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.
Westbeth Photographer Shelley Seccombe Documents the Greenwich Village Waterfront Since 1970
Westbeth photographer Shelley Seccombe has been documenting the Greenwich Village waterfront since 1970.
Westbeth Turns 50!
On May 19, 1970, a project like no other ever imagined or realized before opened its doors on the corner of West and Bethune Streets. Westbeth (a portmanteau of those … Continued
Westbeth – Adaptive Reuse Trailblazer, Home, Studio, and Community for Over 50 Years
1968 was a big year for New York City and the world – music, arts, staggering political and social change. And, in the midst of it all, a tan block-square … Continued
A Landmark Anniversary for Westbeth
On October 25, 2011, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted unanimously to landmark Westbeth, following through on a promise made seven years earlier to the Greenwich Village Society for … Continued
Westbeth Announced: August 7th, 1967
On August 7th, 1967, the J.M. Kaplan Fund and the newly-constituted National Endowment for the Arts announced plans for a project that would help transform Greenwich Village, New York, housing … 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
Westbeth Landmarked!
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) just voted unanimously to landmark Westbeth, following through on a promise made seven years ago to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic … Continued
Hudson River Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary
We have gratefully reached that point in September in New York City when the weather is close to flawless, with clear blue skies, moderate temperatures, and a light westerly breeze. … Continued
Finding George Spaventa #SouthOfUnionSquare
“I don’t go around looking for trouble, and yet these experiences often lead me out of sculpture to realms of danger — fantastic, literal, psychic danger.” — George Spaventa, ARTnews, September 1961 … Continued
Memorializing Our Neighborhoods’ Remarkable Past One Plaque At A Time!
Not that long ago, someone strolling down one of our neighborhood streets could have been forgiven for not looking up from their iPhone, except perhaps to avoid walking into oncoming … Continued
In Memory of Ralph Lee (1936-2023), Village Wizard
Humans, anthropocentric as they are, project their emotive capacity onto the inanimate world. If you’re throwing away an old pair of shoes, and you stare at them long enough, they … Continued
Martha Graham: Dancer of the Century
Focus on your breath. It all begins there. Notice its natural rhythm and let that movement expand into a full-body contraction and release. This will form the basis of a … Continued
Ada Louise Huxtable: Democratizing Architectural Discourse in Greenwich Village and Beyond
Ada Louise Huxtable (March 14, 1921 – January 7, 2013) was arguably the most formidable critical voice regarding architecture of the second half of the 20th century. Huxtable, who became the … Continued
Village Awards – Recognizing the Places That Make Our Neighborhoods Special
2023 Awards Nominations are Now Open! Each year, Village Preservation honors invaluable local leaders, institutions, business, places and organizations at its Annual Meeting and Village Awards. This fun and free … Continued
Nam June Paik: Father of Video Art, and Villager
Nam June Paik (July 20, 1932 – January 29, 2006), Korean artist and avant-garde visionary, is well-known for his pioneering video artistry. Less known, however, is that Paik, dubbed the … Continued
Oral History Subject and Artistic Inspiration: Christina Maile
On Thursday, December 8th, the audience of our program “Village Preservation at Westbeth Gallery’s Winter Show” had the opportunity to hear directly from artist and Westbeth resident Christina Maile. Christina is self described as trained as a landscape architect, her writing and visual work references colonialism, feminism and extinction and she is of Dayak and West Indian descent.
Everyone in the audience at the gallery very quickly became aware of the depth of knowledge Christina has to share about Westbeth Artists Housing. This program was a great introduction to the launch of Christina’s oral history with Village Preservation, which is available here on our website.
Puppets and the Village Halloween Parade
At 7:00 pm last night, the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade kicked off for its 49th run at Canal Street and continued up 6th Avenue to many spectators’ delight. The parade, … Continued
Bringing Graham’s 19 Poses to Village Voices’ “Monument to Choice”
It makes sense to combine the artistry of Graham 2 with the historical preservation and inspirational work of Village Voices to create a unique experience for our neighborhoods. The result was an event that gathered community members to celebrate both the passage of the 19th Amendment and how far society still must go to ensure the rights of all people, and in particular those who are trans, non-binary, and women, have equal rights.
Women Crush Wednesday: The Power of Martha Graham
Martha Graham’s (1894-1991) remarkable career as a dancer and choreographer spanned more than 70 years. During her lifetime, she saw contemporary dance evolve from a new art form to a … Continued
Merce Cunningham: Dance-Maker, Innovator, Teacher, and Villager
Merce Cunningham, considered by many one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century, was a multi-dimensional artist. He was a dance-maker, a fierce collaborator, an innovator, a film … Continued
Oral History: Ralph Lee’s Halloween
Ralph Lee’s interest in puppetry and theater began as a young boy in his family’s home in Middlebury, Vermont. An early creative spark launched him on a career that ultimately took him to the role he’s most often recognized for, as the “father” of Greenwich Village’s annual Halloween Parade.
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
Walk Through LGBTQ+ History with Our Civil Rights and Social Justice Map
Every June, New Yorkers and people from around the world gather in our city to celebrate Pride Month and honor the memory of the Stonewall Riots, three nights in 1969 … Continued
The Origin of Love Tour: Spreading a Love that Started in the Village
The off-broadway version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered at the village’s own Jane Street Theatre on February 14, 1998. Looking at the playbill from performances during that era, one can see a number of contributors from our neighborhoods, including the Westbeth Theatre Center. John Cameron Mitchell and Stephan Trask’s glam/punk musical would eventually become a movie directed by Mitchell. It then went onto Broadway, receiving critical acclaim, Tony Awards, and the return of John Cameron Mitchell to the role he originated downtown.
Hugh Hurd: Artist and Civil Rights Hero for the Village and Beyond
Hugh Hurd was a longtime village resident who worked across the arts, labor, and civil rights movements to influence major shifts in how African Americans are treated in America.
Five More Reasons to Support Historic Preservation
We all know that historic preservation makes our cities and neighborhoods more beautiful, more distinctive, and full of the character which makes them vibrant, desirable places to live. Our neighborhoods … Continued
Image Archive Collection: The High Line in 1979 — Noah Greenberg’s “Manhattan Promenade” Proposal
We recently added a new collection to our historic image archive, Noah Greenberg’s “Manhattan Promenade” Proposal. This collection dates from 1979, and includes shots of what we now know as … Continued
Truman Capote and Philip Seymour Hoffman: Greenwich Village Artists Entwined
Truman Streckfus Persons was born on September 30, 1924, in New Orleans. Truman started writing when he was eight years old — as a calling, and also as an answer … Continued
Martha Graham
Martha Graham never considered herself a genius. For her, the measure of a dancer was their passion, and by that metric, Graham was exceptional. In creating 181 ballets and a … Continued
Village Preservation Historic Plaques Honor Trailblazing Women in our Neighborhoods
Today we’re looking at the historic plaques that Village Preservation has placed throughout our neighborhoods commemorating some of the amazing women who have lived, worked, and changed history here. Historic … Continued
2020 Village Preservation Public Programs Roundup
Despite all the challenges of the year, Village Preservation proudly hosted 76 programs (most of which were virtual), reaching over 9,000 people in 2020. How does one choose favorites? It’s … Continued
Thank You To Our Members — Making 40 Years of Village Preservation Possible
It’s Village Preservation’s 40th birthday this year. In honor of this auspicious occasion, we recently released a story map that details our efforts documenting, celebrating, and advocating for the preservation … Continued
#SouthofUnionSquare — Dance Tour
Our new interactive tool “Virtual Village” brings users on a multitude of virtual explorations.
New York School Painter Janice Biala’s “Pendulating Spirit”
Beginning in 1948, the artists William Baziotes, David Hare, Robert Motherwell, and Mark Rothko held a public lecture series entitled Subjects of the Artist. Regularly attracting a crowd of around … Continued
The Pathfinder Mural: Public Political Art in the Far West Village
“The pathfinder mural is a historic political and artistic landmark now nearing completion on a six-story wall of Pathfinder publishing house in New York’s Greenwich Village. The centerpiece of the … Continued
2020 Village Awardee: George Cominskie
Each year, Village Preservation honors the invaluable people, businesses, and organizations that make a special contribution to our neighborhoods at our Annual Meeting and Village Awards. On June 17th, 2020 … Continued
Why Isn’t This Landmarked? 64-66 5th Avenue
Part of our blog series Why Isn’t This Landmarked?, where we look at buildings in our area we’re fighting to protect that are worthy of landmark designation, but somehow aren’t landmarked. … Continued
Penny Arcade’s Village Preservation Oral History – Chronicles of the Queen of Downtown
GVSHP shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant neighborhoods. … Continued
A Rebuilt Corner, a Carpenter House, and an Art Deco Beauty: New Additions to Our Greenwich Village Historic District Map
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and … Continued
Village Halloween: No Tricks, Just Treats
The Village has a long history of putting on the best Halloween festivities. From the world-renowned NYC Village Halloween Parade to local specials at our many small business establishments, there … Continued
Eight Abandoned East Village Buildings’ Second Acts As Beacons of Culture
In the second half of the twentieth century, particularly during the city’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, the East Village experienced high rates of crime and drug use, and a … Continued
“Our Village is Star in an Uptown Exhibit” — September 26, 1990
Village Preservation has been, and continues to be, the guardian of many different archives. Still, our repository continues growing, and our newest online resource, the Preservation History Archive, is somewhat … Continued
Remembering Margot Gayle, In Her Own Words
Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant … Continued
Merce Cunningham’s Centennial: Leaping into 100
Villager, dancer, and choreographer Merce Cunningham is an artist whose work continues to live vibrantly in 2019, which marks Cunningham’s centennial. The Merce Cunningham Centennial is celebrating a century of … Continued
Welcome to March! Celebrate Irish Heritage and Women’s History with Village Preservation Programs
Good news, all Off the Grid-ers: we’ve made it to March! In addition to marking the near-end of winter, March is the month for two important celebrations – Irish Heritage … Continued
Strange Bedfellows: Stanford White and Diane Arbus
Today we begin a new blog series, Strange Bedfellows, where we take a look at unlikely pairs or assortments of noteworthy people who lived or spent time in surprisingly close … Continued
Remembering Hurricane Sandy
On Monday, October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy a.k.a. “Superstorm Sandy” made landfall in New York. It was one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit New York. It inflicted $19 … Continued
Open House New York in Greenwich Village: The history of three unique sites
Among the many delights included in this weekend’s Open House New York will be three iconic Greenwich Village buildings–a Gothic Revival church with many architectural firsts, a library that was originally a … Continued
Nile Rodgers: Musical Innovator, Child of the Village
The award-winning guitarist, composer, and producer Nile Rodgers was born on September 19, 1952. Rodgers co-founded the influential disco group Chic; produced music for artists as diverse as David Bowie, … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: Assyrian Revival on West 30th Street
In 2001, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated 130 West 30th Street as a Landmark. Designed by the preeminent architect Cass Gilbert in 1927–28, the building was built to accommodate offices, showrooms and manufacturing space for the fur industry.
Theater for The New City: 2018 Village Awardee
Theater for The New City (TNC) was founded in 1970 and has served its community with a wide variety of programming for nearly fifty years. TNC has premiered nearly one … Continued
Ralph Lee, 2018 Village Awardee
Ralph Lee directed the first Village Halloween Parade in 1974 in conjunction with the Theater for the New City. This mile-long theatrical production of masked performers, giant puppets, musicians, and … Continued
Oral Histories on the Founding of An Artists’ Colony, A Prison Reform Organization, and So Much More
GVSHP has been conducting and sharing oral histories since the mid-1990s. As we look back on two powerhouse oral histories, we’re considering the importance of such documents as “the first … Continued
Village Preservation Oral History: Merce Cunningham
Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant neighborhoods. … Continued
(Re-)Remembering Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus was born on March 14, 1923, and died by her own hand a mere forty-eight years later on July 26, 1971. The acclaimed and celebrated photographer’s body of … Continued
Historic Preservation 101: What is a Landmark?
This is a re-posting of a piece originally written in 2011. Architect Phillip Johnson and others protesting the demolition of Pennsylvania Station We speak often of historic districts, individual landmarks … Continued
Rare photos of the High Line being demolished in the 1960s tell the story of a changing West Village
Few structures have had a more far-reaching impact upon the West Village and Chelsea than the High Line. Its construction in 1934, then partial demolition in the early ’60s, and … Continued
Fingers Crossed for Another: Individual Landmark Designations We’ve Won
We had a promising hearing last Tuesday at the Landmarks Preservation Commission on our proposed landmark designation of 827-831 Broadway, with a vote planned for this coming Tuesday, October 31st. … Continued
The High Line is Dismantled and the West Side is Transformed
There’s no overstating it – we at Village Preservation love our members and friends sharing old mementos and images of our neighborhood. Personal or family pictures taken of one’s surroundings or … Continued
Happy Birthday, Richard Meier
American architect Richard Meier was born on this day in 1934. Over the course of his nearly sixty-year career Meier has designed countless buildings all over the world and received numerous … Continued
Business of the Month – The Ink Pad, 37 7th 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 … Continued
Village Remains Tops for Artists in NYC
From the Center for An Urban Future Report Greenwich Village has long enjoyed a reputation as a mecca for artists. The same can be said of nearby NoHo and SoHo, … Continued
Cool Down With Keith Haring!
The thermometer tells us we are definitely in the throes of summer. However, we’re fortunate enough to have a city pool in our midst where you can not only immerse … Continued
The Church of the Village: Remembering Injustice Against Gay Clergy Event
On Wednesday, June 21st, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation attended a plaque unveiling at the Church of the Village to honor former gay clergymen. Reverends Clarence Edward Egan … Continued
GVSHP Oral History: Otis Kidwell Burger
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation recently released two new oral histories. Today, we dive into Otis Kidwell Burger‘s.
Happy Birthday Martha Graham!
On this day in 1894 the revolutionary dancer and choreographer Martha Graham was born. She is largely responsible for modern dance as the art form we know today. Graham was an essential part of … Continued
Happy Anniversary to Far West Village Landmark Victories!
On May 2, 2006, two new historic districts were designated in the Far West Village, the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension and the Weehawken Street Historic District, as part of … Continued
On This Day: Bell Labs Invents the “Talkie”
Seen a movie lately? If so, you have the West Village’s Bell Laboratories (now known as Westbeth) to thank for all the dialogue, music and sound effects that you heard. … Continued
Remembering Landmarking Success in the Far West Village
On March 6, 2007, three historic structures GVSHP fought to have preserved were designated as New York City landmarks: 159 Charles Street, 354 West 11th Street and 150 Barrow Street, … Continued
Peter Ruta, Acclaimed Artist & Villager, 1918-2016
Peter Ruta, born February 7th, 1918, recently passed away on November 16th, 2016, at his home in Westbeth with wife and family. He was 98 years old. Peter’s life and work … Continued
Mourning the Loss of Superior Inks, and Taking Stock of Its Replacement
For over 85 years, the 195 foot tall smokestacks of the Superior Inks building were a local landmark and beacon for the Far West Village. They were also a vital … Continued
A year ago today, the horrible Intro. 775 was heard, later passed
With a raft of demolition permits in the air, it reminds us that a year ago today one of the most anti-preservation pieces of legislation was first heard at the NYC Council … Continued
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 … Continued
Village Preservation East Village Oral History: Robert Zerilli
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 … Continued
Landmarks of New York: First Houses
On December 3, 1935, First Houses were dedicated and opened, the first housing project undertaken by the then-recently established New York City Housing Authority and the first publicly-funded low-income housing … Continued
Historic Preservation at Risk!
On Wednesday, September 9, a bill will be introduced to the City Council that, if approved, will deal a devastating blow to the cause of historic preservation. The bill, Intro … Continued
Business of the Month: Greenwich Locksmiths
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 … Continued
Happy Birthday Martha Graham
Modern dance pioneer Martha Graham was born on this day, May 11, in 1894. In the 1930’s, Martha Graham’s dance studio was located at 66 5th Avenue. This part of … Continued
Real Estate’s Attempt to Hijack the Affordable Housing Discussion
Reprinted from Gotham Gazette, May 1, 2015. Think of the classic pieces of advice you’ve heard from parents, teachers or mentors along the way in life: Look before you leap. … Continued
March 14th — A Big Day for Village Birthdays
March 14th is a date when several people with important connections to the Village will celebrate, or would have celebrated, their birthdays.
2014 Year In Review: GVSHP Programs
As we near the end of 2014, we thought we’d look back on the several dozen exciting lectures, book talks, exhibitions, walking tours, forums, panels, and community meetings conducted by … Continued
Astor Place Art Update
A Keith Haring sculpture (Self Portrait; 1989) has recently appeared in front of 51 Astor Place at the corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark’s Place. In both his life … Continued
Halloween in Greenwich Village – A Salute to Ralph Lee
There are some people who can make great changes, come up with unique and far-reaching ideas, or create institutions that attain legendary status, yet keep a low profile themselves. By … 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
High Line, Part 3
Congratulations to our friends at The High Line! The third and final section of the park will open to the public this Sunday, September 21st. GVSHP has a special kinship … Continued
End of Summer Reading: Greenwich Village Stories
The recent piece on PBS’ MetroFocus series about GVSHP’s book, Greenwich Village Stories (watch here) reminds me what a perfect end-of-summer read the book is (the book can be purchased … Continued
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Last night, in the main gallery of the Salmagundi Club on 5th Avenue, GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman gave a lecture/slideshow about the state of historic preservation. Over the past … Continued
That Hudson River Waterfront
I think I’m infatuated with Greenwich Village’s Hudson River waterfront. I can’t seem to get enough of it. Last month our good friend Dr. Robin Nagle spoke about the history … Continued
Fighting Westway
In 2014 Village Preservation presented a program at the Community Room at Westbeth with author Prof. William W. Buzbee and his book, “Fighting Westway: Environmental Law, Citizen Activism, and the … 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
Ten Years Ago: Far West Village Protests, and Progress
April 18 and 19 mark two incredibly important Far West Village preservation anniversaries — each from 2004. At that time, GVSHP and allied community groups were engaged in a heated … Continued
My mind was really wandering today…
Today as usual I was reading my morning newspaper on the subway. There was a great article about historic preservation in New York, featuring Village Preservation’s Executive Director Andrew Berman. … Continued
Old Buildings, New Forms: Creative adaptive re-use in the built environment
On Tuesday evening, Village Preservation presented a program with architect, preservationist, and author Françoise Bollack about her new book, Old Buildings, New Forms: New Directions in Architectural Transformations, published by … 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
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
The Red Herring at 570 Lex
If the “art deco masterpiece” that is 570 Lexington Avenue no longer stood on the southwest corner of Lexington Avenue and 51st Street, perhaps affordable housing could be constructed in … Continued
The Real Obstacles to Affordable Housing Construction
For stalwarts of the affordable housing scene in New York City, what obstacles come to mind that block the path to construction of new affordable units? We asked a few … Continued
