

                      In the late 19th and early 20th Century, the East Village and Lower East Side were home to a substantial German immigrant community.  As a result, this area became known as Kleindeutschland, or “Little Germany.”  Eventually the German community moved north to the Upper East Side and elsewhere, spurred on by the General Slocum Disaster, demographic […]

                      Progress on Astor Place Mosaic Lightpoles and Reconstruction

                      Have you heard about the exciting progress on the restoration of the beautiful mosaic-covered lamp poles as part of the Astor Place Reconstruction?  Maybe you’ve even seen one of the poles installed, now wrapped like a fig tree in the winter awaiting the official unveiling in September.   The progress has been tracked by The Villager newspaper, and […]

                      59 Bleecker Street – Art Deco in NoHo

                      Part of my job at GVSHP as the Director of Research and Preservation is to review all certificate of appropriateness applications for proposed changes to the landmarked buildings in our area (click HERE for the GVSHP Landmarks webpage).  Consequently, I am presented with a continuous stream of architectural resources that vary in type, style and […]

                      Lost Neighborhoods of New York: Goulash Row

                      New York is renowned for its vibrant immigrant history, and the many diverse neighborhoods born out of years of heavy immigration in the 19th and early 20th-centuries. But for all that still exists of famed neighborhoods like Little Italy, the Jewish Lower East Side, or Brooklyn’s Italian Bensonhurst, there are many immigrant enclaves virtually lost […]

                      Happy Birthday, Dave Van Ronk!

                      On this day in 1936, David Kenneth Ritz “Dave” Van Ronk was born.  Van Ronk was a highly influential figure in the American folk music revival and Greenwich Village music scene of the 1960’s.   He even earned the nickname the “Mayor of MacDougal Street”.

                      These Boots Were Made for Scraping

                      You might think modern-day New York’s streets and sidewalks are a little grimy, but they’re practically pristine compared to the city streets of a century ago. To start, in the early days of New York, most streets were not paved at all, and did not feature cleanly and convenient paved sidewalks. (This was especially true […]

                      A Third Life for Three Lives Books?

                      Did you see the recent letter by the owner of Three Lives Books?  The building that has been their home for 33 years is for sale — read the full letter here. Under current law there is no obligation for the new owner to offer a new lease or to maintain the amazing book store, a […]

                      Jefferson Market Garden Party

                      GVSHP holds events with the Jefferson Market Library and the Jefferson Market Garden several times per year, most recently a members only tour, our program marking the 50th Anniversary of the Sip-In at Julius’ (See photos here and video here), and Contemporary Writers on a Lost Greenwich Village: A discussion with authors Vivian Gornick and Sarah Schulman (see photos […]

                      Happy Birthday Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II!

                      This past Wednesday marks six years since the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II (click HERE for the designation report),which was Phase I of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District from 2006.  This 235-building, 12 block designation was at the time the largest expansion of landmark protections in Greenwich Village since 1969.   […]

                      GVSHPride: Roundup of LGBTQ Resources and Information

                      Happy Pride Week! Each June during the week leading up to the Gay Pride March, NYC celebrates Pride Week.  Throughout the week, different groups and organizations will host events, throw parties, and do general outreach and advocacy to promote the history and visibility of the LGBTQ community.  Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has always worked […]

                      Old Village Matchbooks

                      A generous GVSHP supporter dropped off a fun treat to our offices a few weeks ago – old matchbooks from Greenwich Village bars and restaurants. They’re a philluminist’s dream! (Did you know that “philluminist” is the official term for a matchbook collector?) I love how these books meld historic graphic design with New York City […]