Fred W. McDarrah and the Village That Refused to Be Quiet

Fred W. McDarrah did not photograph history from a distance. He stood inside it. Shoulder to shoulder with musicians, poets, organizers, and strangers who believed the street could still change the world. His photographs are not nostalgia. They are evidence. McDarrah’s lens followed the pulse of Greenwich Village and the East Village through the 1950s […]

Business of the Month: Tribes of Morocco, 346 East 9th Street

Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends.3 You should visit Morocco. It offers a remarkable […]

Highlights from the Village Independent Democrats 1980s Collection

This is one of a series of blog posts which highlights our new Village Independent Democrats collection in our Preservation History Archive. The Village Independent Democrats (VID) are a reform democratic club founded in 1956. In 2023, the club donated their archives to Village Preservation. In early 2024 we released the first part of those digitized archives covering 1955-69, and later that year […]

    Mapping 200 Years of Washington Square Park

    On January 16, 1826, a resolution was introduced to the Common Council (predecessor to today’s City Council) that would re-appropriate an old potter’s field into the Washington Military Parade Ground. This was a pivotal step in transforming the landscape into today’s Washington Square Park, which it officially became in 1827. Washington Square Park has been […]

    The Story of Washington Square Park Through Photos

    Washington Square Park has been one our most beloved public spaces for generations. From potters field to parade ground to one of the most iconic public spaces in the world, its symbolism and utilization are unrivaled since its transformation to parkland was approved on January 16, 1826. This history comes alive in the images preserved […]

      The Revolutionary Village: From War and Peace to 250 Years of Remarkable Influence

      While July 4, 1776 is considered our country’s official birthday, the war for independence from Great Britain spans nearly a decade, from 1775 to 1783. January 14 is Ratification Day, commemorating the day in 1784 when the Treaty of Paris was formally ratified and the Revolutionary War officially came to an end. This anniversary offers […]

      Village Preservation to Mayor Mamdani: Drop Adams Approach to Landmarking, Upzoning, and Developer Impunity

      The start of a new mayoral administration is often a moment of great anticipation, especially when it brings the possibility of meaningful policy shifts. In a detailed letter dated January 1, 2026, Village Preservation extended congratulations to Mayor Zohran Mamdani on his inauguration and laid out a comprehensive set of priorities the historic preservation organization […]

      In the Streets: A Visual History of Protest in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo

      Protest has long been woven into the fabric of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. From Washington Square to Tompkins Square and along countless main thoroughfares, side streets, and parks, our public spaces have served as a forum for dissent and debate. Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive captures this legacy with remarkable clarity. Through […]

      A New Administration, a New Chance to Protect South of Union Square

      We are looking forward to working with recently inaugurated Mayor Mamdani and his administration, which we hope will repudiate the misguided and failed development and preservation policies pursued by the Adams Administration. We hope, for one, that Mayor Mamdani will offer a break from his predecessor’s record-breaking aversion to new landmark designations.  Landmark designations under […]

      The Village Years of Joan Baez

      A folk singer, social justice activist, and leading figure of the counterculture movement that inspired generations, Joan Baez is undeniably a Greenwich Village icon. Born January 9, 1941, on Staten Island, Joan came of age amid political, social, and civil unrest that would go on to define her life and career. Both sides of Joan […]

        Winding Origins: How Greenwich Village Streets Got Their Names

        Unlike the regimented grid of most of Manhattan, Greenwich Village’s streets meet at irregular angles and follow unique paths. Already a somewhat developed neighborhood by the time of the 1811 commissioner’s street grid plan, the Village’s geography is built upon the roads created from its days of early colonial settlement.  The neighborhood’s street names also […]

          Café Society at Sheridan Square: Where the Course of History Changed

          In 1938, a small basement nightclub opened at 1–2 Sheridan Square and challenged how New York City understood nightlife, race, and public space. Café Society was the city’s first racially integrated nightclub, welcoming Black and white audiences into the same room and placing Black and white performers on the same stage. This was not common […]

            Little Flatirons of the Village: Architecture with Angles

            One of New York City’s most iconic landmarks is the Flatiron building. Located just north of our neighborhood on 23rd Street, its relatively rare triangular plot is formed by the intersection of the orthogonal street grid at Fifth Avenue with the diagonal of Broadway. But in Greenwich Village, the meandering, irregular street grid creates a number of similarly odd-shaped lots engendering triangular, or “flatiron” […]

              Fight for Tenants’ Rights Started in Greenwich Village

              At the dawn of the 20th century, Greenwich Village was a densely populated immigrant neighborhood, a mix of mainly Italian, Jewish, Irish, German, Spanish, and Chinese newcomers who together faced overcrowding, unsanitary housing, and exploitative landlord practices. Social worker Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch founded Greenwich House in 1902 at 26 Jones Street to tackle these systemic […]

              Sarah Schulman: The Power of Existence, Action, and Reflection

              Through her existence, action, and reflection, Sarah Schulman (b. July 28, 1958) has deeply impacted the fabric of New York City’s bohemian, LGBTQ+, and artistic communities.  A native Villager, she was born on 10th Street and has lived on 9th Street for over 40 years. Her deep understanding of our neighborhoods, prowess as a writer, […]

              Mapping the Path to Equality: Sites of Women’s Suffrage History

              While many today take the right to vote for granted, that simply wasn’t the case for most of American history. Women, Indigenous people, Blacks, Asians, Jews, Quakers, Catholics, and non-landowning white Protestant males were not always guaranteed this right. In early American history, some states did allow women to vote, but this right was taken […]

              Hidden Gems in the Archives: How a Single Line Revealed the Adamses of Richmond Hill

              Every so often, a researcher has the joy of stumbling upon a detail so small, so quiet, that it almost feels like a secret whispered across time. At Village Preservation, we’ve grown used to finding delight in the margins, footnotes, and parenthetical asides of the landmark designation reports for sites that have been selected for […]

              Sydney Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family

              On October 30th, 1912, a little girl named Sarah celebrated her eighth birthday in a Federal-style row house at the corner of Avenue D and East 3rd Street. She was the third of five daughters of Cecilia and Morris Brenner, German-Jewish immigrants who had arrived in New York City in 1901, and her childhood on […]

              Isamu Noguchi: Artist of the Century

              This blog post was originally published on November 17, 2023, and is a favorite of ours from among the more than 200 we publish every year. To stay current on all our posts, follow us on X or Facebook, or subscribe to our blog feed via email here. He was one of the most significant, prolific, and versatile artists […]

                The Coffee House Club: Connecting and Caffeinating Minds for Over a Century

                New York City is home to what is arguably the most diverse and vibrant cultural scene anywhere in the world. Within that vast intellectual, artistic, and expressive mosaic there lies a hidden gem—a group where creativity, conversation, and camaraderie come together over an hot cup of America’s favorite caffeinated beverage. That gem is the Coffee […]

                Beyond the Village and Back: Green-Wood Cemetery

                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 […]

                  Holden Caulfield’s Lost Weekend in Greenwich Village

                  On July 16, 1951, the best-selling novel, The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010), was released. It’s a coming-of-age story that follows the depressed and increasingly dejected sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield in his aimless escapades around Manhattan.  An aspiring lost soul, Holden spends an unchaperoned weekend wandering the […]

                    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 […]

                    What Came Before the South Village

                    In honor of South Village Month, we are turning to the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District designation report to explore what this neighborhood was like before it was known as part of the South Village. The area south of Washington Square Park and West Fourth Street and east of Seventh Avenue, now often referred to as the […]

                      The South Village: Celebrating the Preservation of Culture and Architecture

                      Village Preservation kicked off its campaign to honor, document, and seek landmark designation for the South Village and its remarkable immigrant and bohemian 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 […]

                      A Hard Prize’s A-Gonna Fall: Nobel Winners in Greenwich Village

                      In 2016, legendary singer/songwriter and one-time Greenwich Village resident Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” He was unable to attend the December event in Stockholm citing pre-existing commitments, however, but did forward an acceptance speech thanking the Swedish Academy for “providing […]

                      Festivus 2025: Time for Our Airing of Grievances!

                      The ‘holiday’ of Festivus was developed as an alternative to the commercialization of the Christmas season in the mid-1960s by author and editor Daniel O’Keefe (father of Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe). It gained significantly greater public attention on Seinfeld’s December 18, 1997 episode “The Strike,” in which Kramer refuses to work on Festivus and pickets his employer, […]

                        A Look Back at 2025 Programming: Gallery and Building Tours

                        As we come to the end of an incredibly successful year for Village Preservation programs, its time to take a look back at some of the events that made 2025 so special.  This year we had the chance to explore our neighborhoods and beyond with many fascinating building and exhibit tours. Today we will take […]

                          Edward Hopper and the Village That Shaped His Art

                          This post contains excerpts and takes inspiration from our recently revamped and re-released Edward Hopper’s Greenwich Village Tour on our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map. Edward Hopper did not simply live in Greenwich Village. He rooted himself in it. He walked its crooked streets, studied its shifting light, and let the neighborhood carve itself […]

                            Greenwich Village Writers on Winter

                            Whose woods these are I think I know.His house is in the village though;He will not see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up with snow. — Opening stanza to Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Frost lived within the Greenwich Village Historic District at 107 Waverly Place in 1920. Though […]

                            A Fresh Lens on Village Theater: Discovering Live Stages in the New GVHD Map

                            Village Preservation recently released an updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Maps. Originally released in 2019, it was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District (GVHD). The map includes 23 themed tours and offers a rich, navigable tapestry of the district’s architecture, history, and, crucially, its vibrant […]

                            Exploring the Firehouses of the Greenwich Village Historic District

                            Village Preservation recently released a revamped and updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Maps. Originally created in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District, the map includes Then & Now Photographs of the entire district, and a number of thematic tours of sites around the neighborhood. Today, we will […]

                              Tracing Fifth Avenue: “The Row,” and Greenwich Village’s Architectural Legacy

                              From the northern edge of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to 143rd Street in Harlem, Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan. The centerfold of the Manhattan, it is nearly impossible to imagine New York without the seven-mile-long stretch. But, like many Manhattan streets, Fifth Avenue grew out of the original 1811 Commissioner’s Plan grid. Its development […]

                                The Village Voices That Wouldn’t Stay Quiet

                                New York City, it has been said, is a town of opinionated loudmouths. Maybe so. If that’s the case, our neighborhoods can historically claim a disproportionate number of them. And we’d argue that that’s a good thing and that some of those so-called loudmouths made our world a better place by refusing to bow to […]

                                Local Music History, Mapped Out in the Greenwich Village Historic District

                                A journey through the narrow, winding streets of the Greenwich Village Historic District is a trip through a living museum, an opportunity to explore an area with more than 2,000 buildings preserved across some 65 blocks. Designated in 1969, the district’s rich mix of row houses, tenements, small apartment buildings, and older Federal-, Italianate- and […]

                                A Festive Celebration in a Storied Neighborhood: The 3rd Annual Sullivan-Thompson Historic District Holiday Shop & Stroll

                                Each December, as the Village lights up for the holidays, one corner of the neighborhood becomes especially magical. The Sullivan-Thompson Historic District Holiday Shop & Stroll, now in its third year, returns on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 1:00 PM, offering a vibrant celebration of local history, small businesses, and the enduring spirit of the […]

                                We Remember: Oral Histories of Strength and Loss in the AIDS Years

                                The history of the AIDS crisis in New York City is often told via numbers and statistics, the hospitalizations, the tragedy of lost lives, the sweeping social changes. But the real power of history resides in personal memory. In Village Preservation’s Oral History Collection, individual voices tell the stories that aren’t always part of the […]

                                  Exploring the New Greenwich Village Historic District Then & Now Map

                                  Village Preservation recently released an updated version of our Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Maps and Tours. Originally released in 2019, it was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District. The map includes themed tours and an updated “Then and Now” map of the district witth photos from the 1960s […]

                                    Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map + Tours

                                    Author: Anna Carl The following post was written by Anna Carl, Village Preservation’s Summer 2025 graduate-level intern. Anna was instrumental in creating our new-and-improved Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map and Tours. Introduction Village Preservation has just launched its new-and-improved Greenwich Village Historic District Virtual Map and Tours. The first version of this map was […]

                                    Tasting the Village: Mimi Sheraton’s Legacy

                                    Picking a favorite restaurant in New York City is a near-impossible task. The criteria for what constitutes a good dining experience are based on a series of entirely subjective factors, such as taste, aesthetics, location, or ambience. Few understood this better than Mimi Sheraton (February 10, 1926–April 6, 2023), the legendary food critic, writer, and […]

                                      Business of the Month: John Derian Company, 6, 8, and 10 East 2nd Street

                                      Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Most businesses don’t inspire the morbid fantasy of […]

                                      George Morrison: Abstract Expressionism from an Indigenous Point of View

                                      A new show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focuses on a unique artist who blended his indigenous heritage with the energetic art world of mid-century Manhattan. “The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York” — a title taken from the artist’s description of his longtime home — presents an overview of a career stretching from […]

                                        Alice Foote MacDougall: The Life and Success of an Unlikely Coffee Mogul

                                        Coffee culture in our neighborhoods during the early 20th century was vibrant and bustling. With numerous coffeehouses and cafes, including the famed Caffe Reggio, the caffeinated beverage was an excuse to gather socially, in addition to being a popular drink to brew at home.  Unsurprisingly, the business of coffee was at the time almost exclusively […]

                                          Chester A. Arthur’s Greenwich Village

                                          Chester Alan Arthur is a name not immediately known to many. To the few who do, he was the nation’s 21st president who unexpectedly rose to the highest office after the assassination of James A. Garfield and surprised many with his commitment to civil service reform. But even among this select group of cognoscenti, few […]

                                            Exploring History, Culture, and Community: A Review of Our October 2025 Public Programs

                                            October is always a month of rich programming for us, with autumn in full swing with its cool crisp air and the impending excitement of the holiday season. October 2025 was no exception—in fact, it offered one of the most diverse and engaging programming lineups in recent memory. This month’s mix of lectures, tours, conversations, […]

                                            Robert Rauschenberg at 100

                                            2025 marks 100 years since Robert Rauschenberg’s birth (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008), making this the perfect time to revisit the creative energy and ingenuity he brought to Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. Rauschenberg’s New York journey Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Rauschenberg came to New York in the early 1950s […]

                                            The Albert: Where Songs Were Born

                                            40–52 East 11th Street, Greenwich Village Just off University Place, at 40–52 East 11th Street, stands a building whose story is inseparable from New York’s creative heartbeat. The Albert began in the early 1880s as one of Manhattan’s first “French flats,” designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh—the visionary architect behind The Dakota and The Plaza. These […]

                                              Most Holy Redeemer Church: Cultural Heritage

                                              Village Preservation is working with fellow local preservation organizations and parishioners to preserve the endangered, historic Most Holy Redeemer Church at 173 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A and B in the East Village. The church was once one of the city’s tallest structures. Founded in 1844 by German-speaking Redemptorist missionaries amid the growing German […]

                                              The Soul of the Village: Six Venues That Built Our Sound

                                              The East and West Village are not just neighborhoods. They are thresholds. They take people who feel like they do not fit anywhere and tell them this is where misfits learn to fly. Music is the way this part of New York speaks. It does not whisper. It roars. For decades, these streets have given […]

                                                The Times They Are A-Changin: The Evolution of the Washington Square Hotel

                                                At the turn of the last century, our neighborhood was in the midst of yet another transformative era. For decades prior, a fashionable, bourgeois class resided around Washington Square Park and lower Fifth Avenue, as grandiose red-brick Greek Revival townhomes attracted the wealthy, cementing the area’s cosmopolitan population. But with time, the neighborhood’s residents began […]

                                                  Welcome to the Neighborhood: The Irving Green, 321 East 9th Street

                                                  Today we welcome a new small business to our neighborhoods — help us welcome the next. Tell us which new independent store in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo you’re excited about by emailing us at info@villagepreservation.org. As advocates for local small business, we find great satisfaction in hearing of new independent establishments opening […]

                                                  Some Favorite Arts and Crafts Stores in the Village

                                                  In a time when much of our creative life happens online, it’s a gift to find places in our neighborhoods where you can still browse shelves, feel materials in your hands, and talk with someone behind the counter who cares deeply about their craft. The following five shops are all part of Village Preservation’s Business […]

                                                    Remembering the Video Store

                                                    Back in the late 20th century, there were no streaming services. If someone had a specific taste in film they would have to physically go to a store and rent something called a VHS. There were video rental stores across the city and everyone had their favorites. While national chains such as Blockbuster dominated total […]

                                                      Hidden in Plain Sight: Sixth Avenue Silhouette

                                                      Our blog series “Hidden in Plain Sight” highlights the many architectural curiosities and unique features found on buildings throughout our neighborhoods — details you might not notice on first pass, but if you’re paying attention, they tell easily overlooked and often forgotten stories.  Peeking above the one-story building at the corner of Sixth Avenue and […]

                                                      Designing an Artistic Village: Richard Morris Hunt’s Gilded Age Legacy

                                                      Richard Morris Hunt, born on on October 31, 1827, is usually remembered for the grandiose mansions, museums, and monuments of the Gilded Age such as the Lenox Library, grand Fifth Avenue homes, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, and the façade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But his fingerprints are also on a […]

                                                        Sydney Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family

                                                        On October 30th, 1912, a little girl named Sarah celebrated her eighth birthday in a Federal-style row house at the corner of Avenue D and East 3rd Street. She was the third of five daughters of Cecilia and Morris Brenner, German-Jewish immigrants who had arrived in New York City in 1901, and her childhood on […]

                                                        Woman Crush Wednesday: Nina Kaufelt and the “Care & Beauty” Theory of Neighborhoods

                                                        On West 9th Street, small acts of care have led to remarkable change. Thanks to the efforts of longtime Village resident and volunteer Nina Kaufelt, the humble tree bed, those rectangles of soil surrounding our street trees, has become a symbol of how beauty, attention, and collective effort can transform a neighborhood block. Tree beds, […]

                                                        An Artistic Way: Basquiat and Manhattan’s Newest Co-Named Street

                                                        On October 21, the stretch of Great Jones Street between Lafayette Street and the Bowery in NoHo was officially co-named Jean-Michel Basquiat Way to recognize the artist whose explosive creativity helped define downtown Manhattan in the 1980s. The honor highlights not only Basquiat’s extraordinary artistic legacy but also the profound connection between his life and […]

                                                        Townhouse to Twin Peaks: The Whimsical Story of 102 Bedford

                                                        Behind every street corner, alleyway, and front stoop lies an untold story. Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate styles dominate the neighborhood’s architecture, but how did they come to be here in the first place?  Luckily, we have our comprehensive collection of landmark and historic district designation reports which provides us with the official record of […]

                                                          Intersecting Histories: The Corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street

                                                          A multitude of NYC histories, cultures, and architectural styles converge on the corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street in the East Village. Each building that occupies a corner of this notable intersection has a distinct aesthetic and cultural importance to the neighborhood. Today, we will take a look at these four buildings, detailing the […]

                                                            Business of the Month: Grove Apothecary, 302 West 12th Street

                                                            Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Shaving cream locked behind glass to ward off […]

                                                            Mapping the Path to Equality: Sites of Women’s Suffrage History

                                                            While many today take the right to vote for granted, that simply wasn’t the case for most of American history. Women, Indigenous people, Blacks, Asians, Jews, Quakers, Catholics, and non-landowning white Protestant males were not always guaranteed this right. In early American history, some states did allow women to vote, but this right was taken […]

                                                            Ghouls, Goblins, and Ghost Signs

                                                            Historic neighborhoods are filled with details that tell their story. Old trolley tracks peek through the asphalt, boot scrapers remind us of the city’s even more distant horse-driven past, and ghost signs give us a glimpse into the businesses that once filled our neighborhoods.  Ghost signs are the faded, hand-painted advertisements found on historic buildings, […]

                                                              Joans, Jones, and Company: Black Poetry History in the Village

                                                              Greenwich Village and the East Village have long been a nexus for poets from across the country and for poetry of innumerable styles. As we celebrate National Black Poetry Day coming up on October 17, we honor the many Black poets who have called our neighborhoods home over the decades and shaped the literary form […]

                                                                Keeping Preservation on the Ballot: Visit our Elections 2025 Resource Page

                                                                As New York City heads toward the 2025 general election, we are making sure that historic preservation and thoughtful urban planning remain front and center in public debate. Our Elections 2025 webpage offers an invaluable civic resource. While the mayoral race tends to draw the headlines, the decisions made by City Councilmembers and Borough Presidents […]

                                                                Celebrating Italian-American Heritage Month through the Lens of Village Preservation’s Archives

                                                                October is Italian-American Heritage Month, a rich opportunity to reflect on the profound contributions of Italian Americans to our city and nation. Here in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, Italian immigrants and their descendants shaped neighborhoods, built small businesses, joined civic life, and wove their stories into the fabric of New York. At […]

                                                                El Día de los Muertos (by La Sirena)

                                                                The dead live among us! But that’s no reason to barricade yourself in your home, armed and ready to fire on anyone who might eat your brains. To the contrary, if you believe that the story of your ancestors forms part of your own and that you should keep their memory alive, then their presence […]

                                                                The Ballot Explained

                                                                Come  election day, New Yorkers get to vote not only for candidates, but often also on ballot questions that can change how our city government works. This year, Ballot Questions 2 through 4 might sound like they’re about speeding up housing approvals. But in reality, they’re about who holds the power to decide what gets […]

                                                                  Back to Analog: Local Standout Record Stores

                                                                  In an age of increasing digital reliance, with endless content curated by apps and algorithms, generations young and old are returning to older technologies. With CDs and records all back in style, there is no better place to begin or restart your analog music collection than our neighborhoods. Many incredible record stores dot the streets […]

                                                                    From Stables to Studios: Carriage Houses in the Village

                                                                    Before the subways, the skyscrapers, and even the cut through of Seventh Avenue South, New York was once a horse-drawn city. Little remains from that equine era, but traces of the past can still be seen through the buildings and homes of our neighborhood. In honor of Archtober, New York City’s month-long festival of architecture […]

                                                                      The Maia Farish Collection: A Village Childhood in the 50s & 60s

                                                                      Maia Farish (née Reardon) was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in 1953. Her childhood was spent in Greenwich Village during its 1950s and ‘60s heyday, where she played in Washington Square Park and attended local institutions such as Greenwich House, P.S. 41, P.S. 3, I.S. 70, and Miss Murphy’s Greenwich House Children’s Theater. First living at 135 Perry […]

                                                                        The Value of Landmarks, 60 Years On

                                                                        Throughout 2025, Village Preservation has been marking the 60th anniversary of the passage of the New York City Landmarks Law. Enacted in 1965 in response to the devastating loss of iconic structures like the original McKim, Mead & White-designed Penn Station, the law empowered the freshly formed Landmarks Preservation Commission to protect buildings and districts […]

                                                                        Families Discover the Village at the Great Village History Hunt

                                                                        On Sunday, September 28, families, friends, and neighbors set off on an adventure through Greenwich Village, uncovering history, mystery, and plenty of fun at our Great Village History Hunt. The adventure began beneath the iconic Washington Square Arch, where participants set off with treasure maps leading them to six historic Village landmarks — from Edward […]

                                                                        Co-Named Streets Commemorate Local Heroes, Part V

                                                                        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 often unknown to most passers-by. But a New York City agency has offered a way for those who are […]

                                                                          Coffee, Culture, and Community

                                                                          Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo share a coffee lineage tied to immigration, countercultural movements, and the aesthetic of the “third place” that’s neither home nor work. You can trace that history from the storied cafés of the past, the old‐style importers, and the many dearly departed coffee shops to our new favorites. The […]

                                                                            Oral histories of Artists in the Village

                                                                            Our neighborhoods are more than streets and brownstones; they’re a living song. At Village Preservation, we showcase the voices that made that song—the oral histories of the artists, musicians, and activists who turned cobblestones into stages, neighborhood corners into concert halls. These aren’t dusty archives. They are conversations with the people who lived, breathed, resisted, […]

                                                                              Welcome to the Neighborhood: The Locavore Variety Store, 434 Sixth Avenue

                                                                              Today we welcome a new small business to our neighborhoods — help us welcome the next. Tell us which new independent store in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo you’re excited about by emailing us at info@villagepreservation.org. As advocates for local small business, we find great satisfaction in hearing of new independent establishments opening […]

                                                                              October Programming at Village Preservation

                                                                              Hosting over 80 programs annually, nearly all of which are free and open to the public, Village Preservation programming brings the architectural and cultural history of our neighborhoods to life through tours, lectures, conversations, webinars, and much more.  You can revisit many of these programs on Village Preservation’s YouTube channel. Today, we take a look […]

                                                                              The High Line, ca. 1979

                                                                              Since its opening to the public in 2009, the High Line has become an irreplaceable New York City landmark. Stretching from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street and 11th Avenue, the elevated park offers residents and visitors sweeping Hudson River views, carefully manicured landscaping, and plenty of places to lounge, sit, people watch, and take in […]

                                                                                September in Our Archives

                                                                                September marks the start of school and the return of busy work routines, as life picks up a more regular rhythm after summer’s pause. It’s no surprise that this busy month is also well-represented in our archives, including those of consisting of historic images, neighborhood histories and oral histories. Part of our extensive collection of online resources, these collections focus […]

                                                                                  Mapping the Village: How Our Maps Help You Discover History

                                                                                  There’s something magical about a good map. It’s not just a tool for finding your way — it’s a window into another world, a story waiting to be uncovered. At Village Preservation, we’ve long believed that maps are one of the most powerful ways to connect people with the neighborhoods we work to protect. Our […]

                                                                                  On the Frontlines of Invasion: The Village in Occupied New York

                                                                                  On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain, and in New York City the news quickly electrified both Patriots and Loyalists. Only five days later, on July 9, General George Washington had the Declaration read aloud to his troops assembled at the Commons (today’s City Hall Park). The mood turned fiery: […]

                                                                                  Business of the Month: Waverly Diner, 365 Sixth Avenue

                                                                                  Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends. Much has changed since the heyday of diners […]

                                                                                  Remembering 9/11: Personal Perspectives from Downtown Manhattan

                                                                                  New York is the city of the world. Dozens of languages fill the streets; foods from any corner of the world can be found on any block; and people of all kinds, regardless of nationality, creed, race, gender, or socio-economic background, can and do end up here. It’s a city that thrives off difference, with […]

                                                                                    Village Preservation and the Salmagundi Club: A Partnership in Programming

                                                                                    The Salmagundi Club has championed the visual arts in our neighborhood since its founding in 1871. Created by artists and patrons, the club serves to support painters and art enthusiasts, hosting exhibitions, lectures, painting demonstrations, classes, and auctions. The club moved to its permanent home at 47 Fifth Avenue in 1917, where it has been […]

                                                                                      Becoming a Park: A Look at the Hudson River Waterfront in our Archives

                                                                                      On September 8, 1998, then-Governor George E. Pataki Signed the Hudson River Park act in law. Approved by the State Legislature in June of that year, this milestone legislation formally designated the waterfront area as a park and established the Hudson River Park Trust to continue the park’s planning, construction, management, and operation. The legislation […]

                                                                                        Annual Report Highlights Village Preservation’s Growth and Successes, and Pays Tribute to Our Past

                                                                                        Contained within 24 colorful and informative pages, Village Preservation’s 2024–2025 Annual Report paints a vivid picture of an organization deeply committed to protecting the architectural and cultural legacy of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, while pushing forward with innovative community educational programs.  Advocacy remained central to Village Preservation’s mission over the last year, […]

                                                                                        Back to School with Village Preservation!

                                                                                        September is here, and its back to school time! While children across NYC sadly gather their pencils and get their backpacks ready, and parents exuberantly ensure the children are out the door on time, Village Preservation is also gearing up for the start of another school year! For 35 years, Village Preservation’s Children’s Education programs […]

                                                                                          A Blog Post About Our Blog? Very Meta

                                                                                          Have you ever had one of those moments where you catch yourself talking about talking about something, and suddenly realize you’ve gone full Inception? Well, welcome to ours. Today, we’re writing a blog post… about our blog. Yes, we know. Very meta. But Off the Grid isn’t just any blog — it’s Village Preservation’s digital […]

                                                                                          History, Heritage, and Hidden Stories: Spend September with Village Preservation

                                                                                          As late summer gently yields to autumn’s crisp embrace, Village Preservation invites you on a journey through time—where history, culture, and community converge in a rich series of September events. We have events that take advantage of the lingering warmth, including outdoor tours and a garden party, while other events explore the history of our […]

                                                                                          Churches of the East Village: The East Village Building Blocks Tour

                                                                                          When people think of the East Village, they often think of punk attitudes and political unrest (and for good reason). They don’t necessarily think of religiosity and houses of worship. And that’s unfortunate, because, in fact, the neighborhood has a high concentration of churches that have been built over the past two hundred twenty five-plus […]

                                                                                          The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary

                                                                                          The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is more than a hospital on East 13th Street and Second Avenue. It is a living monument to innovation, inclusion, and resilience. Founded in 1820 by Drs. Edward Delafield and John Kearny Rodgers, the Infirmary became the first specialty hospital in the Western Hemisphere, setting […]