The Humble “Nerve Center” of the City: Gem Spa
The East Village is a rich palimpsest of fascinating histories. If many of them seem to share as their geographic nucleus the corner of 2nd and St Mark’s Place, that’s … Continued
Organizing for Irish Independence #SouthOfUnionSquare
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the neighborhood South of Union Square was home to a thriving community of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans. This community played a major … Continued
The Life and Lithographs of Laurie Ourlicht
Artist and lithographer Laurie Ourlicht lived a fascinating yet mostly undiscovered life. Although her pieces live on in museum collections and private galleries, very little is known about the artist’s … Continued
The Fun (and Facts) in Fire Insurance Maps
Finding windows into the past allows us to properly document the history of our neighborhoods here in New York City. The fire insurance maps of the late 19th and early … Continued
Village Cemeteries Part V, NoHo Edition
Moving westward across the Village through our Cemeteries of the Village series, today we explore one former cemetery site in NoHo and one just north of the NoHo corridor, both … Continued
Crisis and Adaptation: Storefront Trends in the East Village, 2019 – 2021
The preservation of independent small businesses has been an ongoing and growing concern in our neighborhoods and city. This took on greater urgency during the pandemic, when so many establishments … Continued
The Collapse of the Broadway Central Hotel and the End of the Mercer Arts Center
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 … Continued
James Baldwin Leaves an Enduring Legacy in Greenwich Village
“For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other … Continued
Penn Station Demolition Protest — Then & Now
On August 2, 1962 a protest took place that reverberated throughout New York City, and ignited the preservation movement throughout the city and country. The Action Group for Better Architecture … Continued
Shop Local and Enjoy the Miracle of Lasagna!
It’s the quintessential comfort food: pasta sheets layered with a variety of sauces, cheeses, vegetables, and/or meats, and then baked so that your bite goes from crusty to chewy to … Continued
