Voices of the South Village: Stories from Our Oral History Collection

Village Preservation kicked off its campaign to honor, document, and seek landmark designation for the South Village and its remarkable immigrant and artistic histories in December of 2006 and completed the effort in December of 2016 with designation of the third and final phase of our proposed South Village Historic District, the largest expansion of landmark protections in the neighborhood since 1969, and among the city’s first and only historic districts to honor immigrant and artistic history. We now celebrate each December as “South Village Month.” In celebration of this month, we turn to the voices of the people who have shaped this remarkable neighborhood, not just through buildings and streets, but through lived experience, family businesses, music, and community. Village Preservation’s Oral History Collection captures these stories in vivid detail, preserving the personal histories that give the South Village its enduring character.

Peter Longo: A Life Rooted on Bleecker Street

Few institutions are as synonymous with the South Village as Porto Rico Importing Company, the beloved coffee and tea shop that has anchored 201 Bleecker Street for decades. In his oral history, Peter Longo, a long-time South Village resident and member of the family that has operated Porto Rico for generations, reflects on the deep ties between family, business, and neighborhood.

“For families like ours, the shop wasn’t just a business—it was part of daily life in the neighborhood.”

Longo recalls a time when Bleecker Street was defined by familiar faces and long-standing relationships, when shopkeepers knew their customers by name and businesses served as informal community centers.

“You didn’t just sell coffee—you were part of people’s routines, their conversations, their lives.”

His story is not only about a business, but about continuity, resilience, and the importance of place in the South Village. You can further explore Peter Longo’s oral history here.

Andrew and Romana Raffetto: A Family Tradition of Craft and Community

The story of Raffetto’s, the iconic pasta shop founded in 1906, is inseparable from the history of the South Village itself. In their oral history interviews, Andrew and Romana Raffetto trace the evolution of the family business alongside the changing neighborhood around it.

“The recipes, the work, and the shop were passed down generation to generation—it was how we stayed connected to the neighborhood.”

The Raffetto family memories capture the rhythms of family labor, the pride in handmade food, and the role the shop played as a neighborhood anchor.

“People came in for pasta, but they stayed for the sense of familiarity.”

The Raffettos’ story highlights how immigrant entrepreneurship and craftsmanship helped define the South Village as a place where tradition endures.

David Amram: Music, Creativity, and Village Life

The South Village has long been a magnet for artists and creative thinkers, and David Amram, noted composer, conductor, and musician, is among its most distinguished residents. In his oral history interview, Amram reflects on living in various parts of our neighborhoods, including the South Village, and on the creative energy that defined the neighborhood during key moments in New York’s cultural history.

“The Village wasn’t just where you lived—it was where ideas happened.”

Amram recalls a time when musicians, writers, and artists lived side by side, inspiring one another in informal and spontaneous ways.

“Music was everywhere—on the streets, in apartments, in people’s lives.”

His reflections remind us that the South Village has long been a cultural landscape as much as a residential one.

Preserving Stories, Preserving Place

These oral histories remind us that the South Village is so much more than a collection of historic buildings. It is a living tapestry of families, workers, and artists whose stories deserve to be told and preserved.

During South Village Month, we invite you to explore Village Preservation’s Oral History Collection and listen to the voices that continue to shape this extraordinary neighborhood.

More ways to learn about and celebrate South Village Month:

• Learn more about the rich history behind the South Village and the effort to preserve it — CLICK HERE.
• Explore the architecture and cultural history of the South Village in our original landmark proposal.
• Explore our history of “The Italians of the South Village.”
• Explore our entire South Village Historic District State and National Register of Historic Places report, photos, and map.
• Explore our South Village Historic Image Archive Collections: the Ricardo Spina Collection, the Center for Migration Studies Collection, and the Ferretti Cozzo Collection.