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Category: Programs & Resources

A View to a Historic Restoration

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

Researchers Rejoice 1940 Census Released!

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

Eating in the East Village

The Village Voice recently released its annual 10 best picks for the best restaurants in the East Village. Check it out and see how it compares to your personal list of East Village culinary favorites. GVSHP has been no stranger to food in the East Village. Be sure to check out our stories on eating […]

My Favorite Things: East Eleventh Street Baths

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

Peruse These Village Bookstores

Last year, Off the Grid featured a look at some of the Village’s more specialized bookshops, including shops featuring cookbooks, comics, and mystery books. If you didn’t catch it, be sure to take a look. With so many independent bookstores to cover, this time around, we thought we would explore some of the neighborhood’s all-genre […]

Village Sweet Spots

Calling all procrastinators!  It’s not too late to buy your special someone a tasty chocolate treat.  To make your last-minute Valentine’s shopping easier we’ve put together a list of our favorite Village chocolate spots!

Map It! Bleecker at Christopher Street

Have you ever come across a peculiar street pattern in the city and wondered how it became that way? It’s a topic that’s especially prevalent in the Village, where street development occurred long before the adoption of the Commissioner’s Plan of 1811. As many of our readers know, this plan is what formed the famed […]

February Long on New and Old News

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

My Favorite Things: Archive Edition

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

Variety, East Village Style

As EV Grieve recently reported, the final credits may be on the way for a movie theater turned grocery store on Avenue A.  As the end may be coming for the former Hollywood Theater, we thought we’d take a brief look at another East Village showplace that only recently went the way of the silent […]

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 […]

Welcome Amanda Davis – Village Preservation’s Newest Staff Member

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

Seen and Heard Around the Village 1.6.12: West Edition

The Downtown Piano Queen played at the space of the former Circle in the Square Theater (Bowery Boogie)…and Van Halen played at Cafe Wha! (NY Times) The Thompson Street location of Porto Rico Coffee has closed …. and Atlas Meats is almost completely demolished (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) Rents in the Meatpacking District go from […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 1.6.12: East Edition

After 28 years Polonia, Polish restaurant, closes due to small-business-killing landlords (The Local East Village) PS 64 principal wages dress code war on teachers (DNAinfo) EV Grieve notes many neighborhood closings this week: Mars Bar; Vampire Freaks; Autumn Skateboard Shop; Billy’s Antiques.  And notes the upcoming Starbucks at 3rd Street & 1st Avenue Tompkins Square […]

My Favorite Things: Poets Edition

This is the latest installment of Off the Grid’s series, “My Favorite Things,” in which we showcase some of our very favorite spots around the neighborhood, highlighting the incredible architecture, history, people, and businesses of the Village, East Village, and NoHo; read more HERE. The Village and East Village have spawned so many remarkable and […]

Walking East 7th Street: Tompkins Market and Armory

Walking East 7th Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2011 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the cultural history of one particular block of East 7th Street and sharing with us something fascinating they discovered along the way. All posts below were […]

My Favorite Things: Holiday Edition

Last Saturday night I joined hundreds of other holiday revelers in one of my favorite offbeat, annual Village traditions: Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night. Now in its twentieth year, Unsilent Night proved to be the most magical 45 minutes I have ever spent meandering through the Village streets.

On the Square

As we enter the final phase of the holiday shopping season we thought we would continue our look at some of the historic retail establishments in our area. Last week we looked at Wanamaker’s huge store and annex near Astor Place. Farther north at Union Square, a major retail presence for decades was the S. […]

East 7th Street: A Foodie’s Paradise

In recent years, the East Village on the whole has come to be known for its budding gastronomy scene.  One street in particular that has really hit it big in this scene is East 7th Street.  With our program tomorrow evening on the social history of East 7th Street, we thought it only made sense […]

My Favorite Things: Washington Square North

The iconic early 19th century rowhouses that flank the north side of Washington Square Park are in many a passersby’s mind synonymous with the early history of the neighborhood.  Originally, the whole block looked like this.  Developed in 1833 under the auspices of the Trustees of Sailors’ Snug Harbor, the row was built to house […]

Things I’ll Miss About GVSHP: Part 2

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

My Favorite Things: Gone But Not Forgotten Edition

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

Seen and Heard Around the Village 11.9.11: For Food Lovers

Gothamist goes inside the vault at Pfaff’s, the 19th century beer cellar turned cocktail loungs….and inside the new Veselka Bowery….and inside Prima, the new East Village seafood-centic cafe/bar First look at the menus of Whitehall, the new West Village, London-inspired restaurant and bar (Grub Street) The New York Times reviews the Bowery’s Saxon & Parole […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 11.9.11: East Edition

Demolition permits on file for historic 316 East 3rd Street (EV Grieve) New York’s most loathed architect is no stranger to the East Village (NY Post) EV Grieve looks at the collapsed chimney on East 13th Street….and as of yesterday residents were still displaced Billy Leroy, of Billy’s Antiques & Props, misses the Old New […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 11.9.11: West Edition

image courtesy of Bob Estremera On the market: a loft/antique store hybrid and St. Vincent’s condos (Curbed) Gothamist goes inside the new Greenwich Village Country Club Off-Off Broadway theater, Manhattan Theatre Source, closing….as is 30-year-old jazz cafe, Caffe Vivaldi (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York)…but you can sign a petition to save Vivaldi! House with the largest […]

Kielbasa Done the East Village Way

If you’re like me and grew up around Eastern-European family, you know that it’s pronounced kah-bah-see and that it’s best served with a little sauerkraut and spicy mustard. You then also probably know that the traditional neighborhood butcher shops that serve up this sausage delight, among other smoked and cured meaty goodness, are now few […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 11.5.11: West Edition

Looking back at Gansevoort Plaza (Forgotten NY) MTA misspells “Bleecker Street” (Gothamist) Greenwich Village duplex feels like something  more uptown …. a former Today Show host’s Butterfield House penthouse is asking 7M …. and Marc Jacobs exec swaps one Village townhouse for another (Curbed) Gothamist has all your Greenwich Village Halloween Parade pics HERE and […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 11.5.11: East Edition

Cooper Union may charge tuition (NY Times) Villa Capri condos coming to Avenue C (Curbed) Public Theater renovations boosted by $2 Million donation (NearSay) Zip code 10003 has 169 chain stores! (EV Grieve) Greenwich Village Country Club starts putting on University (WSJ) Director Adria Petty puts EV dream pad on the market (The Local East […]

Veselka Bowery Opens Tonight

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

Ready, Set … Nosh!

This past weekend we were caught off guard when Jack Frost paid us a visit before the Great Pumpkin! Wonder what Linus would have made of that? While the weather may be unpredictable one thing that is foreseeable is the irresistible draw we all have for comfort foods as the temperatures drop. Everyone has a […]

Halloween Round Up

We hope that everyone had a safe, fun, and sugar-filled Halloween!  To close out the holiday we’ve rounded up some of our favorite events and decorations from around the Village that embody the neighborhood’s Halloween spirit.  Let’s start right in GVSHP’s backyard with St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery’s Dia de los Muertos celebration.

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.29.11: West Edition

Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York has more on disappearing newsstands High Line gets record $20 million gift (DNAinfo) Marc Jacobs exec sells Bank Street townhouse for $7 million (IBT) OWS protests health care system at former St. Vincent’s site (DNAinfo) Who should play Robert Moses in Oliver Stone’s new HBO movie? (Gothamist) NYU plans renovations to […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.26.11: West Edition

Former Harry Chong Chinese Laundry space for rent again (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) Epic rooftop spread awaits at $10.5 million West Village house (Curbed) The “chopped out” city from Greenwich Village (Ephemeral New York) Former West Village restaurant properties being converted to retail stores (Fork in the Road)….and on Bleecker Street, Jo Malone and Brush […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.26.11: East Edition

Christadora apartment on the market for first time in 17 years (EV Grieve) Chelsea developer purchases East Village ‘mystery lot’ for $33.2 million (The Real Deal) LPC says rooftop addition too big for Bond Street (Curbed) Politicians in tow as neighbors protest conditions at 515 East 5th Street (The Local East Village)….and the Villager has […]

A Nightmare on 13th Street

Recently, the block of East 13th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in the East Village has received a lot of attention after it was announced that a developer purchased a large vacant lot in the middle of the block.  Buildings on the block have been rumored to be haunted.  While we may not be […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.19.11: East Edition

Enjoy Karl Fischer’s 263 Bowery penthouse for just $15K per month (EV Grieve) Brazen Katz’s Deli purse-snatcher on the loose! (Gothamist) Starbucks hired Liqueteria’s manager to help launch their new juice bar chain (NY Post) MTA eliminates that pesky Alphabet City in new subway map (EV Grieve) East Villagers rally to save St. Mark’s Bookshop […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.19.11: West Edition

Jim Carrey may be the latest celeb to buy in 176 Perry (Curbed) In 1951 Washington Square Park had doggie problems (Ephemeral New York) Grey Dog will be closing its flagship Carmine Street location (Gothamist)…but there will be a funeral next week (Eater) Greenwich Village folk history documented in Canadian film (DNAinfo) Fork in the […]

Our House is on Open House This Weekend!

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

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.12.11: East Edition

Facing eviction, Village Scandal holding sale to pay for legal fees (EV Grieve) Looking at the Bowery– the original ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ (NY Times) Under St. Mark’s given new life (The Local East Village) Peek inside historic twin townhouses on East 10th Street (Curbed) Will Balazs convert Cooper Square Hotel into the Standard? (Eater) […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.12.11: West Edition

After 13 years Babbo is still popular, and neighbors don’t like it (Gothamist) Curbed reports that construction is underway at 2 scandalous Village sites- Gene Kaufman’s ‘Hotel on 13th Street‘ & DDG Partners’ luxury condos at 345 West 14th Street STD’s are climbing in Greenwich Village (AM NY) Is the St. Vincent’s triangle becoming a […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.12.11: For Food Lovers

Dessert Club Chikalicious welcomes in fall with new sweets (Serious Eats) Grade A restaurants are back in the East Village (KikaEats) Take a tour through West Village French restaurant Lyon with Eater’s feature Explain Your Tchotchkes Ray’s Pizza on 6th Avenue & 11th Street closes (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) Apparently, the Village is a great […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.7.11: East Edition

Looking at the very understated sidewalk canopy and signage at the new IHOP (EV Grieve) John Legend lists Scarano-on-the-Bowery pad for $2.5 Million (Curbed) Gothamist shares pictures and stories from the candlelight vigil for Bob Airhood….and EV Grieve has more pictures and news of Chico’s tribute to him Rite Aid paints over a memorial on […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.7.11: West Edition

Second floor combo of 165 Perry could all be yours for $6.8 Million (Curbed) What happens when Jennifer Aniston moves into the neighborhood? (Capital NY) West Beth Gallery hosts ‘Urban Ethos‘ (NearSay) Greenwich Village resident, Joey Arias, gets standing ovations for new show ‘Arias With a Twist‘ (NY Times) Progress happening at former Chumley’s building […]

Much Ado About Noshing — November 7th

Yesterday, Village Preservation announced that tickets were going on sale for our fall fundraiser, Much Ado About Noshing. Featuring food maven, humorist, and New Yorker staff writer Calvin Trillin and the Russ and Daughters family, the evening of conversation and food will stimulate your mind and your palette.  Salmon and other delicious appetizers will be […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.3.11: East Edition

EV Grieve checks out the 3-level penthouse at the Brownstone East Village Complex puts together a list of the 50 best dive bars in NYC, 15 are in the East Village Michael Moore was at St. Mark’s Bookshop (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York)….and in more books store news- the owner of East Village Books nabbed a […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 10.3.11: West Edition

Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York takes a look at the disappearance of Village gas stations, like the recently shuttered Lukoil on 8th Avenue & Horatio….he also looks at the disappearance of newsstands Community Board 2 angered after NYU goes to the media first (Villager) A look at Washington Square Park’s ‘Tramp’s Retreat‘ of the 19th Century […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.28.11: East Edition

LUNGS, new neighborhood group, unites community gardeners against development (The Local East Village) Air conditioner fell out of window on 2nd Avenue on Sunday (EV Grive) Former ‘candy chick’ of the Filmore East looks back at the club on its 40th anniversary (The Local East Village) The importance of the vestibule at St. Mark’s Bookshop […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.28.11: West Edition

Old St. Vincent’s building prepares for return as pricy condos (Curbed) A tweedy English bike ride is coming to the Village (Racked) Would you pay $2 million to live next to Alec Baldwin?  Want to live in a cruise-themed Perry Street pad? (Curbed) Photos of Saturday’s Lightsaber Battle in Washington Square Park (Gothamist) 88 Bedford […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.28.11: For Food Lovers

DeBragga is the latest meat-packer to depart the Meatpacking District (Grub Street) Stuffed Artisan Cannolis relocating to West Village (Fork in the Road) On October 9th in Gansevoort Plaza, the Good Food Fest will be held Eater takes an early look at Frankies 570 on Hudson Street Newcomers Coppelia and Miss Lily’s can’t replace Florent […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.24.11: East Edition

104 East 10th Street is for sale which means no more Edgar Oliver (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York)….and Curbed has floor plans Yankees 2nd Baseman Robinson Cano played stickball with kids on Bond Street (Bowery Boogie) Tompkins Square Park dog run manager fears rat disease will kill dogs (Villager) Another piece of restaurant supply history disappeared […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.24.11: West Edition

Washington Square Park bathroom hours get cut amid concerns of sex and drugs (DNAinfo) West 4th Street newsstand removed to reveal MTA sign from 1932 (Gothamist) Forgotten NY takes a look at lower 6th Avenue & the streets absorbed by its extension Battle over Chelsea Market expansion heats up (Crain’s) Queer History Alliance says St. […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.22.11: West Edition

NYU releases sham parks plan (City Room) Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York looks back at the Wall of Remembrance at Saint Vincent’s The City’s narrowest house can now be yours for $14,000/month (Curbed) New Yorkers celebrate end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” at Stonewall (NY1) Publisher, Pearson PLC, moving to Hudson Square with $13.5 million in […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 9.15.11: East Edition

East Village coffee shop The Bean fights back Starbucks’ 186 locations (that’s more locations than there are subways stations!) (NY Times) Village Doorman, a new start-up will make getting packages delivered a lot easier (Bowery Boogie) Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York shares his true feelings about Cooper Union….and the New Yorker ponders, should we fight to […]

Law & Order: Historic Images Unit

With the recent news that every Law &  Order television episode will soon be available in one mammoth 104-disc set, we thought we’d round up this week’s posts with a look at the law. In flipping through some of the images in GVSHP’s Preservation Archive and Oral History Project, we found some early and striking […]

Tracking History: Gansevoort Plaza Then & Now

Though the character of Gansevoort Market has certainly undergone many changes over years, there are certain buildings and views that have remained remarkably intact. One such location where you can peer back in time is at Gansevoort Plaza, where Greenwich Street/9th Avenue, Gansevoort Street, and Little West 12th Street intersect. Though much new development has […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 7.31.11 – 8.6.11, West Edition

Center for Architecture Grows in the Village (A/N Blog) The History That Inspired Monument Lane (Eater) Reviewing Monument Lane (NY Times) Subway-Inspired West Village Duplex Sells for $1.9 Million (Curbed) New Cider House Coming to the West Village (Fork in the Road) Flooding in Washington Square (Washington Square Park Blog) Tapas Join Fulfills Greenwich Avenue […]

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 […]

A Roundup of Mars Bar News

Waiting for the Wrecking Ball (NY Times) Mars Bar- Before & After (Off the Grid) Mars is Gone (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) The End of an Era, in Photos (The Gog Log) Mars Bar Murals (The Local East Village) The Long, Slow Death of Mars Bar (Grub Street) Where to Get Your Dive Bar Fix […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 7.17.11 – 7.23.11, East Edition

Part of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America HQ is for Lease (EV Grieve) Rachel Dratch’s East Village (The Local East Village) Behind the Bluestone at NoHo Newbie 41 Bond Street (Curbed) Alex Stupak Brings Mexico to the East Village (Diner’s Journal) Ray of Ray’s Candy Store Becomes an American (Villager) Stalled Development Site on […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 7.10.11 – 7.16.11, East Edition

$120 Million Village House Boasts Healing Powers (Curbed) Bowery Wine Company Has Closed (EV Grieve) Haunted Building on 2nd Avenue (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) New Shop Carries on Proud Tradition of St. Mark’s Place (EV Grieve) Fried Kool-Aid Comes to Cowgirl’s Baking (Gothamist) Art-Themed Bar Backers Bypass Community Board for Liquor License (DNAinfo) 41 Bond […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 7.3.11 – 7.9.11, East Edition

123 Third Avenue Retail Space Sells for $11 Million (EV Grieve) Stranded Cat Rescued from East Village (NY Daily News) Foes of Historic District Plan Emerge (The Local East Village) Ray Deter, Owner of d.b.a Passes Away (DNAinfo) The Mosaic Man Joins Facebook & Twitter (Bowery Boogie) East Village Couple Severely Injured in Pennsylvania Shoot […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 6.19.11 – 6.25.11, Part II

Liquor Panel Deadlocks on 34 Avenue A (Local EV) New Mural on Houston Street Replaces Kenny Scharf’s Piece (Gothamist) Stella McCartney has Secret Garden Party in West Village (DNAinfo) Magnolia’s Gay Pride Cupcake (Fork in the Road) Vinho Verde Week Comes to the East Village (NearSay) A Tour of the Jefferson Market Area (Forgotten NY) […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 6.12.11 – 6.18.11, Part II

Lower Second Avenue Now & Then (EV Grieve) In the East Village, Where Have All the Crusties Gone? (NY Times) Giant Mouse Sits Bashful Outside Standard Hotel (NearSay) Footlight Records Space Filled (Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York) East Village Residents Fed Up with Rent Laws (NearSay) Mike Myers & Mario Batali Film Atop the Washington Square […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 6.12.11 – 6.18.11, Part I

Best Oyster Happy Hours in the West Village (NearSay) New Consignment Shop on East 7th Street (NearSay) CB2 Meeting Highlights Furor Over St. Vincent’s Re-Development (Village Confidential) Mark Jacobs Shuffles His Bleecker Street Stores Again (The Shophound) First Blueberries of the Season Appear in Abingdon Square Farmers’ Market (Fork in the Road) NYC Icy is […]

An Architectural Gem in the Village: 2011 Awardee

While many of our 2011 Village Awardees are located within NYC historic districts, the Church of the Ascension holds the distinction of our only awardee this year that is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. The Church recently completed a painstaking and spectacular restoration of the interior of its nave, for […]

Seen and Heard Around the Village 6.5.11 – 6.11.11

The High Line is an Economic Dynamo (NY Times) After the Gold Rush by Neil Young- Album Cover Location (Pop Spots) East Village Mac-‘n’-Cheese Joint Opening Second Location (DNAinfo) 12th Street Brownstone Becoming Mini University for Jewish Education (EV Grieve) Phase II of the High Line Now Open! (Gothamist) In Greenwich Village, the Signs They […]

Village Power-House Female Chefs: 2011 Village Awardee

Here at GVSHP we love successful women (4 out of 6 of our staff members are such women!) and we love food (who doesn’t?).  So, we were delighted that West Village  restaurant Annisa is one of our 2011 Village Awardees!  Power-chef Anita Lo rides her bike each morning to her highly popular Barrow Street restaurant […]