The New York City subway system is messy, crowded, unreliable, full of musicians, and generally teeming with folks who will bowl you over if you’re not careful. It’s also full of art. Graffiti and advertisements, yes, but that’s not the kind of art we’re talking about. The stations themselves were built with art. The tiles may be […]
June is Pride Month, which makes it especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and environs, and throughout the course of this month we’re focusing on four areas of our neighborhood — the West Village, East Village, South Village, and NoHo — to highlight important locations, […]
“What thoughts I have of you, tonight, Walt Whitman.” This opening line of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket in California,” draws meandering inspiration from one of New York’s most renowned meanderers, Walt Whitman, who was born on May 31, 1819. But the admiration of noted East Village poet Allen Ginsberg is only one of many connections […]
Victoria Woodhull is perhaps best known (if she is known at all) as the first woman to run for President of the United States, a campaign she first publicly announced on April 2, 1870 with a letter to the New York Herald. In fact, she was so much more. This one-time resident of what we […]
Only three months into the year and we have already experienced four Nor’easters here in NYC! Though a definite inconvenience, snow is nothing new to New Yorkers, and many have stories and memories of other winter woes from years gone by and how that affected the city and their neighborhoods. One Nor’easter that has stood […]
As we approach St. Patrick’s Day, we realized we’ve discussed Irish churches, Irish heritage, Irish parade riots, and have written about cool East Village bars, East Village sports bars, historic bars, many posts on LGBT bars, and bars in general. But we have never done a post to highlight our favorite Irish bars. There is no […]
Beware the Ides of March! Though Caesar may have had cause to worry, thankfully the Village is a little more manageable than the Roman Republic. However, that doesn’t mean this Ides we can’t be aware of it with our own twist. Below are a few tidbits of Village history that hopefully help you notice the […]
Continuing our celebration of Women’s History, today we look at a seminal figure not only in women’s history but medical history as well — Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. You may already know that she was the first woman in the United States to receive her medical degree. But did you know that she not only lived […]
Greenwich Village is well known as the home to libertines in the 1920s and feminists in the 1960s and ’70s. But going back to at least the 19th century, the neighborhoods now known as Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Noho were home to pioneering women who defied convention and changed the course of history, […]
Some good news for small businesses and the written word in our neighborhoods. Bucking the prevailing trend of disappearing bookstores, we actually have two new ones in our neighborhood, and more may be on the way! This is a welcome development, and one worthy of celebration. First we welcome Codex Books to the neighborhood. Located […]
The tenth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City by the Center for an Urban Future (CUF) just came out, and it reveals a 1.8 percent increase in the number of store locations over last year in the city as a whole. You can see the full report here. The report breaks out […]
On January 3, 2017, GVSHP launched our Civil Rights and Social Justice Map. Something in the air told us there might be a hunger and need for this kind of information. But even we would not have guessed that the map would receive over 70,000 views in that time, with its praises sung in BrickUnderground, […]
My colleague, Director of Research and Preservation Sarah Bean Apmann (she tells me that “Exalted Majesty Tour Guide” also works as a title), led the first GVSHP walking tour that I attended – our Bleecker Street walking tour – and I was so lucky to have been there. I have walked up and down Bleecker Street countless times, […]
On November 22, 1909, a frail 23-year-old woman, who’d been brutally beaten by strike-breakers, was helped up onto the stage of the Great Hall at the Cooper Union. Leaders of the labor movement – all men – had been speaking for hours to a crowd of thousands, speaking out against poor garment factory working conditions […]
On November 1, 1967, an enigmatic 20-foot-tall cube first appeared on a lonely traffic island where Astor Place and 8th Street meet. Though several months before the release of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the one-ton Cor-Ten steel sculpture shared many qualities with the sci-fi classic’s inscrutable “black monolith,” at once both opaque and impenetrable and […]
Our neighborhoods are home to many charms and delights, known throughout the world. But they’ve also been home to more than their fair share of horror and mayhem. Below are just a few of the more notorious examples that have wreaked havoc upon our neighborhoods. The Butchery on Bond Street On January 31st, 1857, dentist […]
On this day in 1970, the Landmarks Preservation Commission granted landmark status to the dignified Greek Revival house at 37 East 4th Street. This three and a half story house was built in 1844-45 by Samuel Tredwell Skidmore, a relative of Seabury Tredwell, who lived with his family only a few doors away at 29 East 4thStreet, […]
Immigration is a core theme in the history of New York City, and in the Village this is reflected in both the architecture and remaining and past cultural enclaves. People from all over the world come to our neighborhoods, adding to the vibrancy and life within them. We here at GVSHP are proud of and […]
Didn’t make it to a recent GVSHP program? Visit our website to see photos, videos, and sometimes even presentation materials from recent programs. Photos and video from Saturday’s Basquiat and NoHo panel are now online! This past Saturday, just two doors down from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s last home and studio, GVSHP and Ayanna Jessica Legros presented a panel exploring the artist, his identity, and […]
June is Pride Month, an especially exciting time in our neighborhoods. LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and environs, and this month we’re highlighting the LGBT history of the West Village, East Village, South Village, and NoHo. Many of these sites can be found on our GVSHP Civil Rights and Social Justice Map, and we […]
It was on May 17th, 1966, that the Schermerhorn Building at 376-380 Lafayette was designated a New York City landmark. The grand Romanesque Revival edifice was actually the third on Lafayette Street to be given landmark status, following Colonnade Row and the Astor Library (now home to the Public Theater, a 2017 Village Award winner!).
Ever wonder “Can they build that?” when you see one of those grotesque out-of-scale and out-of-context flashy renderings a developer, or even the Mayor, publicize to the world? Zoning regulations and landmark protections generally determine what is allowed to be built on a site, but what if an owner wants to build outside of that, to […]
In this series, ‘More is More,’ we look at historic districts extensions in our area. In the previous posts, we covered the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension and the St. Mark’s Historic District Extension. Today we are going to look at the NoHo Historic District Extension, designated May 13, 2008. Following the designation […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Books, books, and more […]
Here at GVSHP we are excited about our recently launched Village Civil Rights & Social Justice Map. With our upcoming LGBT history bar crawl at the end of the month (you can sign up for the program here), we thought we would discuss some sites on the map beyond the West Village and its bars […]
2016 marked the 80th year in the Merchant’s House Museum’s history. While the museum is also a NYC landmark, did you know it’s also one of the few landmarks to have both exterior and interior designation?
Quiz time. How well do you know the great shops selected as part of our Business of the Month initiative? Let’s see if you really #shoplocalnnyc Two people with the top score will be selected at random to win a copy of Greenwich Village Stories: A Collection of Memories Greenwich Village Stories is a love letter to […]
In 2016, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation held approximately 15 book-related programs. Each author related their insights, perspectives, and tales of Village history and beyond, showing the multifaceted depth that you can only find on our streets and in our buildings. What better way to celebrate these wonderful literary works than by giving them […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. For over 65 years, […]
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Merchant’s House Museum. The museum is the only historic house museum in the Greenwich Village/Soho/NoHo neighborhoods, and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of domestic architecture from the period, the late-Federal and Greek Revival styles (the house dates to 1832). On Wednesday, September 21st, […]
With a raft of demolition permits in the air, it reminds us that a year ago today one of the most anti-preservation pieces of legislation was first heard at the NYC Council Land Use committee. Intro 775 had a purported goal of protecting landmarks, but that notion was downright Orwellian to anyone familiar with the bill. Unfortunately, Intro. 775 became law in June of […]
Waverly Place and Mercer Street is just east of Washington Square Park. This unique part of town is still world renowned for history, culture, arts, creativity and university intellect. Just the place we need… another Starbucks.
Recently we have been running a series in Off the Grid on the Village as the birthplace of modern drama. NoHo has its own history with drama, and as it turns out, it’s a violent one. In 1849 the Astor Place Riot took place in front of what is today 21 Astor Place, then the […]
Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Drew Durniak On this day in 1973, what was once one of the largest and most elegant hotels in the country collapsed onto Broadway, killing four and injuring many.
Greenwich Village is not the only part of the City which defies the New York City grid. NoHo also challenges the regularity of the 200+ year old grid with what I like to call Gridus Interruptus (its Latin, sort of). Each of its streets has its own story but today we will look at NoHo’s “newest” […]
On this day in 1734, Samuel Jones, namesake of Great Jones Street in NoHo, was born in Nassau County. At only two blocks long, Great Jones Street isn’t actually all that ‘great’ – at least not in size. But surprisingly for a street so short, it has figured prominently in New York City history and culture. […]
Last night, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, alongside the Neighborhood Preservation Center and Village Alliance, celebrated Jane Jacobs by hosting a trivia night about her life, work, and accomplishments.
Want to build higher than you are allowed under existing rezoning? Or operate a gas station where only residences are allowed? Or deviate at all from what the zoning of the location allows? Then you, or your lawyer, will likely have to apply for a variance at NYC Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA). Though known by […]
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life and work are synonymous with the East Village/NoHo art scene of the 1980’s. From his early years as a burgeoning young artist while studying at City-as-School, a progressive high school Village Preservation proposed for historic district designation which operates on the principles of John Dewey’s theory that students learn by doing, Basquiat was […]
Part of my job at GVSHP as the Director of Research and Preservation is to review all certificate of appropriateness applications for proposed changes to the landmarked buildings in our area (click HERE for the GVSHP Landmarks webpage). Consequently, I am presented with a continuous stream of architectural resources that vary in type, style and […]
On May 11, 1936, the old Tredwell house on 4th Street opened as the Merchant’s House Museum.
Fifty-one years ago today, on April 19, 1965, the New York City landmarks law went into effect. A year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the landmarks law has been spearheaded by Landmarks50, an incredible coalition of which Village Preservation is a member, led by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, the chair of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center. […]
On April 14, 1924, the architect Louis Sullivan, the “father of modernism,” key figure of the Chicago and the Prairie Schools of Architecture, progenitor of the skyscraper and coiner of the phrase “form follows function,” died. None of these descriptors would lead one to believe that Sullivan would have any relationship to Greenwich Village, much less […]
New York City Trolley or Streetcar service ended in New York City on April 6th, 1957 on Welfare (now Roosevelt) Island. But it began one hundred twenty five years earlier on November 14, 1832, with not only New York City but the world’s first streetcar line which ran on the Bowery and Fourth Avenue, between […]
If you are one of the over 100,000 people a day that make your way through Astor Place or Cooper Square, you cannot help but notice the amazing amount of progress that is evident by the workers on the long awaited reconstruction. The cement is still drying in some parts, but more of the major components of […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with […]
25 Bleecker Street is one of nine extant buildings originally constructed as Federal style row houses in the NoHo East Historic District. It was built c. 1830 for David Chrystie at a time when this area was being developed with homes for the city’s expanding middle class. Although altered considerably over the years, the house […]
On this date in 2011, the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), presented a “Resource Evaluation” that agreed with the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s earlier finding that the complex known as Washington Square Village was eligible for inclusion in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. In this evaluation, SHPO noted that Washington […]
The Noho Historic District embraces a broad arc of New York City’s commercial history from the early 1850’s through the 1920’s, during which time this section prospered as a major retail and wholesale dry goods centers. It offers an eclectic mix of architectural styles and building types including early 19th century houses, turn-of the century office buildings, […]
It’s always nice to start the new year off on a good note. So we were especially happy to receive the annual report from the Center for an Urban Future, State of the Chains, 2015, which is their yearly survey of the number and location of chain stores in New York City. The good news: in the […]
As 2015 comes to a close and 2016 approaches, here is a look back at GVSHP’s public programs for 2015. In all, we produced or co-sponsored 60 programs that drew almost 5,000 attendees. Our programs consisted of slideshows, lectures, book talks, panel discussions, interviews, museum visits, walking tours, and other formats. We chose different venues […]
All this year we have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the New York City landmarks law, and today we focus on one of the very first buildings to be granted landmark designation. At the first meeting of the new Landmarks Preservation Commission, on September 21,1965, the Old Merchant’s House – now known as the […]
On the morning of January 31, 1857 the body of Dr. Harvey Burdell was discovered in his office at 31 Bond Street, strangled and stabbed fifteen times with the walls and doors “besmeared with blood,” according to The New York Times. A search of the building, owned by Dr. Burdell, revealed a bloody towel and […]
As part of NYCLandmarks50, the celebration of this year’s 50th Anniversary of the NYC Landmarks Law, we are taking a look at some of the many and varied individual landmarks in our neighborhood. The Police Athletic League Building at 34 1/2 East 12th Street between University Place and Broadway was built in 1855 for the […]
Last night GVSHP presented a program at the Jefferson Market Library about the history of magic and magicians in our neighborhoods. The speakers were long-time GVSHP supporter Tom Klem and his colleague Richard Cohn. Tom is an artist and historian, and a member of the Society of American Magicians, of which he is the former archivist […]
As Halloween is right around the corner, we here at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation would like to satisfy your cravings for hauntings as you go out and wander the Village for candy. Preserving the Village not only means maintaining the old buildings and historic landscapes, but sometimes also the domiciles of the […]
We celebrate Landmarks50 by taking a look at Joseph Papp Public Theater (often referred to as The Public Theater), which, at the time of its designation in 1965, was the Astor Library / New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater. This individual landmark at 425 Lafayette Street was built in 1849 and completed in 1881. The […]
We continue the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Landmarks Law by learning about individual landmarks in and around Greenwich Village. Next up: the Bayard-Condict Building in NoHo. Located at 65-69 Bleecker Street, the Bayard-Condict Building is universally considered one of the most significant commercial building utilizing skyscraper structural techniques in New York City. […]
On September 20th, 1966, the Flatiron Building was designated a New York City landmark. One of New York’s most beloved and iconic landmarks, the Flatiron Building is known for (among other things) its unique shape, formed by the intersection of Broadway and 5th Avenue forming an acute angle amidst the otherwise right-angled, rectilinear street grid of Manhattan. […]
As part of NYCLandmarks50, the celebration of this year’s 50th Anniversary of the NYC Landmarks Law, we are taking a look at some of the many and varied individual landmarks in our neighborhood. The building complex now known as Colonnade Row, first named LaGrange Terrace, was one of the first properties landmarked under the Landmarks Law in […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with […]
On August 18, 1970, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated landmark status to the grand Greek Revival house at 37 East 4th Street. The house was built in 1844-45 by Samuel Tredwell Skidmore, a relative of Seabury Tredwell, who lived with his family a few doors away at 29 East 4th Street, known today as the […]
Great Jones Street is located between Lafayette Street and the Bowery and is named for Samuel Jones, who was born on July 26th, 1734. Jones was born in what is now Massapequa and educated in Hempstead. He spent part of his youth with the Merchant Marines before deciding to settle down and study law. At the […]
This year’s Gay Pride Month certainly got off to an auspicious start with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission finally agreeing to consider the Stonewall Inn for individual landmark designation — a proposal GVSHP has been spearheading for the last year and a half — which would make it New York City’s first LGBT […]
In remembering the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln assassination, the Merchant’s House Museum displayed a dress in the house that was worn by a member of the Tredwell family to an entertainment venue known as Laura Keene’s Theatre. In one of the pockets was a ticket from a performance there. This is how I first […]
The weather forecast for this Sunday is beautiful — 70’s and sunny — the perfect day for a leisurely stroll through some of the most beautiful homes in Greenwich Village, followed by a delightful reception with cocktails and hours d’oeuvres in a stunning space. All while supporting historic preservation, cultural documentation and education, and GVSHP. […]
A lot can happen in 50 years, and many of us are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Law. It was signed into law on April 19, 1965, by Mayor Robert Wagner after much work by early preservationists, motivated in part by the demolition of the original Penn Station. Since then, […]
Nominations are now open for the 2015 Annual Village Awards. This year’s Awards will be held on June 17th. We invite you to submit nominations for anyone and anything that contributes to the unique quality of life in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo.
The Mayor’s proposed citywide rezoning proposal, ‘Zoning for Quality and Affordability’ will weaken neighborhood zoning protections. The proposal as currently structured includes many benefits for market rate developments, with some additional very generous benefits for developments that may include only a relatively small fraction of affordable or senior housing. Elected officials, neighborhood groups, and community […]
Happy birthday to the Manhattan Street Grid! Hailed by many historians as “the single most important document in New York City’s development,” the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811, better known as the original Manhattan Street Grid, was adopted on March 22, 1811! Well before Google Maps navigated our way through the city, the Grid was there […]
First off, this is our 1,100th blog post! Be sure to click on the blue image in our sidebar to read more of our posts categorized by neighborhood. For today’s post, we thought we’d share a useful resource that you may not know exists. A little over a year ago, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our fourth “Business of the Month” — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. This article was modified Wednesday, Feb. 25 with up-to-date information on […]
Valentine’s Day is almost here with almost no time left to waste! Due to the predicted below-freezing temperatures for this weekend, we’ve posted a last-minute sample list of local Village businesses that may be able to cover your flower and candy needs, featuring a sneak preview of photos from happy customers posted on Instagram: Sunny’s Florist Location: […]
Having recently completed my undergraduate degree in architectural and urban history, I have been exploring options for further education in the discipline. During my research in the academic backgrounds of notable persons in the profession, I was particularly struck by Jane Jacobs’s lack of qualified training in city planning. This revelation sparked a curiosity in […]
As a student of architectural history at NYU and having lived in New York for the past four years, it is still such a delight to be able to walk around and see such an eclectic mix of buildings in the same neighborhood; to see the old and the new nestled together either in congruent […]
December is chock full of holidays and no shortage of holiday tree lightings, carol singing events, and much more to help you celebrate the season. The trees are already up and alight in Tompkins Square Park and Abingdon Square Park, but there are plenty more activities across the Village for those looking to ring in […]
A week ago we were surrounded by ads for “Black Friday,” a day many people spend doing their holiday shopping at the big box stores. A few years ago, “Small Business Saturday” was created, to promote the independent retailers and other businesses. That’s nice, but maybe one day is not enough. How about “Small Business […]
As part of GVSHP’s ongoing programming, native New Yorker and world renowned artist Frederick Brosen will give a free talk and slideshow at Theater 80 on Tuesday, December 9th at 6:30pm. Brosen’s presentation will feature his selected watercolor works of locations in New York City, including paintings featured in GVSHP’s book Greenwich Village Stories. For his […]
Can you identify the image in the photo above? On Monday evening, November 17th, we’ll present a program with photographer Janko Puls and his new book “Point of View New York City: A Visual Game of the City You Think You Know.” Here is what people are saying about this book: “A thoughtful and unique […]
New York City tap water. Winner of many awards. Secret ingredient of Joe’s pizza crust. We take it for granted when we turn on the tap, and we are annoyed when an underground water main ruptures, disrupting traffic for days. But what is the story behind the New York City water supply system? There was […]
Have you ever walked by an unattractive building and thought – or maybe heard an innocent ask – “How could they allow that to be built?” Well, unfortunate edifices are allowed to be built because usually there is no “they” – no arbiter of aesthetics for as-of-right new construction outside of landmarked areas (beyond […]
By the turn of the twentieth century it is estimated that almost 75,000 horses and 4,500 stables could be found in New York City. Before the mass-adoption of the car and truck, horses played a vital role in the transportation economy of the city. Though today horses are largely absent from the city’s streets, their […]
Many Gotham dwellers just about have their spirit broken from all the eclectic, only-in-New-York kinds of places that have been “developed” into achingly boring, everywhere-on-the-globe kinds of places. Unique theaters, gardens, community centers, shops, restaurants: Now they’re chain banks and drugstores and luxury dwellings. It’s enough to make a heartbroken New Yorker give up. Not […]
We love our landmarks. So we thought we’d show it with our new series: Your Neighborhood Landmark. This series will highlight and celebrate individual landmarks across our neighborhoods that have been designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) since its creation in 1965. Do you live or pass by one of these landmarks often? Then be […]
Last night, in the main gallery of the Salmagundi Club on 5th Avenue, GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman gave a lecture/slideshow about the state of historic preservation. Over the past 10 years we have seen a lot of changes in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. The purpose of last night’s program was to […]
The “Gilded Age” in New York City – roughly 1870 through 1900 – gets something of a bad rap as a time of overwhelming inequality, when the rich basked in opulence while others were trapped in filth and poverty. (Hm, sounds familiar.) West Villager Esther Crain, author of the historical blog Ephemeral New York, presents […]
Seven years ago today, on July 24th, 2007, two very lucky federal rowhouse survivors on Greenwich Street were landmarked, thus insuring their nearly 200 year run of good luck would continue.
Street construction is a constant part of New York life. The jackhammers, the dust, and the diverted traffic all conspire to fray one’s nerves and disrupt one’s day. This view looking north on Lafayette Street from Houston Street shows one of the most disruptive times in New York City history – the construction of the […]
Do you know what a lot line window is? Could you identify them in the historic photo of the Bayard-Condict Building above? They’re a little tricky to see given the angle of the camera, but they are the windows on the side elevation (wall) that butts up against the property’s lot line and the one-story […]
This post is part of the Looking Up series, which explores 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 Schermerhorn Building at the corner of Lafayette Street and Great Jones Street is an individual landmark and part of […]
Last evening, as part of Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting, we celebrated the best of Greenwich Village, the East Village and NoHo by presenting our annual Village Awards. Each June for the last 24 years, Village Preservation has presented the Village Awards to the people, businesses, organizations, and even public spaces that make our beloved neighborhoods […]
Every so often we get a call or an email here at GVSHP asking about a scaffold-like structure that suddenly pops up on a rooftop of a neighboring building. What is it and what does it mean? Quite simply, more often than not these are temporary mock-ups constructed to help Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) staff […]
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 […]
In 1973, what was once one of the largest and most elegant hotels in the country collapsed onto Broadway, killing four and injuring many.
Last week we shared one tip on how to find out if your building is a landmark. Today, we’d like to offer a second. CityMap has a helpful feature that allows you to see LPC-designated historic districts, and individual (exterior), interior, and scenic landmarks. This is a great resource if you happen to be more […]
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 […]
One of the questions we’re asked every so often here at GVSHP is whether or not a building is a landmark (and by “landmark” we mean one officially designated by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission). Be it from a homeowner, a researcher, or a broker, many people are curious to know the answer to this […]
We have two great birthdays in the world of punk to mark. The two celebrants straddle the East and West Village, and both sides of the Atlantic.
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 […]
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 […]
