Past Village Awardees: Some of Our Neighborhood’s Best Specialty Shops
One of Village Preservation’s most beloved traditions is our Annual Meeting and Village Awards, in which we celebrate our achievements of the past year, and honor invaluable local leaders, institutions, businesses, places, and organizations in our neighborhoods. Fondly referred to as the “Oscars of the Village,” these awards showcase the remarkable people and places that have made a significant contribution to the special quality of life in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo.
Submit your nominations for the 2025 Village Awards today! Through March 10th, you can nominate one or more local small businesses, residents, community groups, public spaces, new designs, or restoration by providing your input.
The businesses, organizations, and people who have received a Village Award run the gamut, representing the true diversity and variety of institutions in our neighborhood. Nowhere is that more clear than in the many specialty shops that have been given our awards over the past decade, some of which are below:
2024: Trash & Vaudeville
This legendary punk rock boutique is not just a store, but also a cultural institution that has defined punk rock fashion in the East Village for decades. Trash & Vaudeville received a Village Award in 2024.
The boutique was opened in 1975 by Ray Goodman, whose affinity for the East Village and punk rock started young. Growing up in Jersey City, he first set foot in the East Village at the age of 13 and immediately fell in love with the neighborhood. He soon began selling East Village paraphernalia, such as rock and roll t-shirts and buttons, to his classmates.
Ray has consistently had a pulse on the trends in the rock and punk scenes, understanding the needs and wants of customers. For example, before they became highly popular, Ray was one of the first retailers to carry Doc Marten’s boots.
Well-known musicians including Carlos Santana, Slash, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and members of The Clash and The Dead Boys, among many others, started coming to Trash & Vaudeville for clothes and accessories. Word quickly spread that this was the place where popular musicians came to shop. One day Bruce Springsteen came in and admired a tattered, pink and black flannel shirt that Ray was wearing and offered to buy it. Ray told him it wasn’t for sale, but “The Boss” persisted and Ray ended up giving it to him as a gift. A photo of Bruce wearing that shirt was featured on the cover of the album “Badlands.”
In 2016, Trash & Vaudeville lost their St. Marks Place lease, so Ray moved the store to 96 East 7th Street, where the boutique remains today. Learn more about the other 2024 award winners here.
2022: Pageant Print Shop
Situated on East 4th Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue, Pageant Print Shop is a quaint storefront that boasts an impressive collection of high quality prints and books, winning the shop a Village Award in 2022.
Pageant has called East 4th Street home since 2005, but has been a part of the Village community for almost 80 years. World War II veterans Sidney Solomon and Henry Chafetz opened the Pageant Book Company in 1946 along Book Row, a long-lost community of bookstores on Fourth Avenue from St. Mark’s Place to 14th Street.
Entering the store, visitors can enjoy exploring an eclectic array of printed materials, some of which are proudly displayed on the wall, with the vast majority neatly arranged in bins. Categories range from New York history (Shirley’s favorite specialty) and New Yorker covers, to birds and botanicals, and old typefaces and advertisements. This neighborhood treasure continues to thrive, even after being closed for months at the start of the pandemic, and to serve its clientele and the community.
Learn more about the other 2022 Village Award winners here.
2020: Chess Forum
Chess Forum at 219 Thompson Street has been located in the heart of the “Chess District” of New York City, the South Village, since it’s founding in 1995. The iconic chess spot won one of our Village Awards in 2020.
Owner and Palestinian immigrant from Lebanon Imad Khachan was an NYU PhD student in comparative religion in the 1990s when he was swept up into the world of chess. Enamored of the bohemian and cultural richness of the neighborhood, he felt that unique character was not complete without its chess scene.
Although internet chess has had a significant impact on the need for and appeal of such a shop and location, Chess Forum is still a lively space filled with chess players of all backgrounds. It costs $5 an hour to play, and soak in the ambiance, which can be both fiercely competitive and joyfully fun. Backgammon also draws a combination of mavens and those just looking to have fun.
Learn more about the other 2020 Village Award winners here.
2017: Dinosaur Hill (now closed)
Dinosaur Hill, an East Village staple for over 30 years, is a toy store which features an eclectic and unusual collection of toys, puppets and clothing for children up to the age of fourteen. Dinosaur Hill won a Village Award in 2017.
Opened by owner Pam Pier in 1983, Dinosaur Hill not only offers thoughtfully curated, unique and handcrafted items and gifts for children, it is also actively engaged in the East Village community of which it is such a vital part.
Dinosaur Hill is not just a store, it’s an experience. Pam has created a welcoming environment where children and parents are encouraged to handle and have fun with the merchandise. Some of the items sold are hand made by artisans in the neighborhood — mostly women at home with children that have, over the years, made wonderful clothing and accessories for the store.
In spite of great competitive pressure from big box stores and internet shopping sites, Dinosaur Hill has been able to thrive due to Pam providing a high level of personal service and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. She has an uncanny ability to find the perfect gift for any age and occasion and she will beautifully wrap your selection at no extra charge.
Learn more about the other 2017 Village Award winners here.
2015: Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
Well known and loved by the East Village community, Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks won a Village Award in our 2015 awards ceremony.
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks specializes in antiquarian and out-of-print books on food, beverages, etiquette, entertaining, and housekeeping. The shelves are wonderfully organized: books on various ethnic cuisine such as French, African, Jewish, Latin, Chinese, and Irish; books from different American regions such as New England, the South, and the Midwest; recipe books for breakfast, chocolate, herbs and spices, vegetarian, dairy, food preserving and canning, and appetizers are just a few of the categories offered.
Bonnie Slotnick, owner and operator of her namesake’s store, posseses a deep knowledge of her collection, and provides personalized support to the wide range of customers, from food enthusiats to professional chefs to cookbook collectors.
Learn more about the other 2015 Village Award winners here.
Inspired by the stories of these past Village Awardees? Submit a nomination for your favorite local business today!