Lee Krasner Paints Gansevoort Street
Although she is best known for her Abstract Expressionist paintings, Lee Krasner never ceased to transform her artistic style throughout her career. Born in 1908 to Russian Jewish parents, Krasner … Continued
Although she is best known for her Abstract Expressionist paintings, Lee Krasner never ceased to transform her artistic style throughout her career. Born in 1908 to Russian Jewish parents, Krasner … Continued
On January 3rd, 2017, Village Preservation released the first version of our report: New Buildings Approved for Construction within the Greenwich Village Historic District Since Designation. The report has been … Continued
In the summer of 1935, the Federal Writers Project and Federal Art Project were founded as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Like other New Deal Programs, these programs … Continued
Known as the Gilded Age, the period following the Civil War in late nineteenth century New York City was filled with glamour and bold, imaginative aesthetics. However, one person, and … Continued
You decide to write a blog post about Bright Lights, Big City, the 1987 film based on a novel published three years earlier about the excesses and pitfalls of life … Continued
On February 27, 1994, STOMP, the “international sensation and iconic New York theatrical landmark” opened at the 347-seat Orpheum Theatre at 126 2nd Avenue between 7th Street and St. Marks. … Continued
Costume designer and fashion icon Patricia Field is best known for, among other accomplishments, her work on the television show Sex and the City. For decades, Field also operated a … Continued
April is National Poetry Month! Launched by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, the month of April marks a marvelous opportunity to celebrate the expressiveness, delight, and pure charm … Continued
Going to the movies: One of America’s favorite pastimes. Before the advent of at-home technologies such as VHS, DVDs, and certainly streaming services, often the only way to see a … Continued
A city “utterly devoid of harmony” — that is how the controversial Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, described New York without actually having ever visited when … Continued
By William Roka
Hip Hop at 50This is the fifth in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip … Continued
Provincetown, Massachusetts has long had a deep and interesting connection to Greenwich Village. As one of the largest artist colonies on the East Coast, many of the artists, thinkers, and … Continued
By Maya Wilson
Former president Jimmy Carter and his late wife Rosalynn Carter were long at the forefront of Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit that helps communities build new homes and improve existing … Continued
By David Herman
Greenwich Village, with its cobblestone streets and historic brownstones, stands as a testament to the rich architectural heritage that defines New York City. Among the many architects who left an … Continued
By William Roka
December is South Village Month – join us in celebrating this vibrant neighborhood all month long! The South Village in the 50s and 60s was a hotbed of creativity and activism. Where … Continued
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, … Continued
The 1970s was a dangerous and difficult time for New York City. Arson and neglect left many poor and working-class neighborhoods with abandoned lots, filled with hazardous debris. Residents of … Continued
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, … Continued
By Juan Rivero
New York City was powered by horses for almost three hundred years. At its peak, well over 150,000 horses and by some estimates up to 200,000 lived in the city. … Continued
Fiorello H. LaGuardia was born on December 11th, 1882 in Greenwich Village. LaGuardia and his family lived at 177 Sullivan street, which would have been known as 7 Varick Street … Continued
December is South Village Month, when we celebrate the incredible neighborhood south of Washington Square and West 4th Street. Village Preservation kicked off the effort to preserve this endangered historic neighborhood in December … Continued
By Maya Wilson
Nestled in the vibrant streets of New York City’s East Village at 135 Second Avenue, the Ottendorfer Library stands as a testament to the multicultural and linguistic tapestry that has … Continued
By William Roka
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 2006, and completed the effort in December 2016 with … Continued
“…really a story about two Catholic buddies roaming the country in search of God.” So said Jack Kerouac about his book, “On the Road,” soon after it was published in … Continued
Many would be surprised to learn that Charles Tiffany, the founder of Tiffany & Co., known for the manufacture of goods which came to be synonymous with the wealthiest New … Continued
December is South Village Month – join us in celebrating this vibrant neighborhood all month long! Postwar America in the 1950s through the early 1960s experienced the birth of a movement and … Continued
December is South Village Month – join us in celebrating this vibrant neighborhood all month long! In December 2016, following a multi-year advocacy campaign spearheaded by Village Preservation, the Sullivan … Continued
Christopher Street is one of New York City’s oldest streets: known as Skinner Road in the 18th century, it was rechristened in 1799 by local landowner Charles Christopher Amos with … Continued
By David Herman
Mainstream city planning has known its share of eloquent critics over the years (including, if we may be so bold, yours truly). But perhaps none has been as consequential as … Continued
By Juan Rivero
By the early nineteenth century New York City had developed as the largest port in the United States and one of the largest in the world. This growth of New … Continued
Known as the Gilded Age, the period following the Civil War in late nineteenth century New York City was filled with glamour and bold, imaginative aesthetics. However, one person, and … Continued
In the heart of Greenwich Village, a historic theater emerged as a cradle of creativity and a crucible for groundbreaking theatrical experiments—the Provincetown Playhouse. Established in 1915 in Provincetown, Massachusetts … Continued
By William Roka
Greenwich Village and the East Village are areas famous for creativity and innovation in all arenas, and that includes fashion and beauty trends. Today we will take a look at … Continued
He was one of the most significant, prolific, and versatile artists of the 20th century, and he produced several of his many iconic pieces from a studio located in a … Continued
By Juan Rivero
You decide to write a blog post about Bright Lights, Big City, the 1987 film based on a novel published three years earlier about the excesses and pitfalls of life … Continued
The East Village and Greenwich Village have long been bastions of progressive thought and hotbeds of radical social movements. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), or “Wobblies” as they … Continued
Pier 40 was built between 1958 and 1962 for the Holland America Cruise Line, and became the largest passenger and freight terminal in the Port of New York at the … Continued
We launched our Business of the Month program on November 13, 2014. Thanks to all of you who have nominated businesses through the years, we have surpassed 100 honorees. Help … Continued
You’re probably not that likely to associate military veterans with Greenwich Village and the East Village; in the popular mind, the neighborhoods’ profile is much more strongly associated with peace … Continued
Coined in 1990 at the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American First Nations Gay and Lesbian American Conference held in Winnipeg, the term “Two Spirit” (2S) refers to indigenous individuals whose … Continued
Cappuccinos are made from equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam. While this recipe is not debatable, the origin story is. Various Italian, French, Turkish, Viennese/Austro-Hungarians lay claim to all … Continued
St. Benedict the Moor was the first Church for Black Roman Catholics in the North, dedicated on November 18th, 1883 at 210 Bleecker Street. St. Benedict the Moor Church opened … Continued
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, … Continued
By Juan Rivero
One of the most beloved features of the Statue of Liberty is the poem inscribed on a bronze plaque inside its pedestal. “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses … Continued
By David Herman
The Public Theater is opening a significant new play, Manahatta, by Native attorney, activist, and playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle. It is fitting that this important piece of theatrical literature will … Continued
Since 1973, New York City has hosted one of the most extravagant and enchanting Halloween celebrations in the world: the Village Halloween Parade. Its beginnings in the early 1970s were … Continued
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
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
The area South of Union Square has drawn artists into its corridors for many decades. From social realist painters of the early twentieth century to contemporary practitioners, this section of … Continued
Costume designer and fashion icon Patricia Field is best known for, among other accomplishments, her work on the television show Sex and the City. For decades, Field also operated a … Continued
There have been countless “firsts” in our neighborhoods: the first cappuccino machine (Café Reggio), the first building constructed specifically to house artists’ studios (The Tenth Street Studios at 51 West … Continued
By David Herman
While many are aware of the Whitney Museum’s modest origins as a studio club of artist and collector Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, fewer know that only a few feet away from … Continued
“You can help save Washington Square Park. Robert Moses can be stopped. A handful of women did it in Central Park. The bird watchers did it in Central Park. The … Continued
By Juan Rivero
Fiorello (Italian for ‘Little Flower’) LaGuardia is remembered today as one of New York City’s greatest mayors. A progressive who guided New Yorkers through the Depression and World War II, he was the first Mayor to serve three terms, and the first of either Italian or Jewish descent. It was LaGuardia’s achievements as mayor, and his birth in the South Village, that prompted the Friends of LaGuardia to commemorate LaGuardia with a statue on October 19, 1994.
By William Roka
On October 10, 2023, Chronicle Books published The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families. It’s an anthology assembled by Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer that combines … Continued
By David Herman
Today we welcome Sandra Pomeleo-Fowler as our new Development Associate. Sandra is excited to be joining Village Preservation, and looks forward to supporting and working with our dedicated member community. … Continued
During the years 1903 to 1907, construction was underway for an imposing steel frame structure located on the block bounded by Broadway, Fourth Avenue, and East 8th and 9th Streets. … Continued
After World War II, the U.S. saw the rise of modernist jewelry: handcrafted jewelry inspired by Cubism, Surrealism and Constructivism. There were two hubs of this movement: San Francisco, which … Continued
By Maya Wilson
This is the first entry in our new blog series, “Hidden in Plain Sight,” which highlights the many architectural curiosities and unique features found on buildings throughout our neighborhoods — … Continued
Greenwich Village resident and photographer Marjorie Zien has spent the last several decades chronicling life in her neighborhood and city. In 2021 she donated a collection of photos to Village … Continued
Bowlmor Lanes was opened at 110 University Place by Nick Gianos in 1938, at the beginning of what has been referred to as the “Golden Age of Bowling”. During this … Continued
A city “utterly devoid of harmony” — that is how the controversial Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, described New York without actually having ever visited when … Continued
By William Roka
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, … Continued
By Juan Rivero
Greenwich Village has long been a mecca for artists and artistic endeavors. For over a century and a half, the neighborhood has fostered creative energy thanks in part to its … Continued
By David Herman
October is Italian American History and Heritage month, and it is impossible to deny the influence that Italian culture and immigration has had on our neighborhoods. This is especially true … Continued
Edwin Fancher (August 29, 1923 – September 29, 2023) was a co-founder and part-owner of The Village Voice, along with partners Dan Wolf and Norman Mailer, from the 1950s until … Continued
If you ever find yourself taking a stroll in the far West Village (and I highly recommend you do), follow West 11th Street almost as far as the West Side … Continued
Hip Hop at 50This is the sixth in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip … Continued
If New York City streets had their own royal court, Broadway would be the old king and Fifth Avenue would be its fabulous queen. Just saying Fifth Avenue evokes glamour, … Continued
By William Roka
The American Indian Community House (AICH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of Native Americans living in New York City. With a mission to enhance the well-being … Continued
By Maya Wilson