Happy Pride Week! Each June during the week leading up to the Gay Pride March, NYC celebrates Pride Week. Throughout the week, different groups and organizations will host events, throw parties, and do general outreach and advocacy to promote the history and visibility of the LGBTQ community. Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has always worked […]
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with […]
Although the summer months mean vacation time for some people, here at GVSHP, we don’t slow down! Our free public programs are still in full swing. This Wednesday evening we’ll present a program with our co-sponsors at The New School about the history of this Village institution. Julia Foulkes, Associate Professor of History, has entitled […]
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. […]
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 […]
Famed Rock n Roll legend and Greenwich Village icon, Lou Reed, was born on March 2, 1942.Reed grew up on Long Island and moved to New York City at the early age of twenty and co-founded the groundbreaking band the Velvet Underground with fellow musician John Cale. From a previous Off the Grid post on […]
Yesterday, Off the Grid provided a sneak preview into our upcoming February programs to celebrate African-American History Month. Today we want to take a look back at our January programs. This has been a tough winter, with one snowstorm after another and some pretty cold temperatures too. Sometimes this means having to re-schedule a program, […]
For decades, various industries have used Greenwich Village (or the romanticized idea of Greenwich Village) as both a backdrop for advertisements and a way to give products cachet. The neighborhood has long been a particular favorite of the fashion industry. We’ve looked at the Village as a backdrop for fashion in the past, but submitted […]
As part of GVSHP’s ongoing programming, native New Yorker and world renowned artist Frederick Brosen will give a free talk and slideshow at Theater 80 on Tuesday, December 9th at 6:30pm. Brosen’s presentation will feature his selected watercolor works of locations in New York City, including paintings featured in GVSHP’s book Greenwich Village Stories. For his […]
I think I’m infatuated with Greenwich Village’s Hudson River waterfront. I can’t seem to get enough of it. Last month our good friend Dr. Robin Nagle spoke about the history of the Hudson River waterfront and its historic and current role in New York City sanitation. In June, one of our Village Award winners was […]
OK World Cup is over, so now the spotlight is on baseball. It always bothers me that basketball and hockey are still being played in the month of June. But that’s just me. And this year, the once-every-four-years World Cup seemed to be more popular than ever. So I’m happy that the focus is on […]
Today, most New Yorkers are trudging through the snow and freezing rain, navigating those slushy street corners and not-yet-shoveled sidewalks. Yes, it’s another beautiful day! So as I look out the window at the snow-covered landscape, I think of how I spend summertime in Greenwich Village. One of my all-time favorite things to do, right […]
If you like wandering around the streets of Greenwich Village and admiring the architecture as much as I do, I think you will enjoy this blog post that was written by our colleague Chelsey Berryhill. Thanks, Chelsey – good eye! GVSHP has been a tireless advocate for designation of historic districts. This blog post features […]
The holiday season is well underway and our neighborhoods have wonderful events going on to help ring in the Christmas spirit. Today we thought we’d highlight a couple of upcoming events for you. Washington Square Park This past Wednesday, the Washington Square Association held the 88th annual tree lighting ceremony in Washington Square Park. The […]
When I was home recently I looked through one of my parents’ photo albums and happened to find this photo of Seventh Avenue South taken at some point in the 1970s. I thought it would make for a great then and now. Even though not that much time has passed, there have been a number […]
A little over two months ago, Off the Grid covered a meeting regarding the proposed AIDS Memorial in the triangle park next to the former St. Vincent’s Hospital. The proposal, spearheaded by AIDS Memorial Park, was presented to Community Board 2’s Parks Committee and the public, at which time public feedback was taken into consideration […]
Walking near Jackson Square in the West Village, you may have wondered what will become of the site of the former Lukoil gas station. Located at the southwest corner of Eighth Avenue and West 13th Street, the gas station and mini-market closed down in September 2011 and the lot has been covered by a construction […]
We had a beautiful day for our 14th annual house tour benefit on Sunday, May 6th! The sun was shining and hundreds of people came out to visit six wonderful Village homes at their own pace. The self-guided tour also included a bonus site: the former studio of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney at the New York […]
It’s not too late to purchase tickets for our Spring House Tour Benefit, taking place this Sunday, May 6th from 1:00 to 5:30 P.M. Your ticket will give you exclusive access to view six remarkable private homes in Greenwich Village, plus the former studio of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney on 8th Street at your own pace […]
The World of Video at 51 Greenwich Avenue, the oldest and longest-running video rental store in the West Village, has been an important film archival resource for the public, the three major TV networks, and numerous notable filmmakers, because of its tremendous library of rare and classic films, as well as the matchless expertise and extensive […]
A research request by a New York Times writer regarding the Cherry Lane Theatre at 38 Commerce Street unearthed a rich history of entertainment in the West Village. (For a view into the upper apartments and to read more from the theater owner, refer to this article in the Times.) Designated as part of the […]
With Hurricane Irene on the way, the city is bracing for some possible high winds and flooding associated with the storm. WNYC made a handy interactive map that highlights parts of our neighborhoods that may be vulnerable to flooding during an intense storm. In addition to the important flooding information, the map also indirectly reveals […]
With Memorial Day here, we thought we would take a look at some of the sites in the Village that commemorate those who gave their lives in the service of our nation. Of course there’s the Abingdon Square Doughboy Statue that honors those who served in World War I, and the large plaque affixed to […]
