The Greenwich Village Historic District literally oozes with charm; so much so, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a top-10 list. But with no insult to sites not included, here is one run at the 10 most charming sites you’ll find in this extraordinarily quaint historic quarter–from good-old classics like the famous stretch of brick […]
On January 16, 2014, GVSHP sent a letter to the then-chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Robert Tierney calling for landmark designation of the Stonewall Inn.
Ah, springtime in New York City. Tulips and daffodils fill our parks, people pour into the streets to enjoy the sunshine, and, of course, GVSHP produces the Annual Spring House Tour Benefit! One of our most anticipated events of the year, the House Tour allows tour-goers to walk through spectacular Village homes, all while raising […]
On March 5, 1967, a rather unusual new arrival made its way to the West Village from way uptown. Decades later, it’s hard to imagine the Village without it. It would be a vast understatement to say that the house currently located at 121 Charles Street is a unique building with a complicated history. Based […]
On January 4, 2017, GVSHP released its report cataloging for the first time in one place all new buildings approved by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in the Greenwich Village Historic District since its designation in 1969 — click HERE to see the report. It’s been updated since its release and to date, we have […]
On January 3, 2017, GVSHP launched our Civil Rights and Social Justice Map. Something in the air told us there might be a hunger and need for this kind of information. But even we would not have guessed that the map would receive over 70,000 views in that time, with its praises sung in BrickUnderground, […]
On this date in 2016, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to designate the final piece of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District, an incredibly important part of our rich history. After a hard-fought, ten-year campaign led by GVSHP, three new historic districts were created including the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II in 2010, the South Village Historic District in 2013, […]
Last week I took a break from my normal duties as GVSHP’s Director of Research and Preservation and led about forty people on a tour of Bleecker Street as part of the #ShopBleecker initiative of the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce. I confess that I was a bit nervous as this role of tour […]
This piece was originally posted in 2014 These beautiful late summer days have got us thinking about sun and sky. Which has us thinking about that most iconic of Village architectural features, the artist’s studio. So we thought we’d use the occasion of these warm August days to conduct a brief survey of some of […]
On August 2nd, 1967, MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens was designated a New York City historic district. These 22 homes surround a beautiful private garden oasis, and this was one of the first historic districts to be designated in our area, prior to even the Greenwich Village Historic District in 1969 (only the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District was designated earlier, […]
EXPLORE SIX STATELY GREENWICH VILLAGE HOMES ON THE 19TH ANNUAL SPRING HOUSE TOUR BENEFIT
Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Drew Durniak Map of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click to enlarge. On April 29th, 1969, Mayor John Lindsay was still smarting from the botched cleanup of the February 1969 snowstorm, The 5th Dimension was at the top of the pop charts with […]
Ten years ago today, a chimney at 86 Bedford Street separated from an interior wall and collapsed into the world-famous Chumley’s bar. Chumley’s would never be the same again. The bar (now a restaurant) did recently reopen, in October 2016. According to Architectural Digest, it was updated to “evoke the 1920s glamour of New York’s […]
GVSHP has now made available on our website a classic preservation and architectural history resource — the booklet Nineteenth Century Dwelling Houses of Greenwich Village produced by the Association of Village Homeowners in 1968 and reprinted in 1969. You can view it here. The Association of Village Homeowners was a community group founded in 1960 in response […]
When we think of a typical historic neighborhood, what do we picture? Brick or stone buildings, to be sure. Tree-lined streets, maybe. But more often than not, I bet your mind turns to the streets themselves – paved, not in modern concrete, but with cobblestones. (Or, more precisely, stone blocks. But we’ll deal with that […]
Greenwich Village has been a hot-bed for creative theatrical minds since at least the beginnings of the 20th century. In fact, among the most important of the movements in American theater were nurtured right in the heart of the Village.
Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Drew Durniak Map of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click to enlarge. On April 29th, 1969, mayor John Lindsay was still smarting from the botched cleanup of the February 1969 snowstorm, The 5th Dimension was at the top of the pop charts with […]
Today marks the two year passing of folk music legend Pete Seeger. Seeger was an influential singer, songwriter, and civil rights and anti-war activist. Seeger also founded a nonprofit environmental organization in 1969, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, to advocate for the environmental clean up of the Hudson River. Like many artists, Seeger had a strong connection […]
On Wednesday, September 9, a bill will be introduced to the City Council that, if approved, will deal a devastating blow to the cause of historic preservation. The bill, Intro 775, would impose strict, unfair deadlines and rigid timeframes to the landmarks application process, potentially enabling the demolition of historically or culturally significant properties. This […]
Aaron Hill, a dedicated Greenwich Village resident and New School Assistant Professor of Data Visualization, has compiled an interesting new map for GVSHP. This interactive map is sortable by the height and age of every building in the Greenwich Village Historic District. The map also provides the date built, square footage, number of units, number of […]
Stonewall was designated an individual landmark on June 23, 2015. Since then, people have asked us why, if the building was already located in a designated historic district, was the “double landmarking” necessary?
Long-time Off the Grid readers will remember the stir that was caused last summer when an ill-informed real estate listing described the property at 121 Charles Street as a development site. GVSHP was quick to let people know that the property’s location in the Greenwich Village Historic District meant that any proposed work would require […]
The organic food movement is no longer just a trend, but a necessity for many consumers — as evidenced by the long lines endured at grocery stores such as Whole Foods or Traders Joe’s, and the growth of farm-to-table restaurants opening around the city. Although many grocery businesses have expanded their supply of produce to […]
We’re just under two weeks away from our annual house tour. We hope you’ll be joining us! Six Village townhouses will be opening their doors to help benefit the work of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Tickets can be purchased here. One of the homes on this year’s tour has a special connection […]
Tax Day may not be our favorite day of the year. But it bears an important connection to one of our favorite Far West Village landmarks. Before the U.S. Income Tax was enacted in 1913, the majority of the Federal budget drew its support from custom duties, largely on tariffs from goods imported through U.S. […]
We’re excited to announce that individual tickets for our 17th annual house tour are now available for purchase! There are a number of different types; scroll to the bottom of the page to buy individual tickets. As we gear up for the big day on Sunday, May 3rd, we wanted to share some fun bits […]
It seems like there are countless mentions on the Internet of the apartment building in which Monica, Rachel, Chandler, and Joey lived on “Friends,” the hit show that ran from 1994-2004. Even we here on Off the Grid wrote about it and several other locations. In that post we also mentioned that, in addition to […]
Happy birthday to the Manhattan Street Grid! Hailed by many historians as “the single most important document in New York City’s development,” the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811, better known as the original Manhattan Street Grid, was adopted on March 22, 1811! Well before Google Maps navigated our way through the city, the Grid was there […]
Valentine’s Day is almost here with almost no time left to waste! Due to the predicted below-freezing temperatures for this weekend, we’ve posted a last-minute sample list of local Village businesses that may be able to cover your flower and candy needs, featuring a sneak preview of photos from happy customers posted on Instagram: Sunny’s Florist Location: […]
In celebration of Black History Month, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation will host several public programs this month with specific focus on the history of the African-American community in Greenwich Village. On Monday, February 9, archivist David Pultz will give an illustrated lecture at the First Presbyterian Church on the unique history of the former […]
On April 19, 1965 that the New York City Landmarks Law went into effect. GVSHP and many other organizations are celebrating this 50th anniversary all year long. Visit the website of NYC Landmarks 50 to see more. We have written in the past here on Off the Grid about the demolition of the original Penn […]
As a student of architectural history at NYU and having lived in New York for the past four years, it is still such a delight to be able to walk around and see such an eclectic mix of buildings in the same neighborhood; to see the old and the new nestled together either in congruent […]
Much of the Village Voice from the 1950s to the mid-2000s is available to view online via a Google digitization project. The huge trove of scanned newspapers helps reveal the changes that have occurred over fifty years to the architecture of the neighborhood, to music and culture, to local businesses, to politics, to the concerns […]
Though a rare surviving architectural element today, the tearoom (also known as a back porch or tea porch) was an original feature of Greek Revival rowhouses throughout New York City in the 1840s and 1850s. Constructed of wood, tearooms were located at the rear of brick houses and faced the gardens. If you’re familiar with […]
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we thought that we should share a brief history of the original New Yorkers, the Lenape. When the Dutch arrived in New York in 1624, there were approximately 15,000 Lenape Indians living on Manhatta, translated as “the island of many hills.” It was later renamed by the Dutch “Manhattan.” Although […]
By now, many of you have heard about the controversy over the little house at 121 Charles Street, at the corner of Greenwich Street. If you haven’t, ERG Property Advisors listed the house for sale as a development site for “a developer or user to execute a wide variety of potential visions, from boutique condominiums, […]
After a nearly half-century wait, last week the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission finally voted to approve landmark status for the 150-year old religious building located at 334 East 14th Street, now the Tifereth Israel Town & Village Synagogue, and prior to that a German Baptist and a Ukrainian Autocephalic Church. Ironically, the Commission’s decision was followed soon […]
Earlier this month the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approved a revised design for a new building at 192 7th Avenue South, corner of West 11th Street. It will replace a one-story structure. This is the second of two new buildings that the LPC has approved on 7th Avenue South this past year, no. 130 being […]
These beautiful late summer days have got us thinking about sun and sky. Which has us thinking about that most iconic of Village architectural features, the artist’s studio. So we thought we’d use the occasion of these warm August days to conduct a brief survey of some of our favorite artist’s studio windows in the […]
Much has been said lately about the potential sale of 121 Charles Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District. This summer, members of the Glass family (owners of the house for nearly a century when it was located on York Avenue) contacted us about their concern for the house’s future. They also sent us some […]
The freestanding house at 121 Charles Street has been in the limelight the last few weeks. The home is currently on the market and the listing notes that the home is “the best development opportunity currently available in Manhattan.” While the press has explored a lot of angles on the home and its real estate […]
Forty-five years ago today, mayor John Lindsay was still smarting from the botched cleanup of the February 1969 snowstorm, The 5th Dimension was at the top of the pop charts with Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, and the newly created Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Greenwich Village Historic District. It also produced a historic district […]
At 293 and 297 West 4th Street, between Bank and West 11th Streets in the Greenwich Village Historic District, sit two new townhouses that, at first glance, look like three. The façade of no. 293 was designed to resemble two three-bay wide rowhouses that are prevalent in the neighborhood, but in actuality it is one […]
“Yeah, yeah, yeah” – as the New York Times wrote in February 1964 – it was in fact February 7, 1964 that the Beatles arrived for the very first time on our shores. Landing first in New York, the four lads from Liverpool made their historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance two days later. With most […]
Happy New Year! And what better way to kick off a brand new year than by sharing one of our favorite series with you: Then & Now. Let’s turn the clock back almost 100 years ago to a time when bohemians roamed the Village. Until the early 1920s, the buildings around Sheridan Square were a […]
Today we thought we’d feature a few designs by the late 19th century architecture firm of D. & J. Jardine. A prolific firm in New York City in general, the work of D. & J. Jardine can also be found in five historic districts and at one individual landmark between Houston and 14th Streets. Brothers […]
Mr. Mayor, don’t forget the Landmarks Preservation Commission! Amid lobbying on higher-profile issues like stop-and-frisk, public schools, economic inequality and even animal cruelty, the mayor elected Tuesday may not have shaping one of the smallest mayoral agencies atop his list of to-do’s. Yet implementing a couple of relatively easy, thoughtful changes could improve operations of […]
MacDougal Alley is one of those hidden enclaves of Greenwich Village that many passersby may not notice, but if they do they are treated to a wonderful piece of city history. Many of the residences here were former stables built beginning in 1833 when the alley was formally created as a private court to serve […]
On West 13th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues stands a parking garage on the very edge of the Greenwich Village Historic District. It happened to catch my eye one day as I was walking by so I thought I’d learn more about its history. As it turns out, the building began as a furniture […]
While Bil Baird may not be a household name today, his legacy lives on across the globe through a famous scene in the 1965 movie, The Sound of Music. Baird, a master puppeteer, produced and performed “The Lonely Goatherd” (above) with his wife Cora and their band of marionettes. With a little movie magic, however, […]
If you’re ever strolling along Sixth Avenue near the West 4th Street subway station – perhaps you are on your way to Washington Square Park, or going to get “a slice” – you might pass a small spot of trees just on the uptown side of the basketball courts. Slow down! I urge you to […]
A new application for storefront work at a gas station on the corner of Eighth Avenue and 13th Street has us reaching into the GVSHP files today on Off the Grid; below is a “Then & Now” post written by former GVSHP staffer Dana Schulz about another gas station site in the Village. The odd, […]
In just a week and a half, GVSHP will hold our 15th Annual Benefit House Tour. There’s still time to buy tickets to see six beautiful private homes in the Village on Sunday, May 5th. The benefit is our biggest annual fundraiser, and the proceeds help us provide free educational events throughout the year as […]
A familiar site to New Yorkers and visitors alike, the charming Washington Mews sits just one block north of Washington Square Park. There are a few street names in New York with the word “mews” attached; this indicates that many, if not all, buildings were originally developed as small-scale horse stables for nearby townhouses. These […]
This Sunday, the Season 6 premiere of Mad Men will transport us back to late 1960s New York. Along with the characters’ backgrounds, props, and costumes, locations play a big part in shaping the tone of the show as it moves through one of the 20th century’s most storied decades. Set primarily in the corporate […]
For most, lower Fifth Avenue conjures up images of grand early to mid-20th century apartment houses that guide the eye towards Washington Square Arch, the gateway to one of the city’s most fabled parks. But before these buildings were constructed, the base of Fifth Avenue actually resembled the small-scale row house streetscapes of much of […]
March is Women’s History Month; the month-long celebration highlights the accomplishments of women in various fields throughout our history. With so much to choose from in New York City alone, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has put together a slideshow of designated landmarks with 19th and 20th century connections to women in the field of […]
Last week the design team behind the AIDS Memorial in St. Vincent’s Park presented some design changes at a public meeting held at the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Off the Grid has been covering this story as it’s gone through the public review process. We thought we would update you on this memorial designed to […]
The snow is coming down here in New York City, so why not grab a cup of hot chocolate and read up on a Village landmark with us at Off the Grid? Today we’d like to feature the seven-story building at 30 Christopher Street. One of our readers wanted to learn more about this building’s […]
This image from the GVSHP Archive features an idyllic view of people gathering on the sidewalk outside of First Presbyterian Church in winter. The image is taken at 12th Street and Fifth Avenue, looking south. Indeed, the Church of the Ascension, at 10th Street, is visible as well.
Do you remember the fake ivy saga involving the storefront of 47 West 8th Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District? It first came to our attention in early 2010 when we noticed the property had violated the Landmarks Law by not filing for a Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) application before it made […]
We hope you have weathered the hurricane as best as possible. Our office is still closed due to power outages that have affected most buildings south of 31st Street, but we thought we’d share some of our visual resources we have for you on the site: photos and maps. This seems to be a theme […]
Walking west along Charles Street, it is hard to imagine that the area bounded by West 4th, Bleecker, and Perry Streets was still rural until the mid-1860s. At the center of this property was the former estate of Sir Peter Warren. The Warren estate survived on this site, although altered in form, until the mid-1860s. […]
To those who had grown accustomed to keeping time by glancing at the four-faced clock on the grand tower of the Jefferson Market Library, the past several years have been an adjustment, to say the least. Today, however, we are delighted to share that the much-needed rehabilitation of this beloved city landmark has been completed […]
Though nineteenth and early twentieth century townhouses and tenements seem to dominate the East and West Villages, the neighborhoods do house their share of Modern architecture. Mid-century creations like Silver Towers, the O’Toole Building, and the Burger-Klein building, among others, brashly distinguish themselves from the surrounding neighborhood via their materials, scale, and unique design. Some […]
An astute reader managed to guess the location of this week’s Spot the Shot: the adorable townhouse at 48 East 10th Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues. The aqua-colored vespa matches the shutters and is always parked in front, even on Google street view: We’ve always been a little enamored with this charming house, and […]
