June is one of the most exciting months of the year at Village Preservation. As summer arrives, we invite you to join us for a diverse lineup of programs exploring everything from Revolutionary-era estates and Jazz Age New York to affordable housing, public housing history, art, and LGBTQ+ heritage. This month also features two of […]
May is a season of renewal, reflection, and discovery. This year we’re offering a dynamic lineup of public programs that tap into the neighborhood’s deep historical roots while engaging with urgent contemporary issues. From waterfront history to preservation advocacy, and from cultural milestones to community heritage, May’s offerings connect past and present in meaningful ways. […]
Ever paused on a Village block and wondered, “What’s lying behind those doors?” In neighborhoods like ours, where historic homes are found on every street, it’s hard not to imagine spaces just beyond view, with their interiors shaped by history, ingenuity, and imagination. Each spring, Village Preservation offers a rare opportunity to step beyond that […]
February 2026 brings a rich slate of programs that knit together the stories of local history, national identity, community struggle, and cultural achievement. Several offerings are part of Village Preservation’s Semiquincentennial series, the Revolutionary Village, which honors the broader narrative of America’s first 250 years and how our neighborhoods helped shape them. For Black History […]
Each December, as the Village lights up for the holidays, one corner of the neighborhood becomes especially magical. The Sullivan-Thompson Historic District Holiday Shop & Stroll, now in its third year, returns on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 1:00 PM, offering a vibrant celebration of local history, small businesses, and the enduring spirit of the […]
There’s something magical about a good map. It’s not just a tool for finding your way — it’s a window into another world, a story waiting to be uncovered. At Village Preservation, we’ve long believed that maps are one of the most powerful ways to connect people with the neighborhoods we work to protect. Our […]
As late summer gently yields to autumn’s crisp embrace, Village Preservation invites you on a journey through time—where history, culture, and community converge in a rich series of September events. We have events that take advantage of the lingering warmth, including outdoor tours and a garden party, while other events explore the history of our […]
Every first Sunday in May, something quietly magical unfolds in the winding streets of Greenwich Village. As cherry blossoms bloom and stoops warm in the afternoon sun, a few special doors open—not just to private homes, but to entirely different eras. Our Spring House Tour Benefit isn’t just a peek into exquisite interiors—it’s a kind […]
Springtime in New York City! What could be more inviting? Tulips, daffodils, and flowering trees and bushes fill our parks, people pour into the streets to enjoy the sunshine, and, of course, Village Preservation’s much beloved and time-honored tradition, the Spring House Tour Benefit, is right around the corner. This year marks our 23rd tour, […]
There have been countless “firsts” in our neighborhoods: the first cappuccino machine (Café Reggio), the first building constructed specifically to house artists’ studios (The Tenth Street Studios at 51 West 10th Street, since demolished), the first racially integrated night club (Café Society) — the list goes on and on. While we at Village Preservation have […]
Each year at our Annual Meeting and Village Awards ceremony, Village Preservation presents one unique award: the Regina Kellerman Award, named in honor of Village Preservation’s first Executive Director. Regina was a passionate advocate for historic preservation, and this year’s awardee is a golden example of her vision for preserving the architectural and cultural heritage […]
Village Preservation’s Spring House Tour Benefit is finally making its long-awaited return! The time-honored and much-beloved event heralds the start of spring in our beautiful neighborhoods, and we are pleased and excited to be able to produce our 22nd tour on Sunday, May 7th. While the locations are always a closely kept secret until the […]
If you’re ever on the Upper East Side or just strolling through Central Park and looking to immerse yourself in some literary history, the Grolier Club is the perfect place for that. The Grolier Club’s exhibitions are free to all visitors, making it an accessible space for bibliophiles or anyone itching to check out how literary history has evolved over time.
Author and NYC tour guide, Lawrence Henderson, is sharing his research and walking tours with Village Preservation in February 2023 as we celebrate Black History Month. First, Village Preservation participants were treated to a free opportunity to experience the first hour of Lawrence’s “You Are Here: African American Walking Tour of NYC.” Lawrence offers a unique three-part, 3 hour, downtown walking tour to New Yorkers and visitors alike. The tour is based on Lawrence’s book You Are Here – A Geographical History of Enslaved and Free Africans in Manhattan: 1613 – 1865. He will be updating a new edition of this book, which we hope to celebrate when it relaunches with a future book talk.
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. There is so much light and loveliness to be found in our […]
The League of Women Voters of the City of New York joined Village Preservation to discuss all that one needs to know about the 2022 General Election.
It makes sense to combine the artistry of Graham 2 with the historical preservation and inspirational work of Village Voices to create a unique experience for our neighborhoods. The result was an event that gathered community members to celebrate both the passage of the 19th Amendment and how far society still must go to ensure the rights of all people, and in particular those who are trans, non-binary, and women, have equal rights.
Village Preservation presents programs that offer insight into the rich history of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. Sometimes that history provides keen insight into the issues of today. What issues are you interested in affecting in today’s society? Labor, peace, birth control, civil liberties, women’s rights? Central to every one of these movements […]
Martha Graham’s (1894-1991) remarkable career as a dancer and choreographer spanned more than 70 years. During her lifetime, she saw contemporary dance evolve from a new art form to a well-established one, in large part due to her many contributions. She was a pioneer, but also a visionary, creating her own movement language while demonstrating […]
An architect of fantastic lands and sprightly stories, Maurice Sendak was a renowned children’s book author and illustrator whose work has stirred the souls of millions. Sendak lived and worked in a duplex apartment at 29 West Ninth Street from 1962 until 1972 with his life partner, psychoanalyst Eugene Glynn. It was there he wrote […]
At Village Preserevation our tours, lectures, book talks, exhibitions, and other public programs explore and celebrate preservation, history and culture. Beyond sharing vital information from the past and present about Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, our programs bring together community members from various walks of life to connect and learn from one another. Whether it is participants sharing their favorite memories of concerts at Filmore East on our East Village Rock Tour or gathering at a local school to learn about historical figures who helped shape our community, like Sarah Curry who founded the Little Missionary Day School, our programs provide the vital service of connecting you with your community and its history.
Village Preservation is pleased to announce the 2nd year of VILLAGE VOICES, an outdoor public art exhibition produced by Village Preservation that celebrates and illuminates the artistic, social, political, and cultural movements of our neighborhoods, and the people who gave voice to them. Using the streets of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo as our stage, […]
us through our history with insights that help us understand our own times as much as we begin to understand the past. We hope you check out James and Michelle’s work and continue to come along such journeys through Village Preservation’s programming.
“For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.” -James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues” James Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December […]
After the Supreme Court Decision DOBBS v.JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH ORGANIZATION overturning Roe v. Wade was released on Friday, June 24, people took to the streets. It was no surprise that people hoping to make their voices heard looked to our neighborhoods as a gathering place. Two of the many protests and rallies that took place in New York City were held in Washington Square Park and Union Square. These protests were organized by intersectional advocacy groups across Labor, Defund the Police, Housing, Immigration, and LGBTQIA+ movements.
Greenwich Village, NoHo, and the East Village. You will have an opportunity to learn more about the history of arts and culture in our neighborhoods, as well as participate in workshops that build our ability to continue to preserve our land as well as culture unique to our communities.
Who says you can’t fight City Hall? During these particularly troubling and divided political times, it is rewarding and inspiring to look to Jane Jacobs for encouragement. Jane redefined urban planning in the 20th century, and is one of the trailblazers highlighted in Village Preservation’s outdoor interactive exhibition, VILLAGE VOICES. Jane Jacobs caused people to […]
Village Preservation is pleased to announce the launch of VILLAGE VOICES, an outdoor exhibition celebrating people, places, and moments from our neighborhoods’ history. VILLAGE VOICES will be an engaging installation of exhibit boxes displayed throughout our neighborhoods featuring photographs, artifacts, and recorded narration that will provide entertaining and illuminating insight into our momentous heritage. We are […]
Many artists have been inspired by the scenes of life in New York City, particularly Lower Manhattan. But perhaps no artist captures the feeling of New York during the hot, heavy days of August like the painter John Sloan. Sloan was one of the leading figures of the “Ashcan School,” a loose collection of artists who […]
Woman Crush Wednesday is our day to celebrate and highlight the trailblazing and inspiring women who made all kinds of things happen in the world from right here in our neighborhoods. And none are so rocking as the amazing Patti Smith. Singer, songwriter, and poet Patricia Lee Smith was born on December 30, 1946, in […]
Village Preservation’s Annual Village Awards, this year on June 16th, have come to be known fondly as “the Oscars of the Village.” The very first Village Awards were held on June 10th, 1991 at Casa Italiana Zerilli Marino of NYU, at 24 West 12th Street, an historic landmark that was formerly the home of General […]
Bob Dylan (born May 24, 1941) began his legendary career in Greenwich Village. The storied clubs and coffee houses in the neighborhood were the incubators for his formidable talent and work. You’ll find some surprises about him and his connections to the Village in our list of 80 Things We Love About Bob Dylan. We […]
Each year, Village Preservation honors neighborhood institutions at the Annual Meeting and Village Awards. This fun event highlights and celebrates the invaluable people, places, and organizations that make our neighborhoods some of the most interesting and exceptional in the city. The event also includes a review of Village Preservation’s activities and accomplishments over the last […]
Village Preservation is committed to supporting, protecting, and promoting small businesses. When we were lucky enough to be introduced to chef, author, and Village entrepreneur Fany Gerson, we were overjoyed. Fany is the consummate cook and a great example of an intrepid small business owner who is valiantly carrying on through the tough times. She […]
This year’s Spring House Tour Benefit is right around the corner and features seven exquisite Village properties. In keeping with the storied history of the Village as an artist’s haven, the Spring House Tour has a longstanding tradition of including artist’s and curators spaces on the tour. This year is no exception, and promises to delight.
On this day in 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Serving as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861, until his assassination in 1865, Lincoln most famously preserved the Union through the Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation […]
On Thursday, June 7, GVSHP presented its 32nd Annual Meeting and 2012 Village Awards. The 2012 Awardees and a full recap are all featured on Off The Grid. Be sure to read all about it. Not able to join us? You can check out pictures and a portion of the presentation from the event below […]
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.
