A Century of Impact: Carol Greitzer’s Lifelong Love of New York and Greenwich Village

Carol Greitzer is in so many ways the embodiment of a true New Yorker and Greenwich Villager. Born January 3, 1925, in Manhattan—on 15th Street, in a long-gone hospital—Greitzer grew up in the North Bronx, attended Hunter College after high school, received her master’s degree in English Literature from NYU, and went on to serve as one of the most impactful elected officials the city ever knew. Carol loved New York and returned the love right back. 

Carol Greitzer’s mark on the city is etched into its very fabric. Today we look back at a sample of her achievements and the lasting impact she had on our neighborhood.

After spending some time with her first husband, Herman Greitzer, in Washington state, the pair moved back to the city and landed in the Village at the height of its bohemian era and the Civil Rights Movement. The two swiftly became regulars at Greenwich Village Association meetings and deepened their involvement with activism, local politics, and preservation efforts. In 1956 Greitzer helped found the Village Independent Democrats (VID), a progressive local political club that strived to reform politics at the city, state, and national level, and seven decades later is still going strong. In 2024, VID donated their archives to Village Preservation to digitize and preserve; they are chock full of information about Carol Greitzer and many other historically significant local and national political figures, and can be viewed here and here.

Through VID, Greitzer’s intimate relationship with preservation took off. One of her first major accomplishments was helping save the Jefferson Market Courthouse when she served as VID’s president. Originally built as a courthouse connected to an adjacent prison and market in the 1870s, the building is known for its Victorian Gothic style and prominence on 6th Avenue. By the mid-twentieth century, the courthouse was abandoned by all but city rats, pigeons, and mildew, and was at risk of demolition. Preservation advocates like Margot Gayle, Philip Wittenberg, and Greitzer campaigned and rallied to save the institution. Their efforts culminated in the preservation of the Jefferson Market Courthouse, which was transformed into the library that stands there today.

At the time of the VID’s founding, New York City local politics were often rife with corruption and controlled by Democratic “machines;” clubs that used patronage and closed processes to hold on to and perpetuate power and control. Carmine DeSapio was Tammany Hall’s last boss and the Democratic District leader for the First Assembly District South, covering the majority of Greenwich Village. While extremely popular with some in the neighborhood, others argued his policies often failed to serve the best interests of his constituents, and the political machine of which he was a part failed to allow for open democratic participation and advancement. As a result, starting with the 1957 election, the Village Independent Democrats began fielding candidates in an effort to unseat DeSapio. After a few unsuccessful campaigns, VID triumphed in 1961, when Greitzer and James Lanigan won the male and female Democratic district leader positions, with VID’s Ed Koch eventually joining Greitzer to take the male Democratic District leader position. Greitzer was a trailblazer and went on to secure a string of victories as district leader in 1963, 1965, and 1967, and, in 1969, when Ed Koch vacated his New York City Council seat to run for Congress, Greitzer ran for and won the position, serving until 1991.

Throughout her career, Greitzer worked tirelessly to improve and establish parks and green spaces in the city—both in and out of the Village. Most notably, Greitzer’s efforts as district leader helped officially turn Washington Square Park into a car- and bus-free zone. According to Greitzer, there’s a lost photograph from 1963 of Greitzer and her district leader counterpart, Ed Koch, symbolically pushing the final bus out of the park. 

In the City Council, Greitzer has a major impact on women’s rights. As per our Civil Rights and Social Justice Map, McSorley’s Old Ale House, reputed to be the city’s oldest bar, now goes by the motto “be good or be gone.” But until 1970 its motto was “Good Ale, Raw Onions, and No Ladies,” as it defiantly remained one of the few remaining men-only public spaces in New York City. In fact, its resistance to gender integration helped lead to the New York City law which ultimately ended sex discrimination in public spaces in New York City, in which Carol Greitzer played a major role.

McSorley’s refused to admit women well into the 1960s, even though since 1939 the bar had been owned by Dorothy O’Connell Kirwan, who inherited it from her father Daniel O’Connell when he died. But O’Connell Kirwan left the bar’s restrictions and traditions untouched, and herself never entered McSorley’s except on Sunday after it was closed.

But in 1969, Karen DeCrow and Faith Siedenberg, board members of the National Organization for Women, sued McSorley’s in federal court after being denied admission and service at the historic pub, on the basis of the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. In June 1970, District Court Judge Walter R. Mansfield, somewhat begrudgingly, sided with the plaintiffs and ruled that as a public accommodation, McSorley’s must admit women. Less than a week later, however, the court order stayed. Mindful of the ongoing battle, Carol Greitzer had introduced legislation banning discrimination on the basis of sex in public accommodations in New York City. The bill was passed by the City Council and signed into law by Mayor John Lindsay in August of 1970, rendering the lawsuit moot and forcing McSorley’s to open their doors to women for the first time. Rather than become a private club, which would have been entitled to continue the men-only policy, McSorley’s remained open to the public and abided by the new law on August 10th, 1970. The first women to enter McSorley’s and be served was neighboring shop-owner (and 2015 Village Preservation Village Award-winner) Barbara Shaum.

Greitzer also pushed for new bus routes and organized TRAC (Transit Riders Action Committee), offering public transportation riders more agency; she improved housing options for the city’s low-income artists, helping to form the Gansevoort Area Redevelopment Committee. Carol Greitzer’s contributions to the life and health of Greenwich Village go on and on.

Having surpassed a century of life, Carol Greitzer’s unwavering love for her city and her relentless drive to make it better have left an indelible mark. A true embodiment of New York’s spirit, Carol serves as an inspiration for generations to come.