15 Trailblazing Women of Greenwich Village and the East Village
Greenwich Village is well known as the home to libertines in the 1920s and feminists in the 1960s and ’70s. But going back to at least the 19th century, the … Continued
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Category: East Village
My Favorite Things: Women’s History Month Edition
When March finally rolls around, I feel the need for celebration! Not only does it mean that we have weathered the January/February doldrums, but also because March is Women’s History … Continued
A New Chapter for Local Bookstores
Some good news for small businesses and the written word in our neighborhoods. Bucking the prevailing trend of disappearing bookstores, we actually have two new ones in our neighborhood, and … 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
How an East Village building went from gangster hangout to Andy Warhol’s Electric Circus
Fifty years ago this week, the Velvet Underground released their second album, “White Light/White Heat.” Their darkest record, it was also arguably the Velvet’s most influential, inspiring a generation of … Continued
A Walk Around the East Village ca. 1980 with Carole Teller
One of the facts of life that has always bummed me out is that I can’t visit history, to experience the past first-hand. Thankfully, though, GVSHP has just released Part … Continued
East 12th Street’s “Ghost Church”: From Pathbreaking House of Worship to NYU Dorm
The disembodied church steeple sitting in front of a 26-story NYU dorm on East 12th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues makes for one of the more head-scratching sights in … Continued
The Lasting Imprint of Stuyvesant Street
Nearly all of the East Village falls in line with the Manhattan street grid, dating back to the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811. However, one defiant street, only one block long, … Continued
Mixed But Positive News on Chain Stores for the New Year
The tenth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City by the Center for an Urban Future (CUF) just came out, and it reveals a 1.8 percent increase in … Continued
The Forgotten Graveyards of Greenwich Village and the East Village
Most New Yorkers spend some time underground every day as part of their daily commute, but some spend eternity beneath our streets, and in a few cases occupy some pretty … Continued
An Attitude of Gratitude at GVSHP
As we reflect upon the turbulence of the past year, we at GVSHP are continually reminded that while the times may be tough, we have an abundance of things for … Continued
The Ukrainian National Home’s Surprising History
On 2nd Avenue, just south of 9th Street at No. 140-142, sits one of the East Village’s oddest structures. Clad in metal and adorned with Cyrillic lettering, the building sports … Continued
Remember ‘The Alamo’: A history of the Astor Place cube
On November 1, 1967, an enigmatic 20-foot-tall cube first appeared on a lonely traffic island where Astor Place and 8th Street meet. Though several months before the release of “2001: … Continued
Iconic album covers of Greenwich Village and the East Village: Then and now
There’s no shortage of sites in the Village and East Village where great makers of popular music lived or performed. Less well known, however, are the multitude of sites that … Continued
How Alphabet City’s ‘milk laboratory’ led to modern pasteurization
The utilitarian building at 151 Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets would hardly elicit a second glance from the casual passerby today. But its unassuming looks belie the incredible story of … Continued
LGBT History: Not Just West Village Bars
Here at GVSHP we are excited about our recently launched Village Civil Rights & Social Justice Map. With our upcoming LGBT history bar crawl at the end of the month … Continued
East Village vs. West — Which Is Really the Narrowest House in NYC?
The following is a re-post originally written in 2011: Word that the West Village’s 75 1/2 Bedford Street is back on the market always brings attention to the slender house … Continued
East Village CreateNYC event tonight
In 2015, the City Council passed legislation requiring the City to produce its first-ever comprehensive cultural plan: CreateNYC. CreateNYC is supposed to become a roadmap to guide the future of … Continued
Celebrating the Birthday and Legacy of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat, born December 22, 1960, may have lived just 27 short years. But in that time he created a language of art which may resonate more than ever today, … Continued
Honoring Patti Smith
On Saturday, December 10, 2016, the extraordinary Patti Smith accepted the Nobel Prize for Literature on behalf of Bob Dylan in Stockholm, Sweden. In a transcendent performance, Smith was overwhelmed … Continued
Happy 50th Landmark Anniversary St. Mark’s-in-the Bowery Church!
50 years ago tomorrow, on April 19, 1966, the LPC landmarked St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery Church. The Church is the oldest site of continuous worship in New York City. The parcel of land … Continued
House Tour Preview
This year’s Spring House Tour Benefit is right around the corner and features seven exquisite Village properties. In keeping with the storied history of the Village as an artist’s haven, … Continued
Astor Place Reconstruction Recalls Historic Streets, Mosaics & The Alamo
If you are one of the over 100,000 people a day that make your way through Astor Place or Cooper Square, you cannot help but notice the amazing amount of progress … Continued
The Federal Style Explained
We recently published a detailed report of the Federal style houses which GVSHP has helped to get landmarked, listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, or both. … Continued
Five Hundred Years Ago, The First Ghetto Is Founded
Five hundred years ago today, on March 29, 1516, the Venice Ghetto was established by decree of the Venice Ruling Council. The very first ghetto, it was a tiny 2 … Continued
Happy Dyngus Day!
The Monday following Easter is known to Ukrainians as Dyngus Day, and many Ukrainian American communities will host parades and celebrations to commemorate this holiday. In America, Dyngus Day is … Continued
One Year After the Second Avenue Explosion
Tomorrow will mark one year since the tragic gas explosion on Second Avenue and 7th Street street that killed two people and led to the collapse and destruction of three … Continued
See You on the Dark Side of the Village!
In 1973, Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon; the album hit U.S. shelves on March 1st and UK on March 16th. Dark Side of the Moon was the band’s … Continued
Was My House a…Brothel?!
It never fails to amaze me what we sometimes find, historically, was located in our neighborhoods. DNAInfo NY recently published an article, “MAP: Discover the Hidden History of New York’s … Continued
Tales From Our Crypts: Augustus Van Horne Stuyvesant Jr.
Gone but not forgotten, the Village is as much defined by what is above as much as it is by who is below. Though burials in Manhattan were officially banned … Continued
GVSHP Oral History: Ingrid Bernhard
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant … Continued
Remembering East Village resident and musician Lead Belly
As regular readers of “Off the Grid” will know, one of many ways Village Preservation has worked to preserve the neighborhood heritage of Greenwich Village has been to install a … Continued
The “East Village” Is Born, In Print
On February 7, 1960 the New York Times wrote an article discussing changes in Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. Four years beforehand the El (above ground subway) had … Continued
Business of the Month: St. Mark’s Bookshop, 136 East 3rd Street
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in … Continued
Village Preservation East Village Oral History: Robert Zerilli
Village Preservation is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique … Continued
NYS Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Preservation in First Avenue Estate Hardship Case
As reported by our allies the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, the New York State Supreme Court recently upheld the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s denial of the hardship application by … Continued
Happy Birthday East 10th Street Historic District
On January 17th, 2012, the LPC designated the East 10th Street Historic District. The district includes 26 row houses mostly built in the 1840’s and 1850’s, extending from Avenue A to … Continued
Happy 47th Birthday, St. Mark’s Historic District
Forty-seven years ago, on January 14th 1969, the Landmarks Preservation Commission concluded that, “On the basis of a careful consideration of the history, the architecture and other features of this … Continued
East 4th Street and its Political Past
This post is the second of a three-part series called Histories of Fourth Street, from East to West, a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2015 Intro … Continued
Why East Villagers Should Oppose the City’s Rezoning Plans
The City’s rezoning proposals ‘Zoning for Quality and Affordability’ (ZQA) and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) are making their way through the public review process. If approved, each would profoundly impact … Continued
Landmarks50: Saint Mark’s-in-the-Bowery Church
We continue the Landmarks50 celebration by taking a deeper look at Saint Marks-in-the-Bowery Church at 131 East 10th Street. This landmark represents construction over a considerable period of time. The … Continued
City’s Rezoning Plans Won’t Improve Affordability or Quality
Want to help? Attend the City Council public hearings at City Hall on Tuesday February 9 or Wednesday February 10 starting at 9:30 am, and send letters to city officials in … Continued
Landmarks of New York: First Houses
On December 3, 1935, First Houses were dedicated and opened, the first housing project undertaken by the then-recently established New York City Housing Authority and the first publicly-funded low-income housing … Continued
Landmarks50: 4 St. Mark’s Place
4 St. Mark’s Place, also known as the Hamilton-Holly House and current home of Trash and Vaudeville, was recently in the news as it came on the market for $11.9 million. … Continued
Germania Fire Insurance Company Bowery Building
Today we take a look at one of the many wonderful individual landmarks in our neighborhood, the Germania Fire Insurance Company Bowery Building at 357 Bowery. Designed by prominent German-American … Continued
‘Zoning for Quality & Affordability’: Debunking the Myths and Misinformation
Want to help? Attend the City Council public hearings at City Hall on Tuesday February 9 or Wednesday February 10 starting at 9:30 am, and send letters to city officials in … Continued
Landmarks50: Children’s Aid Society, Elizabeth Home for Girls
We continue celebrating Landmarks50 with a look at individual landmarks in our neighborhood. Yesterday we learned about the Children’s Aid Society, Tompkins Square Lodging for Boys and Industrial School. Today … Continued
Landmarks50: 295 East 8th Street
Now home to seven apartments, 295 East 8th Street a.k.a. 127 Avenue B, opened in 1887 as the Children’s Aid Society, Tompkins Square Lodging for Boys and Industrial School. As … Continued
Frances Goldin – Glad She’s on Our Side!
“I have lived on the Lower East Side for seventy years. And when I came here, I found Nirvana, and I will die in this building — not in a … Continued
A New Oral History with Acclaimed Painter Wolf Kahn
Once upon a time in Chelsea, New York, a young woman lived in an apartment on the sixth floor with a magical view. Facing north, there was the Chelsea Hotel, … Continued
Landmarks50: The New York Public Library Tompkins Square Branch
As part of our continuing Landmarks50 celebration, and in honor of Stanford White’s birthday today (he would be a mere 162 years old), we are looking at the New York … Continued
Landmarks50: The First Ukrainian Assembly of God
We continue the Landmarks50 celebration by taking a look at another individual landmark in our neighborhood. The First Ukrainian Assembly of God (originally, the Metropolitan Savings Bank) at 9 East … Continued
Landmarks50- The Police Athletic League Building
As part of NYCLandmarks50, the celebration of this year’s 50th Anniversary of the NYC Landmarks Law, we are taking a look at some of the many and varied individual landmarks … Continued
A Son of the East Village, Murdered, and a Controversial Opera
At this time last year, the Metropolitan Opera was aflame in controversy about an opera production called The Death of Klinghoffer. The eight performances between Oct. 20 and Nov. 15 … Continued
Landmarks50: The Public Theater, A Victorian Style Cultural Haven
We celebrate Landmarks50 by taking a look at Joseph Papp Public Theater (often referred to as The Public Theater), which, at the time of its designation in 1965, was the … Continued
An American Master Fills a Landmark With Music – Come Listen
“You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s real Jewish rye,” was the slogan for a brand of bread baked in Brooklyn, and offered with a memorable ad campaign … Continued
Business of the Month: Fresco Gelateria, 138 Second Avenue
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in … 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
Landmarks50: A Pre-Halloween Trip to Our Historic Cemeteries
This year the city is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Landmarks Law that created the legal framework to preserve for posterity the architectural and scenic treasures that help make … Continued
Honorary Street Names: 1st Avenue
Our latest examination of honorific street names takes us further into the East Village to 1st Avenue. From 14th Street all the way to Houston, 3 honorifics exist along this avenue: … Continued
Art Deco in the Village
When we think of Art Deco architecture in New York City, what often comes to mind are Midtown icons such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, or Rockefeller Center. … Continued
Anarchy in the East Village! The Ferrer Modern School
The East Village was the first home of the Ferrer Modern School of New York City. First located at 6 St. Marks Place, this school was based on the European … Continued
The Synagogues of East 6th Street
Today is Yom Kippur, so let’s take a look at some East Village buildings that are, or used to be, synagogues. Jewish immigrants to the East Village and Lower East … Continued
Ottendorfer Library Landmark Designation
The Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) at 135 Second Avenue was designated an individual New York City landmark September 20, 1977. The library was built in 1883-4 … Continued
The Flatirons of the Village and the East Village
On September 20th, 1966, the Flatiron Building was designated a New York City landmark. One of New York’s most beloved and iconic landmarks, the Flatiron Building is known for (among other … Continued
Honorary Street Names: 2nd Avenue
As we here at GVSHP have previously discussed, many streets in Greenwich Village bear an honorary secondary name recognizing important people and institutions associated with the Village and its history. These … Continued
Theaters of Greenwich Village and the East Village
A while back on Off the Grid we wrote about some of our favorite theaters. Theater, performance spaces, and the arts have all always been an important part of the … Continued
A Night With The Andy Statman Trio at the Historic Eldridge Street Synagogue
Renowned musician Andy Statman and the Andy Statman Trio will perform in the main sanctuary of the Eldridge Street Synagogue on Thursday, October 22, 2015. This special concert, presented by … Continued
Celebrate Labor Day!
For many people, Labor Day means one last trip to the beach or pool before the unofficial end of summer. Or some need to finish their back-to-school shopping, so it … Continued
New York City’s First Public Nurse: Lillian Wald
On September 1, 1940, Lillian Wald passed away. While not a household name, Wald’s influence on public social services in New York City is exemplary, as she is the founder … Continued
Death, Debauchery, and Destruction on the Bowery: McGurk’s Suicide Hall
Dive bars and dead prostitutes! While these could be plot points in any Hollywood movie, back in the late 19th century these unwholesome characteristics gave the infamous McGurk’s Suicide Hall … Continued
When Greenwich Village was farmland
Here in Greenwich Village, we are surrounded by history. So sometimes when I walk the streets, I try to imagine what life was like at different times in the past. … Continued
East Village History: Some Protected, Some Not
Tomorrow, Community Board 3’s Landmarks Subcommittee will hear proposals for changes to two East Village landmarks: St Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery (an individual landmark and part of the St. Mark’s Historic District) … Continued
Vinyl in the Village
On Monday evening, GVSHP and the New School for Public Engagement hosted a film screening, For The Records — The Legacy and Lessons of Bleecker Bob’s. The documentary film by … Continued
Walking East 3rd Street: The Dry Dock & Corlears Hook
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the … Continued
Walking East 3rd Street: The American Movies Theater
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the … Continued
Walking East 3rd Street: Tenement Synagogues & Jewish Life
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the … Continued
Walking East 3rd Street: The Bowery Branch YMCA
Walking East 3rd Street is a collaboration between GVSHP and the students in NYU’s Fall 2012 Intro to Public History course. Each pair of students was tasked with researching the … Continued
Tompkins Square tree offers more than good cheer
Two weeks ago, Off the Grid featured a notice announcing the lighting of the tree in Tompkins Square Park. At this year’s lighting ceremony on December 9th, a plaque was … Continued
Shining a Light on an East Village Landmark
Recently someone asked me about a building he walked by in the East Village. Showing me a photo of the building on his phone, he figured it was a substation … Continued
St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church
Recently, our friends over at EV Grieve posted a great then-and-now of the southwest corner of Avenue A and East 10th Street. This beautiful building, St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church, … Continued
Christmas Festivities, East and West
The holiday season is well underway and our neighborhoods have wonderful events going on to help ring in the Christmas spirit. Today we thought we’d highlight a couple of upcoming … Continued
Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, Musician Who Inspired Generations
Louisiana’s notorious Angola State Prison. Folk singer Pete Seeger. The Dry Dock District in Alphabet City. The Library of Congress. Kurt Cobain. http://youtu.be/mcXYz0gtJeM?t=15s Seemingly unrelated, right? Not exactly. They are … Continued
Village Restaurants Still Suffering from Sandy
The eastern- and western-most areas of the Village were among the areas of Manhattan hard hit by Sandy. We recently reported how small business in the neighborhood were stepping up … Continued
A ‘Crazy’ Weekend
This past Saturday the GVSHP Brokers Partnership presented a film screening of Get Crazy (1983) at the Anthology Film Archives. The screening was followed up with a lively panel discussion … Continued
BSA Grants Variances on East 9th Street
In September the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to grant variances to the Mutliple Dwelling Law to allow rooftop additions to be built at 329, 331, 333 & 335 … Continued
Savoring the Holidays with Veniero’s
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now that the holiday season is underway, we wanted to celebrate with a photo of one of our favorite Italian bakeries – Veniero’s … Continued
Post-Sandy Thanksgiving in the Village
Many of us have a lot to be thankful for this year- our safety and that of our friends and family, a roof over our heads, and a hot meal. … Continued
Village businesses step up
It’s easy to see much of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. But one of the biggest impacts from the storm was the loss of income suffered by hourly employees … Continued
Who is King Juan Carlos I of Spain?
Each December GVSHP teams up with students in the Introduction to Public History course in NYU’s Public History and Archives program for a unique event where students present their semester-long … Continued
Help a Village small business post-Hurricane Sandy
After riding out the week of Hurricane Sandy at home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as the Greenwich Village Society office was without power, I was fairly anxious to explore somewhere outside … Continued
75 First Ave.: The Incredible Shrinking Development Plan
We have recently learned that a new building permit application has been filed with the Department of Buildings for 75 First Avenue in the East Village. The permit, just filed … Continued
A Video Legend in the East Village
Today marks the anniversary of the opening of the first Blockbuster store in the country in 1985, in Dallas, Texas. Filled with childhood nostalgia, we couldn’t help but recall the … Continued
Come ‘Get Crazy’ in the East Village!
We hope that you can join us for our upcoming event Reel Rockers: Come ‘Get Crazy’ in the East Village — A Film Screening and Discussion! Presented by GVSHP’s Brokers … Continued
Your East Village Historic District Guide
Last Tuesday, October 9th, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. Stretching between the Bowery and Avenue A, East 2nd Street and St. Mark’s … Continued
Jodie Lane’s Place
When you’ve been living in, working in, and researching the East Village for many years you sometimes start to think you know it all. But then there are moments when … Continued
A Mystery No More
As Curbed and EVGrieve recently pointed out, the renderings for a new building to be constructed on the long-empty lot between 13th and 14th Streets near 3rd Avenue were released … Continued
Board of Standards and Appeals Green Lights Rooftop Additions in East Village
The Board of Standards and Appeals recently decided in favor of developers seeking to build rooftop additions at 329-335 East 9th Street and to allow illegally built additions to remain … Continued
“Flaw Fixed” at a Historic Station
Yesterday’s news headlines were abuzz with the phrase “subway flaw fixed,” in reference to today’s opening of the connection between the Broadway-Lafayette and Bleecker Street stations. As the New York … Continued
Finally, East Village/Lower East Side Historic District Scheduled for Vote
We recently learned that the proposed East Village/Lower East Side Historic District has been scheduled for a vote by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on October 9. Since the district was … Continued