St. Benedict the Moor Church and the South Village’s Little Africa
St. Benedict the Moor was the first Church for Black Roman Catholics in the North, dedicated on November 18th, 1883 at 210 Bleecker Street. St. Benedict the Moor Church opened in a Greek Revival structure that had been built in 1836 for the First Unitarian Universalist Church. The opening of St. Benedict the Moor was […]
Business of the Month: Andrade Shoe Store, 320 Bleecker Street
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. It is good to walk a mile in […]
Emma Lazarus and the Poem on Lady Liberty’s Pedestal
One of the most beloved features of the Statue of Liberty is the poem inscribed on a bronze plaque inside its pedestal. “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” which appear in the middle of the work, have come to define what the statue has represented for generations. Those words […]
The Public Theater’s Manahatta and the Confluence of Three Nations at Astor Place
The Public Theater is opening a significant new play, Manahatta, by Native attorney, activist, and playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle. It is fitting that this important piece of theatrical literature will be produced on the spot where, 500 years ago, the confluence of three nations, known as “Kintecoying,” was located. The area that is today Southern […]
Decades of Spooky Splendor: Celebrating the Village Halloween Parade
Since 1973, New York City has hosted one of the most extravagant and enchanting Halloween celebrations in the world: the Village Halloween Parade. Its beginnings in the early 1970s were quite humble compared to todays internationally renowned affair, starting as an informal gathering of friends and family brought together by Westbeth Artists Community resident and […]
Retracing the Stories and Homes of Early Village Preservationists
By the time the demolition of McKim, Mead & White’s monumental Penn Station commenced on October 28th, 1963, advocates had been fighting to save the Beaux Arts building for several years. This has often been referenced as the “beginning of the historic preservation movement” in New York City, and while it certainly was a catalyst […]
Remembering the boy bar
In the late 19th century the term “boy bar” referred to what we would now call a “gay bar”. This is not to be confused with the boy bar, which was a bar located at 15 1/2 St. Marks place from the early 1980s to mid 1990s. It was well known for its regular drag […]
South of Union Square: Home of the Abstract Expressionists
The area South of Union Square has drawn artists into its corridors for many decades. From social realist painters of the early twentieth century to contemporary practitioners, this section of the Village maintains a rich history of creative minds who felt called to challenge the status quo of the art world that surrounded them, many […]
Patricia Field’s Village Shops
Costume designer and fashion icon Patricia Field is best known for, among other accomplishments, her work on the television show Sex and the City. For decades, Field also operated a boutique in Greenwich Village that became a fashion mecca, and font of downtown energy and creativity. After graduating from New York University in 1963, Field […]
Fall Auction: A First for Village Preservation
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 […]
The Clay Club: Shaping Sculptural Legacies in Greenwich Village
While many are aware of the Whitney Museum’s modest origins as a studio club of artist and collector Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, fewer know that only a few feet away from Whitney’s original studio lay another artist club that would also evolve into a long-standing New York art institution. Known today as the SculptureCenter, the Clay […]
Celebrating Shirley Hayes, Village Activist
“You can help save Washington Square Park. Robert Moses can be stopped. A handful of women did it in Central Park. The bird watchers did it in Central Park. The Washington Square Park Committee has helped hold back the steamrollers in Washington Square Park for six years. BUT an all out effort must be made […]
The Mayor from, and of, the South Village: Fiorello LaGuardia
Fiorello (Italian for ‘Little Flower’) LaGuardia is remembered today as one of New York City’s greatest mayors. A progressive who guided New Yorkers through the Depression and World War II, he was the first Mayor to serve three terms, and the first of either Italian or Jewish descent. It was LaGuardia’s achievements as mayor, and his birth in the South Village, that prompted the Friends of LaGuardia to commemorate LaGuardia with a statue on October 19, 1994.
The Legacy of The Brownies’ Book
On October 10, 2023, Chronicle Books published The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families. It’s an anthology assembled by Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer that combines the work of more than 50 contemporary Black artists and writers with selections published over a century ago from the original Brownies’ Book. Published by […]
Welcome Aboard, Sandra Pomeleo-Fowler
Today we welcome Sandra Pomeleo-Fowler as our new Development Associate. Sandra is excited to be joining Village Preservation, and looks forward to supporting and working with our dedicated member community. Sandra is originally from Dripping Springs, Texas. Growing up in the country sparked her interest in how people make their homes and livelihoods off of the land, […]
NoHo’s Original Superstore: From Wanamaker’s to Wegmans
During the years 1903 to 1907, construction was underway for an imposing steel frame structure located on the block bounded by Broadway, Fourth Avenue, and East 8th and 9th Streets. A second phase of construction occurred in 1924 to subsume the “Jones Building,” an existing nine-story commercial building at the northeast corner of Broadway and […]
The Modernist Jewelry Studios of Greenwich Village
After World War II, the U.S. saw the rise of modernist jewelry: handcrafted jewelry inspired by Cubism, Surrealism and Constructivism. There were two hubs of this movement: San Francisco, which was the home of the Metal Arts Guild, and Greenwich Village. Some of the most noteworthy jewelry designers were people of color, immigrants, and women, […]
Hidden in Plain Sight: Named Buildings Edition
This is the first entry in our new blog series, “Hidden in Plain Sight,” which 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. Every building in Greenwich […]
A History of Protest and the Marjorie Zien Collection
Greenwich Village resident and photographer Marjorie Zien has spent the last several decades chronicling life in her neighborhood and city. In 2021 she donated a collection of photos to Village Preservation taken throughout our neighborhoods in the aftermath of 9/11. In 2023 she donated to us a new collection of photos, which you can view […]
South of Union Square: Where Bowlmor Lanes Began
Bowlmor Lanes was opened at 110 University Place by Nick Gianos in 1938, at the beginning of what has been referred to as the “Golden Age of Bowling”. During this time, roughly the 1940s through 1960s, the popularity of the sport exploded with the introduction of the automatic pinsetter. From the beginning, Bowlmor Lanes was […]
Architect and Artist: The Rigid Le Corbusier Colored Outside the Lines in Greenwich Village
A city “utterly devoid of harmony” — that is how the controversial Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, described New York without actually having ever visited when he made this statement. Le Corbusier would eventually come to New York for the first time in 1935, and didn’t change his mind. There is […]
Business of the Month: Unregular Pizza, 135 4th Avenue
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. Eating of the forbidden fruit separated us from […]
The Artists of the Greenwich Village Historic District
Greenwich Village has long been a mecca for artists and artistic endeavors. For over a century and a half, the neighborhood has fostered creative energy thanks in part to its charming streets, frequent interactions on those pathways between neighbors and fellow creators, a unique and strong sense of community, and (at times) cheap rents that […]
The Italian Cafés of the South Village
October is Italian American History and Heritage month, and it is impossible to deny the influence that Italian culture and immigration has had on our neighborhoods. This is especially true in the South Village, an area which in the early 1900s was a predominantly Italian neighborhood, and one near and dear to Village Preservation’s heart, […]
Edwin Fancher, Co-Founder of The Village Voice
Edwin Fancher (August 29, 1923 – September 29, 2023) was a co-founder and part-owner of The Village Voice, along with partners Dan Wolf and Norman Mailer, from the 1950s until the 1970s. The Voice functioned as a local alternative newspaper for Greenwich Village (and by extension for New York City) and as an important national arbiter of “hip” […]
354 West 11th Street: An Exemplar of Greek Revival Architecture
If you ever find yourself taking a stroll in the far West Village (and I highly recommend you do), follow West 11th Street almost as far as the West Side Highway and Hudson River, and you will stumble upon a special reminder of the area’s history. The residential building at 354 West 11th Street, located […]
Hip-Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 6: Fab 5 Freddy
Hip Hop at 50This is the sixth in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip Hop’s early days in our neighborhoods and introduces some of the instrumental figures in the downtown world of Hip Hop. You can also explore our […]
The Forgotten Fifth Avenue South of Washington Square Park
If New York City streets had their own royal court, Broadway would be the old king and Fifth Avenue would be its fabulous queen. Just saying Fifth Avenue evokes glamour, iconic stores, incredible museums, and beautiful parks. Beginning here in Greenwich Village at the entrance of Washington Square Park, Fifth Avenue passes the Flatiron Building, […]
The Art and Archives of the American Indian Community House
The American Indian Community House (AICH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of Native Americans living in New York City. With a mission to enhance the well-being of Native Americans and promote intercultural understanding, the AICH offered a range of services, including substance abuse counseling, HIV support, career assistance, and visual and […]
Meet the Fall 2023 Interns!
Village Preservation’s team is a strong one – we’re lucky to have a group of interns who are looking to gain experience in historic preservation in a non-profit environment. We usually have one or two new interns at a time, but this September we are excited to welcome five amazing new interns to the team! Not […]
Dorothy Canning Miller: Champion of Abstract Expressionism
”Congratulations, Dorothy, you’ve done it again. They all hate it.” So said Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art, to Dorothy Canning Miller, its first professionally trained curator, about the reaction to her exhibition “Americans 1942,” a show of 18 emerging artists that appalled both art critics and museum […]
Before Baldwin: The Writings of Richard Bruce Nugent
The African American literary critic and professor Henry Louis Gates once stated that the Harlem Renaissance was “surely as gay as it was Black, not that it was exclusively either of these.” This era witnessed the significant contributions of numerous queer black artists, performers, and literary figures, firmly intertwining queerness with the Harlem Renaissance’s legacy. […]
Hispanic Heritage in the East Village: A Walk through Loisaida
The East Village has for decades been one of New York City’s most vital Hispanic enclaves, and a thriving hub of latin culture. One need only look at Avenue C’s official designation since 1987, “Loisaida,” to get a sense of the Latin-American footprint in the neighborhood. The term “Loisaida,” a phonetic transliteration of the Spanish […]
Hudson River Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary
We have gratefully reached that point in September in New York City when the weather is close to flawless, with clear blue skies, moderate temperatures, and a light westerly breeze. A respite from the humidity of August and a welcome reminder that fall approaches, it is also a great time to reflect on one of […]
Movie Palace, Music Hall, Dance Club: the Many Lives of the Palladium
In 1926, the Academy of Music opened at 126 East 14th street. Although called the Academy of Music, the building was primarily a cinema, and a particularly grand one at that, named for the previously existing Academy of Music opera house which had been located across the street, and had closed earlier that year. For […]
Jewish, Hispanic, and Historic Preservationist: the Maritime Pioneers of Greenwich Village
New York is an immigrant city. It has concentrated populations of various immigrant groups making it the largest city in the world for many groups, or sometimes the largest outside of their countries of origin. New York has the largest Jewish population of any city in the world, and at 30% of its population, New […]
Business of the Month: Fountain House + Body, 105 Thompson Street — MOVED to 698 10th Avenue
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. The practice of cleanliness is already an act […]
Hip Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 5: Negril Nightclub
Hip Hop at 50This is the fifth in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip Hop’s early days in our neighborhoods and introduces some of the instrumental figures in the downtown world of Hip Hop. Negril Nightclub: 181 2nd Avenue […]
Social Realism in Greenwich Village: The Work of Ben Shahn
Ben Shahn (September 12, 1898 – March 14, 1969) is one of those artists whose work is familiar even to people who may not know his name. For many, he is the quintessential political artist; a classic Social Realist who first gained recognition for the series of 23 paintings he did in the early 1930s,The […]
Tribute in Light
Since September 11, 2003, twin pillars of light have pierced the Lower Manhattan sky from dusk to dawn each year, briefly reverting our skyline to an impression of its previous self. First implemented as a months-long temporary art installation in early 2002 to commemorate the September 11th attacks, Tribute in Light was reinstalled on the […]
A Life Devoted to Greenwich Village Street Scenes: The Paintings of Alfred Mira
The painter Alfred Mira (1900 – 1981) was born into an Italian immigrant family and grew up Greenwich Village. His father worked as a carpenter, but young Mira had dreams of becoming an artist. His family couldn’t afford the 50 cent daily tuition for art school, so Mira took a job at an interior decorator […]
The Lives of Writers #SouthOfUnionSquare
Today we’re celebrating the accomplishments of some historic writers and authors who made their mark in the neighborhood South of Union Square. Writing is one of the many creative professions that has thrived in this district (one that has yet to be recognized and protected by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but you can help preserve […]
Second Avenue Station: The Hub that Never Was
When it first opened in 1936, the Second Avenue station was supposed to become a hub for the subway system. Today, the station, located at Houston street and Second Avenue, though mammoth and meandering, feels almost unnecessary. It provides no subway transfers, and exists in close proximity to other stations along the same line. Notably, […]
Welcome Aboard, William Roka
Today we welcome aboard William Roka (pronouns: he/him) as Village Preservation’s new Director of Programs. William brings a wealth of experience working at museums and education non-profits, with a stint in the tech world. As the South Street Seaport Museum’s public programs manager and historian, he played a critical role in helping the museum recover […]
Ken Had a Dreamhouse, Too — In Greenwich Village
The recent renaissance of all things Barbie, engendered by the blockbuster film by Villager Greta Gerwig and her partner and co-writer, Noah Baumbach, caused us to wonder: of all the careers Barbie had and all the places she lived, did she ever find herself living or working in our neighborhoods? Lo and behold, we were […]
The Biggest Mural in NYC, On View, For Now, at City-As-School
“I always hope my art inspires people to be nice human beings.” says artist Magda Love. “The world is really fucked up; so if you have the power to create something positive and make people feel good, why not?” As luck would have it, Love does have that power, and she has deployed it, alongside […]
Alfonso Ossorio: Artist, Collector, Congregator
Alfonso Angel Yangco Ossorio was a Filipino-American Greenwich Village-based artist and collector with a quasi-religious devotion to the art world. An intense, synthesizing artist in his own right, Ossorio created a unique style that merged otherwise disparate, contemporary movements in the Post-war era, while playing a key role in launching the careers and serving as […]
Ghost Signs Abound in Our Historic Image Archive
A year or two into my career as a historic preservationist, I was accused (in good humor) of being a warden of “the ephemera of New York.” I tended toward a particular interest in protecting the seemingly minor and often transient aspects of our built environment: attributes such as vault lights, sidewalk grates, and paving, […]
Hip Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 4: Fun Gallery
This is the fourth in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip Hop’s early days in our neighborhoods and introduces some of the instrumental figures in the downtown world of Hip Hop.
Gordon Bunshaft: the Godfather of Corporate Modernism, in Greenwich Village
Architect Gordon Bunshaft (May 9, 1909 – August 6, 1990) is credited with creating the style of corporate modernism that defined office tower, bank, and even apartment building construction (at least in New York City) in the the second half of the 20th century. Described as someone who “behaved like a titan of industry, a […]
Small Businesses in the Historic Image Archive
Linda Yowell, architect and preservationist, recently donated a wide assortment of photos to Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive, covering the 1970s through the late 1990s. Among them are images of small businesses that Yowell, who has also been a Village Preservation trustee since 1998, captured during that period. Some of the stores have long since […]
The Antique Business District South of Union Square: Seidenberg Antiques, 36 East 12th Street
The area South of Union Square was once the antique center of the country. During the second half of the 20th century, dozens of freight trucks would converge in the neighborhood every weekday to replenish the inventory of antiques stores, even as dealers and decorators would descend on those stores ready to deplete them. The […]
Hip Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 3: Webster Hall
Hip-Hop at 50This is the third in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip Hop’s early days in our neighborhoods and introduces some of the instrumental figures in the downtown world of Hip Hop. The Ritz Party @ Webster Hall, […]
Welcome Aboard, Chloe Gregoire
Today we welcome Chloe Gregoire aboard as our new Research and Preservation Associate (pronouns: she/her). Chloe has been an intern at Village Preservation since September of 2022. In that role, she has assisted on various research projects, including helping to establish a timeline and other details about small businesses in the West Village. She has […]
Chic’s “Good Times” Reverberates Across the Village, and the World
The song “Good Times” by disco-funk band Chic is more than just a catchy tune that encapsulates the carefree party spirit of the late 1970s. Ranked number 68 on the list of all time great songs of the rock era by Rolling Stone magazine, it not only epitomized the disco era, but quite quickly helped […]
Thrift Store Round-Up!
Here at Village Preservation, our love of preserving history and adaptive reuse extends beyond buildings to all manner of objects and materials that came before us. Luckily, our area is full of small businesses that share that same environmentally-conscious philosophy. We’ve previously shared some of our favorite thrift stores, and today we’re rounding up even […]
The Linda Yowell Image Collection: Capturing the West Village’s Charm and Evolution Over the Decades
Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive is a treasure trove of photographs that display the visual history of our changing neighborhoods and notable New York City landmarks and sites. We are fortunate to have recently added to that a collection of images from Linda Yowell, a longtime Village Preservation Trustee, valued chair of our Preservation Committee, […]
Hip Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 2: NoHo Edition
Hip Hop at 50This is the second in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip Hop’s early days in our neighborhoods and introduces some of the instrumental figures in the downtown world of Hip Hop. The Museum […]
Historic Block Slated for Demolition
In August 2023 news broke that a row of six historic buildings on 3rd Avenue south of Union Square were scheduled for demolition. 50-52, 56, 58, 60, and 64 3rd Avenue comprise almost the entire block between 10th and 11th Streets. Dates of construction of the buildings date from the early 19th to the turn […]
Filomena: the thirteen-year-old martyred virgin once celebrated in the South Village
The veneration of a martyred-thirteen-year old virgin once brought residents of the South Village together in celebration every August 11th. A special mass would kick off the event, which was anchored at the intersection of Sullivan Street and West Houston by a tall, papier-mâché tower atop which stood a statue of the martyr and a […]
The Founding Sisters of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
The Smithsonian Institution is a treasured facet of American culture, founded by the U.S. government on August 10, 1846 “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The Smithsonian is the largest complex of museums, education centers, and research institutes in the world. While its main branch may be situated on the Mall in Washington D.C. […]
Hip Hop’s 2nd Birthplace: Greenwich Village & the East Village
Hip Hop at 50This is the first in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip Hop’s early days in our neighborhoods and introduces some of the instrumental figures in the downtown world of Hip Hop. While the […]
Beyond the Village and Back: The Queens Museum
Opened in 1972 as the Queens County Art and Cultural Center, the Queens Museum stands in the midst of busy Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in a building as old as the park itself, when it was created out of the Flushing River wetlands, garbage dump, and ash heap that had been located here (immortalized by F. […]
SoHo’s Cast Iron Landmarks: 1969 and Today
Edward LaGrassa was an architecture student in 1969 when he photographed hundreds of cast iron buildings and structures, largely in SoHo and Tribeca, but also in Harlem and Upper Manhattan. He took the pictures for a school project, and luckily, the negatives were scanned and donated to Village Preservation, becoming the stunning “Edward LaGrassa’s Cast […]
Time Traveling with The Villager
It is well known that newspapers were once the place to go for everything: international news, an apartment, weekend plans, and maybe even a date. They might no longer play quite so central a role in our lives, but for anyone interested in historical research, they’re still one of the best resources out there. Finding […]
Business of the Month: D.L. Cerney, 324 East 9th Street
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. A hobby is a nice thing to have. […]
The Strange Case of Seventh Avenue South
One of the best things about walking around our neighborhoods is the delight in looking up and discovering a beautiful or unique feature of a building. You can traverse the same street a thousand times, and on the thousand-and-first pass, a stone detail or a colorful window sill that you’ve never noticed before might catch […]
Expanding Preservation Under Beverly Moss Spatt, Part II
Beverly Moss Spatt (1924-2023) was a leading figure in New York City planning and preservation for over fifty years. She served on the City Planning Commission from 1966-1970 and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) from 1974-1982, where she was the first woman chair from 1974-1978. During her tenure leading the agency, so many important […]
The Guerilla Gardeners of El Sol Brillante
As we’ve previously covered, the East Village in the 1970s was a far cry from the neighborhood we know today. But amidst the chaos of city negligence, architectural deterioration, and needless destruction, community members rose up to reclaim and rebuild their neighborhood with a new vision. The roots of that vision took hold and continues […]
59 Fifth Avenue and a Century of Philanthropic and Cultural Leaders in NYC
On July 28, 2020, Village Preservation sent a long and comprehensive letter to Sarah Carroll, chair of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, asking the agency to preserve historic 59 Fifth Avenue, as part of our proposed South of Union Square Historic District. As of yet, the LPC has taken no action on preserving the building […]
Alfred Leslie: Abstraction, the Beats, & Eternal Transformation #SouthOfUnionSquare
“Working as an artist on the Lower East Side in the late Forties and early Fifties wasn’t always easy, as Alfred Leslie can tell you. He once received a visit from the police, who asked him what he was doing in a huge, dark loft, with only a flickering lamp to see by. ‘I’m an […]
Jean Shepherd: Village Raconteur
Jean Shepherd (July 26, 1921 – October 16, 1999) is probably best known as the voice of the beloved and relatively new holiday classic, A Christmas Story. But he was a very regular presence on the radio waves in the 1950s and 60s thanks to his program that aired on WOR Radio. While his tales […]
