Third Street Music School’s Long Journey to 11th Street
The Third Street Music School Settlement was founded by Emilie A. Wagner (b. April 11, 1879) as the Music School Settlement with just 10 students in 1894. How they made … Continued
Hilly Kristal’s Long Road to the Bowery and Rock and Roll Legend
Hillel (Hilly) Kristal, founder of legendary rock club CBGB, was born on September 23, 1931 in New York City. His early life, well into adulthood, might not have given any … Continued
Meet the Interns
Village Preservation’s team is a strong one – we’re lucky to have a group of interns who are here to gain experience in historic preservation in a non-profit environment. Internships … Continued
Mazel Tov! Yiddish Theater is born
On August 12th, 1882, the very first Yiddish theatrical performance in New York City was held in a building which still stands at 66 East 4th Street, between the Bowery … Continued
Dr. Simon Baruch and the Bathhouse Movement
The buildings we pass in our neighborhoods can offer windows into some rather specific aspects of New York history, and the interesting and sometimes complicated figures involved in the city’s … Continued
Eight Years Off the Grid
GVSHP launched our blog Off the Grid on February 25, 2011, to share news, research, viewpoints, and historic information about our neighborhoods and beyond. Since then, we have written over 2,000 … Continued
Tompkins Square Park Through the Years
Over the years, Off the Grid has featured many posts about Tompkins Square Park, including The Young Lords Start in Tompkins Square Park, The Tompkins Square Park Riots of 1988, … Continued
How Much is that Plaster in the Window? Claes Oldenburg’s ‘The Store’
You don’t need a map to know that the East Village has long been a haven for artists. But it can certainly help illuminate the spots in our neighborhood with … Continued
Elizabeth Jennings Graham — New York’s Rosa Parks, A Century Earlier
Exploring African American history in our neighborhoods, today we look at Elizabeth Jennings Graham, a woman who, in her simple quest to get to her church on East 6th Street … Continued
Landmarks50: Ralph and Ann E. Van Wyck Mead House (Isaac T. Hopper Home)
As part of NYCLandmarks50, the celebration of this year’s 50th Anniversary of the adoption of the NYC Landmarks Law in 1965, we took a look at some of the many … Continued
President William McKinley Assassinated
On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot while visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York; he died eight days later on September 14. Both the man responsible … Continued
Celebrating Even More Women Artists #SouthOfUnionSquare
This is the latest installation of “South of Union Square, the Birthplace of American Modernism,” a series that explores how the area south of Union Square shaped some of the … Continued
Why Aren’t These Landmarked? Black History Month Edition
Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo are rich with sites that have played invaluable roles in New York City’s and the nation’s Black history. Too many of these buildings have yet to be protected.
A Vibrant Tapestry: African American History in Our Neighborhoods
Our neighborhoods are renowned for their rich cultural history and storied past. While often associated with artistic bohemia and progressive movements, our streets hold a lesser-known narrative that significantly shaped … Continued
Celebrating the Long Life of our Business of the Month Initiative
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
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
Hip Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 2: NoHo Edition
Hip Hop at 50This is the second in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal … Continued
The Strange Case of Seventh Avenue South
One of the best things about walking around our neighborhoods is the delight in looking up and discovering a beautiful or unique feature of a building. You can traverse the … Continued
More Than Dizzy and Duke: Jazz Legends South of Union Square
“I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about… Now [jazz] was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important.” – Nina … Continued
Booker T. Ervin: The Jazz Musician’s Favorite
We’ve recently unearthed information about another great African American jazz musician who called our neighborhood south of Union Square home, and have added him to our South of Union Square … Continued
Signaling Change: Remembering the Tompkins Square Park Bandshell
The Tompkins Square Park bandshell, constructed in 1966, was the center of cultural and political movements in the East Village during the tumultuous decades of the late 20th century. From … Continued
#SouthOfUnionSquare, the Birthplace of American Modernism: Celebrating Women’s History Month
“South of Union Square, the Birthplace of American Modernism” is a series that explores how the area south of Union Square shaped some of the most influential American artists of … Continued
Jessie Redmon Fauset: The Unsung Heroine of the Harlem Renaissance
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was housed in our neighborhoods for decades, first in the 12-story Beaux Arts style office building at 70 Fifth Avenue … 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
#SouthOfUnionSquare, the Birthplace of American Modernism: Joann Gedney
“South of Union Square, the Birthplace of American Modernism” is a series that explores how the area south of Union Square shaped some of the most influential American artists of … Continued
Welcome to the Neighborhood: Caleta, 131 Avenue A
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 … Continued
Leticia Kent Oral History: Revisiting Her Unique Window on History
On October 8, 1997, we sat down with esteemed freelance journalist and long-time Villager Leticia Kent, for our very first, of what are now, scores of oral histories with great … Continued
Miguel Algarín and the Nuyorican Poets Café
On September 15th began the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. This month coincides with many important dates, starting with the celebration of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, … Continued
September 1st, 1939
On September 1st, 1939 German troops invaded Poland, starting Word War II, the costliest war in terms life and destruction in human history. Although the United States would not officially … Continued
Joe Papp Created a Theater By and For The People
It’s hard to believe today, but the currently thriving, electric, prolific Public Theater was once a scrappy, homeless, almost improvisational group of theater makers whose very meager existence was due … Continued
The Battle Over Hudson River Park’s Air Rights
On July 18, 2013, Village Preservation publicly signaled the alarm over legislation passed in Albany with little community input but with massive potential impact for the West Village and communities … Continued
Socialists, Communists, and Revolutionaries on Fifth Avenue #SouthOfUnionSquare
New York’s Fifth Avenue rarely conjures up images of radicals or revolutionaries; it’s more commonly associated with high-end shopping, well-heeled cultural institutions, and corporate headquarters. But cross 14th Street, and … Continued
Our Dutch Legacy, Four Hundred Years Later
On May 4th, 1626, Dutch Explorer Peter Minuit landed on the island known to its indigenous population as Manahatta, orchestrating what has often been referred to as the “purchase” of … Continued
Go West! – The Leather & Denim Scene in the Weehawken Street Historic District
The Weehawken Street Historic District (designated May 2, 2006) consists of a small area on three blocks around West, Christopher, and 10th Streets. Although primarily known for its relation to … Continued
The Long Road To Our Landmarks Law
On April 19, 1965, New York City passed its landmarks law. While credit for passage of this law is often attributed to the demolition of Penn Station, the tragic loss … Continued
Business of the Month: Carmine Street Guitars, 42 Carmine 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, … Continued
Beer Now, Beer Then, Beer Here, Beer Everywhere
Filled with mingled cream and amber, I will drain that glass again. Such hilarious visions clamber Through the chamber of my brain. Quaintest thoughts, queerest fancies Come to life and … Continued
The Federal Style Begins
On March 4, 1789, the U.S. Constitution went into effect as the first Congress met at Federal Hall on Wall Street, ushering in the form of government we utilize in … Continued
Recognizing the Civic Institutions of Little Ukraine
Ukrainians have long loomed large in the cultural tapestry of the East Village. Indeed, well before the neighborhood was dubbed the East Village, many knew a portion of it — … Continued
Contextual Rezoning South of Union Square: A Vision Worth Revisiting
On January 28, 2014, Village Preservation submitted a request for consideration of a contextual rezoning of the University Place and Broadway corridors south of Union Square. This proposal, which followed … Continued
Andrew Carnegie’s Legacy at Seventh Ave So. and Leroy Street
The Hudson Park Library, which opened on January 24, 1906, is one of Manhattan’s twenty remaining Carnegie libraries. This red brick structure was designed by the renowned architectural firm of … Continued
A Dominating Narrative: The Mineshaft and BDSM Culture in the Meatpacking District
Notice: The following text contains references to sexual materials and activities appropriate for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised. 835 Washington Street has had many past lives. In the … Continued
Business of the Month: Raffetto’s, 144 West Houston 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, … Continued
City Council Approves SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement Plan
Hard-Fought-For Changes Will Blunt Some of Worst Elements of Plan, which Remains Giant Real Estate Giveaway Late yesterday the City Council voted 43 to 5 to approve the revised version … Continued
Redlining and Our Neighborhoods
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was created by the National Housing Act of 1934. Its purpose was to, among other things, help support investment and homeownership as a means of … Continued
Making Photographic History #SouthOfUnionSquare
Today we’re celebrating the accomplishments of some historic lenspeople who made their mark in the neighborhood South of Union Square. Photography was one of the many creative industries shaped and … Continued
Architecture #SouthOfUnionSquare: the German-American Legacy
October, which is German-American Heritage Month, celebrates the contributions Germans and German-Americans have made to American history and culture. In the late 19th century, the largest German-speaking community in the … Continued
SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Rezoning: The Vast Gap Between the City’s Projections and Reality
Critics of de Blasio’s atrocious upzoning plan for SoHo, NoHo, and Chinatown–including yours truly— have raised a wide range of serious concerns about its possible and likely consequences. To the … Continued
Urban Queen Anne: Tenement Architects Explore Decorative Excess
On August 31, 1893, a trio of 5-story Queen Anne Old Law tenement buildings located at 52, 54, and 56 East 7th Street near the corner of 2nd Avenue were … Continued
St. Mark’s Place: How Cows Changed its Reputation
St. Mark’s Place, named after the Church of St. Mark’s in the Bowery, is typically known for its other religious calling — rock n’ roll. The street was at the … Continued
What’s In a Name?: Pear Tree Place, 105 Third Avenue
Our “What’s In A Name?” series looks at the names behind buildings, streets, parks, or other locations in our neighborhoods which hold more meaning than we may realize. In the … Continued
Draper’s Observatories: Moongazing Up and Down the Hudson
In the village of Hastings-on-Hudson, a short train ride away from Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal, lies a nationally landmarked building known as Observatory Cottage. The charming two-floor cottage was once … Continued
Mid-Year Appeal: Help Us Do More When It’s Needed Most!
New York is at a pivot point. We’ll soon have a new Mayor, City Council, and leaders of city agencies. We’re emerging from a pandemic, and charting our future. Big … Continued
Downtown Drag + Performance in the 1990s — the Jillian Jonas Collection
The Village Preservation Image Archive highlights the history of the people and built environment of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, as well as New York City in general. … Continued
New Historic Image Collection Explores Downtown Drag + Performance Scene of the 1990s
As we approach LGBTQ+ Pride Weekend, Village Preservation is proud to share with you a wonderful new collection in our historic image archive of donated images from Jillian Jonas chronicling the fiery … Continued
127, 129, and 131 MacDougal Street: Architecture, Artists, African Americans, and “Alternative Lifestyles”
On June 8th, 2004, 127, 129, and 131 MacDougal Street, three 1829 Federal Style houses, were landmarked — the first three of thirteen Village Preservation and the NY Landmarks Conservancy jointly proposed and campaigned for landmark … Continued
Demographic Deception: de Blasio’s SoHo/NoHo Plan
Last week, the City ‘certified,‘ or issued its final proposal for the massive upzoning of SoHo, NoHo, and parts of Chinatown. The voluminous documents contained numerous inaccuracies, falsehoods, and mischaracterizations, … Continued
Celebrating Chino García, co-founder of CHARAS/El Bohío
In 2015, Village Preservation conducted an oral history with community organizer Carlos “Chino” García, one of the co-founders of the legendary community organization CHARAS. CHARAS for many years occupied the … Continued
(Even More) Artists, Theaters, and Advocates for Civil Rights and Social Justice in Our Neighborhoods
Few places in America have made more significant contributions to civil rights and social justice struggles.
The April 1950 Artists’ Sessions at Studio 35
One year before the landmark Ninth Street Exhibition, considered the public’s introduction to the work of the New York School Painters, a series of fascinating conversations entitled the Artists’ Sessions … Continued
Remembering Joey Ramone
On April 15, 2001, Rock and Roll lost a true legend. On that day, Joey Ramone died of lymphatic cancer. That night, U2’s Bono told the audience at a concert … Continued
Ferlinghetti and Rosset: Censorship-Battling Superheroes
Our neighborhoods are not only places where great literature was written. It’s also where great literature was published, sometimes at great legal peril, and where tectonic-shifting battles against censorship were … Continued
Samuel ‘Chip’ Delany, Author and Genius
Samuel R. (Chip) Delany, born on April 1, 1942, is an acclaimed author of both non-fiction and science fiction. He grew up in Harlem, at 2250 Seventh Ave above his father’s … Continued
Greek Revival: Gone But Not Forgotten in Our Neighborhoods
Village Preservation’s Greek Revival Bicentennial Storymap celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.
Women’s History #SouthofUnionSquare
The neighborhood south of Union Square holds a unique place in the history of women’s rights and women’s suffrage movements.
Ada Louise Huxtable and More Than A Century of Preservation, Architecture, and Liveable Cities
Ada Louise Huxtable (March 14, 1921 – January 7, 2013) loved architecture, New York and its neighborhoods, preservation, and the gifts to society that built environments shape. It is this … Continued
Irish American Heritage Permeates #SouthOfUnionSquare
Irish American figures defined the blocks where Greenwich Village meets the East Village.
Ten Years ‘Off The Grid’
A lot can happen in ten years — pop culture references grow old, new technology emerges, and the stories we tell continue to evolve. Village Preservation’s blog Off The Grid … Continued
The NAACP and National Board of Review Confront “The Birth of a Nation’” Racism from 70 Fifth Avenue
On February 8th, 1915, D.W. Griffith’s acutely racist film The Birth of a Nation debuted.
“Secret Banned Rites”: Poets at Café Le Metro
Café Le Metro, now the 13th Step Sports Bar, was located at 149 Second Avenue. A four-story Greek Revival row house, it is the oldest on its block front and … Continued
The Largest Black Studies Collection in the U.S. — University Place Bookshop, #SouthOfUnionSquare
The University Place Book Shop was one of the longest-running “Book Row” shops.
Celebrate African American History Month and the Elizabeth Blackwell Bicentennial and Join Us in Fighting to Protect This Critical History
This February is African American History Month, a time to highlight and celebrate the rich history of African American struggle, success, and life in our neighborhoods over the last four … Continued
#SouthofUnionSquare — The Social Reform Club at 45 University Place
In 1900, the Social Reform Club hosted a lecture by labor leader Edward King.
Make Sure Preservation Has a Future
This has been a year like no other. We lost friends, loved ones, and local small businesses. We had to find new ways to reach our members, the public, and … Continued
Tragedy on Second Avenue
On December 5, 2020 at about 5:00am, a fire broke out at 116 Second Avenue, a neo-Grec tenement. The six-alarm blaze spread to the 1892 Middle Collegiate Church next door … Continued
The Preservationist’s Progress: Mark Twain and 21 Fifth Avenue
With good reason, Missouri and Connecticut like to claim the great writer Samuel L. Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), as one of their own. But … Continued
I Feel Good…About the James Brown House Landmarking
On November 19, 1969, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated 326 Spring Street, also known as the James Brown House, a NYC Landmark. The James Brown House was built in 1817 … Continued
#SouthofUnionSquare — Henry Roth
If you are a research geek like me, you’ll understand that coming across a piece of relatively unknown history that is associated with our area can be very exciting. This … Continued
The Voice of Italian Anti-Fascism at 80 Fourth Avenue
Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century, the neighborhood south of Union Square was a hub for leftist and labor organizing.
A Local Firehouse With Two Seminal Connections to 9-11
A two-story firehouse stands in the middle of the rich historic neighborhood south of Union Square.
New Evidence of 19th Century African American Life in Our Neighborhoods
You never know what you may find when doing historic research in our neighborhoods, and it often raises more questions than it answers. I was recently looking into the history … Continued
Fourth Avenue’s “Book Row” Defines an Era
Beginning in the 1890s and lasting for over 80 years, the area between Astor Place and Union Square was a hub of secondhand bookstores.
Where Hip Vintage in NYC Got its Start: Limbo on St. Marks Place
Limbo, the renowned vintage clothing shop on St. Marks Place in the East Village during the late 1960s and early 1970s, was started by Martin (Marty) Freedman in 1965. It … Continued
A Little Piece of London, France, and Greece Once Stood in NoHo
726-730 Broadway (aka 418-426 Lafayette Street) is a through-block loft building located in the NoHo Historic District. Not much to look at, what used to be here is infinitely more … Continued
Small Business EVERY-Day: Mercer Street Books & Records, 206 Mercer Street
Certain times a year like “Small Business Saturday” or “National Small Business Week” we’re encouraged to shop local to promote our independent retailers. That’s nice, but one day or week … Continued
Support Our Mid-Year Appeal
Ten years ago today, we secured landmark designation of 235 buildings on 12 blocks in Greenwich Village, the largest expansion of the Greenwich Village Historic District in its history. It … Continued
P.S. 122: Performance Space with Lots of Fame
The East Village and Lower East Side have many superb examples of repurposing abondanded buildings into beacons of culture. P.S. 122 at 150 First Avenue is an exemplar of how … Continued
Historic Images and Maps Solve Mysteries of Missing Church and Street
An Instagram follower recently asked us for clarification about an image we posted from our historic image archive of the long-demolished former home Our Lady of Pompeii Church. She wanted … Continued
A Doctor That Was In The House: Elizabeth Blackwell
It times of great uncertainty or need, special people emerge to address challenges that face us all. Often it starts with the plight of the most vulnerable among us, which … Continued
Why Isn’t This Landmarked?: The Hotel Albert on University Place
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
Civil Rights, the NAACP, and W.E.B. DuBois: The African American history tied to 70 Fifth Avenue
When we think of great African American historic sites in New York, we typically think of Harlem’s Apollo Theater, Lower Manhattan’s African Burial Ground, or Brooklyn’s Weeksville Houses. But one building that should … Continued
Native American Contemporary Art Sites in our Area
AMERINDA, American Indian Artists, Inc., is the premier Native American multi-arts services and the only independent, multi-arts organization of its kind in the United States, serving emerging and mid-career Native … Continued
Why Isn’t This Landmarked?: 72 Fifth Avenue, Appleton & Co. Headquarters
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 … Continued
Why Isn’t This Landmarked?: San Isidoro y San Leandro Western Orthodox Catholic Church of the Hispanic Mozarabic Rite
We are starting a new blog series entitled Why Isn’t This Landmarked?, where we will look at buildings in our area which are worthy of landmark designation but somehow aren’t … Continued
Publishing giants, radical literature, and women’s suffrage: More secrets of Union Square South
The area south of Union Square, on the border between Greenwich Village and the East Village, is changing. The approval of the new 14th Street Tech Hub south of Union Square combined … Continued
Uncovering the stories behind downtown’s overlooked synagogues
On August 8, 2008, Village Preservation and the East Village Community Coalition (EVCC) submitted a request to the LPC to landmark a little-known but remarkable survivor– Congregation Mezritch Synagogue at 515 East 6th … Continued
‘Catholic Boy’ Jim Carroll and The Downtown Scene
It’s rare to become a published poet by age 16, finding yourself praised by the some of the foremost Beatnik writers. It’s even rarer when no less than Patti Smith … 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
A little FUN Gallery with Patti Astor
“A long time ago in the 1960s, a young white girl from Ohio committed herself to being a revolutionary,” begins a short feature documentary about Patti Astor and her FUN … Continued
Graphic Designer Extraordinaire, Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser’s “I ♥ NY” logo is one of the most iconic and most replicated logos of the late 20th century, filling the storefronts of our city’s souvenir markets and … Continued
