When a Hotel Collapsed onto Broadway
In 1973, what was once one of the largest and most elegant hotels in the country collapsed onto Broadway, killing four and injuring many.
← View All
Category: NoHo
“Is my building a landmark?” – CityMap Edition
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 […]
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 […]
“Is my building a landmark?”
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 […]
Happy Birthday Combat Rock and Joey Ramone
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Commemorating the 103rd Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Tomorrow marks the 103rd anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the 1911 disaster that killed 146 workers and sparked a movement for workplace safety laws and regulations and a new appreciation for the labor union movement. The fire took place in what was then called the Asch Building (now known as the Brown Building) […]
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 […]
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 […]
Coping With the Disappearance of Beloved Places
On some level, whether it’s top-of-mind or just part of the mental wallpaper, the consciousness of a Greenwich Village lover is often occupied with mourning. You walk the ever-changing streets past the locations of the café you used to love, the bookstore you admired, the theater you always wanted to go to, or that mysterious […]
2013: The Year In Review
We at GVSHP want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and best wishes for the new year. We’ll be posting intermittently for the next week or so until we pick up a normal schedule again at the beginning of 2014. It’s been a momentous year of course. What better way to end the year […]
Building Broadway: Incredible Photographs from 1920
Here we are in the midst of the holiday season. The city was blanketed with snow this weekend and shoppers are frantically working through their holiday gift-giving lists. For today’s Building Broadway post, I’d like to share a wonderful gift that was left to all of us almost 100 years ago: Arthur Hosking’s photographs of […]
Nov. 10, 1975: Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ Released; World Never Same Again
On November 10, 1975, Patti Smith’s album ‘Horses’ was released. Simply put, music was never the same again.
Looking Up: The Beginning of Bond Street
This is the first in the Looking Up series of posts, which will 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. Located at 1-5 Bond Street near Broadway, the Robbins & Appleton Building is a prime example of […]
Turning the Tide on Chain Store Proliferation
Some surprising good news today about the growth of chain stores in the Village, East Village, and NoHo. Like many, Village Preservation has been working to try to discourage the proliferation of chain stores in our neighborhoods, while encouraging the retention of small, independent businesses. Apparently the trend is finally going our way.
Great Scot! The Designs of D. & J. Jardine
Today we thought we’d feature a few designs by the late 19th century architecture firm of D. & J. Jardine. A prolific firm in New York City in general, the work of D. & J. Jardine can also be found in five historic districts and at one individual landmark between Houston and 14th Streets. Brothers […]
Things We’re Grateful For: Federal Houses
At this time of year, we’re thinking about the many things we’re grateful for, as well as the founding of our country. Both those bring us to the many Federal-era (1790-1835) houses in the Village, NoHo, and East Village, especially those we have been able to ensure will survive well into the future due to […]
Building (670) Broadway: Pilasters with…Bird Feet?
For today’s “Building Broadway” offering, I couldn’t help but notice a curious detail as I walked along the bustling thoroughfare: pilasters with bird feet bases at 670 Broadway! Well, that’s very likely not what they are, but I’ve never seen bases designed like that (but if you have, please share). On the Monday before Thanksgiving, […]
Captains of Industry
As Election Day approaches, like many of you, we’re wondering what the future holds for New York City, as the Bloomberg Era will soon be coming to an end. Toward that end, all this Fall we have been looking back on what we have been able to accomplish over the last ten years, and thinking […]
Tower of Music
The Carl Fischer Music building dominated the skyline of Astor Place and Cooper Square for many decades. This 12-story building with its iconic sign along the north face is located across the street from Cooper Union and within the NoHo Historic District. For over seventy-five years it housed the printery and a retail store for […]
Ten Years of Progress on Landmark and Zoning Protections — And the Road Ahead
GVSHP is proud to share it’s new report “Ten Years – A Thousand Buildings – One Hundred Blocks: A Decade of Progress on Landmark and Zoning Protections in the Village, East Village, and NoHo.” As we come to the end of the Bloomberg era, this meticulously detailed and richly photographed report examines what GVSHP has […]
The Real Obstacles to Affordable Housing Construction
For stalwarts of the affordable housing scene in New York City, what obstacles come to mind that block the path to construction of new affordable units? We asked a few experienced hands, and they said the cost of land, construction and operations, as well as less access to capital at the outset of a project. […]
Bibles Off Broadway
With the recent news that things are finally beginning to move with the city’s redevelopment of Astor Place, including pedestrianizing sections of Astor Place between Lafayette Street and Cooper Square and surrounding Tony Rosenthal’s Alamo cube sculpture with a plaza, we thought we’d take a look at the site of other big recent change to the […]
The Voice Leaves the Village
The Villager reported today that the Village Voice has vacated its office at 36 Cooper Square and decamped 80 Maiden Lane far downtown. The Voice, a longtime fixture in our neighborhood, was founded in Greenwich Village in 1955, set up shop in Sheridan Square by the 1960s, and moved to its recent location on Cooper […]
Building (693) Broadway: The Wise Old Owl
For today’s “Building Broadway” post we thought we’d do things a little differently. With Broadway being such a busy thoroughfare, it’s not uncommon to find lots of great details on its historic loft buildings aimed to catch your attention or to tell you a little something about its past. But sometimes, when we have shopping […]
Happy Anniversary, Gansevoort Market Historic District!
On September 9, 2003, the Gansevoort Market Historic District was officially designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The designation not only culminated a three-year effort to protect the increasingly endangered Meatpacking District from the very real prospect of mass demolitions and oversized new development (such as the Hotel Gansevoort, which preceded the […]
Landmarking 101: Just what is calendaring and why should I care?
Six years ago today, on August 8, 2007, the Landmarks Preservation Commission wrote to GVSHP responding to our request to consider Webster Hall, the East Village social and assembly hall built in 1887 , for landmark designation. In their letter, the Commission informed us that in response to the information we submitted, the building was ‘calendared.’ […]
Building (809) Broadway: Keep on Manufacturing
Our Building Broadway series provides a glimpse into the manufacturing past of Broadway’s historic loft buildings. From Houston to 14th Streets, read more posts in this series by clicking here! Located between 11th and 12th Streets, 809 Broadway has been in the news recently with the announcement that Blatt Billards is leaving this location for […]
A Light Plate for Landmarks in August
As the summer rolls on, we thought we’d take the time to do a little Landmarks update. The above screenshot from our Landmarks Applications Webpage shows three Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) applications to be heard in August at the Landmarks Commission. Click on the photo to learn more about these applications and how […]
Building (620) Broadway: A Colonette Confection
Building Broadway is a new series from Off the Grid that highlights the beautiful historic loft buildings that line Broadway between Houston and 14th Streets. These posts cover only bits and pieces of the histories of these buildings; learn how to become your very own building sleuth with our guide to researching the Village! Kicking […]
Smorgasbord of Landmark Applications Tomorrow Run The Gamut
It may be the dog days of summer, but tomorrow the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) will hear nine applications for changes to landmarked properties in our neighborhoods, ranging from the Meatpacking District to the South Village and NoHo, and from minor changes to dramatic proposed makeovers. You can find information about the extent of these […]
NoHo East Historic District Turned 10 Yesterday!
Today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission will be holding a public hearing on the proposed South Village Historic District. Yesterday, the NoHo East Historic District turned ten years old! Yes, on June 24, 2003, the area that encompasses parts of Bleecker, Mott, and Elizabeth Streets and the Bowery was officially given local landmark protections (see map […]
What’s Happening at 688 Broadway?
Lately we’ve been receiving emails asking about what’s happening at 688 Broadway in NoHo, which is located on the east side of the street between East 4th and Great Jones Streets. The site is currently an outdoor market, but its vendors don’t have long before the market will close. What will go there in its […]
And the Winner Is … Village Awards Edition
Last week, Off the Grid celebrated the upcoming Obie and Tony Awards. Today, GVSHP is honored to announce … the 2013 Village Awardees! Each year, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation honors our community by presenting the Village Awards, to recognize the people, places, organizations, and more that contribute significantly to the quality of […]
Happy Birthday NoHo Historic District Extension!
Today, we’d like to extend a “Happy ‘Landmark’ Birthday” to the NoHo Historic District Extension, which the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated on May 13, 2008. As you can see in the above historic district map, the extension connects the NoHo Historic District and the NoHo East Historic District. For the most part, the 56 […]
The Story Behind 316-318 Bowery
Last week, GVSHP co-sponsored an event with Fourth Arts Block (FAB) at LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club at 6 East 1st Street, just off the Bowery. If you attended the book talk or have found yourself strolling along the Bowery, you might have come across this great building at the southwest corner of the Bowery and […]
How Bohemians Got Their Name
On April 17, 1423, an event took place which, implausibly enough, lead to the creation of the modern notion — or at least nomenclature — of ‘bohemia.’ ‘Bohemian,’ as commonly used in the West for the last two centuries, means a person who lives an unconventional lifestyle, often with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic, […]
Two Great Maps for One Great City
Do you recognize the three-dimensional map in this photo? Hint: half a century ago, the model-making team of Raymond Lester Associates was meticulously recreating the city’s five boroughs in preparation for a “universal and international” exposition that, next year, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. If you guessed that this is the Panorama of the […]
Today in History: Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
On March 25, 1911, at approximately 4:40 PM, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory at the corner of Greene Street and Washington Place, just east of Washington Square Park. One hundred and forty-six women and men, mostly recent Jewish and Italian immigrants, many under the age of 20, died in the fire. […]
Your chance to recognize a Village treasure!
Since 1991, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has presented awards to members of our community as our way of saying thank you to those individuals, organizations, and businesses that make the Village, East Village, and NoHo such unique and special places. As we have since the awards began in 1991, we invite the […]
My Favorite Things: 1 Astor Place
On the corner of Broadway and Astor Place stands one of my favorite things: the beautiful red brick and terra cotta building at 1 Astor Place. Its bold color lends a powerful presence along the busy thoroughfare of Broadway, even though it’s nowhere near as tall as the buildings along this stretch. Its chamfered corner […]
Germania Theatre Then & Now
Do you recognize this location? The building partially visible at left is the only part of this scene that has survived nearly 120 years after the photo was taken in 1895. The Germania Theatre (center) was demolished a few years later, as was every other building on that block. The horse-drawn carts have long been […]
NoHo and SoHo Firewall Against NYU in Jeopardy
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 […]
LPC Releases Permit Application Guide
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 […]
NYU Variance Hearing Shines Light on BSA, Elected Officials
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 […]
LPC Posts Their Hearing Schedule for 2013
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. […]
Post-Sandy Thanksgiving in the Village
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 […]
Brownstone Quarry That Helped Build New York Closes
“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.”
A Photo Here, A Map There
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 […]
Get Involved: Landmarks Review at Community Boards
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 […]
A Look Back at the Public Theater
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 […]
Historic Station Sequel
Last week, amid the news of an added connection between the Broadway-Lafayette and Bleecker Street subway stations, we offered you the history of the Bleecker Street station, which is listed on the State & National Register of Historic Places. There is another nearby station that fits this historically significant bill as well- Astor Place. One […]
“Flaw Fixed” at a Historic Station
Yesterday’s news headlines were abuzz with the phrase “subway flaw fixed,” in reference to today’s opening of the connection between the Broadway-Lafayette and Bleecker Street stations. As the New York Times explains, “Until this week, only riders on downtown No. 6 trains at Bleecker Street could transfer to the B, D, F or M lines […]
Finally! A Hearing for 27 E. 4th St. Today
Today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) will be hearing the new building application for 27 East 4th Street, the site next to the landmarked Merchant’s House Museum. If you can make it, the hearing time has been set for 3:45pm. Those planning to testify should plan to arrive early (by about 3:15) to get through […]
Few Republicans, And One Big Political Paradox, in the Village
As most everyone knows, we’re kind of map and statistics geeks here at Off The Grid. Thus it’s no surprise that a handy little tool put together by WNYC in the wake of the Republican National Convention, mapping the levels of Republican voter registration throughout New York City, caught our attention. The interactive map (below) […]
Inside the LPC: Public Hearings vs. Public Meetings
So, why do we start this blog post with a photo of the Municipal Building located downtown across from City Hall? We thought we would dedicate some time here at Off the Grid to understanding the workings of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the city agency charged with the task of safeguarding historic buildings across […]
A Greenwich Village Guide: 1959
Although more and more of the research that GVSHP documents and shares is done online today, we also house a modest non-circulating resource library which contains fiction and non-fiction books, reports and guides on the subject areas of Greenwich Village, Historic Preservation, and New York City history. The library also contains hard copies of designation […]
An Update on 27 East 4th Street
For a few months now, many of you have been following the proposal for a new nine-story hotel at 27 East 4th Street. The site, which currently holds a one-story garage, sits directly next to the Merchant’s House Museum, one of the few exterior and interior landmarks in the city. Because 27 East 4th Street […]
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.
Villagers Feted at GVSHP’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony
Last evening, 400 guests celebrated the accomplishments of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and eight Village businesses, people, and organizations at GVSHP’s Annual Meeting at The New School’s Tishman Auditorium.
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 […]
Titanic Connections
In the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, the 883 foot long, 50 ton, and reputedly unsinkable ocean liner the RMS Titanic sunk on its maiden voyage from England to New York off the coast of Newfoundland, after hitting an iceberg just before midnight the night before. Of the 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, […]
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 […]
Today in 1860: Lincoln and the Village
As I was considering a topic for last week’s Presidents’ Day post, I came across a great find from our nation’s past that took place right here in present-day NoHo. To my delight, the anniversary of this historic event was right around the corner, today in fact! Yes, on February 27, 1860, relatively unknown presidential […]
Happy (Almost) Birthday Off the Grid!
This week marks the one year anniversary off GVSHP’s blog Off the Grid. We launched Off the Grid to engage new audiences in the dynamic history of the neighborhoods we advocate for – Greenwich Village, NoHo, Gansevoort Market, the East Village and the South Village. A large part of starting Off the Grid was to […]
What’s in a Name: Bleecker Street
It is hard to imagine Bleecker Street, with its high fashion boutiques, small businesses, cafes, and food shops as farmland, but then again it is hard to visualize any part of Manhattan in its rural state. Bleecker Street’s provenance is that of the Bleecker family, prominent New York City citizens who owned farmland in the […]
It’s Crunch Time in the Fight Against NYU’s Massive Expansion Plan
Tonight will be a critical first public hearing in the public review and approval process for NYU’s massive proposed twenty-year expansion plan. Come to Community Board #2’s Zoning Committee tonight to hear NYU present its raft of massive proposed zoning changes, and urge the board to REJECT IT! The meeting begins at 6pm at the […]
Gangsters and Artists on Great Jones Street
We often receive research requests here at GVSHP that ask a very particular question about a particular address in one of the Village historic districts. So when we received a request about 57 Great Jones Street, part of the NoHo Historic District Extension, we turned our questioner straight to the historic district report. But sometimes, […]
East 9th Street Then and Now
Yesterday we explored some of the history of elevated train lines in the Village. Today we’re going to take a quick look at another elevated part of our neighborhood’s history.
Happy 20th Anniversary, Blue Man Group!
Twenty years ago today, on November 17th, 1991, Blue Man Group “Tubes” opened at NoHo’s own Astor Place Theatre, where the group continues to dazzle audiences to this day. Happy Anniversary to one of our favorite things in the Village!
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: Alamo (the Cube)
It’s fall, 1967. A one-ton steel cube is dropped by the Lindsay administration into the middle of a grimy traffic island in an increasingly dodgy part of town. Instantly scuffed and plagued by graffiti, the hulking, monochromatic form could have easily been dismissed as a bland mid-century beautification scheme. A stark gift to the people […]
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 […]
On Set in the Village
Last week we took a look at some of the many Village locations used on the television series Friends. Not content to stop there, however, today we are going to showcase more locales in and around the Village which were supposedly the scene of several popular TV shows. Let’s start with Will & Grace. Where […]
If These Walls Could Talk: Merchant’s House Museum Edition
As our program schedule attests, we here at GVSHP love a good renovation story. So we were delighted when our friends over at the Merchant’s House Museum sent us pictures of their de-plastered wall, part of a $598,000 structural restoration project the museum is currently working on. What’s even better than a restoration story? For […]
NYU Expansion Plan More Than A Little Scary
NYU recently sent around a notice about this year’s NYU and Community Board #2 Children’s Halloween Parade. According to NYU, they want “YOU to help!” design an image for this year’s parade. Well, we couldn’t think of anything scarier than NYU’s massive proposed 20-Year Expansion Plan, in which the university asks the City to give […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village 8.20.11: East Edition
As 51 Astor nears its final days, a look back at the battle for Astor Place (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) Some fantastic shots of the East Village from 1978-1999 (Michael Sean Edwards) Karl Fisher is set to demolish a historic East village rowhouse (EV Grieve) There was a fire at the Flea Market Cafe (The […]
Adapting “Adaptive Re-Use”
The term adaptive reuse is used by architects and preservationists to describe the process of adapting old structures for purposes other than those initially intended. Villagers are familiar with the Jefferson Market Library’s former history as a courthouse, the Public Theater on Lafayette Street whose building began its life as the Astor Library, or Westbeth, […]
A Preservation Pioneer at 100
Marking the 100th anniversary of his birth on August 11, 1911, Tablet printed a thoughtful piece on pioneering preservation architect Giorgio Cavaglieri, written by Allan M. Jalon. Jalon’s article takes a look back at man behind the adaptive re-use of two of the Village’s most iconic buildings, the Jefferson Market Library (formerly the Jefferson Market […]
Big Plans for 372 Lafayette Street
Architect Morris Adjmi has big plans in store for the corner of Lafayette & Great Jones Streets in NoHo. This afternoon, the Landmarks Preservation Commission will be weighing in on his proposed new six-story apartment building at No. 372 Lafayette Street.
A Proud and Soaring Thing
With all the brash starchitect-designed buildings that sprouted up in NoHo and the East Village in the early 2000s — 40 Bond Street, the ‘Sculpture for Living‘ at Astor Place, and 41 Cooper Square come to mind — we thought we’d take a historical look at the work of one of America’s original ‘starchitects.’ Chicago-based […]
Tell Us Your Greenwich Village Ghost Stories!
When: Wednesday, August 3….6:30-8:00 p.m. Where: Jefferson Market Library, 425 Avenue of the Americas (between West 9th & 10th Streets) Cost: Free!! RSVP: reservations required…email rsvp&gvshp.org or call 212-475-9585 x35 We know you love a good ghost story and we know you love the Village, so what could be better than a charming story featuring […]
The Times They Are A-Changing — Same-Sex Couples and the Village
As one-time Villager Bob Dylan famously called it, the Times, They Are A-Changing. This Sunday New York State will begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and apparently the New York City Clerk’s office is expecting a flood of marriage license applicants that first day. The occasion presents a good opportunity to wonder how many […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village 5.29.11 – 6.4.11
Silver Towers Adorable East Village Mural Proposal (Gothamist) Another Protest Outside the Continental (EV Grieve) Annual Jane Street Block Sale on Saturday (NearSay) West Village Cat Fight (NY Post) Summer Tuesday Specials at the Mermaid Inn & Mermaid Oyster Bar (Eater) High Line: the Sequel (NY Times) The Interior Collapse of Two 5th Avenue (NY […]
The Oldest Building in the Village?
Call it whatever you’d like: antique, vintage, or historic. If one thing is for certain, the Village is really, really old. Old by New York City standards, and even old by American standards. But which building is the oldest of the old? Fortunately for us as we attempt to answer this question, the Village has […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village 5.22.11 – 5.28.11
Summer means beautiful flowers for sale! Photos from Dance Parade 2011 (Gothamist) Currywurst Bros. Brings Berlin’s Favorite Food to West Village (Fork in the Road) LA Designer Misses East Village Americana Shop (Racked) Riot in Greenwich Village Dunkin’ Donuts Caught on Video (DNAinfo) Critics Fault NYU Growth Plan (WSJ) The Whitney Breaks Ground in MePa […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village 5.16.11 – 5.20.11
Meat Co. to Leave for NJ (WSJ) Driver Runs Down Narcotics Officer in Village (City Room) Still Got It: Max Restaurant (Gothamist) On Second Thought: Lower Second Avenue (Forgotten NY) NYU-Funded Report Says It’s Great for Village (Crain’s) Amato Opera Building on Sale for $6.95 Million (EV Grieve) First Annual Glamour Ball at Le Poisson […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village: 5.9.11 – 5.13.11
Life After the Amato Opera (EV Grieve) Inauguration of New Organ at Church of the Ascension (NY Times) Birdbath Bakery Now Open on 3rd Avenue (EV Grieve) Wine Shop to Pop Cork on Christopher Street (Crain’s) The End of 35 Cooper (Local EV) Residents Laud Historic District Plan (Local EV) Bankrupt St. Vincent’s Pays Millions […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village: 5.2.11 – 5.6.11
The St. Mark’s Greenmarket kicked off its 30th year on Tuesday! Historic Designation Sought for East Village (NY 1) Two open-air drinking establishments to open on the Highline (Gothamist) Remembering Kiev (Jeremiah’s Vanishing NY) Westbeth Worries About Transition to Rent Regulation (The Villager) Best coffee in the East Village (Serious Eats) Mars Bar Prepares to […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village: 4.25.11 – 4.29.11
Village Bookstores Survive as Borders Dies (NearSay) New York State Landmark Board to Review NYU Expansion Plans (Washington Square News) Then & Now: One Block Of Broome Street (Gothamist) An Early HOWL! This Year (EV Grieve) Goodwill Opens a Curated Vintage Shop in Greenwich Village (Racked) Second Phase of High Line Construction Nears Completion (Washington […]
Seen and Heard Around the Village: 4.11.11 – 4.15.11
Historic District Advocates Make a Stand at C.A.S (The Villager) Video: Old Greenwich Village, Just Like the Suburbs! (Gothamist) Developer Meets on Fate of 35 Cooper (The Local East Village) Veal & Pumping (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) And What Happens in 20 Years, After ‘N.Y.U. 2031’? (Downtown Express) Sunday Memories, An Encore in Memory of […]
The Village Voice Building Didn’t Always Look This Good
We were very excited yesterday to receive the Museum of the City of New York’s announcement that they had expanded their online photo collection by over 10,000 images. But we were even more captivated when we came across their shocking ca. 1905 photos of a fire at 36 Cooper Square (built in 1894 as a […]
NYU’s Twenty Year Expansion Plan, Twenty Years From Now
The Villager/East Villager/Downtown Express newspaper chain recently published an op-ed I submitted regarding the ‘NYU 2031 Plan’ — the university’s blueprint for expansion over the next 20 years, a large part of which requires zoning changes and sale of public land which must be approved by the City Planning Commission and the City Council. Much […]
A Successful Centennial
Friday, March 25, 2011, marked the 100 year anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. The Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, among countless other groups, had arranged events all weekend to commemorate this horrific event. The lineup kicked off with the Workers United Centennial Commemoration, held on Washington Place and Greene Street outside of the building […]
It Happened Here: Album Covers
The Village and East Village have long been the home of music-makers and music venues; their streets and sites on more than one occasion the inspiration for song-writers and the subject of many a song line. But perhaps nothing has imprinted an image of these neighborhoods in the popular music-consuming consciousness in the same way as their depiction on the […]
Celebrating the Beginnings of a Beloved Village Landmark
Today we pause to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of one of the Village’s most beloved landmarks: on March 7th, 1846, Grace Church was consecrated at Broadway and 10th Street. The year 1846 was an exciting year for the Gothic Revival. James Renwick Jr.’s design of Grace Church, along with that of Trinity Church […]