Happy Birthday, Elinor Wylie!
On this day in 1885, poet and novelist Elinor Wylie was born. Wylie’s writings were popular in the 1920’s and 30’s, and lived in Greenwich Village from 1921 until her death.
← View All
Author: Matt
An Operatic Success in Greenwich Village
On August 31, 1928, Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera premiered in Berlin.
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Ice Cream In Greenwich Village But Forgot To Ask
This summer, the Museum of Ice Cream opened in Gansevoort Market, allowing visitors to swim in sprinkles and selfie with a scoop in front of ice cream inspired accouterments. Unfortunately the museum doesn’t delve into the history surrounding ice cream or ice cream in the neighborhood. However, thanks to some quick research and our friends at […]
Other Celebrities Who Have “Haunted” The White Horse Tavern
On Wednesday, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation will be hosting a walking tour on Dylan Thomas that will culminate in a visit to the White Horse Tavern on Hudson Street. The tavern is one of Thomas’s favorite haunts and the last place he drank at before he died. It is even rumored that his […]
Rulers and Royalty of the Village
Gone but not forgotten, below is a list of just some of the individuals who have carried honorary titles in connection to the Village. Each one was influential in the arts or in advocating for the unique character of the neighborhood. Their legacies will forever remain testaments to how they shaped the Village, and how the Village […]
Who Was Jacob M. Felson?
Recently, GVSHP has been reporting on and testifying against the plans for a building to replace the 2 story parking garage at 11-19 Jane Street. Built in 1921, the structure is an early work by architect Jacob M. Felson. While not a household name, some of Felson’s later buildings are among the most distinctive and characteristic structures of […]
Jane Jacobs Round Up!
Last night, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, alongside the Neighborhood Preservation Center and Village Alliance, celebrated Jane Jacobs by hosting a trivia night about her life, work, and accomplishments.
Kleindeutschland Roundup
In the late 19th and early 20th Century, the East Village and Lower East Side were home to a substantial German immigrant community. As a result, this area became known as Kleindeutschland, or “Little Germany.” Eventually the German community moved north to the Upper East Side and elsewhere, spurred on by the General Slocum Disaster, demographic […]
Happy Birthday, Dave Van Ronk!
On this day in 1936, David Kenneth Ritz “Dave” Van Ronk was born. Van Ronk was a highly influential figure in the American folk music revival and Greenwich Village music scene of the 1960’s. He even earned the nickname the “Mayor of MacDougal Street”.
GVSHPride: Roundup of LGBTQ Resources and Information
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 […]
A Stroll Through the Garden: GVSHP members only event 6/17
Beside the Jefferson Market Library and behind the wrought iron fence between 6th and Greenwich Avenues and 10th Street lies the Jefferson Market Garden. You probably pass by it all the time, and maybe you’ve been inside, but the story of this stretch of green space next to the library is quite fascinating.
Three Years Ago: Preservationists call for Archeological review of Mary Help of Christians cemetery
Three years ago, EV Grieve published a post about the preservationists calling for an archeological review for the former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site. A Roman Catholic Church formerly located at 440 E. 12th St., Mary Help of Christians was demolished in the summer of 2013 to make way for new development. To […]
Happy Birthday, David Vaughan!
Ninety two years ago today, dance archivist David Vaughan was born in London, England. Vaughan was the archivist for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1976 until it disbanded in 2012. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company was located in Westbeth in the West Village since 1971. In addition to being the archivist, Vaughan is also […]
Happy Birthday, Merchant’s House Museum!
On May 11, 1936, the old Tredwell house on 4th Street opened as the Merchant’s House Museum.
May The Fourth Be With You! Geek and Nerdom in the Village.
Not long ago, in theaters far, far away (and near too), a movie came out that influenced the interests and imaginations of generations to come. There are a few connections between Star Wars and the Village. On December 18, 2015, in honor of the release of The Force Awakens, a large crowd of fans gathered in […]
Happy Birthday, Willem de Kooning!
On April 24, 1904 artist Willem de Kooning was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. de Kooning was one of the major figures of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Abstract Expressionism was an art movement developed in New York City and the “first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York City at the center of the […]
From Sip-Ins to Smoke-ins…Marijuana and the Village
Recently, at GVSHP we celebrated the Julius’ “Sip-In,” an event that took place in 1966 that helped to end discrimination against LGBT people. However, in recognition of 4/20, a day which has come to be associated with the push for the legalization of marijuana, we’re going to talk about a different type of “In” that […]
Happy Birthday, Max Ernst
Artist Max Ernst was born on April 12, 1891. Ernst was a pioneering figure in both the Dada and Surrealist movements. The former, often referred to as “anti-art,” emerged after World War I as an anti-war, anti-bourgeois far left movement. Dadaist art pieces generally included readymade objects, a critique on the establishment of traditional art making, […]
On This Day in 1837 — Christopher Park Is Born!
On this day in 1837, the City condemned a parcel of land between Christopher, Grove, and West 4th Streets, which eventually became Christopher Park.
Happy Dyngus Day!
The Monday following Easter is known to Ukrainians as Dyngus Day, and many Ukrainian American communities will host parades and celebrations to commemorate this holiday. In America, Dyngus Day is celebrated as a fusion of American and Polish traditions, with “polka bands, a parade, consumption of krupnik, and Polish food accompanying American patriotic songs sung […]
See You on the Dark Side of the Village!
In 1973, Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon; the album hit U.S. shelves on March 1st and UK on March 16th. Dark Side of the Moon was the band’s eighth studio album, their most commercially successful album, and one of the best-selling albums ever worldwide. Conflict, greed, the passage of time, and mental illness […]
Megamansions of the Village
Throughout the Village, we have seen houses built, and houses demolished. But sometimes, we see something in between. In some cases, new owners want more space than a traditional Village building can provide them. As a result, they will buy a couple of townhouses side-by-side or entire tenement buildings to combine internally, and create what some are […]
Tales From Our Crypts: Augustus Van Horne Stuyvesant Jr.
Gone but not forgotten, the Village is as much defined by what is above as much as it is by who is below. Though burials in Manhattan were officially banned by the Common Council of New York City in 1852, a handful of spaces continued to serve the deceased up through the 20th century and […]
Happy Birthday, Off the Grid!
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” For almost everyone in the workforce this stands out as the most clichéd question you can hear during a job interview. However, in 5 years a lot can change, develop, and become more than what was originally intended. On top of our landmarking victories and successful advocacy […]
GVSHP Oral History: Maria Kenny
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life of […]
The “East Village” Is Born, In Print
On February 7, 1960 the New York Times wrote an article discussing changes in Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. Four years beforehand the El (above ground subway) had been removed from Third Avenue. With that barrier dismantled, Villagers from the west began to move east as “new shops, luxury and middle-income housing, and […]
Business of the Month: St. Mark’s Bookshop, 136 East 3rd Street
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 […]
Happy Birthday, Angela Davis
Activist, leftist, and radical feminist — these are just some of the words used to describe Angela Davis, a scholar and civil rights leader and fighter who came to prominence in the countercultural era of the 1960’s. Davis was born on January 26, 1944. Greenwich Village has always been a breeding ground for movers and […]
Business of the Month: Matt Umanov Guitars
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 […]
East Village Oral History: Lorcan Otway
Village Preservation is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic […]
Business of the Month: Li-Lac Chocolates
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 […]
GVSHP South Village Oral History: Andrew and Romana Raffetto
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, […]
Village Preservation East Village Oral History: Marilyn Appleberg
Village Preservation is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas. Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or […]
Business of the Month: Tea & Sympathy, 108 Greenwich Avenue
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 […]
Tales from the Crypt: Greenwich Village as seen through its burial sites
Burial spaces serve a wide variety of purposes: religious, political, socioeconomic. For example, a graveyard might demarcate the boundary of a church or private property, while the kind of interment that was undertaken (burial, cremation, mausoleum) might give insight into the roles and statuses the deceased maintained in their lifetime. It also gives us insight […]
GVSHP South Village Oral History: Peter Longo
On Monday, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation hosted a program on the oral histories of the East Village, highlighting our commitment to the stories of our neighborhood and our initiatives to preserve them. This week, GVSHP has made twenty new oral histories available through our website. Each of these histories highlights the experiences […]
Haunted Greenwich Village
As Halloween is right around the corner, we here at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation would like to satisfy your cravings for hauntings as you go out and wander the Village for candy. Preserving the Village not only means maintaining the old buildings and historic landscapes, but sometimes also the domiciles of the […]
Making Christopher Park a National Park
Ever since the Stonewall designation back in June, the push for designating LGBT sites around New York City and Greenwich Village has been met with more energy and enthusiasm. One site in particular, Christopher Park, has gained the attention of the National Park Service (NPS), thanks to the advocacy of the National Parks Conservation Alliance, […]
The African Grove Theater
Greenwich Village in the early 19th century had a varied mix of racial communities living within its boundaries. As slavery was not formally abolished within New York until 1827, there existed both slave and free black communities, inhabiting an area around the now disappeared Minetta Creek (namesake for Minetta Lane/Minetta Street) known as “Little Africa.” […]
Art in Odd Places 2015: RECALL
Today marks the 11th year and anniversary of the Art in Odd Places (AiOP) festival. AiOP is a visual and performing arts festival that strives to present works outside the confines of traditional public space and stretch the boundaries of communication in the public realm. The festival itself runs along 14th Street, all the way […]
Honorary Street Names: 1st Avenue
Our latest examination of honorific street names takes us further into the East Village to 1st Avenue. From 14th Street all the way to Houston, 3 honorifics exist along this avenue: Jodie Lane Place- Located on 11th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A, there is an unfortunately tragic story behind this honorific. Jodie Shonah Lane (1973-2004) […]
Ottendorfer Library Landmark Designation
The Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) at 135 Second Avenue was designated an individual New York City landmark September 20, 1977. The library was built in 1883-4 by Oswald Ottendorfer, a wealthy German newspaper magnate, along with the adjoining Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital. These buildings are both representative of Kleindeutschland, or “Little Germany,” […]
Honorary Street Names: 2nd Avenue
As we here at GVSHP have previously discussed, many streets in Greenwich Village bear an honorary secondary name recognizing important people and institutions associated with the Village and its history. These honorary names are given in additional to the street’s standard or existing name, and typically only applies to a specific block. These renamings are implemented by […]
New York City’s First Public Nurse: Lillian Wald
On September 1, 1940, Lillian Wald passed away. While not a household name, Wald’s influence on public social services in New York City is exemplary, as she is the founder of the Henry Street Settlement, The Visiting Nurse Services of New York, and is the namesake for the Lillian Wald Houses on Avenue D in […]
Death, Debauchery, and Destruction on the Bowery: McGurk’s Suicide Hall
Dive bars and dead prostitutes! While these could be plot points in any Hollywood movie, back in the late 19th century these unwholesome characteristics gave the infamous McGurk’s Suicide Hall its name. Originally located at 295 Bowery (between Houston and East 1st Street) and opened in 1893, McGurk’s was the latest in a string of […]
Barney Rosset and Grove Press
Greenwich Village has long been associated with the arts and countercultural movements. Former publishing house Grove Press in particular exemplifies this history. Founded in 1947 and named for its location on Grove Street in Greenwich Village, Grove Press rose to prominence after it was purchased by Barney Rosset Jr. in 1951. Though the original location is not […]
Landmark Designation of the Ottendorfer Library 1st Floor Interior
On August 11, 1981, the interior first floor of the Ottendorfer Library received landmark designation from the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission. The building is a prime example of work commissioned for and utilized by the primarily German population of the late 19th and early 20th century, when the East Village was known as […]
The Tompkins Square Park Riots of 1988
Police brutality, class warfare, gentrification — today these are hot button topics, both nationally and in New York City. But on August 6, 1988, frustrations over these issues converged in the form of protest and riots in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. These protests reflected somewhat the shifting nature of the park and the neighborhood […]
Samuel Jones and Great Jones Street
Great Jones Street is located between Lafayette Street and the Bowery and is named for Samuel Jones, who was born on July 26th, 1734. Jones was born in what is now Massapequa and educated in Hempstead. He spent part of his youth with the Merchant Marines before deciding to settle down and study law. At the […]
The Busts of Little Germany
On Friday, July 17, 2015, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation lead tours around the East Village looking at buildings that made up the German immigrant community in the late 19th and early 20th century. Kleine Deutschland, or “Little Germany” at one point boasted one of the largest German-speaking communities in the world and many […]
Slavery, Gentrification, and the Last Execution in Washington Square
On July 9th, 1819, Rose Butler was executed in the Potter’s Field located in what is now Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Rose, a nineteen year old black female slave, was convicted of arson. She had set fire to the residence of her owners, though there were no reported injuries or casualties other than […]
The HOWL! Festival
Historically, the Village and East Village have always been the place for artists, writers, performers, and a slew of other creatives in New York City, a fact that is widely celebrated as one of the area’s defining characteristics. The HOWL! Festival is a celebration of this history. Founded in 20013 and named for long time […]
Disappeared LGBT Sites: Oscar Wilde Bookshop and St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center
On June 23, 2015, The Stonewall Inn, the place where the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights movement was born, was officially designated a city landmark, becoming the first landmark designated by New York City soleyor primarily based upon its significance to LGBT history (GVSHP proposed and led a year and a half […]
Happy Birthday, Shirley Hayes
Shirley Hayes is a pioneering figure in the preservation of the Village and the fight against Robert Moses’ planned Lower Manhattan Expressway through Washington Square Park. She was born on June 15, 1912 and would have been 103 today. Back in the year 2000, GVSHP had the honor of interviewing Mrs. Hayes as part of […]