A Times Square Art Excursion with Carole Teller
There are limitless things to discover among the astounding collections of photographs by Carole Teller in GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive. A resident of the East Village for over 50 years, … Continued
Carole Teller’s ‘Changing New York’ captures the city’s 20th-century transformation
Change in New York is an expected norm, sometimes so constant it almost goes unnoticed. It’s such an ingrained part of the New Yorker’s experience, we often forget just how … Continued
A Walk Around the East Village ca. 1980 with Carole Teller
One of the facts of life that has always bummed me out is that I can’t visit history, to experience the past first-hand. Thankfully, though, GVSHP has just released Part … Continued
Carole Teller — Photographer, and Artist
Carole Teller’s rich collection of photographs of our neighborhoods over the last half century, which she generously donated to GVSHP, have created quite the buzz on the web of late, … Continued
Throwback Thursday with Carole Teller’s Photos
You may know that every Thursday, social media (Instagram especially) is abuzz with #tbt. The hashtag stands for Throwback Thursday and it’s a chance for everyone to post fun, funny, … Continued
Celebrating the Impact of the Landmarks Law in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo
The New York City Landmarks Law was enacted on April 19, 1965, by Mayor Robert Wagner. It was the culmination of a lengthy and laborious process, spurred in part, famously, … Continued
Snow Days in Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive
Some winters in New York City see almost no appreciable snowfall (prior to late January 2024, for example, there had been over 700 days without), and other years we have … Continued
Retracing the Stories and Homes of Early Village Preservationists
By the time the demolition of McKim, Mead & White’s monumental Penn Station commenced on October 28th, 1963, advocates had been fighting to save the Beaux Arts building for several … Continued
Remembering the boy bar
In the late 19th century the term “boy bar” referred to what we would now call a “gay bar”. This is not to be confused with the boy bar, which … Continued
Ghost Signs Abound in Our Historic Image Archive
A year or two into my career as a historic preservationist, I was accused (in good humor) of being a warden of “the ephemera of New York.” I tended toward … Continued
Small Businesses in the Historic Image Archive
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 … Continued
Historic Block Slated for Demolition
In August 2023 news broke that a row of six historic buildings on 3rd Avenue south of Union Square were scheduled for demolition. 50-52, 56, 58, 60, and 64 3rd … Continued
Time for Summer!
There’s no better place to enjoy summer than the East Village, Greenwich Village, and NoHo! There is something for everyone, including amazing local ice cream, live music, community gardens and … Continued
On Course to Return a Spinning Cube to Astor Place
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 … Continued
The Women of Village Preservation’s Online Archives
Since our founding in 1980, Village Preservation has cultivated a staggering collection of historic research and resources. Among the jewels of this collection are our Historic Image Archive and our … Continued
Redefining Downtown: One Chase Manhattan Plaza
Our Historic Image Archive includes thousands of images from the late 18th through the early 21st centuries. While most of our images show Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, … Continued
St. Mark’s Playhouse and the Negro Ensemble Company
The 1960s saw immense change as calls for civil rights and racial justice transformed our cultural landscape. In tandem with these movements, many of which have their roots in our … Continued
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
Szia, Nadia! – Immigrant History through the Lens of Netflix’s “Russian Doll”
Spoilers ahead for the first and second season of “Russian Doll” limited TV series Our neighborhoods have long been seen as a refuge and melting pot for immigrants of all … Continued
Picturing the World Trade Center
The twin towers of the World Trade Center dominated the New York City skyline for almost thirty years, from their grand opening on April 4, 1973, until their destruction on … Continued
Alabaster Bookshop & the Bibliographic Legacy of Fourth Avenue
In honor of Small Business Week, we’re delving into the history of Alabaster Books, at 122 Fourth Avenue. Alabaster Books shines as a cultural remnant of Fourth Avenue Book Row … Continued
Director Miloš Forman’s Life Takes Us from West to East Village, and Back Again
As a young filmmaker and a new New Yorker, the legendary filmmaker Miloš Forman lived in an apartment on Leroy Street in Greenwich Village.
Exploring our New Image Archive
We are very excited to share our new and improved Historic Image Archive with you! Whether you are an historic researcher or photography buff, our new archive offers endless layers … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again, Part 4
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return to ‘normal.’ … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again, Part 3
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again, Part 2
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again
We’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return to ‘normal.’ We’ve … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again
We’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return to … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: Essex Market
The Essex Market opened on January 9, 1940 as part of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia’s “war on pushcarts.”
Movie Theaters of the East Village: Loew’s Avenue B
“This is the most pretentious of the houses on our string, because my better judgment was over-balanced by my sentimentalism and my longing to do something better here than I … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: The Children’s Aid Society’s Fourteenth Ward Industrial School on Mott Street
Walking through the neighborhood now often referred to as NoLIta (north of Little Italy), one can’t help but be struck by a four-story building on Mott Street which seems much more impressive than its modest height would imply. The stepped roof and carved foliate detail above and below the windows give the impression of a grand private residence, or at least the headquarters of some noble institution.
Changing Fashion of New York
Artists and photographer Carole Teller donated hundreds of photographs to Village Preservation that she took from the 1960s through the 1990s. An East Village resident for over fifty years, Carole … Continued
Demolitions in Our Historic Image Archive: Gone, But Not Forgotten
Village Preservation is always working hard to document, celebrate, and protect the historic character of our neighborhoods, including the great buildings that make Greenwich Village, NoHo and East Village such … Continued
Historic Image Archive Mysteries Solved: Downtown Street Art of the 1980s/’Shadowman’ Edition
There are so many gems in our vast 2,100+ image Historic Image Archive, sometimes it even takes us a while to realize what we have and identify some of our … Continued
Big New Step for the Village Preservation/Urban Archive Partnership
Urban Archive is a location-based mobile app that empowers New Yorkers to learn about history where it happened. The site brings together the digital collections of New York City’s museums, … Continued
Retracing The East Village’s Historic Little Italy
October, the month when we mark Columbus Day, is also Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month. That combined with the recent celebrations around the 125th anniversary of Veniero’s inspires a closer … Continued
Lady Gaga’s Greenwich Village
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is a born and raised New Yorker. While she spent most of her early years growing up on … Continued
The Changing Face of Astor Place and Cooper Square
As we do every month, we just added some new historic images to the Village Preservation historic image archive from the latest Landmarks Permit Applications which we have reviewed. This … Continued
Small Business Snapshot, ca. 1998
Artists and photographer Carole Teller donated hundreds of photographs to Village Preservation that she took from the 1960s-1990s. An East Village resident for over fifty years, Carole so beautifully and … Continued
Remembering the World Trade Center and the Aftermath of Its Destruction
For almost 30 years, the original World Trade Center dominated the New York City skyline. Its twin towers were the subject of countless photographs; visible throughout the five boroughs, they … Continued
Happy (Landmark) Birthday, Salmagundi Club!
Let’s face it — 1969 was a big year. Our Executive Director Andrew Berman was born in January. The Greenwich Village Historic District was designated in April. The Stonewall Riots … Continued
More Historic Photo Mysteries Solved — Brownstone Revival and New York Apocalypse Edition
Village Preservation has a collection of over 2,000 images in our Historic Image Archive, ranging from the 18th to the early 21st century, most of Lower Manhattan, but with some … Continued
Gem Spa: An 80 Year Old Institution Fighting for its Survival
New Yorkers love their small businesses, so it was no surprise that the plight of East Village mainstay Gem Spa drew so much attention and support from local residents and … Continued
Immersive Village History in your Pocket: Google Arts & Culture
Sure, our phones might seem to be more curse than blessing sometimes, eating up our time and attention more than we’d like to admit. But of course they have also … Continued
The Hallowed Music Halls of the Greenwich Village Historic District
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50. Music is an integral … Continued
Refresh Your Village Memory with Our YouTube Channel
Looking through our past programs, it’s amazing to remember the vast array of topics we’ve explored with our lecturers and guests. Presenters have educated us about the amazing architecture, colorful … Continued
15 things you didn’t know about the East Village
Earlier this month, GVSHP launched its East Village Preservation effort, releasing its new website “East Village Building Blocks,” which contains historic information and images for every one of the neighborhood’s 2,200 buildings. Of course, … Continued
2018 Favorites, and Looking to 2019….
Last week we looked at readers’ top five choices of 2018. Today, check out some of our favorites : Who Doesn’t Love Carole Teller? A resident of the East Village for over … Continued
Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive: Interior Motives
With the colder air, the shorter days, and the mania of holiday planning that come with late November, it seems right to start spending more time in the warm, comfortable … Continued
Contest: Recreate A Historic Photo!
GVSHP has partnered with the free Urban Archive App over the past year to share our historic image archive via this location-based tool. As part of this partnership, we conducted … Continued
Trendy Nightspot is the Clue to this Historic Image Mystery, Hiding in Plain Sight
Last week we solved one of our longstanding historic photo mysteries, when Eric Robinson, the cousin of the photographer, Carole Teller, was able to identify the location of this elevated train which … Continued
A ‘Riveting’ Historic Photo Mystery Solved!
GVSHP’s historic image archive reflects an amazing cross-section of NYC history. Many of the images arrived to us unidentified in terms of location. We have solved many historic photo mysteries including … Continued
Many Layers of History, and Beyond the Village and Back: Penn Station
Today is a rare day on Off the Grid as we are able to combine two of our ongoing series: Many Layers of History and Beyond the Village and Back. Unlike … Continued
Historic Photo Mysteries Solved
Last week we put out a call for help to solve mysteries regarding the locations of some images from our Historic Image Archive‘s most recent addition, Carole Teller’s Changing New York, Part … Continued
More Photo Mysteries from our Newest Historic Photo Collection
We recently unveiled the new addition to our Historic Image Archive, Carole Teller’s Changing New York, Part 4, which includes about two hundred fifty images of Greenwich Village, the East Village, … Continued
More Historic Images? Yes, Please!
We recently added two new collections of photographs to the GVSHP Historic Image Archive, and they do not fail to impress! One is the Meatpacking District Above 14th Street/Chelsea Market/High … Continued
Many Layers of History at St. Marks and 2nd Avenue!
This post is part of a series about Village blocks that correspond to calendar dates. You can read some of the other ones here. August is here and so is … Continued
A Tour of the Bowery, From GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive and Urban Archive
The Bowery is Manhattan’s oldest street, predating European settlement. We don’t know exactly when native Americans first began to use this path. We do know that in those early days … Continued
Historic Photo Mystery Solved!
As we add images to our Historic Image Archive, we try to provide as much identifying information as possible on each one. Sometimes the images come to us with the exact … Continued
Immigrant Heritage Day – Taking a Walk to the Immigrant East Village
Immigration history in New York City is long, storied and full of notable events and movements which are personal and political. The City of New York is the ultimate city … Continued
Help us Solve Some Historic Photo Mysteries
Over 80 new historic photos taken by Carole Teller were recently added to the GVSHP Image Archive. Every time we add photos to our collection, we uncover some great stories, like … Continued
“Shampoo” and Other Inspirations Found on St. Mark’s Place
Shampoo, the iconic movie satire, was released on February 11, 1975, but is set on Election Day 1968, the day Richard Nixon was first elected President of the United States. … Continued
Our 2018 Resolutions
Happy New Year! We here at GVSHP hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and look forward to 2018! Like many people everywhere, GVSHP has also made some resolutions for the … Continued
The Alamo Turns 50!
On November 1, 1967, an 8′ x 8′ x 8′ 1,800-pound giant black cube was installed in Astor Place as one of 25 temporary public artworks by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. However, … Continued
Stories from GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive- “Is That My Mother?”
Since its online release in August, 2017, GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive has been the source of several amazing stories. The recently released Carole Teller’s Changing New York Collection particularly so, … Continued
Mysterious Name & Address Cast in Iron Reveals Layers of History
Walking on East 9th Street the other day I saw a new and surprising element on the Mud Cafe storefront at 307 East 9th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, … Continued
Solving Mysteries in Historic Photos
One of many wonderful things GVSHP does is accept donations of old photos for our historic image archive, so we can share them with the world. Old photos of course … Continued
The Hare Krishna Tree
In the past Off the Grid has taken a look at some of the architecture surrounding Tompkins Square Park, including St. Brigid’s Church, the Tompkins Square Lodging House for Boys, … Continued
In Memoriam: African American Artists of Westbeth
Westbeth is the first subsidized housing for artists in the United States, offering affordable housing and work space in New York City.
Public Art to #LightTheFight for World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living … Continued
Otis Kidwell Burger, Who’s Seen the Village From Suffrage to Luxury
West Village history can’t be said to live in any one person, but Otis Kidwell Burger has seen a great deal of it, and holds a great deal more in … Continued
