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Category: Programs & Resources

Mother Courage – Serving Feminism and Food

March is Women’s History Month. We here at GVSHP are celebrating by highlighting different sites and locations of significance to Women’s history in the Village. A great source is our recently-released Civil Rights & Social Justice Map, which has more than twenty sites connected to Women’s history and women’s rights; click here to see them all. As […]

Black History Month in the Village: African-American & LGBT Historic Sites

February is Black History Month.  We here at GVSHP are celebrating it by highlighting different sites of significance to the African-American community within our neighborhoods.  We’re focusing on sites found on our new Civil Rights & Social Justice Map, discussing their connections to African-American History and the Civil Rights Movement.

Oral History: Gloria McDarrah and Last Chance to Purchase an Iconic Piece of History

Three years ago today, Village Preservation conducted an oral history with Gloria McDarrah, a Village resident for over 60 years and a longtime member of GVSHP.  She worked in publishing, education, and for a while in the 1990’s, at the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Gloria has lived in a variety of locations throughout the Village and […]

Private Tour of ‘Inventing Downtown’ Exhibit for GVSHP Members

  Our friends at the Grey Art Gallery hosted a wonderful private tour of their most recent exhibition for GVSHP members last night! The exhibition, entitled Inventing Downtown: Artist –Run Galleries in New York City 1952-1965, highlights artists’ efforts to create new exhibition venues for innovative and ever-evolving works of art — from abstract and […]

Veselka Then and Now

In 2014, Village Preservation conducted an oral history interview with Veselka owner and Village Preservation Trustee Tom Birchard. Tom is the son-in-law of Veselka’s original owner, who in 1954 bought a candy shop from a retiring Italian couple. It became a destination for the growing Ukrainian population, serving them homemade traditional Eastern European dishes and […]

Black History Month in the East Village: Black Arts Movement

February is Black History Month.  We here at GVSHP are celebrating it by highlighting different sites of significance to the African-American community within our neighborhoods, including those on our new Civil Rights & Social Justice Map. In early 1962, writer Amiri Baraka (then known as LeRoi Jones) and then-wife Hettie Jones moved into the house at 27 Cooper […]

When Valentines Were Works of Art

Happy Valentine’s Day! Love may be in the air for some, while others (myself included) might just use this holiday as a great excuse to binge on sugar. But no matter how the adults are celebrating, we can count on school children across the country to tote paper valentines into class today. Store-bought valentines offer all shapes, themes, […]

Sheridan Square Uncovered

GVSHP recently released 90 new images on the GVSHP image archive. Almost half of them date to the early years of GVSHP, when we were known as the Greenwich Village Trust for Historic Preservation. In 1982 GVSHP’s then-Executive Director Regina Kellerman planned an archaeological dig at the site of what is now the Sheridan Square Viewing […]

2016 GVSHP Year in Review

As 2016 fades into memory, we wanted to look back on all that GVSHP accomplished during the year, and what we have to look forward to in 2017. In 2016, GVSHP: Helped lead the opposition against the Mayor’s plans to roll back neighborhood zoning protections, successfully blocking most of the plan and leaving the majority of our […]

Holiday Cheer, and Gifts, in Greenwich Village

This past Saturday and Monday, many dedicated souls braved the winter weather to celebrate the local businesses of Greenwich Village. With tour guide Joyce Gold, GVSHP and our partners at Village Alliance, Washington Square Park Conservancy, and many local businesses, celebrated the holiday cheer and local atmosphere that is abundant in our neighborhood at this […]

Coming Soon: The Sullivan-Thompson Historic District Designation Report

Christmas is coming early this year!  We have been told by the Landmarks Preservation Commission that the designation report for the newly landmarked Sullivan-Thompson historic district, aka phase III of our original South Village proposal, will be published today.  Perhaps appropriately, it is scheduled to be released almost exactly three years after the designation of […]

Chess Forum program this Thursday, Nov. 10th at 7pm!

This Thursday, GVSHP will be hosting a program with our October Business of the Month, Chess Forum.  The program is in preparation for the World Championship of Chess, which will begin the following day here New York City — the first time it’s been held in our hometown in over 20 years.  More information can […]

Nineteenth Century Dwelling Houses of Greenwich Village

GVSHP has now made available on our website a classic preservation and architectural history resource — the booklet Nineteenth Century Dwelling Houses of Greenwich Village produced by the Association of Village Homeowners in 1968 and reprinted in 1969.  You can view it here. The Association of Village Homeowners was a community group founded in 1960 in response […]

A Tale of Four Schools — Program Thursday

School has started and we are eagerly anticipating our fascinating program this Thursday evening organized with The Loisaida Center Inc. at their 710 East 9th Street location near Avenue C.  The program is about one of the foremost architects of school buildings from the turn of the last century, and will include presentations about how his work featured in their […]

East Village Saturday Festivals Abound!

Village Preservation is fortunate to be participating in two terrific events this coming Saturday, September 17th and we invite our friends and readers to come and visit us! Astor Alive! Festival is being presented by the Village Alliance and is free to the public. The Festival will celebrate The New Astor Place, a vibrant cultural […]

Miriam Cahn Collection

Longtime GVSHP member Miriam Cahn has called the Village her home for over 45 years. She was a special education teacher at Lennox Hill Hospital for many years before retiring to fulfill her calling as an artist. She recently contacted GVSHP to donate some of her extensive art collection to GVSHP. Her original collection covers a […]

Jefferson Market Garden Party

GVSHP holds events with the Jefferson Market Library and the Jefferson Market Garden several times per year, most recently a members only tour, our program marking the 50th Anniversary of the Sip-In at Julius’ (See photos here and video here), and Contemporary Writers on a Lost Greenwich Village: A discussion with authors Vivian Gornick and Sarah Schulman (see photos […]

GVSHPride: Roundup of LGBTQ Resources and Information

Happy Pride Week! Each June during the week leading up to the Gay Pride March, NYC celebrates Pride Week.  Throughout the week, different groups and organizations will host events, throw parties, and do general outreach and advocacy to promote the history and visibility of the LGBTQ community.  Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has always worked […]

East Village Spring Tours, Gardens & More

Springtime has arrived in our wonderful neighborhoods.  Many more people are out and about.  Locals and visitors alike enjoy our diverse culture, community history and appreciate a part of the big city where you can see the blue sky instead of towers and the greenery of gardens and trees.  Here are two special walking tours we recommend.  Our own – free- […]

Three Ways the New LPC Map is Better than NYCMap

The Landmarks Preservation Commission recently released a new interactive map. The map shows all exterior, interior, and scenic landmarks, historic districts, and properties calendared for designation. According to LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan, “The launch of this map is a key milestone in our efforts to ensure that all New Yorkers have the history of our city at […]

Springtime for GVSHP Children’s Education Program

It may not technically be spring just yet, but the spring semester for GVSHP’s Children’s Education program, affectionately known as “Kids’ Ed,” is underway. Every year GVSHP introduces New York City elementary- and middle-school students to the concept of historic preservation with our 3-session program that includes 2 classroom visits and a walking tour of […]

Oral History: Claire Tankel

GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life of […]

Happy Birthday, Off the Grid!

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” For almost everyone in the workforce this stands out as the most clichéd question you can hear during a job interview.  However, in 5 years a lot can change, develop, and become more than what was originally intended.  On top of our landmarking victories and successful advocacy […]

GVSHP Landmarks Webpage, A Great Resource!

Ever wonder what is going on with the construction of the landmarked building next door, or anywhere in Greenwich Village, NoHo, Gansevoort Market, the South Village, and the East Village?  Well GVSHP offers to the public its Landmarks Applications Webpage, a wonderful resource that provides up-to-the-minute information on landmarked properties which require review via a […]

GVSHP Keeping up the Fight

During the holiday season we reflect back on the past year.  Here at GVSHP we’ve certainly had some big accomplishments.  We have also had a lot of wonderful support from our members and neighbors, but we need your help to continue the fight.  Please consider GVSHP in your year-end giving! Alice Carey and Geoffrey Knox, […]

Reflecting Back and Moving Forward

During the holiday season we reflect back on the past year. Here at GVSHP we’ve certainly had some big accomplishments. We have also had a lot of wonderful support from our members and neighbors, but we need your help to continue the fight. Please consider GVSHP in your year-end giving! When asked what GVSHP means […]

A Look Back at 2015 Programs

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 […]

‘Zoning for Quality & Affordability’: Debunking the Myths and Misinformation

Want to help?  Attend the City Council public hearings at City Hall on Tuesday February 9 or Wednesday February 10 starting at 9:30 am, and send letters to city officials in opposition here (letters can also be used as sample testimony; testimony must be no more than four minutes, but 20 copies of written testimony of […]

Italians of the South Village

Eight years ago today, on October 8, 2007, GVSHP published the report, “The Italians of the South Village” as part of the Historic South Village Preservation Project — you can see and read about the Columbus Day celebration GVSHP held to announce the release of the report here. The purpose of this project was to […]

A Night With The Andy Statman Trio at the Historic Eldridge Street Synagogue

Renowned musician Andy Statman and the Andy Statman Trio will perform in the main sanctuary of the Eldridge Street Synagogue on Thursday, October 22, 2015. This special concert, presented by the GVSHP Brokers Partnership and benefiting GVSHP and the Museum at the Eldridge Street Synagogue, provides a unique opportunity to hear one of today’s best klezmer […]

The Merchants House Museum — A Tale of Survival

Last night GVSHP held a public program co-sponsored by The Merchants House Museum; The Merchant’s House Museum – A Tale of Survival, a lecture and slideshow with Michael Devonshire. The Merchants House is one of only a handful of interior and exterior NYC landmarks, and is one of the first designated NYC landmarks. Michael Devonshire is a commissioner at the […]

Greenwich Village Height and Density Map Now Available on GVSHP Website

Aaron Hill, a dedicated Greenwich Village resident and New School Assistant Professor of Data Visualization, has compiled an interesting new map for GVSHP. This interactive map is sortable by the height and age of every building in the Greenwich Village Historic District. The map also provides the date built, square footage, number of units, number of […]

Navigating Historic Districts: NYCityMap

NYCityMap is a user-friendly portal containing various ways to access the wealth of information it contains. Users can locate specific buildings – with links to relevant websites for each facility – as well as use it as an single-access entry point to find many of the numerous location-based applications on NYC.gov (including: online property, building, […]

121 Charles Street: A Chat with Ingrid Bernhard

Long-time Off the Grid readers will remember the stir that was caused last summer when an ill-informed real estate listing described the property at 121 Charles Street as a development site. GVSHP was quick to let people know that the property’s location in the Greenwich Village Historic District meant that any proposed work would require […]

GVSHP summer programs

Although the summer months mean vacation time for some people, here at GVSHP, we don’t slow down! Our free public programs are still in full swing. This Wednesday evening we’ll present a program with our co-sponsors at The New School about the history of this Village institution. Julia Foulkes, Associate Professor of History, has entitled […]

The HOWL! Festival

Historically, the Village and East Village have always been the place for artists, writers, performers, and a slew of other creatives in New York City, a fact that is widely celebrated as one of the area’s defining characteristics.  The HOWL! Festival is a celebration of this history.  Founded in 20013 and named for long time […]

Gay Liberation in Photos

In June of 1969, a not uncommon police raid of the gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, was met with a spontaneous resistance that launched the modern Gay Liberation Movement here in Greenwich Village. Ellen Shumsky, a young photographer, joined the movement as an activist and documentarian. As an insider, she captured images of the people, […]

How to Play a Historic Building

Structures from New York City’s past are leading vibrant new lives all around us every day. An 1878 military drill hall is now an exhibition space for cutting-edge art and performance; an 1865 firehouse serves as a community media center; an abandoned rail line from the 1930s draws throngs of visitors in its second life […]

What the Preservation Movement Needs Now

If you’ve been involved in a movement for going on 40 years, you probably have a few things to say about it. And if you’re as observant and educated about the movement as Anthony C. Wood is about preservation in New York City, those things are probably worth considering.  Make that definitely, in Wood’s case. […]

Program Recap: The Origins of Little Spain and The Whitney Museum

GVSHP presents free public programs all year long, at various venues throughout the East Village, West Village and everywhere in between. Our past two programs were particularly amazing, and got an especially enthusiastic reception from program participants. On Wednesday, May 20th we visited the Spanish Benevolent Society (founded in 1868) on West 14th Street near 8th […]

Sacred Sites Open House Weekend Coming Up!

GVSHP is proud to be a co-sponsor of the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House Weekend, which is this weekend, Saturday May 16th and Sunday May 17th.  According to NYLC: Each spring, congregations throughout the State open their doors so neighbors can experience first-hand the wonderful art, architecture, and history embodied in New […]

Finding Out More About New York City Buildings Research

An Off the Grid reader contacted us to ask for more background information and history about the buildings mentioned in last week’s e-newsletter “Pushing the Envelope in the West Village“. Fortunately, with the resources available on GVSHP’s website, finding out more information on buildings in our neighborhood is generally pretty easy to do — we’ll walk […]

The East Village in Photos: 1984 vs. 2014

In 1984, East Village resident Dan Root took some photographs for a book that a friend of a friend was going to write about the changing East Village. For a couple of months he took pictures, when time and money allowed, of this changing neighborhood. The book was never written and the photographs were put […]

100 Years of Preservation: A Conversation with Anthony C. Wood

Last week, GVSHP had the honor of hosting a public program “100 Years of Preservation: A Conversation with Anthony C. Wood”, founder of the New York Preservation Archive Project and author of Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City’s Landmarks. GVSHP East Village & Special Projects Director Karen Loew led last Thursday’s intimate […]

For Downtown’s Unsung Heroes: Love, Passion, and a Party

“The Lower East Side is not gone yet,” Ryan Gilliam told the group assembled in the upstairs auditorium of University Settlement on the corner of Eldridge and Rivington Streets, the country’s first settlement house. “Asserting its identity, its history, its stories, and its complex culture is one way to push back at the forces that […]

2015 House Tour Promises To Be Great!

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. […]

What happened on this day in 1789?

On this day, April 30th, in 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America. After leading the Continental Army to victory over Britain in the War for Independence, Washington was a popular leader and logical choice. His first inauguration took place right here in New York City, at […]

Sunday, May 3rd – Our Village House Tour!

Okay, everyone, if you’ve been considering joining us for our annual house tour, but haven’t yet purchased tickets,then now is your chance! It’s this Sunday, May 3rd from 1 – 5:30 PM. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind opportunity to see six beautiful homes in Greenwich Village. This is also GVSHP’s biggest annual fundraiser, so […]

Press Conference Raising Objections & Calling for Changes to Citywide Rezoning Plan

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 […]

Village Preservation Brokers Partnership Comedy Night

A limited number of tickets are still available to Village Preservation’s Brokers Partnership Comedy Night. Tonight’s event is a fundraiser to support the Rebecca Ritter Daniels Scholarship. Rebecca was a great supporter of Village Preservation and the Brokers Partnership. Her presence has been missed. In her honor, Rebecca’s friends and family have developed a scholarship […]

A Look Back at Our January Programs

Yesterday, Off the Grid provided a sneak preview into our upcoming February programs to celebrate African-American History Month. Today we want to take a look back at our January programs. This has been a tough winter, with one snowstorm after another and some pretty cold temperatures too. Sometimes this means having to re-schedule a program, […]

GVSHP African American History Month Series: Revisiting Spring Street Presbyterian Church

In celebration of Black History Month, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation will host several public programs this month with specific focus on the history of the African-American community in Greenwich Village. On Monday, February 9, archivist David Pultz will give an illustrated lecture at the First Presbyterian Church on the unique history of the former […]

Community Board Public Hearing on GVSHP’s University Place/Broadway Corridor Rezoning Proposal Jan. 14

Community Board #2 will be holding a public hearing next Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30 pm at Grace Church High School, 46 Cooper Square (Bowery/East 6th Street), 3rd floor regarding GVSHP’s proposed contextual rezoning plan for the University Place and Broadway corridors. Anyone who is interested in the future or preservation of this area is […]

2014 Year In Review: GVSHP Programs

As we near the end of 2014, we thought we’d look back on the several dozen exciting lectures, book talks, exhibitions, walking tours, forums, panels, and community meetings conducted by GVSHP over the past year.  All are shown on our Past Programs page, and many have links to video or photos of the events, in […]

It’s all about the kids!

At this time of year it’s easy to get in touch with your inner child. Everywhere you look there are reminders of how much of this holiday season is geared toward children. “Toys for Tots,” “Charlie Brown Christmas,” and of course, academic winter break. We all remember how much we enjoyed the end of the […]

‘Tis the Season

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 […]

World AIDS Day, 2014

Since 1988, December 1 has marked a day of awareness for the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), and to commemorate those who have […]

When the Music Teachers Come Out to Play

Sometimes the riches of what’s given away for free in New York City can feel humbling: We are offered the artistic fruits of musicians, painters and writers at the top of their game, who share their work for the pleasure of sharing, asking nothing more than our attention. One such gift is given each Friday […]

The Art of Frederick Brosen

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 […]

A New Point of View

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 […]

Oh How Our Houses Have Changed

This October, GVSHP is presenting a course that explores historic preservation by examining changing styles of housing, changing housing laws, and urban renewal in the twentieth century. While the course was developed specifically for practicing real estate brokers, I was reminded while sitting in on a recent lecture how much these issues are relevant (and […]

Tompkins Square Park on Exhibit

For the next two Sundays, GVSHP is teaming up with GrowNYC and the East Village Parks Conservancy to explore and celebrate the Tompkins Square Greenmarket. We’ll be sharing images of the current market, scenes from out on the farms, and some historic images of the park. You’ll be able to peruse this pop-up exhibit, shop […]

High Line, Part 3

Congratulations to our friends at The High Line! The third and final section of the park will open to the public this Sunday, September 21st. GVSHP has a special kinship with The High Line. I mean that is what historic preservation is all about! GVSHP was one of the earliest endorsers of the plan to […]

New York 1969

There are only a few seats left for tomorrow evening’s program with photographer Richard Blair and his new book New York 1969. Richard moved from New York to California in 1969 – he was official photographer of Yosemite National Park in the 1970s – but before he left, he photographed street scenes of New York, […]

The Village is a Small World

Next Thursday evening GVSHP will present a program with photographer Richard Blair about his new book New York 1969. It’s a collection of some of Richard’s photos, mostly black & white and taken in New York circa 1969, paired with poems written by his father, Ed Blair.