It Happened Here: 80’s Music Videos, Part Deux
It’s been over four years since the original It Happened Here: 80’s Music Videos graced the pages of Off The Grid. But like all good sequels, this one hopes to be … Continued
Alexander Hamilton and the Village
The hyped musical “Hamilton” opened on Broadway last weekend to rave reviews. The excitement surrounding the musical and the legacy of Alexander Hamilton, one of the United States’ Founding Fathers, … Continued
June is Gay Pride Month
This year’s Gay Pride Month certainly got off to an auspicious start with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission finally agreeing to consider the Stonewall Inn for individual landmark … Continued
Finding Out More About New York City Buildings Research
An Off the Grid reader contacted us to ask for more background information and history about the buildings mentioned in last week’s e-newsletter “Pushing the Envelope in the West Village“. Fortunately, … Continued
A Preservation Agenda For Landmarking’s 50th Birthday
For weeks now we’ve all been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing of New York City’s landmarks law, which actually took place on April 19, 1965. As we approach … Continued
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Landmarks Law
A lot can happen in 50 years, and many of us are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Law. It was signed into law on April … Continued
Village Scenes: A March of Snow and Sunshine
After a long, cold, and snowy January and February, Mother Nature decided we weren’t quite ready for spring just because our calendars told us it was March. Only a few … Continued
Preservation Alert
PRESERVATION ALERT: New City Proposal Would Slash Neighborhood Zoning Protections; Hard-Fought-For Height Limits Would Be Lifted, Now and In the Future Dear friend, The City has just released a … Continued
What’s in Store for 237 Bleecker Street
If you love walking our Village streets, chances are you’ve come across the neglected little building at 237 Bleecker Street. Once a stagecoach house when it was built c. 1835, … Continued
Happy Birthday Lou Reed
Famed Rock n Roll legend and Greenwich Village icon, Lou Reed, was born on March 2, 1942.Reed grew up on Long Island and moved to New York City at the … Continued
Business of the Month: East Village Cheese
Your input is needed! Today we feature our fourth “Business of the Month” — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich … Continued
Happy “Landmark” Birthday, 203 Prince Street!
Today we’d like to wish 203 Prince Street a happy “landmark” birthday. On this day 41 years ago, in 1974, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated 203 Prince Street an … Continued
GVSHP African American History Month Series: Revisiting Spring Street Presbyterian Church
In celebration of Black History Month, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation will host several public programs this month with specific focus on the history of the African-American community in Greenwich … Continued
Zoning Does Matter: Townhouses, or A Tower?
ZONING MATTERS: REZONED WEST VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT SITE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HUGE TOWER, NOW MARKETED FOR TOWNHOUSES ~ Hearing Jan. 14 on Univ. Pl./B’way Rezoning Proposal It has recently been reported … Continued
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
It’s all about the kids!
At this time of year it’s easy to get in touch with your inner child. Everywhere you look there are reminders of how much of this holiday season is geared … Continued
Village People: Henrietta Rodman
(This post is part of a series called Village People: A Who’s Who of Greenwich Village, which will explore some of this intern’s favorite Village people and stories.) Henrietta Rodman … Continued
Business of the Month: Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Company
Your input is needed! Today we feature our second “Business of the Month” — the first one selected by YOUR votes! Now tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich … 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
LGBTQ History: Bleecker Street
An early twentieth-century song entitled ‘The Greenwich Village Epic’ declares: ‘Fairyland’s not far from Washington Square.’ By this time, park police had arrested men for having sex with male partners … Continued
Forging a Path Through the Village
A couple of weeks ago we looked at a variety of buildings in our neighborhoods that at one time served as horse stables, but have since been repurposed. This week, … Continued
Saving Sacred Spaces
After a nearly half-century wait, last week the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission finally voted to approve landmark status for the 150-year old religious building located at 334 East 14th Street, … Continued
LGBTQ History: MacDougal Street
(This post is the first of a series on the history of the LGBTQ community in Greenwich Village.) It is easy to assume, in the aftermath of the Stonewall riots, … 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
NYU Expansion Plan; Not Over, But Still Outrageous
Last week’s news that the First Department Panel of the Appellate Division struck down Supreme Court Justice Donna Mills’ ruling halting much of the NYU expansion plan was disappointing to … Continued
Where Once There Was History, A Hole in the Ground
Working in historic preservation, you know that you win some and you lose some. The forces of real estate in New York are quite powerful, and as passionately as New … Continued
The Shrine Church of St. Anthony of Padua
This Thursday evening, September 25, we will present the third program in our series “OMG!: Churches and Synagogues of Greenwich Village.” Father Joseph Lorenzo, O.F.M., pastor at the Shrine Church … Continued
Village Businesses of the 1930s
GVSHP has always been concerned about the status of small businesses, whether they be restaurants, theaters, or small shops. We also recognize outstanding local businesses as part of our … Continued
The Art of the Artist’s Studio
These beautiful late summer days have got us thinking about sun and sky. Which has us thinking about that most iconic of Village architectural features, the artist’s studio. So we … 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
The Restaurant Toolbox: Menu Options for Saving Important Food Establishments
Most of us have experienced the surprise and sadness of walking by a favorite business and seeing it shuttered. The reasons for closures are many – including such personal … Continued
The San Remo Cafe: Archive Edition
Off the Grid often features images from GVSHP’s Preservation Archive and Oral History Project. The image archive includes approximately 300 images from ten different collections that document the architecture, cultural … Continued
Flowers and books for a summer day
Two weeks ago our friends at Green Guerillas led us on a tour of some remarkable gardens in the East Village. There are more community gardens in the East Village … Continued
Immigration and the Village
With all the talk about immigration reform in the news lately, it got us thinking here at Off the Grid about the effect of United States immigration laws on the … Continued
Lucky Seventh Anniversary for Some Lucky Federal Houses
Seven years ago today, on July 24th, 2007, two very lucky federal rowhouse survivors on Greenwich Street were landmarked, thus insuring their nearly 200 year run of good luck would … Continued
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: Greenwich Village Edition
Happy birthday Kevin Bacon! The versatile actor/musician/philanthropist was born in Philadelphia to Ruth Hilda and Edmund Norwood Bacon on July 8, 1958. Of course Kevin Bacon is more than just … Continued
2014 Village Awards Recap
Last evening, as part of Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting, we celebrated the best of Greenwich Village, the East Village and NoHo by presenting our annual Village Awards. Each June for … Continued
2014 Village Award Winner: Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books
Located at 34 Carmine Street between Bleecker and Bedford Streets, Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books has got a big name and an even bigger place in the hearts of Village neighbors … Continued
2014 Village Award Winner: Pino Prime Meats
In the old Italian South Village, St. Anthony of Padua church stands on the corner of Sullivan Street and Houston Street, an anchor for the vibrant community of Italian immigrants … Continued
When They Stemmed the Flow of Immigrants into New York City
Today’s New York City sets population records in at least two ways: We have more total residents than ever before — 8.2 million — and of the total, the greatest … Continued
Two Big Anniversaries on Carmine Street
This week we have two milestone anniversaries that relate to my old stomping grounds, Carmine Street. On this date, May 6, in 1908, the public bathhouse that is now the … Continued
Throwback Thursday: The Kickoff on King Street
Welcome to the inaugural post in our Throwback Thursday series where we will share some of our favorite old photos of everyday life in the Village, East Village, and Noho. … Continued
Happy Birthday Greenwich Village Historic District!
Forty-five years ago today, mayor John Lindsay was still smarting from the botched cleanup of the February 1969 snowstorm, The 5th Dimension was at the top of the pop charts … Continued
April 12, 1901: Back When the “New Law” was New
The 20th century had hardly begun when the New York State legislature signed into law a new act to address old problems in this city regarding tenement construction. This groundbreaking … Continued
A Tale of Two Times Articles
So there I was, innocently paging through the New York Times Real Estate section this past Sunday — I know you were, too, dreaming about the $2.5 million Mercer Street … Continued
Community Cornerstone: Little Red School House-Elisabeth Irwin High School
In 2012, GVSHP spotlighted the work of Little Red School House/Elisabeth Irwin High School on Off the Grid as part of our tribute to the winners of the 2012 Village … Continued
Looking Up: West 3rd Street
The Looking Up series of posts explore the unique architectural and historical stories that can be discovered when we raise our gaze above the sidewalk, the storefront, and the second … Continued
The Beatles Arrive in Greenwich Village
“Yeah, yeah, yeah” – as the New York Times wrote in February 1964 – it was in fact February 7, 1964 that the Beatles arrived for the very first time … Continued
Marking African-American History Month in the Village
Over the last several weeks GVSHP has been taking a look at the designation report for the new South Village Historic District which we fought ten years to achieve. As … Continued
Community Cornerstone: Greenwich House Pottery
This past summer, Off the Grid posted a piece on Greenwich House, the community settlement house that brought education and social services to the community’s immigrant population at the turn … Continued
Remembering Pete Seeger
“The artists.” Without a doubt, that response is the one I hear most often when I ask what people love most about the Village’s history. And when it comes to … Continued
MacDougal, Sullivan, & Thompson
No, it’s not the name of a law firm. It’s the names of 3 of my favorite streets in the recently-designated South Village Historic District. For many years I lived … Continued
Upstairs/Downstairs: A Night Out on MacDougal Street
We’ve been focusing a lot lately here at Off the Grid on the newly designated South Village Historic District and the designation report that allows us to learn much about … Continued
NYU Buildings Worth Landmarking, Not Protesting
Here at GVSHP, we’ve been poring over the new South Village Historic District designation report, and it has some wonderful facts and even a few surprises we thought we’d share. … Continued
Historic Storefronts of the Village and East Village
If you like wandering around the streets of Greenwich Village and admiring the architecture as much as I do, I think you will enjoy this blog post that was written … Continued
2013: The Year In Review
We at GVSHP want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and best wishes for the new year. We’ll be posting intermittently for the next week or so until we … Continued
Landmarking 101: Determining Historic District Borders
Yesterday, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted to create a new landmark district, called the South Village Historic District. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has … Continued
Great Album Covers, Preserved Forever
They may not necessarily be a basis for landmark designation, but it’s always nice when the setting for a great album cover gets landmark protections, ensuring that it lives on … Continued
Things We’re Grateful For: Federal Houses
At this time of year, we’re thinking about the many things we’re grateful for, as well as the founding of our country. Both those bring us to the many Federal-era … Continued
Zito’s Bakery: Past, Present, and Future
Yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approved an application for a new storefront at 259-263 Bleecker Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II. If this address rings a … Continued
Historic Senate Vote Had Roots in Village House
The United States Senate’s historic passage yesterday of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), banning workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, has deep roots in a … Continued
Joni Mitchell, in a Bleecker Street Cafe
We here at Off the Grid are obviously big fans of the Village folk scene of the 1960s, and today we’re thrilled to spotlight one of its biggest stars. Singer/songwriter … Continued
Remembering Lou Reed
The world mourned the passing of Lou Reed this past weekend at the age of 71. Front man of The Velvet Underground, Reed was born in Brooklyn and raised on … Continued
A Decade of Preserving Historic Houses of Worship
With next Tuesday’s hearing on the possible landmark designation of the Tifereth Israel Town & Village Synagogue on East 14th Street — the nearly 150 year old former German Baptist … Continued
Ten Years of Progress on Landmark and Zoning Protections — And the Road Ahead
GVSHP is proud to share it’s new report “Ten Years – A Thousand Buildings – One Hundred Blocks: A Decade of Progress on Landmark and Zoning Protections in the Village, … Continued
October 11, 2005: City Approves Far West Village Rezoning
On October 11, 2005, the Far West Village rezoning plan was unanimously approved and adopted. Village Preservation had led the fight for this plan to protect a vulnerable part of … Continued
R.I.P. Charlie Zito
On October 1, 1998, Charlie Zito passed away after years of baking bread on Bleecker Street, in the heart of the South Village. There is nothing like the aroma of … Continued
Where Have You Gone, Fugazy Theatre?
Last month we featured the drawings of Anthony F. Dumas, a man who was responsible for illustrating countless theaters across the world. One of the beauties of his drawings is … Continued
Matthew Del Gaudio, architect of Our Lady of Pompeii Church
Eminent architect Matthew W. Del Gaudio died on September 17, 1960. One of his most well-known buildings is right here in the heart of the South Village, Our Lady of … Continued
Happy Anniversary, Gansevoort Market Historic District!
On September 9, 2003, the Gansevoort Market Historic District was officially designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The designation not only culminated a three-year effort to protect … Continued
Bleecker Street Cinema Closed
It was a sad day for cinephiles on September 6, 1990 when the Bleecker Street Cinema closed. The beloved movie house was another casualty of the trends that had led … Continued
Last Splash of Summer
I used to hear from people who said that they hated being in New York City in the summer, and would escape on the weekends to the Hamptons, upstate New … Continued
The Artist: Anthony F. Dumas and His Theater Drawings
An amazing resource that we have featured here and there on Off the Grid is the theater drawings of Anthony F. Dumas. From the Jewish Rialto along lower Second Avenue … Continued
Edward Hopper and the Village
Last week the Whitney Museum revealed its 3D cut-out recreation of the noted Edward Hooper painting Nighthawks in the prow of the Flatiron Building. The ‘pop-up’ project highlights the museum’s … Continued
Bleecker Bob’s
On Monday, September 16th, GVSHP and our co-sponsor The New School for Public Engagement will present a screening of the documentary film, “For the Records” by Emily Judem and Hazel … Continued
A Surprise Ending for Fight to Save Fire Patrol House #2
On August 16, 2006, GVSHP sent the Landmarks Preservation Commission an urgent request to consider landmark designation of the the old Fire Patrol House #2 at 84 West 3rd Street, … Continued
Landmarking 101: Just what is calendaring and why should I care?
Six years ago today, on August 8, 2007, the Landmarks Preservation Commission wrote to GVSHP responding to our request to consider Webster Hall, the East Village social and assembly hall built … Continued
John Sloan’s Village
Today marks the birthday of great Greenwich Village artist and chronicler of everyday life in Lower Manhattan John Sloan, born August 2, 1871. Sloan worked as an painter and illustrator, first in … Continued
Who Wants Pizza? A Salute to Joe’s.
Now that I have your attention, what I have to say isn’t just about pizza. It’s about what we already know: Greenwich Village is a really special place. Why would … Continued
Bob Dylan records “Blowin’ in the Wind” – July 9, 1962
On this day, July 9th, back in 1962, Bob Dylan recorded his song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.” There are many, many connections between Bob Dylan, this song, and the Village, … Continued
Smorgasbord of Landmark Applications Tomorrow Run The Gamut
It may be the dog days of summer, but tomorrow the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) will hear nine applications for changes to landmarked properties in our neighborhoods, ranging from the … Continued
The Tompkins Square Lodging House for Boys
On the corner of Avenue B and East 8th Street sits the striking former Tompkins Square Lodging House for Boys and Industrial School, which opened on April 21, 1887, and … Continued
NoHo East Historic District Turned 10 Yesterday!
Today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission will be holding a public hearing on the proposed South Village Historic District. Yesterday, the NoHo East Historic District turned ten years old! Yes, on … Continued
Landmarks Preservation Commission Celebrates Gay Pride, Doesn’t Designate Gay Landmarks
The Landmarks Preservation Commission has recently begun creating on-line slide shows to showcase various history months as represented by some of the city’s roughly 31,000 landmarked properties. In March, they … Continued
2013 GVSHP Annual Meeting and Village Awards A Great Success
Thank you to everyone who joined us last night as we celebrated our 33rd Annual Meeting and presentation of the Village Awards at the beautiful Tishman Auditorium at The New … Continued
2013 Village Award winner – Avignone Chemists
Last week I wrote about one of my favorite spots in the South Village, the Sir Winston Churchill Square. If you took my advice and went for a visit, you … Continued
On the Menu at Mills House
Mills House Number 1 at 160 Bleecker Street (at Thompson Street) in the South Village was a large experimental ‘reform housing’ project built by noted architect Ernest Flagg from 1896 to1897 … Continued
Map It! Minetta Street, Lane, and…Place?
We’re gearing up for tomorrow’s LPC public meeting in which the commissioners will vote to “calendar” the proposed South Village Historic District. With this in mind, we thought we’d take … Continued
A Sad Farewell to Joe’s Dairy
After 60 years, Joe’s Dairy, a small South Village institution specializing in fresh mozzarella (plain, salted, and smoked) will close up their retail store. Community gossip, which is confirmed by … Continued
Happy 5th Landmark Birthday, East 11th Street Baths!
How time flies – five years ago last March, the former East Eleventh Street Baths between Avenues A and B became an official New York City Landmark. I remember it … Continued
A Walk in the Park Leads to Our Village House Tour!
Warm, sunny days in the Village have us here at GVSHP looking forward to our annual house tour, which takes place this Sunday, May 5th. There’s still time to buy … Continued
Richie Havens 1941-2013
Richie Havens, the iconic singer and guitarist, passed away yesterday at the age of 72. Though originally from Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, by his late teens Havens had moved to Manhattan … Continued
Mad Men’s Village People
This Sunday, the Season 6 premiere of Mad Men will transport us back to late 1960s New York. Along with the characters’ backgrounds, props, and costumes, locations play a big … Continued
King’s Assassination Began Fifteen Year Quest for a National Holiday
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. This ended the life of one of … Continued
LPC Spotlights Women in the Arts
March is Women’s History Month; the month-long celebration highlights the accomplishments of women in various fields throughout our history. With so much to choose from in New York City alone, … Continued
City Council Hudson Square Rezoning Vote Postponed
Well, we’ve been waiting for years — though certainly not waiting patiently or quietly — for the long-promised landmark designation of the South Village. Today we found out that it … Continued
Building Ornamentation
GVSHP’s program this evening, the Art of Exterior Ornamentation: A Talk with the Owners of Essex Works, features a local company that provides restoration of ornamentation on historic buildings. The … Continued
Dowtown, West Side to Lose Voting Power Under Council Redistricting Plan
After many delays and revisions, the New York City Districting Commission has presented its final proposed new City Council district map to the City Council for approval. Every ten years, … Continued
Quinn holds the cards on rezoning and landmarking
From The Villager Newspaper, February 14, 2013 Op-Ed: Quinn Holds the Cards on Hudson Square Rezoning and South Village Landmarking http://www.thevillager.com/?p=10221 By Andrew Berman, Katy Bordonaro, Zack Winestine, Micki McGee, … Continued
Children’s Education by GVSHP
Did you know that since 1991, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has offered elementary students an unparalleled opportunity to engage with New York City’s past by exploring the … Continued