Lucky Seventh Anniversary for Some Lucky Federal Houses
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.
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Category: Neighborhood
Constructing Lafayette Street
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 […]
Beware the Lot Line Window
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 […]
Looking Up: The Schermerhorn Building
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 […]
2014 Village Awards Recap
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 […]
What’s That Orange Netting On My Neighbor’s Rooftop?
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 […]
Check for Violations Before Buying a Landmark
In continuation of our Landmarking 101 series, today we’re focusing on active violations on a landmarked property and just who is responsible for them. Whether you’re a broker or a prospective buyer, this is particularly important information to know! If you buy a property with unresolved violations, you become financially responsible for correcting them. That’s […]
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.
“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, […]
When Greenwich Village was farmland
Here in Greenwich Village, we are surrounded by history. So sometimes when I walk the streets, I try to imagine what life was like at different times in the past. When I see modest Federal style houses, I imagine a time in the early 1800’s when fresh water didn’t come from a faucet, but was […]
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 […]
The Red Herring at 570 Lex
If the “art deco masterpiece” that is 570 Lexington Avenue no longer stood on the southwest corner of Lexington Avenue and 51st Street, perhaps affordable housing could be constructed in its place. But this “suave fantasy of polished marble and modern metals,” built in 1931 for the Radio Victor Corporation and since known as the […]
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 […]
John Sloan’s Village
Today marks the birthday of great Greenwich Village artist and chronicler of everyday life in Lower Manhattan John Sloan, born August 2, 1871. Sloan worked as an painter and illustrator, first in Pennsylvania, and then most notably in New York at the turn of the twentieth century. His work is now highly regarded, and he is considered […]
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 […]
Hats Off to Bella Abzug
Want to learn more about Bella Abzug and other feminist and civil rights pioneers like her? Visit GVSHP’s Civil Rights and Social Justice Map. Bella Savitzky Abzug was born in the Bronx to Jewish immigrants from Russia on July 24, 1920. First elected on November 3, 1970, she would become a U.S. congresswoman, leading […]
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 […]
2013 Village Award Winner: NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan
You don’t often hear “NYU” and “award” in the same sentence (at least not when GVSHP is giving the award). But a bold and unapologetic group of NYU faculty who have spearheaded the charge from within against the university’s massive Village expansion plans was a favorite of the GVSHP Awards Committee this year. Let’s find […]
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 […]
Then & Now: From Gas Station to Gallery
A new application for storefront work at a gas station on the corner of Eighth Avenue and 13th Street has us reaching into the GVSHP files today on Off the Grid; below is a “Then & Now” post written by former GVSHP staffer Dana Schulz about another gas station site in the Village. The odd, […]
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 […]
St. Patrick’s Day Wrap-Up
While the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade wound its way up Fifth Avenue this weekend, the Village celebrated the holiday in a more low-key way.
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 […]
My Favorite Things: Illustrated Edition
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 […]
East Village History: Some Protected, Some Not
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 […]
Vinyl in the Village
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 […]
Building Ornamentation
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.
The Imagery of ACT UP
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 […]
Betty Friedan and the Feminine Mystique
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 […]
Welcome to NYC, Dylan Thomas
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 […]
Early Village Preservation Efforts Preserved
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 […]
Quinn holds the cards on rezoning and landmarking
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 […]
Small But Important Changes from the AIDS Memorial Team
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 […]
The Village & All That Jazz
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, […]
Children’s Education by GVSHP
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 […]
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 […]
In Memoriam: Ada Louise Huxtable
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 […]
GVSHP Library Spotlight: Historic Walking Tour Map of Greenwich Village
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. […]
Newest Library Acquisition
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.
A New Year’s Hotspot
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 […]
Programs Rescheduled Due to Hurricane Sandy
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: The Dry Dock & Corlears Hook
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: The American Movies Theater
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: Tenement Synagogues & Jewish Life
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: The Bowery Branch YMCA
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 […]
Tompkins Square tree offers more than good cheer
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 […]
Support GVSHP’s End of Year Appeal!
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 […]
When Broken Zoning Rules Lead to Exhumed Bones
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 […]
Shining a Light on an East Village Landmark
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! – […]
Archive Spotlight: First Presbyterian Church in Winter
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.
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. […]
St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church
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 […]
Christmas Festivities, East and West
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 […]
Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, Musician Who Inspired Generations
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 […]
Collection Spotlight: The Real Estate Brochure Collection at Avery Library
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 […]
Village Restaurants Still Suffering from Sandy
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 […]
A ‘Crazy’ Weekend
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 […]
BSA Grants Variances on East 9th Street
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.
47 West 8th’s Run-In with the Landmarks Law
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 […]
Savoring the Holidays with Veniero’s
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 […]
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 […]