Throwback Thursday: Behind the Scenes of 75 ½ Bedford Street

After the great Frank O’Hara plaque unveiling earlier this week (you can view video and photos from the event), today we thought we’d take a look at another celebrated Village poet — Edna St. Vincent Millay, with this recent look back by GVSHP’s Amanda Davis. The narrow house at 75 ½ Bedford Street is well […]

    2014 Village Award Winner: Kathy Donaldson

    GVSHP’s Annual Meeting and Awards are quickly approaching (this coming Monday night from 6:30 to 8pm at the New School’s Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street — RSVP here).  This year we are proud to honor Kathy Donaldson, the longtime President of the Bedford-Barrow-Commerce Block Association, with our Regina Kellerman Award, named for GVSHP’s first Executive […]

    2014 Village Award Winner: La MaMa E.T.C.

    For fifty-three years, La MaMa E.T.C. has brought amazing theater off, off Broadway and into the East Village. GVSHP is proud to honor the theater with a 2014 Village Award at our Monday, June 16th ceremony. We hope you’ll join us (RSVP here) to celebrate La Mama and our six other wonderful awardees! La Mama […]

    2014 Village Award Winner: New York Marble Cemetery

    Here’s a neighborhood old-timer for you. The New York Marble Cemetery, which turns 184 years old this year, was developed in 1830 as the first privately owned, nonsectarian cemetery in New York City. We shared some great old photos in this past Off the Grid post. The cemetery can be hard to spot, but if […]

    2014 Village Award Winner: Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books

    Located at 34 Carmine Street between Bleecker and Bedford Streets, Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books has got a big name and an even bigger place in the hearts of Village neighbors and New York City bibliophiles. Stocking a floor-to-ceiling collection of personally-selected works at remarkably low prices, this independent bookstore has been a fixture of the […]

      Scouting out some of the City’s coolest places

      Recently, Off the Grid has spotlighted a number of blogs that we like to read to keep us up to date about our community and our city beyond the borders of the Village. We’ve spotlighted Untapped New York, which helps its readers discover New York’s architecture and culture from the perspective of both experts and […]

        2014 Village Award Winner: Pino Prime Meats

        In the old Italian South Village, St. Anthony of Padua church stands on the corner of Sullivan Street and Houston Street, an anchor for the vibrant community of Italian immigrants who settled in this neighborhood over 100 years ago. Nestled two doors south of the church on Sullivan Street is the venerable Pino Prime Meats, […]

        She Shot Andy Warhol

        The 1960’s was a turbulent decade marked by numerous notable murders, assassinations, and attempted assassinations (some of which, like the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination, the Bobby Kennedy assassination, and the murder of Kitty Genovese, have previously been chronicled on Off the Grid). But one may have shook downtown more deeply and personally than any […]

        2014 Village Award Winner: New York Central Art Supply

        Browsing the merchandise at New York Central Art Supply can be a little intimidating for the uninitiated, but that’s just because this store, which has been owned by the same family for three generations, is chock full of the most unique paper and art supplies you’ll find almost anywhere. It is worth checking out regardless […]

        Check for Violations Before Buying a Landmark

        In continuation of our Landmarking 101 series, today we’re focusing on active violations on a landmarked property and just who is responsible for them. Whether you’re a broker or a prospective buyer, this is particularly important information to know! If you buy a property with unresolved violations, you become financially responsible for correcting them. That’s […]

        2014 Village Award winner: Village Community Boathouse

        Lately Pier 40 has been in the news due to the controversial possibility of air rights being sold from this and other piers within the Hudson River Park. To me, though, Pier 40 always was and will be the place I used to stretch before and after running along the river in the park. It’s […]

        2014 Village Awards

        It’s that time of year again! Every June, as part of Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting, we highlight with our Village Awards those special businesses, organizations, individuals, and places that make Greenwich Village the best neighborhood in the world. This year’s Village Awards winners have been selected: LaMaMa New York Central Art Supply New York Marble […]

        When They Stemmed the Flow of Immigrants into New York City

        It’s estimated that in 2024, about 36% of New York City’s population is foreign-born, which is one of the highest percentages among U.S. cities. Immigrants also make up 44.2% of the city’s labor force, which is higher than the 64% of native-born New Yorkers who participate in the labor force. The federal Immigration Act of […]

        Collecting the history of the Village one interview at a time

        This past fall, GVSHP launched a new oral history project. This ongoing project was developed in order to add to our understanding of the South and East Villages, areas in which we are advocating for new protections such as landmarking and rezonings. While we have spent considerable time documenting the architectural history of these neighborhoods, […]

        Our Wishlist for the Next Buildings Commissioner

        As Mayor De Blasio slowly fills the many leadership positions in a mammoth city government, those of us invested in preservation and development have been waiting for two announcements in particular: of a new Landmarks Preservation Commission chair, which happened today, and of a new Department of Buildings commissioner. About the latter, there has been […]

        Looking Up: The Cable Building

        This is part of the Looking Up series of posts, which explore the unique architectural and historical stories that can be discovered when we raise our gaze above the sidewalk, the storefront, and the second floor. Above the display windows of Crate & Barrel, and the crowded Broadway and Houston Street sidewalks, is a facade […]

        Tap Into Untapped Cities

        We’ve been reviewing some of the blogs that we here at Off the Grid like to follow to keep ourselves up-to-date on happenings both community-centered and across New York City. So far we have explored EV Grieve, the blog that is a must-follow for anyone interested in the East Village. We have also investigated Jeremiah’s […]

        In the East Village, Aiming to Leave No Deserving Place Behind

        Do the tall arches of the sturdy red-brick Anthology Film Archives reassure you? Does the stillness of the New York City Marble Cemetery give you a thrill? Perhaps passing exuberant 101 Avenue A, the Pyramid Club, puts a bounce in your step? Well, there’s good news:  these unique features of the East Village aren’t going […]

          Lucy Moses Honors

          It was eight years ago today on May 8, 2006 that GVSHP was honored with the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Lucy G. Moses Award for organizational excellence.  We were in great company that night at St. Bartholomew’s Church, including Evelyn and Everett Ottner, the Park Slope preservation pioneers, who received the Preservation Leadership Award, and […]

          A Tale of Two Tenements

          As I was walking along East 11th Street recently I happened to notice two tenements sitting side by side that appeared to be “sister buildings” (built at the same time using the same design). When I headed back to the GVSHP office I looked through building permits we have on file from the Municipal Archives […]

          Two Big Anniversaries on Carmine Street

          This week we have two milestone anniversaries that relate to my old stomping grounds, Carmine Street. On this date, May 6, in 1908, the public bathhouse that is now the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center opened. Today this is at the 7th Avenue South end of Carmine Street, but in 1908, 7th Avenue South didn’t exist. […]

          My Greenwich Village Story

          This is the latest installment of the Off the Grid series in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our new book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase now. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings. My first winter in New York was hard for reasons far greater than the polar […]

          Jacob Riis: The Man Who Showed “How The Other Half Lives”

          On May 3, 1849, Jacob August Riis was born in Denmark. At age 21, he immigrated to New York, arriving June 5, 1870. He immediately felt the need to protect himself, and purchased a gun. You may know his name from Jacob Riis Park on the Rockaway Peninsula, or from the Jacob Riis Houses in […]

          Throwback Thursday: The Kickoff on King Street

          Welcome to the inaugural post in our Throwback Thursday series where we will share some of our favorite old photos of everyday life in the Village, East Village, and Noho. Do you have a great old photo of you, a friend, or a relative in one of our wonderful neighborhoods? Please share them with us […]

          On Saving the Soul of New York City and Yourself

          Penny Arcade has been living the bohemian life in New York City, and making art about it, on and off for more than four decades. She says she is “fundamentally a poet,” but also sings, dances, acts, and claims a hand in defining performance art in the 1980s (for which she apologizes in one of […]

          Happy Birthday Greenwich Village Historic District!

          Forty-five years ago today, 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 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, and the newly created Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Greenwich Village Historic District. It also produced a historic district […]

          Washington Square Arch: Then AND Now

          One of the many tools historic preservationists use in their work is historic images. They are an invaluable resource in seeing firsthand how our built environment has changed and stayed the same. We’ve spent time here at Off the Grid reviewing the many resources for older images of the Village, including the city’s tax records […]

            The Libraries of Greenwich Village and the East Village

            In this day and age, information about nearly any topic is at our fingertips. A quick internet search can reveal any number of facts we might need. This wasn’t always the case, however. For decades, it was libraries and their books that provided such knowledge. In Greenwich Village, several fantastic libraries provided neighborhood residents the […]

            All the World’s a Village on Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday

            Today marks William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, although some sources say his exact date of birth is unknown. He never set foot in the Village – he lived before it was developed by European settlers – but Shakespeare would likely be pleased with the neighborhood’s vibrant literary history. How many other places can celebrate such a […]

              A Greenwich Village Stories Walking Tour of the West Village

              This is the latest installment of the Off the Grid series in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our new book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase now. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings. The West Village has many restaurants, bars, and landmarks to visit, all offering glimpses into […]

              Abingdon Square: 183 years ago…

              On April 22, 1831, the City of New York acquired the land that is now one of my favorite places in the West Village, Abingdon Square Park. Once part of the vast Sir Peter Warren estate, Abingdon Square was named for Warren’s son-in-law, the Fourth Earl of Abingdon. We have written about this place before, […]

              Ten Years Ago: Far West Village Protests, and Progress

              April 18 and 19 mark two incredibly important Far West Village preservation anniversaries — each from 2004.  At that time, GVSHP and allied community groups were engaged in a heated battle to try to prevent the wholesale destruction of the Greenwich Village waterfront and Meatpacking District, both of which had recently become “hot neighborhoods” where […]

              Next Month, Everyone’s a Historian

              Back in high school, I don’t remember History being everyone’s (or was that anyone’s?) favorite subject … but around the neighborhood lately, it definitely is. When a call went out to individuals and organizations in the East Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, and surrounds, to participate in the first-ever Lower East Side History Month, the response […]

              Little Ukraine in the East Village

              It seems that you can’t look at the news these days without seeing something about Ukraine. From the protests in Kiev, to the Russian annexation of Crimea, to the instability in its eastern cities, Ukraine might not be the place to visit right now. But New Yorkers need not venture far to experience authentic Ukrainian […]

                Matt Umanov, Guitar Fixer and Village Storyteller

                This is the latest installment of the Off the Grid series in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our new book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase now. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings, and contest information. Music first brought Matt Umanov to the Village. Playing, building, and repairing […]

                Mourning President Lincoln on Broadway

                It was almost 150 years ago this evening that President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington. The event was the first assassination of an American president and sent shock waves throughout the nation. A period of mourning set in for weeks, and included viewings of the […]

                April 12, 1901: Back When the “New Law” was New

                The 20th century had hardly begun when the New York State legislature signed into law a new act to address old problems in this city regarding tenement construction. This groundbreaking event took place on April 12, 1901. Formally known as the New York State Tenement Act of 1901, the legislation was considered a big step […]

                The Land of Meatpackers, Then Models, Then Moschino

                Seven years ago, a picturesque swath of lower Manhattan by the Hudson River was listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. This official designation by government agencies marked another layer of recognition and protection of this unique area, traditionally known for cobblestones, hanging sides of meat, blood in the gutters, brick warehouses, […]

                Europe and Greenwich Village

                I recently spent my vacation visiting the European cities of Barcelona, Rome, and Trieste. During my time there, dutifully and happily playing the role of tourist, I was reminded of the depth of European history versus American history. Here our history is preserved and reflected in buildings that are at most a few hundred years […]

                Greenwich Village Stories Contributor Q&A with Karen Cooper

                This is the latest installment of the Off the Grid series in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our new book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase now. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings, and contest information. Karen Cooper has been the director of Film […]

                  Berenice Abbott and the Legacy of the New Deal

                  The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act was passed by Congress on April 8 in 1935, five years into the Great Depression. The name of the legislation may sound foreign, but most likely you are quite familiar with some of the programs it enacted. The New Deal’s WPA, or Works Progress Administration, was one of those programs. […]

                    From the GVSHP Archives: Outdoor Artists

                    With the refreshingly spring-like weather making us long for a walk in the park today, we thought we’d take a look (via GVSHP’s archives) at some artists working en plein air in the Village. The following photos are from GVSHP’s Preservation Archive and Oral History Project, specifically a part of the Nat Kaufman Collection. The Nat […]

                    2001: A Space Odyssey’s Village Roots

                    On April 2, 1968, the groundbreaking film “2001: A Space Odyssey” was released.  The epic story of the man’s evolution, his limitations, and his future in the space age was considered by many a landmark of modern film, with its influence seen in everything from the other movies including ‘Gravity,’ to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” […]

                      Tell Us Your Greenwich Village Story

                      This is the latest installment of the Off the Grid series in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our new book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase now. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings, and contest information. In the opening lines of his contribution to […]

                      Places We Love: The Newsboys’ Home

                      It’s finally warm enough to re-start a new feature, Places We Love, focusing on architectural, cultural and commercial favorites that local folks feel are worth preserving, particularly in the East Village. If you have one you want to talk about, write to kloew@gvshp.org. Beth Sopko has lived on East 8th Street in a handsome 1902 […]

                        Village Big House

                        If one has the occasion to think about incarceration in the Village, many long-time residents would likely recall the Women’s House of Detention, an imposing building that loomed over Jefferson Market Courthouse from 1932 to 1974. However, about one-hundred years before the Women’s House of Detention came into being, the Village was home to New […]

                          The Ramones’ First Public Performances

                          The Ramones sprung onto the scene in mid-1974, revolutionizing rock music and performance by reinjecting energy, simplicity, and humor into a genre which had become increasingly serious, self-important, and bloated.  In the midst of presidential scandals and resignations, urban decay, and disintegrating social fabric, the Ramones called for a new order based upon three chords, […]

                            293 and 297 West 4th Street: Then & Now

                            At 293 and 297 West 4th Street, between Bank and West 11th Streets in the Greenwich Village Historic District, sit two new townhouses that, at first glance, look like three. The façade of no. 293 was designed to resemble two three-bay wide rowhouses that are prevalent in the neighborhood, but in actuality it is one […]

                              A Greenwich Village Book, A Greenwich Village Bookstore

                              This is the latest installment of the Off the Grid’s series in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our new book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase today. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings, and contest information. To celebrate the release of Greenwich Village Stories, […]

                              The Doors at the Fillmore East

                              On March 22, 1968, the legendary rock band The Doors performed at the East Village’s fabled Fillmore East. The performance is considered one of the most iconic in the band and the theater’s career — which is saying a lot, considering the near-mythic status each enjoy. The Fillmore East had been open just two weeks; The Doors, while […]

                                Looking Up: East Village Target Practice

                                This is part of the Looking Up series of posts, which explore the unique architectural and historical stories that can be discovered when we raise our gaze above the sidewalk, the storefront, and the second floor. The stretch of St. Mark’s Place between Second and Third Avenues holds a variety of building types — tenements […]

                                1980s Tax Photos: Then & Now

                                For today’s post in our Then & Now series, we thought we’d feature a few locations in our neighborhoods as they looked in the 1980s. Similar to last week’s post on using historic maps, the City of New York’s 1980s tax photos are an invaluable resource in helping us understand our built past. As with […]

                                Ten or More Questions with Bob Holman, Village Poet Extraordinaire

                                Bob Holman has been making poetry downtown for over 25 years. Among his many endeavors, he is perhaps best known locally as the impresario of the Bowery Poetry Club, founded in 2001 and morphed into Bowery Arts + Science last year. He is the author of 16 works of poetry. We’re delighted that Holman is […]

                                  Irish Churches of the Village

                                  It seems that on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish or of Irish descent. The parade winds its way up Fifth Avenue, tourists and locals patronize the many Irish pubs that dot the City, and the City is awash in green. It is easy to forget that St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday – […]

                                  Fashionable Architecture

                                  Today a the new exhibition Facades will open at the New-York Historical Society. The exhibition showcases New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham’s eight-year photo project, which began in 1968. Cunningham amassed a collection of vintage clothing from the late 18th century to the 1950s and then paired period-dressed models with historic New York City […]

                                  Kitty Genovese and the Village

                                  On March 13th, 1964, Kitty Genovese was brutally raped and murdered in Kew Gardens, Queens. The crime, and Kitty Genovese’s name, became symbols of much more than this one savage act. Largely through reporting in the weeks that followed, the murder became a parable of sorts about the unravelling of society, increasing crime, racial fears, […]

                                  The Small-Business-Saving Squad of the East Village

                                  It seems like everyone supports small business — it’s as American as Mom and apple pie. But all you have to do is observe the changing streetscape, or read a website like Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York, to know that small businesses are vulnerable things, and can have very short lives in New York City. A […]

                                  Dave Hill, Your Friendly Neighborhood Comic

                                  This is the latest installment of Off the Grid’s series, “Greenwich Village Stories,” in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our upcoming book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase on March 25th. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings, and contest information.   Dave Hill, […]

                                    Map It! Finding the Lost Stuyvesant Alley

                                    Recently, someone contacted us asking about the location of Stuyvesant Alley, which no longer exists. As it turns out, historic maps were able to help shine some light. This long-gone alley could once be found on the block between Second and Third Avenues, and East 11th and 12th Streets not too far away from GVSHP’s […]

                                    A Luckless Landmark

                                    When the building at 150 Barrow Street, known as the Keller Hotel building, was landmarked seven years ago today, the future looked bright for this historic waterfront treasure. Although vacant for many years before it was given landmark status, new plans for a residential conversion had been filed with the city. Alas, those plans never […]

                                    (Street) Signs of the Times

                                    If you haven’t already read it, the Times reported last week on the recent completion of a catalog of New York City’s ‘honorific’ street names designated since 1998. These honorific names are noted with a sign that appears in tandem with a street’s original name and can be seen all around the city. The honorific […]

                                    What a Top Chef Loves About the Village

                                    Anita Lo serves two of the things people need most: food and stories. Chef and owner of the esteemed Village restaurant Annisa, Lo is also a contributor to Greenwich Village Stories, the anthology of art and prose to be released by Village Preservation and Rizzoli later this month. You can pre-order the book here, or […]

                                      Happy 45th To Neighboring 1830s East Village Cemeteries

                                      The New York Marble Cemetery and the New York City Marble Cemetery (yes, it’s confusing) both turn 45 tomorrow. Well, they’re actually a lot older than that (over 180 years and counting), but on March 4, 1969 they were designated city landmarks by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. They can be found one block away from […]

                                        A Tale of Two Times Articles

                                        So there I was, innocently paging through the New York Times Real Estate section this past Sunday — I know you were, too, dreaming about the $2.5 million Mercer Street loft splashed on page 3 — when a pesky contradiction that’s been buzzing around the world of preservation and development landed right on my nose. […]

                                          My mind was really wandering today…

                                          Today as usual I was reading my morning newspaper on the subway. There was a great article about historic preservation in New York, featuring Village Preservation’s Executive Director Andrew Berman. Reading it made me feel happy (and proud!) that I work at Village Preservation and that the work we do is important, and that people […]

                                          Happy Birthday, Mabel Dodge Luhan

                                          By the time Mabel Dodge (also known, in recognition of her four husbands, as Mabel Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan) set up her weekly salon in her apartment at 23 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village in 1912, she had already been twice married and once divorced, gave birth to a son, and had attempted to take […]

                                          A ‘Greenwich Village Stories’ Walking Tour of the East Village

                                          This is the latest installment of Off the Grid’s series, “Greenwich Village Stories,” in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our upcoming book release Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase on March 25th. Visit our Facebook page for the latest on book contributors, release events and readings, and contest information. The […]

                                          Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti — East Meets West (Village, that is)

                                          On February 24th, 1975, Led Zeppelin’s double studio album Physical Graffiti was unleashed upon the world.  The band’s second most commercially successful album, it went sixteen times platinum in the United States, and spawned such classics as Trampled Under Foot, Boogie With Stu, and the east-meets-west magnum opus, Kashmir. The monster album also emerged roughly […]

                                            Happy Birthday W.H. Auden, East Villager

                                            The British poet W.H. Auden, a towering figure of 20th century letters, is not the first person you’d put in a shabby apartment on St. Mark’s Place. Yet there he lived, at number 77, from 1953 until 1972 when he and his lover Chester Kallman left for a cottage at Oxford. He died in 1973. […]

                                              Community Cornerstone: Little Red School House-Elisabeth Irwin High School

                                              In 2012, GVSHP spotlighted the work of Little Red School House/Elisabeth Irwin High School on Off the Grid as part of our tribute to the winners of the 2012 Village Awards. The school was recognized for their “service as a trailblazer of progressive education for children of diverse backgrounds” and their commitment to “fostering true […]

                                                Then & Now on Little West 12th Street

                                                We’d like to share GVSHP staffer Amanda Davis’ “Then & Now” post about a delightful block just west of the High Line. On the other side of the High Line, just outside the Gansevoort Market Historic District, sits two old three-story rowhouses at 53 and 55 Little West 12th Street. Now home to the Brass […]

                                                Coming Soon — Greenwich Village Stories

                                                GVSHP works to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo in many different ways.  Landmark designations and zoning protections, though challenging to secure, can at least ensure the perpetuation of that special physical fabric.  But culture, while inevitably intertwined with that physical fabric, is more ephemeral; harder to quantify, and […]

                                                Valentine’s Day in the Village

                                                If you waited for the last minute to plan your Valentine’s Day evening or need to pick up a few more supplies, don’t despair. There are plenty of shops in the East and West Village that have just what you need to say “I Love You” to that special someone. Are you staying in and […]

                                                Summertime in Greenwich Village

                                                Today, most New Yorkers are trudging through the snow and freezing rain, navigating those slushy street corners and not-yet-shoveled sidewalks. Yes, it’s another beautiful day! So as I look out the window at the snow-covered landscape, I think of how I spend summertime in Greenwich Village. One of my all-time favorite things to do, right […]

                                                  Photos of the Merchant’s House as a Young Museum

                                                  We always love talking about the Merchant’s House here on Off the Grid (here’s some proof); how could you not be amazed by a house that was occupied by one family – the Tredwells – from 1835 (three years after it was built in 1832) to 1933? Original interior plasterwork, furniture, and the like give […]

                                                  Buildings With Buzzcuts

                                                  Have you ever noticed a rowhouse or tenement that’s almost handsome? Something … is … off.  Oh!  That’s what it is: Its top is shorn. Where a decorative cornice once hung, now there’s a blank — or worse, metal flashing. Why must perfectly decent architecture be diminished in this way? Money, says Robert Perl, the […]

                                                    Looking Up: West 3rd Street

                                                    The Looking Up series of posts explore the unique architectural and historical stories that can be discovered when we raise our gaze above the sidewalk, the storefront, and the second floor. In this week’s edition of Looking Up, we’re casting our gaze skyward on West 3rd Street to recall what was once up there – […]

                                                      The Beatles Arrive in Greenwich Village

                                                      “Yeah, yeah, yeah” – as the New York Times wrote in February 1964 – it was in fact February 7, 1964 that the Beatles arrived for the very first time on our shores. Landing first in New York, the four lads from Liverpool made their historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance two days later. With most […]

                                                        East Village Sports Bars

                                                        OK, Super Bowl has come and gone, the groundhog says six more weeks of winter, and basketball and hockey don’t do it for me.  So I’m focused on February 13, when Spring Training for Major League Baseball begins! A few weeks ago I wrote about Bergino Baseball Clubhouse on East 11th Street, and I’ve been […]

                                                        A First for Recognizing LGBT History in the South Village

                                                        Over the past several weeks, we’ve been highlighting the recent designation of the South Village Historic District, which GVSHP fought ten years to achieve, as well as the treasure trove of information found in the newly-available designation report for the district, which in several cases cites research and materials provided by GVSHP. The South Village’s […]

                                                        The Hottest Spot on Tompkins Square in 1904

                                                        Tompkins Square Library opened at 331 E. 10th Street, on the northern edge of Tompkins Square Park, on December 1, 1904. Like many of the New York Carnegie libraries,  it is a handsome McKim, Mead and White building (designated as an individual landmark in 1999) that looks almost exactly today as it did then.  It […]

                                                        Community Cornerstone: Greenwich House Pottery

                                                        This past summer, Off the Grid posted a piece on Greenwich House, the community settlement house that brought education and social services to the community’s immigrant population at the turn of the 20th century. Today, Greenwich House continues to serve those in need, from its services for seniors and children to its arts programs for […]

                                                          Remembering Pete Seeger

                                                          “The artists.” Without a doubt, that response is the one I hear most often when I ask what people love most about the Village’s history. And when it comes to the artists of Greenwich Village, you can’t talk about them together without thinking of the iconic 1960s folk scene and the great Pete Seeger. Born […]

                                                          MacDougal, Sullivan, & Thompson

                                                          No, it’s not the name of a law firm. It’s the names of 3 of my favorite streets in the recently-designated South Village Historic District. For many years I lived in the South Village, and often when I gave people directions, I would find myself saying, “Stay on Bleecker, cross 6th Avenue, then you’ll cross […]

                                                          From Rear Tenement to Off-Broadway House

                                                          If you love theater in the Village, we think you will enjoy this blog post that was written by our colleague Chelsey Berryhill. While walking down Christopher Street, it is easy to become distracted by the eclectic, varying store fronts with the colorful crowds of people collecting outside. The aura of the Village would not […]

                                                            Upstairs/Downstairs: A Night Out on MacDougal Street

                                                            We’ve been focusing a lot lately here at Off the Grid on the newly designated South Village Historic District and the designation report that allows us to learn much about the architecture and history of the district. The designation report is a powerful tool, so we thought we would share one of the ways we […]

                                                            NYU Buildings Worth Landmarking, Not Protesting

                                                            Here at GVSHP, we’ve been poring over the new South Village Historic District designation report, and it has some wonderful facts and even a few surprises we thought we’d share. Earlier this month, New York State Supreme Court Justice Donna Mills delivered great news by announcing her legal decision that several of the pieces of […]