‘Tis the Season
December is chock full of holidays and no shortage of holiday tree lightings, carol singing events, and much more to help you celebrate the season. The trees are already up … Continued
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Author: Sheryl
World AIDS Day, 2014
Since 1988, December 1 has marked a day of awareness for the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight … Continued
Community Cornerstone: Maryhouse
With the approach of Thanksgiving this week, we here at Off the Grid are taking stock of all the things we have to be thankful for. For many, the Thanksgiving … Continued
Armistice Day to Veterans Day
Off the Grid has explored the many memorials in the Village dedicated to those who died in wars over the years for both Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Of course … Continued
An Unassuming Tenement with a Big History
The tenement at 342 East 11th Street has quite an attractive façade, for those who can will themselves to look up past the delightful display of pastries in the window … Continued
Oh How Our Houses Have Changed
This October, GVSHP is presenting a course that explores historic preservation by examining changing styles of housing, changing housing laws, and urban renewal in the twentieth century. While the course … Continued
Happy Birthday Neighborhood Preservation Center
This Wednesday, we here at Off the Grid are looking forward to celebrating the 15th birthday of the Neighborhood Preservation Center. The Center will be hosting its annual birthday party … Continued
Get your Fruit, Veggies, and Milk in Tompkins Square Park
Last weekend, GVSHP, GrowNYC, and the East Village Parks Conservancy teamed up to create an exhibit that explores the history of Tompkins Square Park and its current function as a … Continued
Tompkins Square Park on Exhibit
For the next two Sundays, GVSHP is teaming up with GrowNYC and the East Village Parks Conservancy to explore and celebrate the Tompkins Square Greenmarket. We’ll be sharing images of … Continued
From the WNYC Archives: Change and Continuity in Greenwich Village
GVSHP is pleased to partner with WNYC on this post that spotlights their archival collection. WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820 are New York’s flagship public radio stations, broadcasting the … Continued
Labor Day Weekend Round Up
Labor Day was created as a federal holiday in 1894, and according to the US Department of Labor, is a national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the … Continued
Photographer Rebecca Lepkoff: 1916-2014
Here at Off the Grid we were saddened to hear of the passing of Rebecca Lepkoff. She died on Sunday, August 17 at the age of 98. Ms. Lepkoff was … Continued
The San Remo Cafe: Archive Edition
Off the Grid often features images from GVSHP’s Preservation Archive and Oral History Project. The image archive includes approximately 300 images from ten different collections that document the architecture, cultural … Continued
Immigration and the Village
With all the talk about immigration reform in the news lately, it got us thinking here at Off the Grid about the effect of United States immigration laws on the … Continued
Landmarking 101: The Case of 121 Charles Street
The freestanding house at 121 Charles Street has been in the limelight the last few weeks. The home is currently on the market and the listing notes that the home … Continued
Throwback Thursday: Ghost Signs of the Village
What could be better on Throwback Thursday than taking a look-see at the advertisements of yesteryear that are still visible today? Ghost signs, or fading ads, have been described a … Continued
2014 Village Award Winner: La MaMa E.T.C.
For fifty-three years, La MaMa E.T.C. has brought amazing theater off, off Broadway and into the East Village. GVSHP is proud to honor the theater with a 2014 Village Award … Continued
Scouting out some of the City’s coolest places
Recently, Off the Grid has spotlighted a number of blogs that we like to read to keep us up to date about our community and our city beyond the borders … Continued
2014 Village Award Winner: New York Central Art Supply
Browsing the merchandise at New York Central Art Supply can be a little intimidating for the uninitiated, but that’s just because this store, which has been owned by the same … Continued
Collecting the history of the Village one interview at a time
This past fall, GVSHP launched a new oral history project. This ongoing project was developed in order to add to our understanding of the South and East Villages, areas in … Continued
Tap Into Untapped Cities
We’ve been reviewing some of the blogs that we here at Off the Grid like to follow to keep ourselves up-to-date on happenings both community-centered and across New York City. … Continued
GVSHP’s Village House Tour Benefit Features Homes within the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District
Warm, sunny days in the Village have us here at GVSHP looking forward to our annual house tour, which takes place this Sunday, May 4th. There’s still time to buy … Continued
Washington Square Arch: Then AND Now
One of the many tools historic preservationists use in their work is historic images. They are an invaluable resource in seeing firsthand how our built environment has changed and stayed … Continued
Berenice Abbott and the Legacy of the New Deal
The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act was passed by Congress on April 8 in 1935, five years into the Great Depression. The name of the legislation may sound foreign, but most … Continued
Favorite Things Edition: Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York
Here at Off the Grid we often focus on our downtown Village neighborhoods, but the historic preservationist in me wants to learn about other neighborhoods as well. One of the … Continued
Commemorating the 103rd Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Tomorrow marks the 103rd anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the 1911 disaster that killed 146 workers and sparked a movement for workplace safety laws and regulations and a … Continued
Irish Churches of the Village
It seems that on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish or of Irish descent. The parade winds its way up Fifth Avenue, tourists and locals patronize the many Irish pubs … Continued
A Luckless Landmark
When the building at 150 Barrow Street, known as the Keller Hotel building, was landmarked seven years ago today, the future looked bright for this historic waterfront treasure. Although vacant … Continued
Happy Birthday, Mabel Dodge Luhan
By the time Mabel Dodge (also known, in recognition of her four husbands, as Mabel Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan) set up her weekly salon in her apartment at 23 Fifth … Continued
Community Cornerstone: Little Red School House-Elisabeth Irwin High School
In 2012, GVSHP spotlighted the work of Little Red School House/Elisabeth Irwin High School on Off the Grid as part of our tribute to the winners of the 2012 Village … Continued
Valentine’s Day in the Village
If you waited for the last minute to plan your Valentine’s Day evening or need to pick up a few more supplies, don’t despair. There are plenty of shops in … Continued
Covering the good, bad, and sad of the East Village
Readers of Off the Grid might notice that we often cite other blogs in our posts. Staffers here at GVSHP, including me, read other blogs to keep up to date … Continued
Community Cornerstone: Greenwich House Pottery
This past summer, Off the Grid posted a piece on Greenwich House, the community settlement house that brought education and social services to the community’s immigrant population at the turn … Continued
Upstairs/Downstairs: A Night Out on MacDougal Street
We’ve been focusing a lot lately here at Off the Grid on the newly designated South Village Historic District and the designation report that allows us to learn much about … Continued
A 79-year old book on Greenwich Village still a valuable resource
For those familiar with the history of Greenwich Village, the name of author Jane Jacobs is quite familiar. Her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, is well … Continued
My Favorite Things: Greenwich Village To Day
Geography has never been my forte. I’ve been lost more times than I can count while holding a perfectly good map in my hand. (See the past post: My Favorite … Continued
Ghosts of Off the Grid Past
Traditions abound during the holiday season. For many, family and charity are top priorities, while for others, shopping is the order of the day. And for most cultures, food plays … Continued
Landmarking 101: Determining Historic District Borders
Yesterday, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted to create a new landmark district, called the South Village Historic District. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has … Continued
An 89-Year Tradition Continues in Washington Square Park
Last week, all eyes were on Rockefeller Center for the lighting of that famous Christmas tree. But did you know that the tree lighting in Washington Square Park was a … Continued
Stories of the Village
This week, our friends at the Jefferson Market Branch Library will host workshops for a new project they are undertaking called Your Village, Your Stories. The library’s foray into recording … Continued
From the Archives … The Old Pear Tree
This week, research requests to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation converged and pointed us to a unique image in our Historic Image Archive. Titled “The old pear-tree planted … Continued
Community Cornerstones: Penny Jones & Co. Puppets
We here at Off the Grid have often explored the history of the artists’ residence Westbeth, as well as mining the depths of the artistic talent located in the venerable … Continued
Halloween Happenings in the Village
The Village does Halloween like no other NYC community, featuring parades, festivals, and plenty of children’s activities, but what would you expect from the neighborhood that devised the original Halloween … Continued
Community Cornerstones: The Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation
Tucked away on an unassuming block on LaGuardia Place is the former studio and home of sculptor Chaim Gross and his wife Renee. Gross, whose art can be found in … Continued
Spotlight On the Ukrainian Museum: Ukrainian Art and Culture in the East Village
Tucked mid-block between historic tenements on 6th Street in the East Village is a modern building devoted to the preservation and exhibition of Ukrainian art. While the building is new, … Continued
Celebrate Good Times … At Webster Hall
On Wednesday, GVSHP will be celebrating the 14th Birthday of the Neighborhood Preservation Center, the building where we have made our headquarters for the last fourteen years. The celebration – … Continued
The Village Voice Past and Present
Last week’s announcement in The Villager confirming The Village Voice’s move from its offices in Cooper Square got us thinking about the history of the storied Village newspaper. The Voice, … Continued
East Fourth Street comes alive with art and culture
The Fourth Arts Block will present its tenth annual FAB! Festival on Saturday, September 28, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Festivities take place on East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue … Continued
The Fate of the Lusitania
On September 13, 1907, the RMS Lusitania docked at Pier 54 on the Greenwich Village waterfront following its maiden transatlantic voyage. Pier 54, located at West 13th Streets, was the New York home … Continued
Happy Birthday Malcolm Gladwell
Journalist, author, and Greenwich Village resident Malcolm Gladwell turns fifty today. Happy Birthday, Mr. Gladwell. Like many authors who have chosen to make the Village their home, Gladwell is originally … Continued
Greenwich House: a settlement house past and present
Founded 111 years ago by reformer Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch, Greenwich House began as a place to help improve the lives of the expanding immigrant populations in the neighborhood. While times … Continued
I scream, you scream, Off the Grid screams for ICE CREAM
With Labor Day fast approaching and temperatures rising, my thoughts are turning to … ice cream! Greenwich Village has recently become one of the best neighborhoods in New York City … Continued
Landmarking 101: Just what is calendaring and why should I care?
Six years ago today, on August 8, 2007, the Landmarks Preservation Commission wrote to GVSHP responding to our request to consider Webster Hall, the East Village social and assembly hall built … Continued
The South Village and Prohibition
On July 31, 1923, the New York Times featured an article about an injunction against seven places of business located in the South Village that served alcohol against the strictures … Continued
Wood-frame houses in the Village
This evening, our friends at the The Wooden House Project, a blog that explores Brooklyn’s wood-frame houses, will be conducting a walking tour of some interesting wooden houses in the … Continued
The East Village is Alive .. With the Sound of Music
Last week Off the Grid featured a story about the 55th Annual Washington Square Music Festival, which presents free concerts in Washington Square Park on Tuesday evenings in July. This … Continued
Bastille Day Remembrance: The South Village Was Once the Quartier Francaise
In honor of Bastille Day this Sunday, July 14, we here at Off the Grid thought we would take a look at the French Quarter, a small area south of … Continued
This July, Music fills Washington Square Park
Last night, the 55th Washington Square Music Festival held its first of four free concerts in Washington Square Park. The music festival is sponsored by the Washington Square Association, an … Continued
You Oughta Be in Pictures: 2013 Village Award Winners
Tonight, GVSHP will present our Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. This evening will look back on the work of the Society over the last year, while honoring those who make … Continued
2013 Village Award Winner: Jeremiah Shea
The East Village has seen many changes over the last twenty years, but perhaps none so inspiring as the changes due to the work of Ninth Precinct Community Council President … Continued
Block Drug Store: 2013 Village Award Winner
Since 1885, a drug store has stood at the corner of 2nd Avenue and 6th Street. Although it has had various owners over the years, members of the Palermo family … Continued
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
In the East Village, community gardens began growing when neighborhood activists threw “seed-bombs” into empty, trash-strewn lots. Tomorrow, GVSHP teams up with Green Guerillas – the organization that arose from … Continued
Memorializing Memorial Day
While Memorial Day is often known (unofficially, of course) as the kick-off to summer, it is an official U.S. Federal holiday that recognizes those who have died in service to … Continued
And the Winner Is … Village Awards Edition
Last week, Off the Grid celebrated the upcoming Obie and Tony Awards. Today, GVSHP is honored to announce … the 2013 Village Awardees! Each year, the Greenwich Village Society for … Continued
Music in the Village Past and Present
A recent post by Rock Cellar Magazine entitled “Rock Meccas of NYC: What Are They Now?” had us here at Off the Grid lamenting the loss of such wonderful music … Continued
A Sad Farewell to Joe’s Dairy
After 60 years, Joe’s Dairy, a small South Village institution specializing in fresh mozzarella (plain, salted, and smoked) will close up their retail store. Community gossip, which is confirmed by … Continued
May Day Past and Present
Those following May Day protests today might be interested in learning about the day’s long roots in labor history, going back to 1886. May 1, 1886 was selected by the … Continued
Preservation Before Penn Station’s Demolition
Common lore has it that the demolition of Penn Station fifty years ago was the impetus behind the modern preservation movement in New York, but in fact, preservation efforts in … Continued
2013 House Tour offers unique views of Greenwich Village
One of the most exciting parts of the Annual Village House Tour Benefit, taking place this year on Sunday, May 5, is the chance you have of seeing the many … Continued
Village jazz photo collection finds new home
Last week the New York Times reported that a large collection of jazz photographs, an archive painstakingly assembled over six decades by the record producer and writer Frank Driggs, had … Continued
Annual House Tour a window into Village History
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is gearing up for our 15th Annual Village House Tour, a benefit to raise funds in support of GVSHP’s work to educate about … Continued
Today in History: Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
On March 25, 1911, at approximately 4:40 PM, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory at the corner of Greene Street and Washington Place, just east of Washington … Continued
Your chance to recognize a Village treasure!
Since 1991, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has presented awards to members of our community as our way of saying thank you to those individuals, organizations, and businesses … Continued
St. Patrick’s Day Wrap-Up
While the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade wound its way up Fifth Avenue this weekend, the Village celebrated the holiday in a more low-key way.
A Catholic leader for the South Village
Yesterday’s news about a new pope in Rome has me thinking about Catholic institutions a bit closer to home. When I think of leaders of catholics in the Village, I … Continued
My Favorite Things: Illustrated Edition
Australian artist James Gulliver Hancock began to draw buildings during his travels, allowing him to interact with the cities he was visiting in a way that went beyond his experience … Continued
Building Ornamentation
GVSHP’s program this evening, the Art of Exterior Ornamentation: A Talk with the Owners of Essex Works, features a local company that provides restoration of ornamentation on historic buildings. The … Continued
Early Village Preservation Efforts Preserved
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation’s Preservation Archive and Oral History Project was begun in 1995, a project to document over sixty-five years of grassroots advocacy to “Save the … Continued
Bye, bye, blizzard
The weekend blizzard, dubbed Nemo by some media outlets, dropped 11.4 inches of snow as recorded in Central Park, a lot less than the historic blizzard of 1888, which dumped … Continued
Historic Hotels of the Village
A recent report by Crain’s New York that a number of hotels were opening in and around the Union Square area had us thinking here at Off the Grid about … Continued
What’s In a Name? Neighborhood Edition
Off the Grid has featured many posts about some of the place names within Greenwich Village and the East Village, including Bleecker Street, Taras Shevchenko Place, and Father Demo Square. … Continued
Architecture That Never Was
Readers of Off the Grid should be familiar with the many preservation victories Greenwich Village has won over the years, including the extension of Fifth Avenue through Washington Square Park, … Continued
Happy Birthday, Patricia Highsmith
Author Patricia Highsmith, called the “Dark Lady of American Letters” by her biographer Joan Schenkar, was born on January 19, 1921. She was the author of over twenty-two books including … Continued
GVSHP Library Spotlight: Historic Walking Tour Map of Greenwich Village
Through the 1960s and early 1970s, this hand-drawn Greenwich Village map was self-published by the Seymour family, long-time residents of Greenwich Village and preservation pioneers within New York City. This … Continued
A New Year’s Hotspot
The Meatpacking District—or to preservationists the Gansevoort Market Historic District—was the scene of many a New Year’s Eve party this past Monday night. But as the neighborhood’s most recent name … Continued
Tompkins Square tree offers more than good cheer
Two weeks ago, Off the Grid featured a notice announcing the lighting of the tree in Tompkins Square Park. At this year’s lighting ceremony on December 9th, a plaque was … Continued
Archive Spotlight: First Presbyterian Church in Winter
This image from the GVSHP Archive features an idyllic view of people gathering on the sidewalk outside of First Presbyterian Church in winter. The image is taken at 12th Street … Continued
Collection Spotlight: The Real Estate Brochure Collection at Avery Library
Curbed New York recently posted an engaging photo montage on their site featuring vintage real estate images. The article reminded us here at Off the Grid about a most useful … Continued
Village businesses step up
It’s easy to see much of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. But one of the biggest impacts from the storm was the loss of income suffered by hourly employees … Continued
Help a Village small business post-Hurricane Sandy
After riding out the week of Hurricane Sandy at home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as the Greenwich Village Society office was without power, I was fairly anxious to explore somewhere outside … Continued
Check out an historic building near you – no special knowledge required
Designation reports are detailed documents created by New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission at the time a building or district is landmarked. These reports often serve as guidelines when the … Continued
Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde
Irish writer Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born October 16, 1854. The author of many short stories, plays such as The Importance of Being Ernest and The Duchess of … Continued
A family business lives on at 15 8th Avenue
In September of 2011, Off the Grid reported the discovery of a sign during changes to a storefront at 15 8th Avenue (between West 12th & Jane Streets). The sign, … Continued
Storied Village Music Venue to Close
Kenny’s Castaways, the music venue which has been located on Bleecker Street near Thompson Street since 1976, will stage its last performance tonight. Citing rising rents and a decreased … Continued
Remembering photojournalist and Westbeth resident Bettye Lane
Bettye Lane, a photojournalist who lived at Westbeth, died last Wednesday at the age of 82. She has been called the official photographer of the women’s movement and was one … Continued
In Memoriam: Howard R. Moody
The Reverend Howard R. Moody, Minister Emeritus of Judson Memorial Church was born on April 13, 1921, and died on Tuesday, September 12, 2012 at the age of 91. Moody’s 35-year … Continued
Happy 9th Birthday to the Gansevoort Market Historic District
This coming Sunday will mark the ninth anniversary of the designation of the Gansevoort Market Historic District. The first new district to be enacted in the Village since the first … Continued
Before Stonewall: The “Sip In” at Julius’
GVSHP recently received an inquiry from a researcher looking for information about the historic 1966 “Sip In” that took place at the bar Julius’. This seminal protest, which challenged the … Continued
Jennifer Aniston Proposal at Storied Village Restaurant
Blue Hill, the one-star Michelin rated restaurant located on Washington Place between Washington Square Park and Sixth Avenue, just added another star to its roster. On August 10, actor-screenwriter … Continued
NYC Department of City Planning launches new census data map
The real estate blog Curbed featured a look late last week at the Department of City Planning’s revamped census data map, a useful new tool for serious researchers looking to … Continued