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Tag: South Village

History’s Mysteries: Ghost Sign on East 6th Street

Talk about 6 degrees of separation!  A half-    painted over, fading ghost sign (old hand painted advertisement) on a wall of a tenement building at 620 East 6th Street has more random connections than Kevin Bacon. If you’re curious to find out how an old ad on a wall on East 6th Street is connected to “The […]

Firehouse Facelift Finally Revealed

It was big news last year that Anderson Cooper purchased the historic firehouse at 84 West 3rd Street in the South Village with intentions to turn the building into a private home.  The sale came in the midst of GVSHP’s campaign to gain landmark protections for the building (the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission refused to […]

South Village Building Damaged by Fire

At 2 AM this morning, a beautiful South Village building caught fire, resulting in a three-alarm fire that injured 10 firefighters and 1 civilian woman, sending all to the hospital.  It took 140 firefighters over two hours to get the fire, which started in the basement and made its way all the way up the […]

Iron in the Sky

One facet of the streetscapes that we encounter each day but may not give much thought to are the fire escapes that weave their way up the facades of so many neighborhood buildings. If you just look up throughout the Village, you’ll be treated to both dainty floral flourishes and rusting utilitarian forms. Whether intricate […]

Recladding & Reevaluating

Like all other applications for work on landmarked properties in Greenwich Village, GVSHP has been keeping tabs on the progress of the recently-approved plans to re-clad the large mid-century white-brick apartment building at 2 Fifth Avenue, just north Washington Square Park. Although decidedly more modern than the historic nineteenth century townhouses in the area, the […]

Happy Bastille Day!

We know that you all know it’s Bastille Day, but did you know that the South Village once had a large and lively French community?  The 1880 U.S. census showed that a large number of French immigrants were, at this time, living on the streets south of Washington Square and as far east as Broadway.  […]

In Memoriam: The Big Man

On Saturday, at the age of 69, Clarence Clemons, aka the Big Man, passed away in Palm Beach, Florida.   Known best for his role as the unbelievably talented saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Clemons’ passing has brought sadness to so many.

Young in Age, but Not in Spirit: 2011 Village Awardee

  Over the many years GVSHP has presented the Village Awards, awardees have often been praised for their longevity. Though in rare cases, a newly established organization or business will stand out as a worthy recipient. Such is the case for the Le Poisson Rouge, which opened in 2008 and is thus a relative newcomer […]

Who ya gonna call?! Happy anniversary Ghostbusters

This is an updated version of a post from 2011. The Washington Square Ghost! That’s right folks, we’re talking about Ghostbusters! Today marks the anniversary of the release of the classic film, which spawned a sequel, two animated television series, and a 2016 reboot. When released, the film was the most successful comedy in film […]

    Happy 70th Birthday to the One & Only Bob Dylan!

    On May 24, 1941 a baby named Robert Allen Zimmerman was born in Duluth, Minnesota.  Twenty years later, going by Bob Dylan in homage to one of his influences Dylan Thomas, he arrived in Greenwich Village in hopes of meeting his hero Woodie Guthrie.  Within four months Bob Dylan had booked his first professional gig […]

    In Memoriam: Doric Wilson

    On May 7, 2011, at the age of 72, Doric Wilson passed away, bestowing immense sadness on the Village and beyond. Doric was a rare gem who wore many hats, tipping them successfully with each role he played.  One of the original pioneers of Off-Off-Broadway, Mr. Wilson was a playwright, director, producer, designer, critic, and […]

    18 & 20 Jones Street

    Much fuss has been made of the news that the adjacent “sister” houses at 18 & 20 Jones Street are both currently on the market. We’re curious to see if these beautiful Greek Revival homes will be swooped up together, or sold off separately. Only one thing is for sure (big sigh of relief): They’ll […]

    Rally on Sunday to Save the South Village

    This Sunday at 1:00pm, GVSHP will be holding a rally to urge the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the remainder of the South Village Historic District. We hope you will join us! Details can be found here. The crowd will convene in front of the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) on Sullivan Street between Bleecker and […]