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Category: Advocacy Efforts

Happy Birthday to Four NYC Landmark Districts

Two years ago today, the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II, or what GVSHP terms the South Village Phase I District, was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. It seems that come this time in June, many new landmark districts are born.

Save the Date – East Village/Lower East Side Historic District Hearing – June 26

On Tuesday, June 26 the Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. This historic district was proposed last year by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and its boundaries were extended after GVSHP and other community groups advocated to include sites like the Pyramid Club at 101 […]

Save the Date: June 29th @ City Hall

Start spreading the news — the City Council’s public hearing on NYU’s massive proposed Village expansion plan has been set for Friday, June 29th at 9:30 am in the Council Chambers, at City Hall. This is likely the ONLY public hearing the City Council will hold on the plan before a vote takes place in […]

Marilyn Appleberg: 2012 Village Award Winner

It is hard to imagine East 10th and Stuyvesant Streets today without thinking about neighborhood resident and activist Marilyn Appleberg. Marilyn has worked tirelessly as an advocate for the blocks since she moved to the neighborhood in 1969. In recognition of her service, Marilyn will be presented with a 2012 Village Award, which will be […]

A Campus Comparison

As part of its massive proposed Village expansion plan, NYU is seeking to build 2.5 million sq. ft. of space – the equivalent of the Empire State Building – on the blocks south of Washington Square.  All of the university’s proposed development is prohibited under current laws and zoning, but would be made possible if […]

Landmark Bid Pays Off at Former Horse Auction Mart!

We’re thrilled to announce that last week the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to confer individual landmark status on one of our favorite East Village buildings: the former Van Tassell & Kearney Horse Auction Mart at 128 East 13th Street! The Commission’s vote marks the finishing touch on GVSHP’s six-year campaign to preserve this remarkable […]

What NYU Doesn’t Want You to Know About Faculty Housing at Washington Square Village

NYU’s massive, out-of-scale plan to construct 2 million square feet of new buildings within the Washington Square Village and Silver Towers superblocks is touted by the University as being desperately needed to accommodate its growth.  NYU President John Sexton in particular called out the need for more faculty housing. We have to call this in […]

2012 House Tour Highlights

We had a beautiful day for our 14th annual house tour benefit on Sunday, May 6th!  The sun was shining and hundreds of people came out to visit six wonderful Village homes at their own pace. The self-guided tour also included a bonus site: the former studio of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney at the New York […]

The Awe Inspiring Interior of 62 East 4th Street

Last week the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express announced that Duo Multicultural Arts Center (DMAC) was one of the 40 sites in New York City selected to compete for grants for preservation projects for the Partners in Preservation program. We are so excited that Duo is one of three sites selected in […]

What’s Happening on Washington Mews?

One of the resources that GVSHP offers to the community is its Preservation Watch program- a way to help ensure that serious landmarks violations are reported and the landmarks law enforced, and to preserve our neighborhoods’ historic integrity. Lately, we have been receiving numerous inquiries and complaints about the work being done on the roadbed […]

Partners in Preservation Sites Announced

Last week, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express revealed 40 preservation projects up for grants through their annual Partners in Preservation program. This program seeks to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation. This year, the program is focusing on preservation in New York City. From April 26 through […]

Save World of Video

The World of Video at 51 Greenwich Avenue, the oldest and longest-running video rental store in the West Village, has been an important film archival resource for the public, the three major TV networks, and numerous notable filmmakers, because of its tremendous library of rare and classic films, as well as the matchless expertise and extensive […]

Astor Place: Then and Now

  Astor Place — in one form or another — has been part of Manhattan’s landscape for centuries. It follows the path of an old Native American trail that appears on maps of the island at least as early as 1639.  Today we thought we would take a quick look back at the area’s more […]

Ladies Who Lunch, Cowboys, Condos, and Such

As recently reported, the condo construction project at 61 Fifth Avenue (at 13th Street) has been getting closer and closer to completion. The condo site sits across the street from another construction site for the new New School building at 14th Street and Fifth Avenue. The new building will feature three large duplex apartments and […]

135 East 2nd Street, Then & Now

Walking along East 2nd Street, between Avenue A and First Avenue, you might have noticed a historic building that, in terms of its age and style, seems out of context with its immediate neighbors. It now serves as a residence, but what was it originally and who used it? And what’s with the parking lot […]

FABulous East 4th Street

There’s lots to love about the culture, architecture, and history of the East Village, and the Fourth Arts Block (East 4th Street between the Bowery and Seond Avenue) is a microcosm of the neighborhood’s layered history, distinctive architecture, and cultural innovation.  The Fourth Arts Block, a 2011 Village Award Winner, is one of only two recognized […]

A View to a Historic Restoration

Any restoration of a historic site within our neighborhoods is exciting. But when that project is a stone’s throw away from our office space at the Neighborhood Preservation Center, we get a little giddy. Not surprisingly, we have been thrilled to watch the progress unfold on the restoration of the West Yard Arch project.

Researchers Rejoice 1940 Census Released!

Yesterday, the National Archives released its records of the 1940 Census. And that’s a big deal because census records remain sealed for 72 years. So historic researchers, genealogists and family history buffs rejoice, you can now track down information on who lived where and what they did in 1940. Census data has certainly been useful to […]

Memories of the Church of Mary Help of Christians

Following a recent post about the Roman Catholic Church of Mary Help of Christians at 440 East 12th Street, we conducted a Q & A with one of its parishioners, Janet Bonica. Mary Help of Christians is one of the many magnificent churches in the East Village with rich history and striking architecture that should be […]

Goodbye 316 East 3rd Street

EV Grieve broke the news this morning that the beautiful early 19th century rowhouse at 316 East 3rd Street has alas been demolished.  We knew it was coming, but the site of the now-vacant lot really brings to light the fact that the East Village is still gravely unprotected in terms of landmarking. The building […]

Two Churches with Irish Heritage in Greenwich Village

With St. Patrick’s Day just this past Saturday, we thought we would take a look at two seminal Irish institutions in Greenwich Village, The University Parish of St. Joseph’s and the Church of St. Veronica-In-the-Village. Both churches were built to accommodate increasing Catholic immigrant populations in the neighborhood, particularly the Irish laborers who began populating […]

The Heroism Behind Father Fagan Park

The Village is full of beloved landmarks and winding streets familiar across the world.  However, one of the wonderful things about being involved with this vibrant community is discovering the spots cherished by local residents. Father Fagan Park, located at the southeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Prince Street in the South Village, is one […]

Remembering the Fillmore East

Forty-four years ago today, music promoter Bill Graham opened the Fillmore East at 105 Second Avenue. This 2,600 seat venue hosted concerts from 1968 to 1971, including performances by the Allman Brothers Band, the Who, and the Doors. The venue was known for launching many seminal bands of the era, and because of its excellent […]

My Favorite Things: East Eleventh Street Baths

One of my favorite things about historic architecture research is uncovering the fascinating histories of lesser-known buildings. When I worked at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, I researched and wrote the designation report for the East Eleventh Street Baths at 538 East 11th Street. So let’s take a look at what makes this East Village spot […]

The Keller Hotel: Then and Now

We’re coming up on the sixth anniversary of the landmarking of the Keller Hotel at West Street and Barrow Street in the Far West Village. The Keller Hotel (built 1897-98) is one of only three remaining intact former sailors’ hotels on the Greenwich Village waterfront, and as you can see from the before and after […]

Gone But Not Forgotten: Van Nest Place

Walking west along Charles Street, it is hard to imagine that the area bounded by West 4th, Bleecker, and Perry Streets was still rural until the mid-1860s. At the center of this property was the former estate of Sir Peter Warren. The Warren estate survived on this site, although altered in form, until the mid-1860s. […]

Baking on Broadway — Then and Now

Standing where Broadway begins its curve to the west at 10th Street, the landmarked Grace Church has been a fixture of Broadway’s landscape for over 160 years. James Renwick Jr.’s gothic masterpiece was consecrated in 1846 after the congregation moved uptown from its original location at Broadway and Rector Street. The 1890s photo above shows […]

February Long on New and Old News

February may be the shortest month, but that does not mean that there is any shortage of important things happening this month on the Village Preservation calendar. Far from it.  Aside from our ongoing roster of programs, as anyone who has been following the battle over NYU’s massive 20 year expansion plan knows, this month […]

My Favorite Things: Archive Edition

A recent inquiry by a researcher looking to document the emerging folk scene in the Village had me looking through the archive of Robert Otter, a photographer who captured the Village’s vibrant and bohemian character from 1960 to 1972. I was happy to spend time looking through these photographs. Indeed, the image “Barefoot in Washington […]

Ghost Sign: 310-312 East 11th Street

Between the 2nd and 3rd stories of this handsome building at 310-312 East 11th, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, there is a faint sign that reads “Knickerbocker Boarding.” Today the building is a parking garage but the sign indicates that there may be more to its history than meets the eye. Using GVSHP’s research about […]

A Vicious Anniversary

On this day in 1979, Sex Pistols punk rocker Sid Vicious was found dead of a heroin overdose in a Greenwich Village apartment.  Born John Simon Ritchie, Vicious (as he came to be known) joined the band in 1977, taking over for bassist Glen Matlock.  Vicious notoriously faked his musical ability, with his own band […]

Superblock Sleuthing

“Superblock” is a term that we have been hearing more and more with the publication of the NYU 2031 Plan and its roadmap for massive additional development on two of the city’s most prominent and historic superblocks- Silver Towers and Washington Square Village.  The University is asking zoning and urban renewal deed restrictions to be […]

Welcome Amanda Davis – Village Preservation’s Newest Staff Member

Today we are thrilled to welcome Amanda Davis – our new Director of Preservation and Research – to the Village Preservation team! Among many others, Amanda’s projects will include design review for projects in our historic districts, historic buildings research for undocumented buildings, and attending public hearings and community meetings on behalf of Village Preservation. […]

Sullivan Street Playhouse: Gone But Not Forgotten

The final performance of the off-Broadway hit The Fantasticks took place at the Sullivan Street Playhouse at 181 Sullivan Street in the South Village on January 13, 2002.  That marked the end of a remarkable 42-year run of the show – making it the longest-running musical ever. Unfortunately, the closing of the show and playhouse would also […]

The Ghost of Preservation Battles Past: The House of Genius

61 Washington Square South, before it was demolished in 1948, was known as the House of Genius, part of the so-called genius row named for the artists and writers who made the red brick houses between West Broadway (now LaGuardia Place) and Thompson Street home for the latter half of the twentieth century. Number 61 […]

East 10th Street’s Landmark-worthy Buildings

What an amazing picture!  Talk about the good old days. We love historic images here at Village Preservation.  They help us with our research, like our building-by-building documentation of the East Village, and frankly they’re just fun to look at.  This picture of East 10th Street from 1934 is a favorite, with a great row of houses, […]

Blurring the Lines with Blind Windows

In response to our recent post “A Sign That Tells More Than Just Street Names,” about the oddly ‘elevated’ street sign embedded above the third floor of 128 Charles Street, an Off the Grid reader also wondered about the rows of mysteriously “bricked up” windows along the Greenwich Street facade of the building. Well, dear […]

In Memoriam, Anthony Amato

Anthony Amato, the founder and artistic director of the Amato Opera, died last Tuesday at the age of 91. Through his company, Anthony Amato created a home for opera within the Village’s larger theater scene, forging a role for the immigrant community’s contribution to the arts and culture of the neighborhood. Anthony and his wife […]

Advocating for the Future

You may have seen 60 Minutes last night with a segment about the impact of the mortgage crisis on neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio.  With owners and banks abandoning homes the city has decided to demolish them as a means to prevent blight and crime.  The reporter, Scott Pelley, walked down the street with a former city official counting […]

Things I’ll Miss About GVSHP: Part 2

Nearly four centuries ago, Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant, whose life has been the stuff of legend on account of his wooden leg and his role in losing New Amsterdam to the English, lived on a farm in the area we now call the Village. Generations later, his great-grandson, Petrus, bequeathed land for the construction of […]

Things I’ll Miss About GVSHP: Part 1

As many readers are probably aware, in January I’ll be leaving my position of 3½ years as GVSHP’s Director of Preservation & Research (shameless plug: apply for my job). It’s a bittersweet move for a host of reasons. Suffice it to say, it’s been an absolute dream to spend my days fighting tirelessly for a […]

Big Reveal on East 11th Street

We’ve been anxiously awaiting the big reveal of the new artwork on the All Saint’s Ukrainian Church on East 11th Street, just west of our offices in the Neighborhood Preservation Center. So we’re thrilled to see that the scaffolding has finally come down!

372 Lafayette Street – Take Two!

Back in August, we wrote about 372 Lafayette Street, the proposed new building designed by Morris Adjmi that will – once given the go-ahead by the Landmarks Preservation Commission – occupy the site of the existing one-story garage on the corner of Great Jones Street in the NoHo Historic District. The LPC was only partially […]

My Favorite Things: Gone But Not Forgotten Edition

This is the latest installment of Off the Grid’s series, “My Favorite Things,” in which we showcase some of our very favorite spots around the neighborhood, highlighting the incredible architecture, history, people, and businesses of the Village, East Village, and NoHo. As the old saying goes, you win some, you lose some.  That’s particularly true […]

Three Cheers for Father’s Heart Church!

Last month we all cheered when it was announced that the Bowery Historic District was added to the State and National Register of Historic Places – a well-deserved recognition of one of New York’s oldest and most historic streets. We are also thrilled that another historic site in our neighborhood, an East Village icon, was […]

Veselka Bowery Opens Tonight

With GVSHP’s office located on the corner of 2nd Avenue and East 11th Street, staff are very familiar with Veselka, the Ukrainian restaurant/diner on 2nd Avenue and East 9th Street. (Besides, Veselka was a recipient of a Village Award in 2010, and we love our Village Award winners.) On Wednesday night staff enjoyed a preview […]

Westbeth Landmarked!

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) just voted unanimously to landmark Westbeth, following through on a promise made seven years ago to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) and other community groups working to extend landmark protections in the Far West Village. 

Our House is on Open House This Weekend!

Since 1999, GVSHP’s office has been housed on the second floor of the Neighborhood Preservation Center (NPC) at 232 East 11th Street. The entire building housed the rectory of the adjacent St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery until the lower floors were restored after a fire to house NPC and the top floor reserved for […]

‘Kate Spade House’ Wasn’t Always “Charming & Chic”

Over the past couple weeks, blogs have been buzzing with news and photos of 215 East 12th Street- dubbed the “Kate Spade House.”  Owned since 2007 by Pamela Bell, one of the four original partners of the Kate Spade brand, this 4-story, 25-foot wide townhouse is described by Stribling as “brimming with original detail, charm […]

Stop the Presses!

As GVSHP announced on its blog last Thursday, we will be hosting a fundraiser in November featuring our own Greenwich Village writer Calvin Trillin, and the 98-year-old appetizing store Russ & Daughters. The event is taking place at Astor Center, the food and wine educational center connected to Astor Wines & Spirits. We thought we […]

Five Questions for St. Mark’s Bookshop

Recent press has spotlighted a lease negotiation between St. Mark’s Bookshop, the independent bookstore on Third Avenue between 8th and 9th Streets and its lease holder, the Cooper Union. St. Mark’s Bookshop won a 2007 Village Award for providing specialized titles in a community-friendly atmosphere for over thirty years. As one of our truly special […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.15.11: West Edition

Rudin family has obtained $525 million for plan to remake St. Vincent’s site (Wall Street Journal) The Villager checks in with Philip Mortillaro, locksmith artist 345 West 13th Street demolished to make way for another luxury condo (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) Schedule announced for annual Washington Square Park Folk Festival (NYC.gov) NYU announces big changes […]

New Kid on the Block

Though nineteenth and early twentieth century townhouses and tenements seem to dominate the East and West Villages, the neighborhoods do house their share of Modern architecture. Mid-century creations like Silver Towers, the O’Toole Building, and the Burger-Klein building, among others, brashly distinguish themselves from the surrounding neighborhood via their materials, scale, and unique design. Some […]

Soon You Can Spend a Night on 8th Street

Last week our friends over at Curbed NY broke the news that the former Marlton House at 3 West 8th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues) was going from New School dorm, which it had been for the past 25 years, to upscale hotel.  According to the NY Post, it will be a “historical boutique […]

This Week at the Tiles for America Site

Last week Off the Grid visited Mulry Square and reported on the status of the re-installation of the 9/11 Tiles for America.  We got to know two lovely Village Angels and were touched by the outpouring of love from the community.  On Saturday a memorial was held where people helped to rehang the tiles while […]

‘Village Angels’ Protect Tiles for America

As many of you may have seen or heard, the beloved 9/11 Tiles for America on the fence at Mulry Square were removed two weeks ago in preparation for Hurricane Irene.  The neighborhood group that has been tending to the tiles over the past ten years and had organized their safe removal has been unofficially […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.7.11: West Edition

Waverly Inn employee injured during liquor robbery (DNAinfo) Coen Brothers confirm Greenwich Village folk film! (Gothamist) Chairman of Flatwood Capital sells his 133 Perry Street apartment for $11.8 million (The Real Deal) 10th annual Father Mychal Judge Walk of Remembrance took place on Sunday and ended at Mulry Square, where the ‘Village Angels’ hand rehung Tiles […]