Well, we’ve been waiting for years — though certainly not waiting patiently or quietly — for the long-promised landmark designation of the South Village. Today we found out that it will be yet another couple of days until we find out about the historic neighborhood’s fate. The City Council met this morning for what was […]
Australian artist James Gulliver Hancock began to draw buildings during his travels, allowing him to interact with the cities he was visiting in a way that went beyond his experience as a tourist. When he moved to New York, he began the blog All the Buildings in New York. While he has not yet drawn […]
Tomorrow, Community Board 3’s Landmarks Subcommittee will hear proposals for changes to two East Village landmarks: St Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery (an individual landmark and part of the St. Mark’s Historic District) and Congregation Mezritch Synagogue at 415 East 6th Street in the newly designated East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. You can see the proposals for […]
With the City’s Council’s vote this week on the Hudson Square rezoning, which will decide if the South Village is saved or its destruction accelerated, we thought we’d remind everyone of why the South Village is so special to so many people. Some wonderful individuals with strong connections to the South Village allowed us to […]
Check out this great article “notebook for night owls” from the Village Voice, dated January 31, 1963. Says cornetist Jack Fine, “Some people call our jazz traditional, some think it’s swing. All I want is for it to sound happy.” Click on the image to get a closer view of the text that discusses a […]
On Monday evening, GVSHP and the New School for Public Engagement hosted a film screening, For The Records — The Legacy and Lessons of Bleecker Bob’s. The documentary film by Emily Judem and Hazel Sheffield explores Bleecker Bob’s impending closure and the nature of change and development in an urban setting. It also showcases the […]
GVSHP’s program this evening, the Art of Exterior Ornamentation: A Talk with the Owners of Essex Works, features a local company that provides restoration of ornamentation on historic buildings. The craftsmanship involved in restoring damaged historic materials is always interesting, particularly for those of us who don’t work with our hands.
This coming March will mark the twenty-sixth anniversary of the founding of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) — the direct action and advocacy group organized to affect change in order to fight the AIDS Crisis. ACT UP was formed in New York City after a series of meetings at the LGBT Community Center […]
Neighborhoods like Greenwich Village contain many houses built for merchant families in the 19th century, converted to multi-family housing (usually for immigrants) decades later, and then converted back to single-family housing in more recent decades. However, a recent Department of Buildings filing may indicate what appears to be a first for the South Village, the […]
Betty Friedan’s (February 4, 1921 – February 4, 2006) seminal work, The Feminine Mystique, was published on February 19, 1963 by W.W. Norton publishers, then located at 55 Fifth Avenue. After authoring The Feminine Mystique, Friedan would go on to become the national voice of second-wave feminism, help found the National Organization for Women (and serve as […]
In honor of Black History Month, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has released a list of 25 designated landmarks related to African-American culture and history. One of the 25 is the Charlie Parker Residence at 151 Avenue B in the East Village. The building became an official New York City Landmark in 1999 for its […]
On this day in 1950, the Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas arrived in New York City. Born in Swansea, Wales, Thomas left school at age 16 and became a journalist. In 1934, he won a poetry contest, unofficially beginning his literary career. Later that year his first book Eighteen Poems was published followed by […]
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation’s Preservation Archive and Oral History Project was begun in 1995, a project to document over sixty-five years of grassroots advocacy to “Save the Village.” The collection contains oral history interviews, clippings, and photographs that illuminate this preservation history. Today we’ll be spotlighting the oral history interview of Edith […]
After many delays and revisions, the New York City Districting Commission has presented its final proposed new City Council district map to the City Council for approval. Every ten years, the City Council’s lines, like those of every legislative body in the country, must be changed to reflect changes in population as determined by the […]
From The Villager Newspaper, February 14, 2013 Op-Ed: Quinn Holds the Cards on Hudson Square Rezoning and South Village Landmarking http://www.thevillager.com/?p=10221 By Andrew Berman, Katy Bordonaro, Zack Winestine, Micki McGee, Richard Blodgett, Carl Rosenstein and Silvia Beam The Hudson Square rezoning currently before the City Council presents a rare case where a win-win is possible. Done […]
Last week the design team behind the AIDS Memorial in St. Vincent’s Park presented some design changes at a public meeting held at the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Off the Grid has been covering this story as it’s gone through the public review process. We thought we would update you on this memorial designed to […]
We hope you can join us for The Village and All That Jazz, an evening of music and history at Zinc Bar Monday, March 4th presented by GVSHP’s Brokers Partnership – RSVP here. Pianist Joe Alterman will perform and award-winning music critic Gary Giddins will explore the jazz scene of the Village during the 1960s, […]
Did you know that since 1991, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has offered elementary students an unparalleled opportunity to engage with New York City’s past by exploring the diverse culture and architecture of Greenwich Village? Greenwich Village: History & Historic Preservation highlights the uniqueness of Greenwich Village’s historic built environment and the importance […]
On this day in 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Serving as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861, until his assassination in 1865, Lincoln most famously preserved the Union through the Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation […]
The weekend blizzard, dubbed Nemo by some media outlets, dropped 11.4 inches of snow as recorded in Central Park, a lot less than the historic blizzard of 1888, which dumped 22 inches of snow on New York City, with drifts of up to 40 inches in some areas. That historic storm was the impetus behind […]
The snow is coming down here in New York City, so why not grab a cup of hot chocolate and read up on a Village landmark with us at Off the Grid? Today we’d like to feature the seven-story building at 30 Christopher Street. One of our readers wanted to learn more about this building’s […]
The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s (LPC) response to pleas to consider the entire proposed South Village Historic District for landmark designation, as LPC Chair Robert Tierney promised to do in 2009, has frequently been to say that they have spent enough time in the Village and have to look at other parts of the city as […]
As GVSHP highlighted several years ago now, the site at 152 2nd Avenue between East 9th and 10th Streets was sold to be replaced by a new six-story ‘luxury’ retail and residential development. Today we swung by the site to see that construction is finally accelerating and several of the floors are going into place. […]
A recent report by Crain’s New York that a number of hotels were opening in and around the Union Square area had us thinking here at Off the Grid about some historic Village hotels.
Tomorrow evening GVSHP will be holding a special event at one of the East Village’s newest cultural hot spots- the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MORUS). Opened on December 8, 2012, on Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets, MORUS preserves neighborhood history of the East Village and promotes scholarship of grassroots urban activism by […]
Today we note the passing of Edward I. Koch, Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989 and former Greenwich Village Congressman, City Councilmember, and Democratic District leader. A resident of Greenwich Village since the 1950’s, for the last several decades Koch lived in an apartment overlooking Washington Square Park at No. 2 Fifth […]
From the January 31, 2013 issue of The Villager. Noho and Soho’s firewall against N.Y.U. is at risk http://www.thevillager.com/?p=10030 By Andrew Berman, Executive Director, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation The mantra from the New York University administration throughout the public approval process for the school’s massive expansion proposal was “We’re making our plans transparent […]
Tomorrow, February 1, Grand Central Terminal will celebrate its Centennial. A year-long celebration of events and programming will ensue, marking the milestone of the opening of this Beaux Arts landmark (check out these great little-known facts about the station). While attention will be justifiably focused on this Midtown landmark tomorrow, we thought we’d take the […]
Off the Grid has featured many posts about some of the place names within Greenwich Village and the East Village, including Bleecker Street, Taras Shevchenko Place, and Father Demo Square. So a series of posts on how some Manhattan neighborhoods have gotten their names, particularly Greenwich Village, caught our eye.
Yesterday, after years of renovation work, St. Brigid’s church on Avenue B and East 8th Street was re-opened to the public. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan consecrated and dedicated the refurbished church, which will merge with the nearby St. Emeric’s Church on Avenue D. EV Grieve reported on the ceremonial procession of the congregation from St. […]
On Wednesday the City Planning Commission voted to approve the proposed Hudson Square Rezoning with some minor modifications, sending it to the City Council. The Council now has fifty days to hold a public hearing and make a final decision as to whether or not the rezoning will be approved, denied, or modified. While GVSHP […]
Readers of Off the Grid should be familiar with the many preservation victories Greenwich Village has won over the years, including the extension of Fifth Avenue through Washington Square Park, urban renewal high-rises in the Far West Village, and Westway, a highway meant to replace the crumbling west side elevated highway which closed in 1973. […]
Ninety-six years ago today a group of artists gathered at the top of the Washington Square Arch. Poet Gertrude Drick, painters John Sloan (who drew the etching above) and Marcel Duchamp, and Provincetown Playhouse actors Russell Mann, Betty Turner, and Charles Ellis got into the arch and up the spiral staircase through an unlocked door. […]
The intersecting streets at Sheridan Square and 7th Avenue South are some of the most well-known and well-worn in Greenwich Village. While surrounded by notable structures housing the likes of The Stonewall Inn and Village Cigars, one of the most prominent structures around the square is the fourteen-story apartment house at 10 Sheridan Square where […]
On Friday, EV Grieve broke the news that 9th Street Bakery would be closing after 87 years in business on East 9th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenues. This comes after their rent was more than doubled. 350 East 9th Street, the building that houses the bakery was built in the year 1875 by architect […]
Author Patricia Highsmith, called the “Dark Lady of American Letters” by her biographer Joan Schenkar, was born on January 19, 1921. She was the author of over twenty-two books including Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and although published under a pseudonym, the lesbian novel The Price of Salt. While she was born […]
The High Line has become one of Manhattan’s most popular attractions, offering a unique opportunity to travel above the hub-bub of our city streets and gain a unique perspective on the surrounding cityscape. GVSHP was an early supporter of the effort to preserve the former elevated freight rail line and turn it into a […]
On this day, January 16, in 1919, Prohibition took effect, prohibiting the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes.” Today, the Prohibition speakeasy has become a novelty in New York City. Countless new bars and restaurants spring up in “hidden” locations and seek to embody the old-time spirit of these illegal establishments. […]
Today would have been Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 84th birthday. The iconic figure of the Civil Rights Movement, assassinated on April 4, 1968, will be honored with a concert this Sunday, January 20th at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery. As the flyer posted on the fence of the churchyard indicates, the concert will include numerous vocalists singing […]
On January 14, 1969, the St. Mark’s Historic District was designated. The district was one of the first historic district designations by the newly created Landmarks Preservation Commission. The district also includes the GVSHP’s home in the Neighborhood Preservation Center on East 11th Street, which formerly served as the rectory for the adjacent St. Mark’s […]
This Tuesday, Jeanne Manford died at the age of 92. Sometimes referred to as the “Mother of the Straight Ally Movement,” Jeanne’s may not be a household name in all quarters, but her legacy and impact upon our broader culture is enormous. And it has strong roots in Greenwich Village, and its early embrace of […]
Are you an owner of a landmarked building or someone that files applications through the Landmarks Preservation Commission? If so, we want to point you to a helpful resource that the LPC has just released: the LPC Permit Application Guide. The guide can be found on our Resources page along with other useful information for […]
Yesterday’s Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) hearing on NYU’s variance application for 730 Broadway was revealing in several ways. GVSHP urged the board to reject NYU’s application (read our testimony HERE) as did Community Board #2, the NoHo Neighborhood Association (NNA), and a representative of Assemblymember Deborah Glick. NNA and Assemblymember Glick are, by […]
Yesterday, legendary architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable died at the age of 91 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 1963, Ms. Huxtable was appointed as the architecture critic for the New York Times where she became the first full-time architecture critic at an American newspaper and transformed architectural review into a mainstream and respected field of […]
Through the 1960s and early 1970s, this hand-drawn Greenwich Village map was self-published by the Seymour family, long-time residents of Greenwich Village and preservation pioneers within New York City. This map is part of a small self-guided walking tour guide meant to introduce residents and Village visitors alike to the architectural heritage of the neighborhood. […]
Over the summer we told you about the 1959 Greenwich Village Guide book published under the auspices of The Villager newspaper. This past week GVSHP received a donation to our library which included a 1947 version of the Greenwich Village Guide. This edition features advertisements from some venerable Village businesses and institutions.
The Meatpacking District—or to preservationists the Gansevoort Market Historic District—was the scene of many a New Year’s Eve party this past Monday night. But as the neighborhood’s most recent name suggests, this area has an interesting industrial past. We here at Off the Grid thought we would post some historic images of the neighborhood, for […]
If you’re a regular at our public programs, you know that two of our scheduled November events were cancelled due to Superstorm Sandy. Luckily, though, we were able to reschedule these great events and have added them to our January lineup! Tuesday, January 15, Msgr. Thomas J. Shelley, Professor of Historical Theology at Fordham University, […]
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the cultural history of one particular block of East 3rd Street and sharing with us something fascinating they discovered along the way. All posts in the […]
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the cultural history of one particular block of East 3rd Street and sharing with us something fascinating they discovered along the way. All posts in the […]
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the cultural history of one particular block of East 3rd Street and sharing with us something fascinating they discovered along the way. All posts in the […]
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the cultural history of one particular block of East 3rd Street and sharing with us something fascinating they discovered along the way. All posts in the […]
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the cultural history of one particular block of East 3rd Street and sharing with us something fascinating they discovered along the way. All posts in the […]
Two weeks ago, Off the Grid featured a notice announcing the lighting of the tree in Tompkins Square Park. At this year’s lighting ceremony on December 9th, a plaque was also unveiled that details the history of the tree, and how its annual lighting is a memorial to the devastation of the AIDS epidemic on […]
This year has seen some tremendous successes and some huge challenges for GVSHP. Next year promises to be even bigger, with many projects in motion. Your support makes all the difference between the preservation of our neighborhood’s character and its destruction, and is the foundation of GVSHP’s ability to document, celebrate, advocate for and educate about its history. Help make 2013 […]
Working in historic preservation you sometimes find yourself dealing with things you never expect. On this date in 2006, GVSHP wrote to Mayor Bloomberg regarding a 19th century abolitionist church graveyard that had been dug up and disturbed in the process of preparing for the construction of the Trump SoHo Condo Hotel. Sadly, the disturbance […]
Recently someone asked me about a building he walked by in the East Village. Showing me a photo of the building on his phone, he figured it was a substation but was curious to learn more. I told him that GVSHP has completed a huge architectural survey of the neighborhood – over 3,000 buildings! – […]
With the holiday season upon us, it’s good to know that GVSHP offers a variety of Village-themed gifts that they’re sure to love and that you can feel good about purchasing. A portion of every sale goes to support the continuing education, advocacy, and research work of GVSHP. Whether its maps or mugs, cards, books, […]
This image from the GVSHP Archive features an idyllic view of people gathering on the sidewalk outside of First Presbyterian Church in winter. The image is taken at 12th Street and Fifth Avenue, looking south. Indeed, the Church of the Ascension, at 10th Street, is visible as well.
Today marks the last day in 2012 of public hearings for the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the City agency in charge of regulating designated landmarks and historic districts across the five boroughs. At each public hearing, the LPC hears a number of applications from property owners who wish to make changes to their landmarked buildings. […]
Recently, our friends over at EV Grieve posted a great then-and-now of the southwest corner of Avenue A and East 10th Street. This beautiful building, St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church, became an official New York City Landmark in 2008 (you can read the designation report HERE). Completed in 1883, St. Nicholas of Myra actually has a […]
The holiday season is well underway and our neighborhoods have wonderful events going on to help ring in the Christmas spirit. Today we thought we’d highlight a couple of upcoming events for you. Washington Square Park This past Wednesday, the Washington Square Association held the 88th annual tree lighting ceremony in Washington Square Park. The […]
Louisiana’s notorious Angola State Prison. Folk singer Pete Seeger. The Dry Dock District in Alphabet City. The Library of Congress. Kurt Cobain. http://youtu.be/mcXYz0gtJeM?t=15s Seemingly unrelated, right? Not exactly. They are all connected to legendary folk musician Huddie William “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, who died from Lou Gehrig’s disease on December 6, 1949. If you don’t know […]
Curbed New York recently posted an engaging photo montage on their site featuring vintage real estate images. The article reminded us here at Off the Grid about a most useful collection for researchers interested in the development of housing across New York City, the New York State Real Estate Brochure Collection at Avery Library at […]
The eastern- and western-most areas of the Village were among the areas of Manhattan hard hit by Sandy. We recently reported how small business in the neighborhood were stepping up to get back on their feet post-Sandy, but there are others that are still out of commission. Last week Eater compiled a list of restaurants […]
This past Saturday the GVSHP Brokers Partnership presented a film screening of Get Crazy (1983) at the Anthology Film Archives. The screening was followed up with a lively panel discussion and after party at Veselka Bowery. Get Crazy, a campy satire which has become a cult classic, relives the late 1960’s experience of a music […]
In September the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to grant variances to the Mutliple Dwelling Law to allow rooftop additions to be built at 329, 331, 333 & 335 East 9th Street. Though we are not pleased with the Board’s decision, there is a bright side.
Do you remember the fake ivy saga involving the storefront of 47 West 8th Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District? It first came to our attention in early 2010 when we noticed the property had violated the Landmarks Law by not filing for a Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) application before it made […]
CRITICAL PUBLIC HEARING TOMORROW ON PROPOSED HUDSON SQUARE REZONING AND IMPACT ON THE SOUTH VILLAGE Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 28th, the City Planning Commission will hold its SOLE public hearing on Trinity Realty’s proposed Hudson Square Rezoning.
Six and a half years ago, a pitched battle began against the scheme to construct a 454 ft. tall behemoth at 246 Spring Street which came to be known as the “Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel.” GVSHP and many neighbors and community groups opposed having this 46-story monument to ego and self-promotion in their midst, but unfortunately the zoning […]
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now that the holiday season is underway, we wanted to celebrate with a photo of one of our favorite Italian bakeries – Veniero’s on East 11th Street between First and Second Avenues. As you can see, this East Village sweet spot, which has been serving up scrumptious goodies […]
On November 22, 1918, the first performances were staged at the Village’s renowned Provincetown Playhouse in the theater company’s permanent home. Founded in 1915 in Massachusetts as the Provincetown Players by a group of writers and actors, the theater company moved its performances to an apartment at 139 MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village in 1916. […]
Many of us have a lot to be thankful for this year- our safety and that of our friends and family, a roof over our heads, and a hot meal. Others, though, are not as fortunate. This Thanksgiving, many organizations and businesses have organized special ways to help those affected by Sandy. Right outside our […]
It’s easy to see much of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. But one of the biggest impacts from the storm was the loss of income suffered by hourly employees due to businesses closed because of power outages, or the inability to get to work. Businesses are not required to pay hourly employees when they […]
While we’re not yet technically at the ‘silver’ (i.e. 25th) anniversary, but November 18th Mark’s the date in 2008 when we were able to get Silver Towers in the South Village landmarked. On that day the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to designate this I.M. Pei-designed complex, first proposed by GVSHP in 2003, including its […]
“Brownstones occupy a unique place in the New York psyche, as one of the city’s most prototypical signposts, like yellow cabs and fast walkers, yet are able to stir aching desire and teeth-baring jealousy. Everybody wants one.”
This morning, just before Appalachian Spring played on the radio, I learned that today would have been composer Aaron Copland’s 112th birthday. This struck a particular chord with me as I grew up listening to his music. His pieces always brought to mind images of rural America, but, actually, Copland was born and raised in […]
Each December GVSHP teams up with students in the Introduction to Public History course in NYU’s Public History and Archives program for a unique event where students present their semester-long research about the social history of a specific East Village street. This year, in conjunction with GVSHP’s architectural resource survey of the East Village, the […]
After riding out the week of Hurricane Sandy at home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as the Greenwich Village Society office was without power, I was fairly anxious to explore somewhere outside my local neighborhood once the city got transit underway. Because my usual train wasn’t running and I had to alter my commute, I found myself […]
As GVSHP recently announced, the Hudson Square rezoning application is now on the desk of the Manhattan Borough President, after Community Board #2 pointedly recommended it be turned down UNLESS the neighboring South Village is protected from its impacts through landmarking, allowable building heights in Hudson Square are reduced, and other changes made. Like GVSHP, […]
Just prior to Sandy’s devastation, we reported the disappointing news that the City Council had agreed to approve the upzoning of Chelsea Market and allow a developer to construct two large additions atop the historic complex. The deal, brokered by City Council Speaker Quinn and approved by the Council’s Land Use Committee, was headed to […]
Tonight’s program, Greenwich Village Catholics: A Lecture by Thomas J. Shelley, is cancelled. This evening’s program, Greenwich Village Catholics, with Thomas J. Shelley is cancelled because of complications from the storm. GVSHP plans to reschedule this program as soon as we possibly can. Thank you for your understanding while we continue to recover from Sandy.In […]
Many residents in and near our area are still without power, heat, or water. Some are elderly or infirmed, and some have small children. Two complexes in need are Westbeth in the West Village and Fulton Houses between 16th and 19th Streets in Chelsea. To help at Fulton Houses: Come at noon or 3pm to […]
We hope you have weathered the hurricane as best as possible. Our office is still closed due to power outages that have affected most buildings south of 31st Street, but we thought we’d share some of our visual resources we have for you on the site: photos and maps. This seems to be a theme […]
We hope that you are staying safe and dry as Hurricane Sandy batters New York. Today we’re going to take a look at Bob Dylan’s noted song “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall.” Dylan’s composition, which was included in his second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (the iconic cover of which was shot on Jones Street), […]
We have recently learned that a new building permit application has been filed with the Department of Buildings for 75 First Avenue in the East Village. The permit, just filed and not yet approved, calls for an 8-story residential building. What had originally been proposed was a 14-story building that would have been completely inappropriate […]
Following up on our earlier post discussing public hearings at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, we thought we’d focus our attention on another important part of the landmarks public review process: community board hearings. Alterations to landmarked buildings that require an LPC public hearing must also be presented to the local community board. GVSHP attends all […]
Promoting and celebrating local, small businesses in the neighborhood has always been a top priority for GVSHP. Such establishments create a valuable and unique presence in our neighborhoods, vital to their character. This November, we are offering three exciting lectures that will focus on historic local businesses in the Village. Each event is distinct in […]
Designation reports are detailed documents created by New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission at the time a building or district is landmarked. These reports often serve as guidelines when the Commission needs to determine the appropriateness of future changes to the property. So what do historic designation reports have to offer those outside the field […]
Tomorrow will be our one and only chance to speak directly to the City Council before they decide whether or not to upzone Chelsea Market to allow two large towers to be built atop the historic complex. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am at the City Council Chambers in City Hall (map […]
Today marks the anniversary of the opening of the first Blockbuster store in the country in 1985, in Dallas, Texas. Filled with childhood nostalgia, we couldn’t help but recall the days when a trip into the local video store to pick out a VHS tape was one of the more exciting moments of any given […]
We hope that you can join us for our upcoming event Reel Rockers: Come ‘Get Crazy’ in the East Village — A Film Screening and Discussion! Presented by GVSHP’s Brokers Partnership, this special event is taking place on Sunday, November 11th (rescheduled) Saturday, December 1st at Anthology Film Archives and you can click here to […]
Last Tuesday, October 9th, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. Stretching between the Bowery and Avenue A, East 2nd Street and St. Mark’s Place, the district includes about 325 buildings and is the largest ever created in the East Village. We’re excited to see that landmark protections have […]
Irish writer Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born October 16, 1854. The author of many short stories, plays such as The Importance of Being Ernest and The Duchess of Padua, and the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde was a popular writer during his lifetime, and continues to be so today. To celebrate […]
When you’ve been living in, working in, and researching the East Village for many years you sometimes start to think you know it all. But then there are moments when you’re casually walking down the street, look up, and see something you have never before noticed and know nothing about (this is the beauty of […]
Tomorrow, Saturday, October 13th, the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street (off Astor Place) will be hosting a block party to celebrate the re-dedication of their historic theater space, and you’re invited! The block party will run from noon to 5pm and will also feature an open house in the historic NoHo space. According to […]
It’s one of the quaintest and most intriguing streets in the West Village. It’s located just a block from the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. And as Off the Grid favorite Jerry Seinfeld would say, it’s thin, clean, and neat. So in honor of Thursday’s National Coming Out Day, Off […]
The New School’s new building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 14th Street is getting closer and closer to being completed. After topping out back in May, the patinated brass and glass cladding has been steadily climbing the sides of the new sixteen-story building (full view below) which will house dorm units and library and […]
In September of 2011, Off the Grid reported the discovery of a sign during changes to a storefront at 15 8th Avenue (between West 12th & Jane Streets). The sign, which was made in stained glass, read J. Yormark Shoes. We here at Off the Grid were thrilled to hear from members of the Yormark […]
Monday, October 8, is Columbus Day, a day of recognition of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World 520 years ago as well as a day to celebrate the contributions and heritage of Italian Americans. Though the parade on Monday will be on 5th Avenue, when we think of Columbus Day we are […]
