11 landmarks of immigration in Greenwich Village
Each year, immigrant history week is celebrated in late April, commemorating the day in 1907 when more immigrants came through Ellis Island than any other day in history. More than … Continued
← View All
Category: Multiple Blog Categories
The Greenwich Village Home Where Lincoln’s Assassination Might Have Been Averted
This is one in a series of posts marking the anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. President Abraham Lincoln, after saving the Union and winning the … Continued
Churches of the Greenwich Village Historic District
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50. Churches are found throughout … Continued
The Origins of Greenwich Village Historic District Street Names: Part 1
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
12 social change champions of Greenwich Village
Few places on Earth have attracted more or a broader array of activists and agitators for social change than Greenwich Village. And much of that activity took place right in … Continued
Willem de Kooning Standing on his East 10th Street Stoop, and at the Center of the Art World
On April 5, 1959, Village Voice photographer Fred McDarrah snapped this iconic photo of Willem de Kooning on the stoop of 88 East 10th Street, his home and studio from … Continued
When “the Club” Ruled the Art World from East 8th Street
In the fall of 1949, a group of the most renowned artists of their time who were part of the Abstract Expressionist movement gathered together to fix up a third-floor … Continued
The Delightful Dormers of the Greenwich Village Historic District
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
Theaters of the Greenwich Village Historic District
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
13 places in Greenwich Village where the course of history was changed
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
Remembering a Big Day for East Village Landmarking
On March 18, 2008, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approved the designation of four East Village landmarks, and they were as varied as the East Village itself. They were … Continued
Architect George Frederick Pelham and the Greenwich Village Historic District
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
Peter Stuyvesant’s Bouweries and their Legacy Today
On March 12, 1651, Peter Stuyvesant, Director General of the Dutch West India Company, purchased Bouwerie (Dutch for ‘farm’) #1 and part of Bouwerie #2 in what is today’s East … Continued
20 transformative women of Greenwich Village
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969. One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s … Continued
Celebrating the Greenwich Village Historic District’s 50th Anniversary
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
MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens for Sale
MacDougal Sullivan Gardens, the incredibly charming enclave of twenty-two houses on a block bounded by MacDougal and Sullivan Streets, Bleecker and Houston Streets, has a long and storied history. As … Continued
Judson Memorial Church: A Commitment to the Arts
Judson Memorial Church is an extraordinary institution for countless reasons; its architecture, its dedication to inclusion, its history of providing free healthcare, its outspoken advocacy on issues of civil rights … Continued
10 (more) of the most charming spots in the Greenwich Village Historic District
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969. One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s … 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
A Prince of a House: No. 203 Prince Street
On February 19, 1974, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate 203 Prince Street an individual landmark. This three-story house with red Flemish bond brickwork and brownstone basement was … Continued
It’s Theater Thursday! We Love The Cherry Lane Theatre’s Mentor Project
How do we love thee? Let us count the ways! I was treated to my very first Off-Broadway show at The Cherry Lane Theatre as a child, and so it … Continued
The 10 most charming spots in the Greenwich Village Historic District
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969. One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s … Continued
15 things you didn’t know about the East Village
Earlier this month, GVSHP launched its East Village Preservation effort, releasing its new website “East Village Building Blocks,” which contains historic information and images for every one of the neighborhood’s 2,200 buildings. Of course, … Continued
The St. Mark’s Historic District: Tiny, But Packed With History
One of New York City’s most charming and distinctive corners, the St. Mark’s Historic District was landmarked by the City of New York on January 14, 1969. Containing fewer than 40 buildings … Continued
James Varick, the Village, and Zion AME Church
On January 10th, 1750, James Varick was born into slavery in upstate New York. Possibly a slave of the prominent Dutch Varick family, as a young boy he and his mother were freed … Continued
Business of the Month: Love Child, 9 Patchin Place
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
Many Layers of History at 1st Avenue and 3rd Street
New Year, new entries! As the calendar year resets, so to the dates that correspond to Village intersections. We begin our 2019 series back where it all started: the East … Continued
Napoleon LeBrun — Firehouse Architect and So Much More
Napoleon Eugene Charles Henry LeBrun, a prominent and prolific American architect of the late 19th century, was born on January 2, 1821. He began his career in Philadelphia and designed … Continued
Hair-of-the-Dog Blog Posts from 2018
Happy New Year and welcome to 2019! Perhaps you welcomed in the new year a bit ‘robustly’ last night. In that spirit, we thought we’d look at a few posts … Continued
Calvert Vaux and the Village
Calvert Vaux, one of the most prolific and influential architects in the United States during the second half of the 19th century, was born on December 20, 1824, in London, … Continued
Business of the Month: M & D Shapiro Hardware, 7 Great Jones 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 … Continued
I Love the 80s…Map!
We recently wrote about the online release of the 1940s tax photos of every building in New York City by the New York City Municipal Archives. As we mentioned, the … Continued
Dylan and the Village on Film
The Village in the 1960s was a hotbed of creativity. In one of the most defining moments of that decade, in January 1961, a twenty-year-old Bob Dylan moved here to … Continued
From Mark Twain and the Lovin’ Spoonful to Tech Hub: The overlooked history of Union Square South
Straddling Greenwich Village and the East Village, the neighborhood south of Union Square between Fifth and Third Avenues was once a center of groundbreaking commercial innovations, radical leftist politics, and … Continued
Interior Artwork of Our Lady of Pompeii Church
The Center For Migration Studies has provided GVSHP with historic images in the past, and recently sent us several images of the interior artwork of Our Lady of Pompeii church. … Continued
Only Seven Landmarks in One of New York’s Most Historically Rich Areas? What about 37 East 12th Street?
Recently we looked at seven late 19th and early 20th century buildings now under consideration for landmarking by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (read about them here,) They are … Continued
POPS goes the Village!
Privately owned public spaces, or POPS, are public areas adjoining or adjacent to buildings created through incentivized zoning. What this zoning means is that by providing a public space, developers … Continued
Public Art to #LightTheFight for World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living … Continued
New Historic Images- Astor Place, 10th Street, Village Community School, and more.
GVSHP just added 29 new historic images to our archive taken from current public applications to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for significant changes to landmarked buildings in our neighborhoods. … Continued
The backstory on backhouses: How NYC’s hidden rear residences came to be
New York City is full of hidden surprises that even the most dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker may not know about. One such example is the elusive “backhouse” or rear house. There … Continued
The Cemeteries of the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue Shearith Israel
On March 31, 1492, Spain ordered that all Jews living within the kingdom either convert to Christianity or be expelled. Portugal did the same less than five years later. Some … Continued
New York City’s 1940 Tax Photos — Now Online!
New York history buffs have been waiting a long time for this — the New York City Municipal Archives has digitized all 720,000 of its tax photos of every building in … Continued
Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive: Interior Motives
With the colder air, the shorter days, and the mania of holiday planning that come with late November, it seems right to start spending more time in the warm, comfortable … Continued
James Renwick, Jr., 19th Century Architect Extraordinaire!
James Renwick, Jr. was born on November 11, 1818, in New York City. He would become one of the most successful American architects of the 19th century, designing such high … Continued
My Favorite Things: Tom Birchard Edition
We decided it was high time for some of our most ardent and vocal supporters to have a say here on Off the Grid. To that end, we have invited … Continued
Map Every Street Tree — Which is Your Favorite?
Fall is the time to notice the sublime changing colors of the leaves on the trees. Or smell the fallen nuts of a gingko tree that some harvest in parks … Continued
“An Intimate and Unconventional Space:” Caffe Cino
Caffe Cino at 31 Cornelia Street was a community, a haven, the birthplace of countless theatrical careers and movements, and the origin of off-off-Broadway theater. In November 2017, Caffe Cino … Continued
Business of the Month: East Village Vintage Collective, 545 East 12th 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 … Continued
Wanamaker’s, A Shoppers Paradise
In a recent application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to make some changes to the building at 770 Broadway (8th/9th Streets), there is a great picture of this impressive building … Continued
Gay Activist Alliance Headquarters Bombed
On October 15, 1974, the Gay Activist Alliance Firehouse, located in SoHo at 99 Wooster Street, was bombed.
Historic Spaces Open to the Public
Ever walk past a particular building or gate and wish you could go inside? Well this weekend, maybe you can, since it is Open House New York. More than 140 sites … 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
Coming Out, and Going Out, in the Village
October 11th is National Coming Out Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness and visibility of the LGBT community through the process of “coming out,” or identifying one’s LGBT identity … Continued
One Track Mind: Drawing the New York Subway
The New York City subway system is messy, crowded, unreliable, full of musicians, and generally teeming with folks who will bowl you over if you’re not careful. It’s also full of art. … Continued
Lost Saints of the Village
The Village is hallowed ground, and much like any sacred space, its landscape is marked by holy figures. For our neighborhoods, these figures are the architecture, and we even have … Continued
Ithiel Town: It’s All Greek (and Gothic) to Him
Ithiel Town, born on October 3, 1784, transformed American architecture, as well as the landscape of our neighborhoods. A significant figure in beginning the Greek and Gothic Revivals in this … Continued
Trendy Nightspot is the Clue to this Historic Image Mystery, Hiding in Plain Sight
Last week we solved one of our longstanding historic photo mysteries, when Eric Robinson, the cousin of the photographer, Carole Teller, was able to identify the location of this elevated train which … Continued
Only Seven Landmarks in One of New York’s Most Historically Rich Areas?
Seven late 19th and early 20th century buildings are now under consideration for landmarking by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. They are all located along Broadway south of … Continued
What’s in a name? Gay Street
Gay Street is one of the most charming and picturesque streets in Greenwich Village, an icon of the historic neighborhood’s anachronistic character. But the origins of its name are hotly … Continued
John Barrymore’s Rooftop Lair at 132 West 4th Street
I love I Hate Hamlet. How could I not have known all these years that Paul Rudnick wrote the play while living at 132 West 4th Street, in the very … Continued
A Landmark Library Lives On
It might be temporarily closed for renovations, but when the Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library opened in 1884 it was New York City’s first free public library, … Continued
How well do you know the Village?
GVSHP partnered with the Village Alliance and Urban Archive to host a scavenger hunt in the Village on September 15, 2018. One team got all 30 questions right – can you … Continued
NYCityMap: The Right Tool, With the Wrong Dates
New York City publishes a very useful map-based website with one very big flaw. NYCityMap offers users a tremendous amount of information on all properties in New York City. Some of … Continued
The oldest house in the Village? It’s not what you think
The Village is known as one of the oldest parts of New York City, where historic architecture can be found everywhere, and charming houses from a bygone era still stand. … Continued
My Favorite Things: Village Icon Tom Fontana!
“Tom Fontana does not own or use a computer. He writes his scripts in longhand on yellow legal pads. Emails for Tom are sent to his office where a hard copy … 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.
When NYC’s Last Surviving Horse Auction Mart, and Frank Stella’s Former Studio, Were Almost Demolished
Did you know that 128 East 13th Street is believed to be the last surviving horse and carriage auction mart building in New York City? It was threatened with demolition … Continued
Many Layers of History at 9th Street and 5th Avenue
This post is part of a series about Village intersections that correspond to the date. September is here and a new month means a new corresponding Village intersection! Ninth Street … Continued
New York Biscuit Stables
In the early 2000’s GVSHP conducted research that led to the designation of the Gansevoort Market Historic District. That research included photo surveys of the area. We recently added one such … Continued
Many Layers of History, and Beyond the Village and Back: Penn Station
Today is a rare day on Off the Grid as we are able to combine two of our ongoing series: Many Layers of History and Beyond the Village and Back. Unlike … Continued
A Times Square Art Excursion with Carole Teller
There are limitless things to discover among the astounding collections of photographs by Carole Teller in GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive. A resident of the East Village for over 50 years, … Continued
Street Grid Changes Revealed in New Tool
The Department of City Planning (DCP) recently launched an online tool that has compiled more than 8,000 historic maps of New York City and laid it on the current street grid. … Continued
Historic Photo Mysteries Solved
Last week we put out a call for help to solve mysteries regarding the locations of some images from our Historic Image Archive‘s most recent addition, Carole Teller’s Changing New York, Part … Continued
St. John’s vs. the Tech Hub — Promises Kept, and Promises Broken
On August 24, 2016, the New York City Planning Commission held a hearing to consider a zoning change and transfer of air rights for the development of the three-block long St. … Continued
My Favorite Things: Ice Cream Edition!
It’s August in New York. It’s hot. Need I say more? And conversations tend to revolve around the temperatures at this time of year. How hot is it? How humid … Continued
Alex Haley and the Village
The renowned writer Alex Haley was born on August 11 in 1921. In the 1960’s, the Haley rented a writing studio in the back of the Greenwich Village building at … Continued
More Photo Mysteries from our Newest Historic Photo Collection
We recently unveiled the new addition to our Historic Image Archive, Carole Teller’s Changing New York, Part 4, which includes about two hundred fifty images of Greenwich Village, the East Village, … Continued
From George Washington to Hudson Square: The history of the Charlton-King-VanDam neighborhood
It’s an often-overlooked enclave with the largest concentration of Federal and Greek Revival style houses in New York City. Its origins can be traced back to historical figures as esteemed … Continued
More Historic Images? Yes, Please!
We recently added two new collections of photographs to the GVSHP Historic Image Archive, and they do not fail to impress! One is the Meatpacking District Above 14th Street/Chelsea Market/High … Continued
They Dwelt on West 9th Street: Marianne Moore, Mother of Modernism
They Dwelt on West 9th Street: Marianne Moore, Mother of Modernism is the 5th in a series. One of this author’s favorite poets dwelt on West 9th Street. Marianne Moore, … Continued
Happy Birthday, SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District
GVSHP’s primary focus is between the Hudson and East Rivers, from Houston Street to 14th Street. Still, in 2016 GVSHP fought to secure the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District which dips 3+ blocks just below Houston … Continued
Many Layers of History at 8th Avenue and 13th Street: Jackson Square Park
This post is part of a series about Village blocks that correspond to calendar dates. Once again, another August date corresponds with a Village intersection. Jackson Square Park is located … Continued
New York in Four Maps – Walking the Village of the Past
Earlier this week, photographer and NYC tour guide David Schmidlapp took us on a meander through the East Village using four old, beautiful maps of New York City as part of … Continued
A Synagogue Preserved, Reflecting a Neighborhood’s Transformation
On August 9, 2010, GVSHP and the East Village Community Coalition asked the Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider designating this historic building at 323-327 East 6th Street with various layers of … Continued
Cats and the Village
August 8th is International Cat Day! From pets to pest control, cats make up an important but often overlooked part of NYC and its neighborhoods. In the Village, you can … Continued
The Greenwich Village Building With a Starring Role in Hitchcock’s Rear Window
It’s not often that a building plays a starring role in a major motion picture. But in In Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, which premiered on August 1st, 1954, that is … Continued
Business of the Month: Thompson Alchemists, 132 Thompson 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 … Continued
When NYC collapsed: The rise and fall of America’s largest and grandest hotel
In the mid-1970s, New York City was falling apart. Its finances, infrastructure, and social cohesion were, figuratively speaking, crumbling. But in one very tragic case, they were literally crumbling, too. And it … Continued
Many Layers of History at St. Marks and 2nd Avenue!
This post is part of a series about Village blocks that correspond to calendar dates. You can read some of the other ones here. August is here and so is … Continued
A Bevy of New Historic Images from Landmarks Applications
Every month, GVSHP posts the upcoming applications for changes to landmarked properties in our neighborhoods that are significant enough to warrant a public hearing, known as certificates of appropriateness. Typically … Continued
Walking the Meatpacking District With GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive
Last week we shared an online Historic Bowery Walking Tour. This week we are sharing a walking tour of the Gansevoort Market Historic District, landmarked in 2003 thanks to efforts by GVSHP. Back … Continued
The Young Lords Start in Tompkins Square Park
The Young Lords announced the founding of their New York Chapter in Tompkins Square Park on July 26, 1969. The Puerto Rican nationalist group started as a turf gang in … Continued
A Tale of Two Forgotten Alexander Jackson Davis Mansions
Architect Alexander Jackson Davis was born on July 24, 1803. Davis, one of the most successful and influential American architects of his generation, is perhaps best known for his association … Continued
A Tour of the Bowery, From GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive and Urban Archive
The Bowery is Manhattan’s oldest street, predating European settlement. We don’t know exactly when native Americans first began to use this path. We do know that in those early days … Continued
Development dispute over P.S. 64 in the East Village continues, two decades later
Twenty years ago, on July 20, 1998, Mayor Rudy Giuliani sold former Public School 64 on the Lower East Side, then home to the Charas-El Bohio Community and Cultural Center, … Continued
One Small Step for Man…One Giant Leap for 121 Charles Street!
On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing became one of the most defining events of American History in the 20th Century. Two years prior though, the Village experienced … Continued
Twenty Years Later, A Community Center is Still Empty
This Friday, July 20, marks the 20th anniversary of the controversial auction of the former P.S. 64/CHARAS-El Bohio Community and Cultural Center at 605 East 9th Street by then-Mayor Giuliani over … Continued
Putting Historic Images On The Map
Our ever-expanding historic image archive has a number of fascinating collections which offer glimpses into our neighborhood and beyond throughout past decades. Carol Teller’s Changing New York (Parts I, II … Continued
A Decision By the State Was An Important Milestone in Preserving Gansevoort Market
There were many moments to celebrate along the arc of fighting for the protection of the Gansevoort Historic District, also known as the Meatpacking District. One such milestone took place … Continued
A Duel, A Land Sale, and A Very Unusual History (thanks, Aaron Burr)
On this date in 1804, just five days following his infamous duel with Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr sold two plots of land in our neighborhood. Why? Well, he was charged with multiple … Continued