It’s Been A Busy Season, and Here’s Why We’re Thankful

This fall has been exceptionally active for us here at Village Preservation — from the wonderful salutes to our neighborhoods’ history we’ve created, to critically important studies we’ve produced, to profoundly consequential development plans to which we’ve had to respond. Just a few examples from the last three months include:

Securing landmark designation of 50 West 13th Street, longtime home of the 13th Street Repertory Theatre and abolitionist history site, after a four-year campaign 
Producing our report analyzing the impact of upzonings vs. preservation on racial demographics in NYC, showing the vastly better outcomes from preservation 
Unveiling our Bicentennial StoryMap celebrating and telling the story of 200 years of history on Lower Fifth Avenue
Leading the resistance to the city’s plan to demolish the historic Tony Dapolito Recreation Center on Carmine Street
Publicizing our research documenting the unrivalled artistic history found in our neighborhoods South of Union Square as part of our ongoing landmarking campaign
Installing our interactive artwork at 13th Street and Fifth Avenue celebrating James Baldwin’s 100th birthday in partnership with The New School
Garnering support for our fight to landmark and save the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary from disability groups, the NYC Public Advocate, and more elected officials 
Revealing our plaque honoring first female U.S. Cabinet Secretary and labor leader Frances Perkins
Issuing our first-of-its-kind study analyzing 60 years of landmark designations in NYC, identifying the disturbing drop in landmarking under recent Mayors 
Releasing our second edition of the first and only Greenwich Village building set made from genuine LEGO blocks 
Pushing back on city plans to subsidize demoltion of older historic buildings with public dollars rather than their reuse 
Sharing the second installment of the digitized archives of local trailblazing political club the Village Independent Democrats, covering 1970-79
Organizing opposition to plans for a possible 60-story (or more) tower full of luxury housing on public land in the Meatpacking District 

Some of this work has been joyful. Some has been challenging and difficult. All of it has been essential to help preserve and perpetuate what we love about our neighborhoods.

We’re thankful to you, our members and supporters, for making all this work possible. Without you, none of this — our work to preserve local small businesses, our public programming for adults or children, our ever-expanding online resources, or our timely notifications about applications for changes to historic properties in our neighborhoods — would be possible.

Thank you for making preserving Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo not just possible, but achievable — and something we do every day of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes for the holiday season from all of us at Village Preservation. 

You can help continue this work by supporting our efforts. Remember us next week on Giving Tuesday, or

November 27, 2024