Pride Month is an important time to honor the struggles and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in New York City and beyond. While some key sites across the city have been landmarked to recognize that history — including those we’ve campaigned for in our neighborhoods — numerous sites essential to the progress made remain unprotected […]
In December 2021, the City Council passed the de Blasio administration’s contentious proposal to rezone SoHo, NoHo, and Chinatown. The goal of the plan was to address the lack of new affordable housing in these communities by allowing for larger developments and more “as-of-right” developments that would include new residential components. The City’s 10-year study […]
Village Preservation’s recently released A Century of Art Deco Storymap features some 40 outstanding examples of the beloved design style. Among those historic structures — most of which still stand in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo — are two structures that are decidedly not Art Deco. Rather, we honor two of their past […]
In our series Beyond the Village and Back, we take a look at some great landmarks throughout New York City outside of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, celebrate their special histories, and reveal their (sometimes hidden) connections to the Village. You can also explore via our Beyond the Village and Back: Manhattan South […]
“The only thing that you absolutely have to know,” Albert Einstein once said, “is the location of the library.” So it’s a good thing that four outstanding, historic branches are located in our neighborhoods. This month, we have even more reason to celebrate these institutions during National Library Week, which highlights the ever-growing importance libraries […]
Women have been constant change makers throughout history and around the world, and that of course includes right here in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. Village Preservation has sought to capture their legacies and tell their stories through our long-standing series of oral histories. In honor of Women’s History Month, we take a […]
Co-named streets abound in our communities. Today we look at more local honorees: Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer, Dave Van Ronk, and Ellen Stewart.
If you were a traveler from, say, Illinois spending a day in New York City, what would you choose to do? You almost certainly would not have had as successful a day as prairie lawyer and one-term congressman Abraham Lincoln, who, on February 27, 1860, was able to change his country-bumpkin image, become a leading […]
February is Black History Month, the annual celebration of the heritage and culture of African Americans, and a time to recognize the many contributions and sacrifices that helped shape our city and the nation. At Village Preservation, we are committed to recognizing and furthering that legacy as we strive to protect historic structures in Greenwich […]
Our neighborhoods are world-renowned for serving as home to countless transformative artists and artistic movements over the years. But you don’t have to be invited to an artist’s loft to experience the beauty and inspiration of their work. The public art that abounds in Greenwich Village and the East Village lets us take that imaginative […]
The release of the biopic A Complete Unknown a few weeks ago has sparked renewed interest in the life, local history, and work of music icon Bob Dylan. And while filmmakers substituted the currently more sedate streets of Jersey City and Hoboken for Dylan’s actual neighborhood in the 1960s, you can instead walk the actual […]
The new year brings with it plenty of fresh opportunities to explore and enjoy. For Village Preservation, that includes the latest issue of our semi-annual newsletter, jam-packed with new content, and a brand new design for our longstanding publication. Within the space of 20 pages, the Winter 2025 newsletter gives readers the chance to explore […]
With the passing of former President Jimmy Carter on December 29, 2024, we look back on the important role he played for more affordable housing in the 1980s East Village with his first major project for Habitat for Humanity, in this post first published in December 2023. Former president Jimmy Carter and his late wife […]
We’ve all seen them: signs tucked under the official names of local streets, honoring a neighborhood notable with a “Way,” “Place,” or “Corner.” Unfortunately, more often than not the people on these “co-named” street signs are unknown to most passers-by. A New York City agency recently released a way for those who are interested to […]
We’ve all seen them: signs installed under the actual names of local streets, recognizing a neighborhood notable with a “way,” “place,” or “corner.” While we sometimes know the honorees, more often than not the people on these “co-named” street signs are unknown to most passers-by. A New York City agency recently released the means for […]
On this day after Election Day, presidential history marches on. And that history has often marched through Greenwich Village and the East Village, as denizens of both the White House and 1 Observatory Circle (the vice president’s residence) have made their marks in our communities. Aaron Burr at Richmond Hill The Charlton-King-VanDam Historic District was […]
October is known for the autumnal changing of the leaves, Halloween, and of course Archtober, the month-long celebration of all things architecture across the five boroughs. Village Preservation, an event sponsor, highlights noteworthy historic buildings in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, as well as some of our city’s great landmarks that have some […]
The subway is our city’s circulation system, one that needs to work efficiently and grow and evolve to meet the needs of all New Yorkers. After years of expansion in the first half of the 20th century, the subway system actually contracted in the mid-to-late 20th century, with several elevated subway lines dismantled during this […]
In 2018, Village Preservation launched its campaign to designate South of Union Square a historic district, and protect an architecturally rich neighborhood alive with New York and national history that was (and remains) endangered by ongoing development plans. The area roughly between Third and Fifth Avenues from 9th to 14th Streets played a key role […]
Village Preservation has released its 2023–24 annual report, a colorful and comprehensive 24-page document that shows how the past year has been one of immense growth, challenges, and progress for our organization. “While we face multiplying challenges to our preservation efforts on a growing number of fronts,” wrote Trevor Stewart, president of Village Preservation, “we […]
East Village resident Hettie Jones — beloved writer and poet, committed activist for social justice and preservation, and recipient of Village Preservation’s Village Award in 2019 — passed away on August 13, 2024, at the age of 90. Born in Brooklyn on June 15, 1934, Jones wrote more than 20 books over her long career, […]
The churches of Harlem have long served as essential institutions in the neighborhood, shaping not only the spiritual lives of residents, but also the bonds that strengthen community. Many great churches, including Mother A.M.E. Zion Church, the Abyssinian Baptist Church, and St. James Presbyterian Church established their present-day homes in Upper Manhattan in the 1920s. […]
The growth of the Italian-American community in the South Village in the late 19th and early 20th centuries can often be traced through the rise of Italian restaurants in the neighborhood and their acceptance with a wider audience beyond its borders. One of the leading restaurant owners of that period, from its earliest days through […]
After years of effort by Village Preservation, the historic No. 50 West 13th Street is now on the path to NYC landmark designation. The Greek Revival row house between Fifth and Sixth Avenues has several different histories worthy of note: leading 19th-century Black businessman and abolitionist Jacob Day ran his business here and owned the […]
Every June, New Yorkers and people from around the world gather in our city to celebrate Pride Month and honor the memory of the Stonewall Riots, three nights in 1969 that helped launch the modern fight for LGBTQ+ rights. And while the Stonewall Inn at 53 Christopher Street is indeed a landmark of that movement […]
The Washington Square Park Conservancy was founded 10 years ago, a mere drop in the bucket of time compared to almost two centuries for the park at the heart of Greenwich Village. Yet in that short time, the organization has had an outsized impact on the historic greenspace it cares for and manages, and thus […]
Since 2006, May has marked Jewish American Heritage Month, 31 days to explore and celebrate the impact of Jewish values, contributions, and culture on the nation’s history and character. Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo are communities rich with sites that showcase and commemorate 350 years of Jewish history in our city. That hyperlocal […]
May is coming just around the proverbial corner on our calendars. Those 31 days bring us Preservation Month, when we celebrate historic sites across the country as well as highlight the social, cultural, and economic benefits of their preservation. It’s also a good time to reflect on the noteworthy places and histories that organizations like […]
Greenwich Village has long been a font of creativity, especially among those who use the written word as their medium of expression. Since the 19th century, the neighborhood has been a haven for authors and poets inspired by its architecture, cafes, proximity to fellow creators, charm, and so much more that make the Village unique. […]
On March 27, 2012, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated as landmarks three of Manhattan’s oldest homes, all of which are gathered in a row on Dominick Street. Nos. 32, 34, and 36 remain among the rare examples of Federal-style homes left in Manhattan, “significant reminders of the beginning of New York City’s evolution into a […]
There’s no better time than Women’s History Month to explore the lives and accomplishments of the many influential women who lived and worked South of Union Square. One of our most recent storymaps will help you discover this rich history found in the neighborhood where Greenwich Village and the East Village meet, one that Village […]
In 2021 and 2022, Village Preservation developed an innovative outdoor public art exhibition that was displayed throughout Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. VILLAGE VOICES featured photographs, artifacts, and soundscape recordings to celebrate and honor the artistic, social, political, and cultural movements that have grown in our neighborhoods, and the people who gave them […]
Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo are rich with sites that have played invaluable roles in New York City’s and the nation’s Black history. Too many of these buildings have yet to be protected.
In 2021 and 2022, Village Preservation developed an innovative outdoor public art exhibition that was displayed throughout Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. VILLAGE VOICES featured photographs, artifacts, and soundscape recordings to celebrate and honor the artistic, social, political, and cultural movements that have grown in our neighborhoods, and the people who gave them […]
In 2021 and 2022, Village Preservation developed an innovative outdoor public art exhibition that was displayed throughout Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. VILLAGE VOICES featured photographs, artifacts, and soundscape recordings to celebrate and honor the artistic, social, political, and cultural movements that have grown in our neighborhoods, and the people who gave them […]
John Jacob Astor was the wealthiest American by the time he passed in 1848, earning his fortune of $20 million (about $800 million in today’s dollars) first in the fur trade and then in New York City real estate. Toward the end of his life, he began thinking about his legacy and giving back to […]
You decide to write a blog post about Bright Lights, Big City, the 1987 film based on a novel published three years earlier about the excesses and pitfalls of life among young up-and-comers in 1980s Manhattan that famously employed the then-distinct use of second-person narration. You mark how many shots from the film capture Manhattan […]
Former president Jimmy Carter and his late wife Rosalynn Carter were long at the forefront of Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit that helps communities build new homes and improve existing residences. While the Carters’ work with the organization over nearly four decades brought them to neighborhoods in need across the country and around the world, […]
Christopher Street is one of New York City’s oldest streets: known as Skinner Road in the 18th century, it was rechristened in 1799 by local landowner Charles Christopher Amos with the name it holds to this day. Filled with historic architecture and noteworthy sites including the Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park, the street remains relatively […]
You decide to write a blog post about Bright Lights, Big City, the 1988 film based on a novel published four years earlier about the excesses and pitfalls of life among young up-and-comers in 1980s Manhattan that famously employed the then-distinct use of second-person narration. You mark how many shots from the film capture Manhattan […]
One of the most beloved features of the Statue of Liberty is the poem inscribed on a bronze plaque inside its pedestal. “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” which appear in the middle of the work, have come to define what the statue has represented for generations. Those words […]
On October 10, 2023, Chronicle Books published The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families. It’s an anthology assembled by Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer that combines the work of more than 50 contemporary Black artists and writers with selections published over a century ago from the original Brownies’ Book. Published by […]
Greenwich Village has long been a mecca for artists and artistic endeavors. For over a century and a half, the neighborhood has fostered creative energy thanks in part to its charming streets, frequent interactions on those pathways between neighbors and fellow creators, a unique and strong sense of community, and (at times) cheap rents that […]
”Congratulations, Dorothy, you’ve done it again. They all hate it.” So said Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art, to Dorothy Canning Miller, its first professionally trained curator, about the reaction to her exhibition “Americans 1942,” a show of 18 emerging artists that appalled both art critics and museum […]
Today we’re celebrating the accomplishments of some historic writers and authors who made their mark in the neighborhood South of Union Square. Writing is one of the many creative professions that has thrived in this district (one that has yet to be recognized and protected by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but you can help preserve […]
Linda Yowell, architect and preservationist, recently donated a wide assortment of photos to Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive, covering the 1970s through the late 1990s. Among them are images of small businesses that Yowell, who has also been a Village Preservation trustee since 1998, captured during that period. Some of the stores have long since […]
Opened in 1972 as the Queens County Art and Cultural Center, the Queens Museum stands in the midst of busy Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in a building as old as the park itself, when it was created out of the Flushing River wetlands, garbage dump, and ash heap that had been located here (immortalized by F. […]
On July 28, 2020, Village Preservation sent a long and comprehensive letter to Sarah Carroll, chair of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, asking the agency to preserve historic 59 Fifth Avenue, as part of our proposed South of Union Square Historic District. As of yet, the LPC has taken no action on preserving the building […]
The East Village is a neighborhood known for its rich history, diversity, and creative culture. That diversity includes the wealth of religious institutions found across the neighborhood, as highlighted by our Churches Tour on our East Village Building Blocks website. Covering a span from 1799 to 1970, stops on the tour include the oldest site […]
Launched in 2017, Village Preservation’s Civil Rights and Social Justice Map marks sites in our neighborhoods significant to the history of various civil rights and social justice movements, and now includes over 225 entries. Those sites are divided among six different groups, including one for social justice and other civil rights activism. Today we take […]
LGBTQ+ Pride and History Month is upon us. As we take the time to honor the struggles and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in New York City and beyond, there remain numerous sites that speak to the history yet remain unprotected under our landmarks laws and vulnerable to demolition. Village Preservation has been advocating for […]
Village Preservation is very proud to honor Yara Arts Group as a Village Awardee in 2023. Join us in recognizing Yara and these other worthy awardees at Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards on Tuesday, June 13. Registration is free and open to all! Established in 1990 by Virlana Tkacz, Wanda Phipps, and Watoku […]
Village Preservation is very proud to honor Dashwood Books as a Village Awardee in 2023. Join us in recognizing Dashwood and these other worthy awardees at Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards on Tuesday, June 13. Registration is free and open to all! Established in September, 2005, Dashwood Books is New York’s only independent […]
Coming up the weekend of May 20-21 is the Sacred Sites Open House, a series of programs organized by the New York Landmarks Conservancy to give visitors unique access to an array of religious institutions across the state (Village Preservation is a cosponsor of the event.) Several of those churches stand in the neighborhoods we […]
Walking through the East Village means walking through history. The neighborhood features 30 individual landmarks, one of the highest concentrations in the city, that offer a unique view of our architectural and cultural heritage. Some of those buildings were landmarked in the early days of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in the 1960s, others gained the […]
In the early 1800s, the area around modern-day Christopher Street was suffering from overcrowding, following the migration of residents from lower Manhattan after the yellow fever outbreak of 1822 that helped to create Greenwich Village. A devastating fire in 1835 led to residents calling for open space, and on April 5, 1837, they got their […]
For most of its existence, pedestrians were able to freely and joyfully spin the black monolith known as the “Alamo” (more commonly referred to as the Astor Place Cube, or just “the Cube”) that sat between Lafayette Street and Cooper Square. That freedom to rotate came to an end in April 2022, after structural damage […]
International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Of course we do that all year round as we explore the stories behind the streets, buildings and people of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, which are filled with remarkable women and advocates for the rights of women. Our research […]
Welcome to February, and African American History Month! Village Preservation has long documented the stories behind the streets, buildings and people of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. Those investigations have enabled us to offer several great resources to learn more about our neighborhoods, including our African American history, including our Civil Rights and […]
The East 10th Street Historic District — officially designated on this day in 2012 — covers the northern side of the street between Avenues A and B, 26 buildings in all standing directly across from Tompkins Square Park. And while it may be one of the city’s smallest such districts, it’s certainly not lacking in […]
In the late 19th century, very few libraries in New York City were devoted to offering collections of popular and serious reading to the general public, and especially to the city’s poor and immigrant communities. Most of the funding for such institutions flowed from philanthropists who supported research facilities in privately-owned libraries. As the New […]
The West Side Elevated Highway had been a dark presence looming over the edge of the Meatpacking District and other Hudson River Manhattan neighborhoods for several decades in the mid-20th century. Construction on the full route lasted from 1929 to 1951 as it snaked its way from West 72nd Street to Battery Place along 12th […]
In 1957, Ralph Walker was honored as “the architect of the century” by the American Institute of Architects. Walker (November 28, 1889–January 17, 1973) hit his peak in the profession during the height of the Art Deco period, bringing to life such New York City landmarks as the Barclay-Vesey Building at 140 West Street (completed […]
Once upon a time, people bought almost all of their books in bookstores. People still do a lot of literary shopping in local storefronts, and our neighborhoods still have many beloved shops for the experience and joy of buying books in person — but not nearly as many as in years past. Starting in the […]
Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant neighborhoods. Each includes the experiences and insights of leaders or long-time participants in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life. “Food was always a […]
In the latter half of the 19th century, Manhattan and Brooklyn became centers of everyday life for thousands of Italian immigrants entering the United States. Their numbers started off small — the 1860 federal census showed just 1,067 Italian-born people living in New York City and Brooklyn — but grew quickly by the end of […]
On October 6, 1683, thirteen families arrived in Philadelphia and founded the first German settlement in North America. Since then, generations of Germans have immigrated to the United States, with the greatest influx arriving in the mid-19th century following the revolutions of 1848. Manhattan became a main destination for these immigrants, especially the East Village, […]
Deep below Broadway and Lafayette Street, in the passageway connecting the intersection’s namesake station with the Bleecker Street downtown platform, is an art installation that honors the communities who lived here centuries before the subway was even built. “Signal” by Mel Chin, in collaboration with G. Peter Jemison, was installed when the entire station was […]
James Stewart Polshek, who over the course of a 70-year career came to be known as a “quiet giant of modern architecture,” passed away on September 9 at the age of 92. He was known for a range of impressive structures across the city and country, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space at […]
New York’s mass transit is the circulation system for our metropolis, allowing the city to survive and flourish even with the nation’s highest population density living in some very tight spaces. This is especially true of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, three communities that have a long history of train travel above and […]
Ralph Lee’s interest in puppetry and theater began as a young boy in his family’s home in Middlebury, Vermont. An early creative spark launched him on a career that ultimately took him to the role he’s most often recognized for, as the “father” of Greenwich Village’s annual Halloween Parade.
New York City is fortunate to have a plethora of historic and often socially active religious institutions throughout the five boroughs. While most exist beyond the bounds of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, more than a few of the most notable can trace their origins (or at least a good portion of their […]
In the 1970s, the University Hotel at 673 Broadway was fading away. What had once been the grandest hotel in the city in the 19th century, and a gathering place for the famous and wealthy, had become a welfare hotel for some 300 residents, “a cesspool of squalor and crime” according to The New York […]
On July 18, 2013, Village Preservation publicly signaled the alarm over legislation passed in Albany with little community input but with massive potential impact for the West Village and communities on the west side of Manhattan. That legislation would have allowed the transfer of as much as approximately 1.6 million sq ft of unused air […]
Tension was high on the streets of Manhattan on July 13, 1863. Two days earlier, the federal Conscription Act took effect in New York City, establishing a draft lottery to select new soldiers for the Union Army. As Blacks were not allowed to serve in the military and the wealthy could buy their way out […]
Every June, New Yorkers and people from around the world gather in our city to celebrate Pride Month and honor the memory of the Stonewall Riots, three nights in 1969 that helped launch the modern fight for LGBTQ+ rights. And while the Stonewall Inn at 53 Christopher Street is indeed a landmark of that movement […]
Any time of year is a good time to explore our nation’s rich and enduring immigrant history. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to travel far to honor the spirit of the newcomer from foreign lands, as there are many key landmarks to the history of immigration to be found in our own communities. One […]
Standing on one of the highest points in Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel Mansion has been part of the northern Manhattan landscape for more than 250 years. Surrounded by Roger Morris Park on Edgecombe Avenue, the structure is the oldest home in Manhattan and a beloved museum in Washington Heights …
Each year, Village Preservation honors the invaluable people, businesses, and organizations that make a special contribution to our neighborhoods at our Annual Meeting and Village Awards. This year, on June 14, 2022, at 6 PM we will be celebrating seven outstanding awardees — RSVP HERE to attend in person and HERE to participate virtually via […]
On April 21, Village Preservation joined with the the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project to honor the city’s oldest gay bar and a pioneering event from the early days of the movement for LGBTQ+ rights. The honoree was Julius’ Bar at 159 West 10th Street and the notable event was the Sip-In. In the 1960s, […]
Louis Werckle “is a little old man, of no physical strength, and of apparently less courage.” That’s how The New York Times snarkily described the janitor of the Manhattan Savings Institution on October 28, 1878, an innocent and unwilling participant in one of the greatest crimes of the 19th century, which took place smack dab […]
Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo are not known for having the large structures that can be found in Midtown (and thanks to last week’s rejection of a plan in the state budget to remove the limit on size of residential development in the city, our communities hopefully won’t be getting any supertall buildings […]
