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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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. Where can you get […]
On this day in 1984, the movie The Pope of Greenwich Village was released in theaters. It starred Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts as Charlie and Paulie, cousins and would-be gangsters who attempt to make some fast money with an ill-conceived scam. In the backrooms of downtown bars and restaurants, the two characters fumble their […]
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 […]
Today marks the ten year anniversary of the LPC designation of 605 East 9th Street, the former P.S. 64 & Charas-El Bohio Cultural Center. GVSHP fought hard in support of this designation along with many neighborhood partners, which saved the property from imminent destruction. As part of an all too common story, the owners of the […]
I burn my candle at both ends, It will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends, It gives a lovely light. — Edna St. Vincent Millay The Cherry Lane theatre, located on Commerce Street, a cul-de-sac in the heart of Greenwich Village, was the brainchild of poet, playwright, actress, and […]
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 […]
On this date in 1904 more than 1,000 New Yorkers perished when their steamboat burst into flames on the East River near the foreboding Hell’s Gate section south of Ward’s Island. The Captain questionably plowed ahead and beached the flaming vessel ashore North Brother Island, across from the South Bronx. The greatest loss of life in New York […]
Beside the Jefferson Market Library and behind the wrought iron fence between 6th and Greenwich Avenues and 10th Street lies the Jefferson Market Garden. You probably pass by it all the time, and maybe you’ve been inside, but the story of this stretch of green space next to the library is quite fascinating.
Greenwich Village, the East Village and NoHo offer a vast array of architectural styles that span their long histories. Through this series “What Style Is It?” we will explore the architecture of our area and look at the various architectural styles and their features. So far we have looked at the Federal style, Greek Revival and […]
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2016 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 14th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. The East Village Meat Market was opened in 1970 by Julian Baczynsky as a meat market but quickly morphed into an […]
There are many tactics that developers may use to get rid of tenants, or to make conditions easier for them to push them out, in order to assist with demolition and new development plans. Apparently there are even classes you can take to learn how to do it. You may have read the fascinating […]
When we think of a typical historic neighborhood, what do we picture? Brick or stone buildings, to be sure. Tree-lined streets, maybe. But more often than not, I bet your mind turns to the streets themselves – paved, not in modern concrete, but with cobblestones. (Or, more precisely, stone blocks. But we’ll deal with that […]
Greenwich Village has been a hot-bed for creative theatrical minds since at least the beginnings of the 20th century. In fact, among the most important of the movements in American theater were nurtured right in the heart of the Village.
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2016 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 14th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Each year GVSHP presents a special award as part of our Annual Village Awards to recognize significant contributions to the field […]
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2016 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 14th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Julius’ Bar at 159 West 10th Street/188 Waverley Place is a Village institution. Established nearly a century ago, Julius’ (and […]
You can buy bottled water. You can buy plots of land. And in New York (and some other places), you can buy air rights. But what are “air rights?” An increasingly common component of development across NYC, “air rights” are a type of development right in real estate. The owner of a building sometimes has the right to use and develop […]
Today we are happy to announce that Lannyl Stephens has joined the team as our new Director of Development and Special Events. On the heels of the 18th Annual Spring House Tour, which she directed, she comes on board to further advance the mission and goals of the GVSHP. She can be reached at lannyl@gvshp.org […]
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2016 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 14th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Today we look Smalls Jazz Club, one of the premiere remaining successful Greenwich Village jazz clubs. Smalls Jazz […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Whether […]
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2016 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 14th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Today we look at an amazing interior renovation of a beautiful East Village Theater that is one […]
Three years ago, EV Grieve published a post about the preservationists calling for an archeological review for the former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site. 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 […]
Today we welcome Chelsea Dowell to the GVSHP team as Director of Communications and Programming. We’re excited to have Chelsea on board and managing our public outreach and programming, and working with our members. Chelsea comes to us from the Green-Wood Historic Fund, where she promoted the 178-year-old Green-Wood Cemetery through innovative programs, membership, and […]
Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Amanda Davis Two recent Landmarks applications at Jane Street (11 Jane and 85-89 Jane) have garnered a lot of public interest and therefore involvement in the process of the certificate of appropriateness permits for landmarked properties. To that end, we thought we would […]
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2016 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 14th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here. Today we look at Steve Cannon, poet and “keeper of the multicultural flame and flavor of downtown […]
Springtime has arrived in our wonderful neighborhoods. Many more people are out and about. Locals and visitors alike enjoy our diverse culture, community history and appreciate a part of the big city where you can see the blue sky instead of towers and the greenery of gardens and trees. Here are two special walking tours we recommend. Our own – free- […]
Ninety two years ago today, dance archivist David Vaughan was born in London, England. Vaughan was the archivist for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1976 until it disbanded in 2012. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company was located in Westbeth in the West Village since 1971. In addition to being the archivist, Vaughan is also […]
Off the Grid is highlighting the 2016 Village Awards winners in the lead up to the June 14th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Today we look at at the first of seven awardees, Strand Bookstore.
Earlier this week the NYU Furman Center, which studies real estate development and urban policies, issued a report analyzing trends in gentrification in New York City from 1990-2014. Our ears pricked up, as the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) has long tried to link landmarking to gentrification, claiming it hurts affordability by, among […]
On May 11, 1936, the old Tredwell house on 4th Street opened as the Merchant’s House Museum.
Note: This is an updated version of a post originally by Karen Loew The New York City Marble Cemetery, on 2nd Street between First and Second Avenues. It’s open to the public several days each year. Photo by Bobby Williams, courtesy evgrieve.com. Do the tall arches of the sturdy red-brick Anthology Film Archives reassure you? Does […]
Julia Ward Howe was a true 19th century Renaissance woman. In addition to being a serious scholar of philosophy and fluent in seven languages, she was a social reformer, writer, abolitionist, suffragette, and one of the early founders of Mother’s Day. Author of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” this one-time Bond Street resident did […]
Greenwich Village, the East Village and NoHo offer a vast array of architectural styles that span their long histories. Through this series “What Style Is It?” we will explore the architecture of our area and look at the various architectural styles and their features. So far we have looked at the Federal style and Greek Revival. […]
Here at GVSHP, we have a special connection to Jane Jacobs (May 4, 1916 – April 25, 2006) — not only because she was on our Board of Advisors until her death in 2006, but because her activism and ideas were so firmly rooted in the Village, and so many of the seminal preservation battles she […]
Not long ago, in theaters far, far away (and near too), a movie came out that influenced the interests and imaginations of generations to come. There are a few connections between Star Wars and the Village. On December 18, 2015, in honor of the release of The Force Awakens, a large crowd of fans gathered in […]
In 1955 the Committee to Save Washington Square Park was distributing flyers to alert the public about a proposal to drive a four-lane road through the center of the park. One neighborhood resident, then a writer with Architectural Forum, read it, and got involved. Tomorrow May 4th is the centenary of Jane Jacobs birth. We […]
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 […]
Greenwich Village, the East Village and NoHo offer a vast array of architectural styles that span their long histories. The Greek Revival style, which dominated these neighborhoods for much of the 1830s and 40s, and of which ample examples survive today, was in many ways inspired by an event which took place on March 25, […]
This year’s Spring House Tour Benefit is right around the corner (this Sunday, actually), and features seven exquisite Village properties. In keeping with the storied history of the Village, the Spring House Tour has a longstanding tradition of including historic properties. This year is no exception, as six of the seven homes are located within our […]
What was there before it was a garden? We get that question often here, and are always ready to help community partners unearth the often little known yet rich history that lies beneath the pavement. Or under a garden bed or willow tree, in this case. Recently we received such an inquiry from one of […]
On April 24, 1904 artist Willem de Kooning was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. de Kooning was one of the major figures of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Abstract Expressionism was an art movement developed in New York City and the “first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York City at the center of the […]
Today is Earth Day, first celebrated in NYC in 1970, and you may notice some of the streets around the city harkening to a quieter era. Legislation passed in the City Council and supported by local Council Members Corey Johnson, Rosie Mendez and Margaret Chin, also make today Car Free NYC day. Three areas around the city were selected for this […]
Its been almost two years since the Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel announced the LGBTQ Heritage Initiative by the National Park Service (NPS) outside the Stonewall Inn. As part of this initiative, a theme study was undertaken to identify significant places and events associated with LGBTQ Americans for the inclusion in the parks and programs […]
Recently, at GVSHP we celebrated the Julius’ “Sip-In,” an event that took place in 1966 that helped to end discrimination against LGBT people. However, in recognition of 4/20, a day which has come to be associated with the push for the legalization of marijuana, we’re going to talk about a different type of “In” that […]
Fifty-one years ago today, on April 19, 1965, the New York City landmarks law went into effect. A year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the landmarks law has been spearheaded by Landmarks50, an incredible coalition of which Village Preservation is a member, led by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, the chair of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center. […]
50 years ago tomorrow, on April 19, 1966, the LPC landmarked St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery Church. The Church is the oldest site of continuous worship in New York City. The parcel of land was purchased by Peter Stuyvesant in 1651 and a family chapel was erected on the site by 1660. Stuyvesant died in 1672 and was interred in […]
This year’s Spring House Tour Benefit is right around the corner and features seven exquisite Village properties. In keeping with the storied history of the Village as an artist’s haven, the Spring House Tour has a longstanding tradition of including artist’s and curators spaces on the tour. This year is no exception, and promises to delight.
On April 14, 1924, the architect Louis Sullivan, the “father of modernism,” key figure of the Chicago and the Prairie Schools of Architecture, progenitor of the skyscraper and coiner of the phrase “form follows function,” died. None of these descriptors would lead one to believe that Sullivan would have any relationship to Greenwich Village, much less […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with […]
Artist Max Ernst was born on April 12, 1891. Ernst was a pioneering figure in both the Dada and Surrealist movements. The former, often referred to as “anti-art,” emerged after World War I as an anti-war, anti-bourgeois far left movement. Dadaist art pieces generally included readymade objects, a critique on the establishment of traditional art making, […]
April 12, 1901 marks the date when the New York State Legislature passed the Tenement House Act of 1901, more commonly known as the “New Law” or “New Tenement Law.” This significant moment in New York City housing history resulted from intense pressure by housing reform groups, leading to Governor Theodore Roosevelt appointing a commission to […]
Five years ago this Sunday GVSHP and other community and preservation groups held a Rally to Save the South Village. More than 150 people including elected officials, community and business leaders and neighbors turned out on April 11, 2011 to call upon the City to landmark the remainder of the South Village and save this historic neighborhood […]
The Landmarks Preservation Commission recently released a new interactive map. The map shows all exterior, interior, and scenic landmarks, historic districts, and properties calendared for designation. According to LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan, “The launch of this map is a key milestone in our efforts to ensure that all New Yorkers have the history of our city at […]
New York City Trolley or Streetcar service ended in New York City on April 6th, 1957 on Welfare (now Roosevelt) Island. But it began one hundred twenty five years earlier on November 14, 1832, with not only New York City but the world’s first streetcar line which ran on the Bowery and Fourth Avenue, between […]
On this day in 1837, the City condemned a parcel of land between Christopher, Grove, and West 4th Streets, which eventually became Christopher Park.
Five years ago we wrote about the terrible, deteriorating conditions at 43 MacDougal Street, a landmarked, 1846 Greek Revival townhouse at the corner of King Street in the King-Charlton-VanDam Historic District. The building had been neglected to the point of near-abandonment for over a decade. With a rainy week ahead, we were worried the historic structure […]
While the Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered in London and Los Angeles in 1975, the now classic cult film was not really successful until it launched its ongoing run of midnight shows here in Greenwich Village. That very first midnight show took place on April 1, 1976, at the Waverly Theatre (now the IFC Center) on 6th […]
If you are one of the over 100,000 people a day that make your way through Astor Place or Cooper Square, you cannot help but notice the amazing amount of progress that is evident by the workers on the long awaited reconstruction. The cement is still drying in some parts, but more of the major components of […]
We recently published a detailed report of the Federal style houses which GVSHP has helped to get landmarked, listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, or both. This architectural style for houses prevailed between the Revolutionary War and about 1835, and derived from the English Georgian style following a classical vocabulary. In […]
Five hundred years ago today, 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.” With […]
The Monday following Easter is known to Ukrainians as Dyngus Day, and many Ukrainian American communities will host parades and celebrations to commemorate this holiday. In America, Dyngus Day is celebrated as a fusion of American and Polish traditions, with “polka bands, a parade, consumption of krupnik, and Polish food accompanying American patriotic songs sung […]
Tomorrow will mark one year since the tragic gas explosion on Second Avenue and 7th Street street that killed two people and led to the collapse and destruction of three buildings and created a gap in our East Village community. Many groups and people came together with heroic rescue efforts in the immediate aftermath of […]
In 1973, Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon; the album hit U.S. shelves on March 1st and UK on March 16th. Dark Side of the Moon was the band’s eighth studio album, their most commercially successful album, and one of the best-selling albums ever worldwide. Conflict, greed, the passage of time, and mental illness […]
The first theatrical presentation at the Cherry Lane Playhouse (now the Cherry Lane Theatre) opened on March 24th, 1924: Richard Fresnell’s play, “Saturday Night.” Since then, many plays have been performed, and many a well known name has appeared on the marquis: Barbra Streisand, Judith Ivey, Bruce Willis, Gary Sinise, John Malkovich, James Earl Jones, […]
This has to be the most frequently asked question that we get regarding landmarked properties. This question can be in reference to any number of changes including demolition, a proposed new building, or an alteration. We wrote a blog a few weeks ago about our Landmarks Application webpage as a resource for information on upcoming, […]
Four years ago today, the South Village was named to the Preservation League of New York State’s “Seven to Save” list. This designation was a great boon to our ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the South Village, which has been a priority of GVSHP’s since we first proposed the area for landmark designation in 2006. […]
Jane Jacobs, who once lived on Hudson Street in the West Village, wrote the book, “Death and Life of Great American Cities.” Her activism is legendary. Many organizations throughout the city will be honoring her in 2016, the centennial of her birth. GVSHP is planning several programs. A panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, […]
It never fails to amaze me what we sometimes find, historically, was located in our neighborhoods. DNAInfo NY recently published an article, “MAP: Discover the Hidden History of New York’s First Sex Districts.” In addition to a history of prostitution in 19th century New York City, the article features an interactive map. The map identifies […]
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life of […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with […]
This Sunday, March 13th, is the three year anniversary of the NYC Council Land Use Committee vote to approve the proposed Hudson Square Rezoning. This vote was a significant milestone for GVSHP and our allies, as we had waged a campaign to get the City Council to refuse to approve the rezoning unless the LPC […]
Whenever we see another ‘For Sale‘ sign in our neighborhoods, it is often the cause for worry or fear. Concerns naturally arise that another out-of-context tower might obliterate the skyline, or another new development might destroy the unique character of our retail spaces. But sometimes it could be a lot worse, and the hard work […]
Throughout the Village, we have seen houses built, and houses demolished. But sometimes, we see something in between. In some cases, new owners want more space than a traditional Village building can provide them. As a result, they will buy a couple of townhouses side-by-side or entire tenement buildings to combine internally, and create what some are […]
25 Bleecker Street is one of nine extant buildings originally constructed as Federal style row houses in the NoHo East Historic District. It was built c. 1830 for David Chrystie at a time when this area was being developed with homes for the city’s expanding middle class. Although altered considerably over the years, the house […]
The great modern painter Piet Mondrian was born on this day, March 7th, in 1872. Mondrian (born Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan) is perhaps most closely associated with the De Stijl movement of the 1910’s and 20’s in his native Netherlands, and with ‘mod’ French fashion design of the 1960’s (see Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic Mondrian dresses). But the time and place which […]
I recently came across a book printed in 1894 by Thomas A. Janvier entitled In Old New York. The section on Greenwich Village contained a treasure trove of illustrations, some of which could be compared to views of today. However, before I get to the images, here is how the author described the Village and its […]
Gone but not forgotten, the Village is as much defined by what is above as much as it is by who is below. Though burials in Manhattan were officially banned by the Common Council of New York City in 1852, a handful of spaces continued to serve the deceased up through the 20th century and […]
It may not technically be spring just yet, but the spring semester for GVSHP’s Children’s Education program, affectionately known as “Kids’ Ed,” is underway. Every year GVSHP introduces New York City elementary- and middle-school students to the concept of historic preservation with our 3-session program that includes 2 classroom visits and a walking tour of […]
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life of […]
Harry Bubbins joins us today as GVSHP’s new East Village and Special Projects Director. I hope you’ll join us in welcoming Harry to the GVSHP team. Harry comes to us from serving as the founding Director of Friends of Brook Park, a leading environmental and community advocacy organization based in the Mott Haven neighborhood of […]
Village Preservation is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or […]
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” For almost everyone in the workforce this stands out as the most clichéd question you can hear during a job interview. However, in 5 years a lot can change, develop, and become more than what was originally intended. On top of our landmarking victories and successful advocacy […]
Ever wonder what is going on with the construction of the landmarked building next door, or anywhere in Greenwich Village, NoHo, Gansevoort Market, the South Village, and the East Village? Well GVSHP offers to the public its Landmarks Applications Webpage, a wonderful resource that provides up-to-the-minute information on landmarked properties which require review via a […]
On this date in 2011, the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), presented a “Resource Evaluation” that agreed with the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s earlier finding that the complex known as Washington Square Village was eligible for inclusion in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. In this evaluation, SHPO noted that Washington […]
George Washington was born on February 22nd, and his birthday was unofficially celebrated by Americans on that date throughout the 19th century. February 22nd finally became a federal holiday in 1879. The holiday was celebrated on February 22nd until 1968, when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Law to provide annual observances of certain legal […]
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life of […]
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life of […]
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life […]
Funny Face, the iconic American romantic musical comedy directed by Stanley Donen and written by Leonard Gersche about a Greenwich Village bookworm transformed into the belle of the Paris fashion runways, was released on February 13, 1957. Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, and Kay Thompson star in the movie, which contained assorted songs by George and […]
Nine years ago today, on a freezing cold February day (like today), Village Preservation and hundreds of neighbors protested the Hotel Gansevoort billboards that had just been erected at the corner of Hudson and Gansevoort Street. Village Preservation Exec. Dir. Andrew Berman’s statements then stand true today, “The Hotel Gansevoort profits in every way it can […]
The Noho Historic District embraces a broad arc of New York City’s commercial history from the early 1850’s through the 1920’s, during which time this section prospered as a major retail and wholesale dry goods centers. It offers an eclectic mix of architectural styles and building types including early 19th century houses, turn-of the century office buildings, […]
As regular readers of “Off the Grid” will know, one of many ways Village Preservation has worked to preserve the neighborhood heritage of Greenwich Village has been to install a series of plaques remembering everything from the radical politics of saloon-keeper Justus Schwab (50 E. 1st Street) and the longtime home of poet Frank O’Hara […]
On February 7, 1960 the New York Times wrote an article discussing changes in Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. Four years beforehand the El (above ground subway) had been removed from Third Avenue. With that barrier dismantled, Villagers from the west began to move east as “new shops, luxury and middle-income housing, and […]
As one of the oldest surviving houses in Manhattan, 57 Sullivan Street has born witness to and participated in the story of the evolution of housing in New York City. It started as a single-family house at its inception in the early nineteenth century. As the demographics of the neighborhood changed, it became multi-family housing […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with […]
On February 4, 1976, the film Next Stop, Greenwich Village premiered. Many movies, television shows, and plays have taken place in the Village, displaying the unique characteristics of the neighborhood, but arguably, none epitomizes the nostalgia of Greenwich Village quite like Next Stop, Greenwich Village. The movie, released on February 4, 1976, is set in the early […]
12 years ago tomorrow, our colleagues at the Municipal Arts Society sent a letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission supporting our request for landmark designation of the Silver Towers/ University Village site. This superblock, located between Houston Street and Bleecker Street, LaGuardia Place and Mercer Street, contains three buildings designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei, constructed between 1964 […]