One of New York City’s most iconic landmarks is the Flatiron building. Located just north of our neighborhood on 23rd Street, its relatively rare triangular plot is formed by the intersection of the orthogonal street grid at Fifth Avenue with the diagonal of Broadway. But in Greenwich Village, the meandering, irregular street grid creates a number of similarly odd-shaped lots engendering triangular, or “flatiron” […]
At the dawn of the 20th century, Greenwich Village was a densely populated immigrant neighborhood, a mix of mainly Italian, Jewish, Irish, German, Spanish, and Chinese newcomers who together faced overcrowding, unsanitary housing, and exploitative landlord practices. Social worker Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch founded Greenwich House in 1902 at 26 Jones Street to tackle these systemic […]
Through her existence, action, and reflection, Sarah Schulman (b. July 28, 1958) has deeply impacted the fabric of New York City’s bohemian, LGBTQ+, and artistic communities. A native Villager, she was born on 10th Street and has lived on 9th Street for over 40 years. Her deep understanding of our neighborhoods, prowess as a writer, […]
While many today take the right to vote for granted, that simply wasn’t the case for most of American history. Women, Indigenous people, Blacks, Asians, Jews, Quakers, Catholics, and non-landowning white Protestant males were not always guaranteed this right. In early American history, some states did allow women to vote, but this right was taken […]
Every so often, a researcher has the joy of stumbling upon a detail so small, so quiet, that it almost feels like a secret whispered across time. At Village Preservation, we’ve grown used to finding delight in the margins, footnotes, and parenthetical asides of the landmark designation reports for sites that have been selected for […]
On October 30th, 1912, a little girl named Sarah celebrated her eighth birthday in a Federal-style row house at the corner of Avenue D and East 3rd Street. She was the third of five daughters of Cecilia and Morris Brenner, German-Jewish immigrants who had arrived in New York City in 1901, and her childhood on […]
This blog post was originally published on November 17, 2023, and is a favorite of ours from among the more than 200 we publish every year. To stay current on all our posts, follow us on X or Facebook, or subscribe to our blog feed via email here. He was one of the most significant, prolific, and versatile artists […]
New York City is home to what is arguably the most diverse and vibrant cultural scene anywhere in the world. Within that vast intellectual, artistic, and expressive mosaic there lies a hidden gem—a group where creativity, conversation, and camaraderie come together over an hot cup of America’s favorite caffeinated beverage. That gem is the Coffee […]
In our series Beyond the Village and Back, we take a look at some great landmarks throughout New York City outside of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, celebrate their special histories, and reveal their (sometimes hidden) connections to the Village. You can also explore via our Beyond the Village and Back: Manhattan South […]
On July 16, 1951, the best-selling novel, The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010), was released. It’s a coming-of-age story that follows the depressed and increasingly dejected sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield in his aimless escapades around Manhattan. An aspiring lost soul, Holden spends an unchaperoned weekend wandering the […]
Village Preservation recently released a revamped and updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map + Tours. Originally created in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District, the map includes Then & Now photographs of the entire district and nearly two-dozen thematic tours. Among these is a tour […]
Village Preservation kicked off its campaign to honor, document, and seek landmark designation for the South Village and its remarkable immigrant and artistic histories in December of 2006 and completed the effort in December of 2016 with designation of the third and final phase of our proposed South Village Historic District, the largest expansion of landmark protections in the neighborhood since […]
In honor of South Village Month, we are turning to the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District designation report to explore what this neighborhood was like before it was known as part of the South Village. The area south of Washington Square Park and West Fourth Street and east of Seventh Avenue, now often referred to as the […]
Village Preservation kicked off its campaign to honor, document, and seek landmark designation for the South Village and its remarkable immigrant and bohemian histories in December of 2006 and completed the effort in December of 2016 with designation of the third and final phase of our proposed South Village Historic District, the largest expansion of landmark protections in the […]
In 2016, legendary singer/songwriter and one-time Greenwich Village resident Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” He was unable to attend the December event in Stockholm citing pre-existing commitments, however, but did forward an acceptance speech thanking the Swedish Academy for “providing […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. How do you run a business intended to […]
The ‘holiday’ of Festivus was developed as an alternative to the commercialization of the Christmas season in the mid-1960s by author and editor Daniel O’Keefe (father of Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe). It gained significantly greater public attention on Seinfeld’s December 18, 1997 episode “The Strike,” in which Kramer refuses to work on Festivus and pickets his employer, […]
As we come to the end of an incredibly successful year for Village Preservation programs, its time to take a look back at some of the events that made 2025 so special. This year we had the chance to explore our neighborhoods and beyond with many fascinating building and exhibit tours. Today we will take […]
This post contains excerpts and takes inspiration from our recently revamped and re-released Edward Hopper’s Greenwich Village Tour on our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map. Edward Hopper did not simply live in Greenwich Village. He rooted himself in it. He walked its crooked streets, studied its shifting light, and let the neighborhood carve itself […]
Whose woods these are I think I know.His house is in the village though;He will not see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up with snow. — Opening stanza to Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Frost lived within the Greenwich Village Historic District at 107 Waverly Place in 1920. Though […]
Village Preservation recently released an updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Maps. Originally released in 2019, it was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District (GVHD). The map includes 23 themed tours and offers a rich, navigable tapestry of the district’s architecture, history, and, crucially, its vibrant […]
Village Preservation recently released a revamped and updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Maps. Originally created in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District, the map includes Then & Now Photographs of the entire district, and a number of thematic tours of sites around the neighborhood. Today, we will […]
From the northern edge of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to 143rd Street in Harlem, Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan. The centerfold of the Manhattan, it is nearly impossible to imagine New York without the seven-mile-long stretch. But, like many Manhattan streets, Fifth Avenue grew out of the original 1811 Commissioner’s Plan grid. Its development […]
New York City, it has been said, is a town of opinionated loudmouths. Maybe so. If that’s the case, our neighborhoods can historically claim a disproportionate number of them. And we’d argue that that’s a good thing and that some of those so-called loudmouths made our world a better place by refusing to bow to […]
A journey through the narrow, winding streets of the Greenwich Village Historic District is a trip through a living museum, an opportunity to explore an area with more than 2,000 buildings preserved across some 65 blocks. Designated in 1969, the district’s rich mix of row houses, tenements, small apartment buildings, and older Federal-, Italianate- and […]
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 […]
The history of the AIDS crisis in New York City is often told via numbers and statistics, the hospitalizations, the tragedy of lost lives, the sweeping social changes. But the real power of history resides in personal memory. In Village Preservation’s Oral History Collection, individual voices tell the stories that aren’t always part of the […]
Village Preservation recently released an updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Maps and Tours. Originally released in 2019, it was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District. The map includes themed tours and an updated “Then and Now” map of the district witth photos from the 1960s […]
Author: Anna Carl The following post was written by Anna Carl, Village Preservation’s Summer 2025 graduate-level intern. Anna was instrumental in creating our new-and-improved Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map and Tours. Introduction Village Preservation has just launched its new-and-improved Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map and Tours. The first version of this map was […]
Picking a favorite restaurant in New York City is a near-impossible task. The criteria for what constitutes a good dining experience are based on a series of entirely subjective factors, such as taste, aesthetics, location, or ambience. Few understood this better than Mimi Sheraton (February 10, 1926–April 6, 2023), the legendary food critic, writer, and […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Most businesses don’t inspire the morbid fantasy of […]
A new show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focuses on a unique artist who blended his indigenous heritage with the energetic art world of mid-century Manhattan. “The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York” — a title taken from the artist’s description of his longtime home — presents an overview of a career stretching from […]
Coffee culture in our neighborhoods during the early 20th century was vibrant and bustling. With numerous coffeehouses and cafes, including the famed Caffe Reggio, the caffeinated beverage was an excuse to gather socially, in addition to being a popular drink to brew at home. Unsurprisingly, the business of coffee was at the time almost exclusively […]
Chester Alan Arthur is a name not immediately known to many. To the few who do, he was the nation’s 21st president who unexpectedly rose to the highest office after the assassination of James A. Garfield and surprised many with his commitment to civil service reform. But even among this select group of cognoscenti, few […]
October is always a month of rich programming for us, with autumn in full swing with its cool crisp air and the impending excitement of the holiday season. October 2025 was no exception—in fact, it offered one of the most diverse and engaging programming lineups in recent memory. This month’s mix of lectures, tours, conversations, […]
2025 marks 100 years since Robert Rauschenberg’s birth (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008), making this the perfect time to revisit the creative energy and ingenuity he brought to Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. Rauschenberg’s New York journey Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Rauschenberg came to New York in the early 1950s […]
40–52 East 11th Street, Greenwich Village Just off University Place, at 40–52 East 11th Street, stands a building whose story is inseparable from New York’s creative heartbeat. The Albert began in the early 1880s as one of Manhattan’s first “French flats,” designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh—the visionary architect behind The Dakota and The Plaza. These […]
Village Preservation is working with fellow local preservation organizations and parishioners to preserve the endangered, historic Most Holy Redeemer Church at 173 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A and B in the East Village. The church was once one of the city’s tallest structures. Founded in 1844 by German-speaking Redemptorist missionaries amid the growing German […]
The East and West Village are not just neighborhoods. They are thresholds. They take people who feel like they do not fit anywhere and tell them this is where misfits learn to fly. Music is the way this part of New York speaks. It does not whisper. It roars. For decades, these streets have given […]
At the turn of the last century, our neighborhood was in the midst of yet another transformative era. For decades prior, a fashionable, bourgeois class resided around Washington Square Park and lower Fifth Avenue, as grandiose red-brick Greek Revival townhomes attracted the wealthy, cementing the area’s cosmopolitan population. But with time, the neighborhood’s residents began […]
Today we welcome a new small business to our neighborhoods — help us welcome the next. Tell us which new independent store in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo you’re excited about by emailing us at info@villagepreservation.org. As advocates for local small business, we find great satisfaction in hearing of new independent establishments opening […]
In a time when much of our creative life happens online, it’s a gift to find places in our neighborhoods where you can still browse shelves, feel materials in your hands, and talk with someone behind the counter who cares deeply about their craft. The following five shops are all part of Village Preservation’s Business […]
Back in the late 20th century, there were no streaming services. If someone had a specific taste in film they would have to physically go to a store and rent something called a VHS. There were video rental stores across the city and everyone had their favorites. While national chains such as Blockbuster dominated total […]
Our blog series “Hidden in Plain Sight” highlights the many architectural curiosities and unique features found on buildings throughout our neighborhoods — details you might not notice on first pass, but if you’re paying attention, they tell easily overlooked and often forgotten stories. Peeking above the one-story building at the corner of Sixth Avenue and […]
Richard Morris Hunt, born on on October 31, 1827, is usually remembered for the grandiose mansions, museums, and monuments of the Gilded Age such as the Lenox Library, grand Fifth Avenue homes, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, and the façade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But his fingerprints are also on a […]
On October 30th, 1912, a little girl named Sarah celebrated her eighth birthday in a Federal-style row house at the corner of Avenue D and East 3rd Street. She was the third of five daughters of Cecilia and Morris Brenner, German-Jewish immigrants who had arrived in New York City in 1901, and her childhood on […]
On West 9th Street, small acts of care have led to remarkable change. Thanks to the efforts of longtime Village resident and volunteer Nina Kaufelt, the humble tree bed, those rectangles of soil surrounding our street trees, has become a symbol of how beauty, attention, and collective effort can transform a neighborhood block. Tree beds, […]
On October 21, the stretch of Great Jones Street between Lafayette Street and the Bowery in NoHo was officially co-named Jean-Michel Basquiat Way to recognize the artist whose explosive creativity helped define downtown Manhattan in the 1980s. The honor highlights not only Basquiat’s extraordinary artistic legacy but also the profound connection between his life and […]
Behind every street corner, alleyway, and front stoop lies an untold story. Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate styles dominate the neighborhood’s architecture, but how did they come to be here in the first place? Luckily, we have our comprehensive collection of landmark and historic district designation reports which provides us with the official record of […]
A multitude of NYC histories, cultures, and architectural styles converge on the corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street in the East Village. Each building that occupies a corner of this notable intersection has a distinct aesthetic and cultural importance to the neighborhood. Today, we will take a look at these four buildings, detailing the […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Shaving cream locked behind glass to ward off […]
While many today take the right to vote for granted, that simply wasn’t the case for most of American history. Women, Indigenous people, Blacks, Asians, Jews, Quakers, Catholics, and non-landowning white Protestant males were not always guaranteed this right. In early American history, some states did allow women to vote, but this right was taken […]
Historic neighborhoods are filled with details that tell their story. Old trolley tracks peek through the asphalt, boot scrapers remind us of the city’s even more distant horse-driven past, and ghost signs give us a glimpse into the businesses that once filled our neighborhoods. Ghost signs are the faded, hand-painted advertisements found on historic buildings, […]
Once soaring 250 feet high, the steeple of the church of the Most Holy Redeemer has defined Alphabet City’s skyline for nearly 200 years. Picture this spire, the equivalent of a 20–25 story building, in the mid-1800s (as in the image above), when no other structure would have come close to reaching its height in […]
Greenwich Village and the East Village have long been a nexus for poets from across the country and for poetry of innumerable styles. As we celebrate National Black Poetry Day coming up on October 17, we honor the many Black poets who have called our neighborhoods home over the decades and shaped the literary form […]
As New York City heads toward the 2025 general election, we are making sure that historic preservation and thoughtful urban planning remain front and center in public debate. Our Elections 2025 webpage offers an invaluable civic resource. While the mayoral race tends to draw the headlines, the decisions made by City Councilmembers and Borough Presidents […]
October is Italian-American Heritage Month, a rich opportunity to reflect on the profound contributions of Italian Americans to our city and nation. Here in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, Italian immigrants and their descendants shaped neighborhoods, built small businesses, joined civic life, and wove their stories into the fabric of New York. At […]
The dead live among us! But that’s no reason to barricade yourself in your home, armed and ready to fire on anyone who might eat your brains. To the contrary, if you believe that the story of your ancestors forms part of your own and that you should keep their memory alive, then their presence […]
Come election day, New Yorkers get to vote not only for candidates, but often also on ballot questions that can change how our city government works. This year, Ballot Questions 2 through 4 might sound like they’re about speeding up housing approvals. But in reality, they’re about who holds the power to decide what gets […]
In an age of increasing digital reliance, with endless content curated by apps and algorithms, generations young and old are returning to older technologies. With CDs and records all back in style, there is no better place to begin or restart your analog music collection than our neighborhoods. Many incredible record stores dot the streets […]
Before the subways, the skyscrapers, and even the cut through of Seventh Avenue South, New York was once a horse-drawn city. Little remains from that equine era, but traces of the past can still be seen through the buildings and homes of our neighborhood. In honor of Archtober, New York City’s month-long festival of architecture […]
Maia Farish (née Reardon) was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in 1953. Her childhood was spent in Greenwich Village during its 1950s and ‘60s heyday, where she played in Washington Square Park and attended local institutions such as Greenwich House, P.S. 41, P.S. 3, I.S. 70, and Miss Murphy’s Greenwich House Children’s Theater. First living at 135 Perry […]
Throughout 2025, Village Preservation has been marking the 60th anniversary of the passage of the New York City Landmarks Law. Enacted in 1965 in response to the devastating loss of iconic structures like the original McKim, Mead & White-designed Penn Station, the law empowered the freshly formed Landmarks Preservation Commission to protect buildings and districts […]
On Sunday, September 28, families, friends, and neighbors set off on an adventure through Greenwich Village, uncovering history, mystery, and plenty of fun at our Great Village History Hunt. The adventure began beneath the iconic Washington Square Arch, where participants set off with treasure maps leading them to six historic Village landmarks — from Edward […]
We’ve all seen them: signs tucked under the official names of local streets, honoring a neighborhood notable with a “Way,” “Place,” or “Corner.” Unfortunately, more often than not, the people on these “co-named” street signs are often unknown to most passers-by. But a New York City agency has offered a way for those who are […]
Explore Transit History in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo with Village Preservation’s Blog While much about the present and future may preoccupy us, today we’re going to take a look back about 200 years. The story of modern rail transport is often traced to September 1825, when a small steam locomotive, known as […]
Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo share a coffee lineage tied to immigration, countercultural movements, and the aesthetic of the “third place” that’s neither home nor work. You can trace that history from the storied cafés of the past, the old‐style importers, and the many dearly departed coffee shops to our new favorites. The […]
Our neighborhoods are more than streets and brownstones; they’re a living song. At Village Preservation, we showcase the voices that made that song—the oral histories of the artists, musicians, and activists who turned cobblestones into stages, neighborhood corners into concert halls. These aren’t dusty archives. They are conversations with the people who lived, breathed, resisted, […]
Today we welcome a new small business to our neighborhoods — help us welcome the next. Tell us which new independent store in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo you’re excited about by emailing us at info@villagepreservation.org. As advocates for local small business, we find great satisfaction in hearing of new independent establishments opening […]
Hosting over 80 programs annually, nearly all of which are free and open to the public, Village Preservation programming brings the architectural and cultural history of our neighborhoods to life through tours, lectures, conversations, webinars, and much more. You can revisit many of these programs on Village Preservation’s YouTube channel. Today, we take a look […]
Since its opening to the public in 2009, the High Line has become an irreplaceable New York City landmark. Stretching from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street and 11th Avenue, the elevated park offers residents and visitors sweeping Hudson River views, carefully manicured landscaping, and plenty of places to lounge, sit, people watch, and take in […]
September marks the start of school and the return of busy work routines, as life picks up a more regular rhythm after summer’s pause. It’s no surprise that this busy month is also well-represented in our archives, including those of consisting of historic images, neighborhood histories and oral histories. Part of our extensive collection of online resources, these collections focus […]
Richard Barone’s vision of Greenwich Village began long before he moved here. Growing up in Florida, he was captivated by stories of its bohemian spirit and artistic ferment. That sense of the Village as an almost mythical place was reinforced when he met musician Tiny Tim as a teenager. Both eventual mentor and friend, Tiny […]
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 […]
While the U.S. Constitution, as signed on September 17, 1787, was a groundbreaking leap forward in human history, many were opposed, as they believed it would lead to a loss of individual liberties, a decrease in state sovereignty, and the potential for the rise of tyranny. To address these concerns, Congress drafted twelve amendments to […]
As Director of Research and Preservation here at Village Preservation, a good portion of my time is dedicated to researching historic buildings, of which there is a treasure trove in our neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. While we already know a great deal about the architectural and cultural history of many […]
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain, and in New York City the news quickly electrified both Patriots and Loyalists. Only five days later, on July 9, General George Washington had the Declaration read aloud to his troops assembled at the Commons (today’s City Hall Park). The mood turned fiery: […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Much has changed since the heyday of diners […]
New York is the city of the world. Dozens of languages fill the streets; foods from any corner of the world can be found on any block; and people of all kinds, regardless of nationality, creed, race, gender, or socio-economic background, can and do end up here. It’s a city that thrives off difference, with […]
The Salmagundi Club has championed the visual arts in our neighborhood since its founding in 1871. Created by artists and patrons, the club serves to support painters and art enthusiasts, hosting exhibitions, lectures, painting demonstrations, classes, and auctions. The club moved to its permanent home at 47 Fifth Avenue in 1917, where it has been […]
On September 8, 1998, then-Governor George E. Pataki Signed the Hudson River Park act in law. Approved by the State Legislature in June of that year, this milestone legislation formally designated the waterfront area as a park and established the Hudson River Park Trust to continue the park’s planning, construction, management, and operation. The legislation […]
Contained within 24 colorful and informative pages, Village Preservation’s 2024–2025 Annual Report paints a vivid picture of an organization deeply committed to protecting the architectural and cultural legacy of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, while pushing forward with innovative community educational programs. Advocacy remained central to Village Preservation’s mission over the last year, […]
September is here, and its back to school time! While children across NYC sadly gather their pencils and get their backpacks ready, and parents exuberantly ensure the children are out the door on time, Village Preservation is also gearing up for the start of another school year! For 35 years, Village Preservation’s Children’s Education programs […]
Have you ever had one of those moments where you catch yourself talking about talking about something, and suddenly realize you’ve gone full Inception? Well, welcome to ours. Today, we’re writing a blog post… about our blog. Yes, we know. Very meta. But Off the Grid isn’t just any blog — it’s Village Preservation’s digital […]
The area South of Union Square is where the story of modern American art took shape. From the late 19th century through the 20th, this small area of Greenwich Village and the East Village, stretching roughly from Third to Fifth Avenues and 8th to 14th Street, was home to a stunning array of artists who […]
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 […]
When people think of the East Village, they often think of punk attitudes and political unrest (and for good reason). They don’t necessarily think of religiosity and houses of worship. And that’s unfortunate, because, in fact, the neighborhood has a high concentration of churches that have been built over the past two hundred twenty five-plus […]
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is more than a hospital on East 13th Street and Second Avenue. It is a living monument to innovation, inclusion, and resilience. Founded in 1820 by Drs. Edward Delafield and John Kearny Rodgers, the Infirmary became the first specialty hospital in the Western Hemisphere, setting […]
The East Village’s Art Deco structures may not immediately catch the eye, but at a closer look, they exemplify the many unique and handsome features from within the Art Deco tradition. As a part of Village Preservation’s recently published Art Deco Storymap, we dive into the history and architectural details of the East Village’s Art […]
In April of 1965 the New York City Landmarks Law was approved and took effect. Created to protect the City’s invaluable stock of historic sites, it allows for the preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, and other historic locations through landmark designation. To celebrate the law’s 60th Anniversary, Village Preservation created an interactive Timeline Map, showing the history […]
Standing at the corner of University Place and East 11th Street is Greenwich Village’s historic Hotel Albert, a conglomeration of four buildings built in stages between 1875 and 1924, part of which started off as an apartment complex for respectable clientele and an early example of the then-revolutionary residential concept known as French flats. By […]
When audiences first saw The Seventh Victim following its release on August 21, 1943, they were introduced not only to a chilling mystery centered on a vaguely homoerotic satanic cult in Greenwich Village, in a story that served as a prequel to the successful thriller Cat People, which was released the year before. They also […]
Sills get all the credit. Sitting pretty at the bases of windows, they support what’s above them and provide a ledge for flower pots or a perch for birds. But there’s another architectural element integral to any window, a perhaps lesser-known vocabulary word but one of equal importance: the lintel. Lintels are the load-bearing horizontal […]
It was the summer of 1965; the United States and the USSR were racing to the moon; the U.S. escalated its involvement in the Vietnam war; and years of civil rights protests led to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. The 1960s are often remembered as a time of social upheaval, […]
On August 18, 1970, New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission landmarked the Greek Revival gem at 37 East 4th Street. Often referred to as the Samuel Tredwell Skidmore House, it was constructed 1844-45 by leading businessman Samuel Tredwell Skidmore (1801–1881). Skidmore was a cousin, once removed, of Seabury Tredwell of the Merchant’s House Museum, located […]
In 1925, a Jewish-Polish immigrant named Eve Adams opened a tearoom at 129 MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. The spot quickly became a gathering place for artists, poets, activists, and, most notably, members of the lesbian community. An outspoken lesbian and activist herself, Eve undoubtedly changed the course of queer culture and history in our […]
The New Deal is one of the most consequential presidential achievements in the history of this country. Context matters. The national economy at the time was on the verge of collapse. A third of the workforce was unemployed; panicked withdrawals threatened the viability of banks; soup kitchens had lines that went around the block; half […]
Clara Tice (May 22, 1888 — February 2, 1973) was never one to blend quietly into the background. Dubbed the “Queen of Greenwich Village,” she emerged in the early 20th century as a vivid figure in the bohemian art world. Her short bobbed hair, daring fashions, and provocative illustrations made her a striking emblem of […]
When the Singer Building rose in stages between 1897 and 1908, it briefly crowned the Lower Manhattan skyline with one of the city’s most ornate vertical statements: a richly detailed, slender tower designed for the Singer Sewing Machine Company by the Beaux-Arts architect Ernest Flagg. Less than sixty years later, the tower was intentionally demolished […]
August is often, or ideally, spent soaking up the sun and relaxing by the water. Considered a period of rest before the busy fall season, there are a surprising number of pieces in our archives that come from this quiet month. Our archives include historic images, neighborhood histories and oral histories. Part of our extensive […]
