(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.
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Category: Neighborhood
Edward LaGrassa’s Photos of Cast Iron Architecture of SoHo, Tribeca, and Beyond from 1960s Added to Historic Image Archive
Edward LaGrassa was an architecture student in 1969 when he took these photos of cast iron buildings and structures, largely in SoHo and Tribeca, as well as in Harlem and … 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
Delving into the Past & Future of the Greenwich Village Historic District
The Greenwich Village Historic District, which was designated (landmarked) on April 29, 1969, holds some of the loveliest bits of Greenwich Village within its bounds — from Washington Square to … Continued
#SouthofUnionSquare: Home to (even more) Trailblazing Artists, Dancers, Labor Leaders, and Birth Control Advocates
Our interactive tool “Virtual Village” brings users on unique and unexpected journeys.
Back from the Edge: the Preservation Success Story at 43 MacDougal Street
43 MacDougal Street, a landmarked 1846 Greek Revival townhouse, sat vacant for decades in the 1990s and 2000s, a thorn in the side of the neighborhood and Village Preservation. Years … Continued
A Move To Allow New York City To Save Its Landmarks
On April 6, 1965, the New York City Council approved the bill granting the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission the power to designate and preserve New York City’s landmarks. … Continued
“Amended,” a Podcast Going Deeper on Women’s History
There are many important takeaways from Village Preservation’s 19th Amendment Centennial StoryMap; there are a remarkable number of people and places in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo who … 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
Spaceship Earth: Buckminster Fuller & CHARAS
In 2018 as part of a collaborative project with Loisaida Inc. and La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez, Matthew Mottel built two geodesic domes at La Plaza and in the … 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.
City’s SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan Would Make Neighborhoods Less Affordable, Wealthier, and Less Diverse
The newly-released study by Village Preservation shows that the City’s SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan, which includes part of Chinatown, will make the area richer, whiter, and more expensive to live in than … Continued
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
When the Village was Red: Celebrating the Legacy of the Paris Commune in our Neighborhoods
On March 18, 1871, the Paris Commune began — a three-month-long worker-led insurrection in Paris and experiment in self-governance. On that day, workers, anarchists, communists, and artisans took over the city, and began to re-organize it according … Continued
Irish American Heritage Permeates #SouthOfUnionSquare
Irish American figures defined the blocks where Greenwich Village meets the East Village.
More Historic Images: The Pryor Dodge Collection
It just never stops growing…Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive, that is. The latest addition is the Pryor Dodge Collection, a collection taken between 1966 and 1967. They provide a wonderful … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: Cushman Row, 408-418 West 20th Street
Along with the houses on Washington Square North, Chelsea’s ‘Cushman Row’ at 408-418 West 20th Street is frequently noted as the finest row of Greek Revival residences in New York City.
City’s SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan Includes Part of Chinatown, and Hundreds of Rent Regulated Units Could Be Lost
The newly-released study by Village Preservation shows that the City’s SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan, which includes part of Chinatown, will make the area richer, whiter, and more expensive to live in than … Continued
Fighting the City’s SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan – By The Numbers
A newly-released study by Village Preservation shows that the City’s SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan will make both of these neighborhoods richer, whiter, and more expensive to live in than they are now, … Continued
Pioneers Converge on MacDougal Street: Dr. Robert Hogan, Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, and Sarah Smith Garnet
175 MacDougal Street holds far more history than is visible upon first glance.
Recording Pioneer Rob Mason’s Life on 12th Street
For more than a quarter century, Rob Mason (the subject of a recent Village Preservation Oral History) operated RPM Studios from his live/work loft at 12 East 12th Street, south of … Continued
Small Business, Big History: Celebrating and Advocating
We continue to advocate for small businesses and to add new local independent businesses to our “Small Business/Big History” signage program, in which we are partnering with great local businesses to … Continued
New Image Collections Shows Interiors of One of Our Most Intriguing Houses, and the Village in the 1960s
We’re proud to share the latest additions to our historic image archive, both donated by photographer Pryor Dodge. The first shows the stunning interiors of 52 West 9th Street, the home and … Continued
Women of the Mimeo Revolution: Diane DiPrima & Anne Waldman
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating, honoring, and advocating for the important contributions of women in our neighborhoods. And today we’re highlighting the innovative work of women poets … Continued
A Village Song: “Bazooka Joe Don’t Live There Anymore”
The singer-songwriter Gone Marshall recently celebrated a bit of vintage Greenwich Village which might be familiar to you, over on the corner of MacDougal and Houston Street. If you’re thinking fondly … Continued
Setting Women Up for Success: Lydia Fowler Wadleigh
The Police Athletic League Building at 34 1/2 East 12th Street between University Place and Broadway was built in 1855 for the New York City Board of Education, and designated … Continued
Groundbreaking Artist and Educator Selma Hortense Burke’s Home at 88 East 10th Street
Selma Hortense Burke lived and worked at 88 East 10th Street from 1944 until at least 1949.
Women’s History Month: Celebrate, Honor, Preserve Women’s History
March is Women’s History Month, and we’re celebrating, honoring, and advocating, and you can too!
Levi Strauss, From Immigrant Peddler to International Icon
In the mid-19th century, Levi Strauss was responsible for bringing one of the world’s most durable clothing items to market: denim blue jeans. Levi Strauss would become a household name … Continued
The Legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois Reverberates Throughout Our Neighborhoods
In 1909, the activist, scholar, educator, writer, editor W.E.B. Du Bois co-founded the NAACP.
Jackie Curtis: East Village Superstar, “Pioneer without a Frontier”
“I am not a boy, not a girl, I am not gay, not straight, I am not a drag queen, not a transsexual – I am just me, Jackie.” This … Continued
Director Miloš Forman’s Life Takes Us from West to East Village, and Back Again
As a young filmmaker and a new New Yorker, the legendary filmmaker Miloš Forman lived in an apartment on Leroy Street in Greenwich Village.
The Birth of the NAACP, and Their Deep Roots in Greenwich Village
For over 100 years, the NAACP has been fighting to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons, and to eliminate race-based discrimination. Though their … Continued
“Save The Village” Face Masks — Support Your Health, Your Community, and Preservation
Now for sale on our website — Village Preservation’s “Save The Village” face coverings, featuring this iconic 1960 image by Fred W. McDarrah of the demolition of a Greenwich Village artist’s studio … 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.
Elizabeth Blackwell’s 200th: The Doctors Blackwell and Their Legacies
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree, which she put to great use when she opened in NoHo the first infirmary run … Continued
Igal Roodenko: Printer and Civil Rights Trailblazer #SouthOfUnionSquare
The anti-war and civil rights activist Igal Roodenko was a leader in a number of the most significant social movements of the twentieth century.
The Village Presbyterian Church Helps Gives Birth to an Off-Broadway Spanish Revolution
Our neighborhoods are filled with incredibly rich stories, each door and window a portal into the hidden history of New York City. It is always a surprise to find that, … Continued
Michael E. Levine Oral History: How the Greenwich Village Historic District, SoHo, and Stonewall Happened
Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant … Continued
#SouthofUnionSquare — The Social Reform Club at 45 University Place
In 1900, the Social Reform Club hosted a lecture by labor leader Edward King.
David Bowie, A Fellow Villager
Born David Robert Jones on January 8th, 1947, the cultural and rock icon David Bowie navigated his way through music, theater, and film like a chameleon. Known for his outlandish … Continued
Butterfly McQueen’s Groundbreaking Performances in the Village and Beyond
Butterfly McQueen — it’s an unusual name, but in many ways perfect for the woman to whom it is attached, as it evokes both flight and royalty. Born in Florida, … Continued
“The Prince of Greenwich Village,” Max Eastman
Around 1907, after recovering from a chronic backache, the 24 year old Max Eastman moved to New York City.
Tea & Sympathy, 108 Greenwich Avenue
If you’ve ever wondered what in the world treacle pudding is, or how one would properly consume marmite, Tea & Sympathy, the British outpost loved by Sarah Jessica Parker, Dame … Continued
Georges Clemenceau, the Dreyfus Affair, and the fight against Anti-Semitism
On December 22, 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian and Jewish descent, was court-martialed, convicted of treason, and sentenced to life in prison at the … Continued
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
2020 Village Preservation Public Programs Roundup
Despite all the challenges of the year, Village Preservation proudly hosted 76 programs (most of which were virtual), reaching over 9,000 people in 2020. How does one choose favorites? It’s … Continued
Small Business Roundtable: Support, Protect, and Shop!
Small businesses have been on everyone’s mind, and it’s no secret that Village Preservation is working hard to support our local small businesses — from our Small Business/Big History campaign, … Continued
Celebrating Our 40th Anniversary – A Strong Start
Village Preservation is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, and in honor of this momentous milestone, we have created an interactive storymap that charts the historic journey of our organization. … Continued
Community Alternative Rezoning Plan For SoHo And NoHo — Public Hearings 12/3 And 12/8
Village Preservation and ten other local community organizations representing thousands of residents have released a community alternative rezoning plan for SoHo and NoHo. The Mayor’s plan would allow new development … Continued
Following Backlash, City Drops Plan for Hotel Special Permit Requirement South of Union Square – Push for Real Protections
Following a huge backlash from neighborhood residents, the City has withdrawn its much criticized rezoning plan to require special permits for new hotels in the area of Greenwich Village and … Continued
Angel Hair Press: “A Rush of Poetic Chutzpah” in the East Village
The poets and New York natives Anne Waldman and Lewis Warsh met at the Berkeley Poetry Conference in 1965, while absorbing the Zen-influenced poems of San Francisco-based writer Robert Duncan. … Continued
#SouthofUnionSquare — Dance Tour
Our new interactive tool “Virtual Village” brings users on a multitude of virtual explorations.
The New-York Historical Society Finds Its First Home in the East Village
In 1804, New York City had already celebrated 190 years since its founding. Comparatively, the United States was only 28 years young. In order to honor the already rich history … Continued
La MaMa’s Archive of Experimental Theater
For more than half a century, La MaMa E.T.C. has brought amazing off-off-Broadway theater to the East Village. 74 East Fourth Street, designated a New York City landmark on November … Continued
#SouthofUnionSquare — Home of a Counterculture Icon, An American Psycho, and A Chocolate Empire
Our new interactive tool “Virtual Village” brings users on unique and unexpected journeys.
New York School Painter Janice Biala’s “Pendulating Spirit”
Beginning in 1948, the artists William Baziotes, David Hare, Robert Motherwell, and Mark Rothko held a public lecture series entitled Subjects of the Artist. Regularly attracting a crowd of around … 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
Beyond the Village and Back: The Brotherhood Synagogue, 28 Gramercy Park South
For more than 70 years, The Brotherhood Synagogue, located at 28 Gramercy Park South, has sought to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of its members in a welcoming, progressive community, while working to make religious brotherhood a living reality.
Lenny Bruce Convicted of Obscenity After Greenwich Village Gig
Lenny Bruce pushed buttons. A regular at the clubs in the Village, he was also, arguably, one of the leaders of the counterculture movement in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, … Continued
Margaret Woodrow Wilson: First Lady, Suffragist, and Village Socialite
A remarkable number of people and places in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo played important roles in the move towards women’s suffrage. These neighborhoods were long centers of … Continued
#SouthOfUnionSquare Tour — Libraries and The Formation of the NYPL
In 1754, there was no library in New York. Can you believe it? Today we are taking a wonderful journey through our neighborhoods to trace the beginnings of the New … Continued
Revolutionaries on East Second Street: The STAR House
The East Village is home to a dynamic group of historic LGBT+ sites — overshadowed as they may be by the many such landmarks of the West Village, including Stonewall. … Continued
An East Village Story — From German Church, to Synagogue, to Landmark
On October 28, 2014, the structure at 334 E. 14th Street that architectural historian Francis Morrone calls “one of the most important buildings in the East Village” was designated a New … Continued
Village Preservation and a Dozen Groups Issue SoHo NoHo Community Alternative Rezoning Plan
De Blasio’s Just-Released SoHo/NoHo PlanWould Change the Face of Historic NeighborhoodsWith Massive UpzoningPlan Has Devastating Implications forNeighborhoods and Historic DistrictsAcross the City Late yesterday the de Blasio administration released details … Continued
#SouthOfUnionSquare Tour — Pop Culture
Village Preservation just released an incredible new tool, our #SouthOfUnionSquare “Virtual Village” site, which is an interactive map highlighting the architecture and histories of the area South of Union Square. … Continued
Oral Histories of the “Virtual Village” — South of Union Square
Village Preservation is thrilled to share “Virtual Village”: a new online interactive tool.
Greenwich Village’s Oldest Church — Originally “in the field”
On October 22, 1820, a group of Greenwich Village residents gathered at the home of Catherine Ritter.
First SoHo-NoHo Upzoning+Rezoning Public Meeting Next Monday, October 26, 6-8pm Sign Up To Speak TODAY!
The first public meeting on the city’s proposal to rezone and upzone SoHo and NoHo will be next Monday from 6-8 pm. This will be the first time further details … Continued
Translation and Transformation: Carl Jung, Beatrice Hinkle, and Greenwich Village Bohemia
Carl Jung (1875-1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist whose ideas about the human unconscious had a profound effect on literature, art, and philosophy. While he was a longtime corresponder and collaborator … Continued
Horror Takes The Village! The Movies and Monsters That Roam The Streets of Our Neighborhoods
Some of the most iconic films in history have used New York City as its backdrop. Sweeping dramas, gut-busting comedies, and action/adventure movies have swung through the streets dozens of … Continued
Victory!: 3 St. Marks Place Air Rights Transfer Defeated
We are thrilled to report that today the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee voted down the application by a developer seeking to transfer air rights from the landmarked house at 4 … 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.
Plan To Upzone and Rezone SoHo and NoHo Announced
Details Are Scarce, But Indications Raise Big Concerns and Conflicts of Interest; Local Elected Officials, Citywide Candidates, and Real Estate Interests Back Move In a surprise move this Wednesday, Mayor de Blasio … Continued
400 Years of Hispanic History in Our Neighborhoods
Over 2.4 million New Yorkers, or nearly one-third of its population, identify as Hispanic or Latino, including myself. National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) is one of many occasions … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: The Aguilar Free Circulating Library
The impressive Aguilar Branch of the New York Public Library, originally known as the Aguilar Free Circulating Library, stands at 110th Street in East Harlem, between Lexington and Third Avenues.
49-51 Fifth Avenue: Trailblazing History Behind a Genteel Facade
One of my favorite things about our neighborhoods is the history that is under our feet and to our side and yet unknown. Case in point is 49-51 Fifth Avenue. … Continued
Jesús Colón Writes and Fights for Puerto Rican New Yorkers
The progressive mutual-benefit organization the International Workers Order (IWO) was located at 80 Fifth Avenue.
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer Comes Out In Support of SoHo/NoHo Upzoning, Saying They’re “Critical” In Neighborhoods Like SoHo
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer has recently weighed into the debate about upzoning SoHo and NoHo, expressing his unequivocal support for a change which would allow larger development in these neighborhoods, where current rules … Continued
New Map Shows Most Buildings in NYC ca. 1940
It’s no secret that we are big fans of the New York City Municipal Archives digital collection of all 720,000 of its tax photos of most building in New York … Continued
The Pathfinder Mural: Public Political Art in the Far West Village
“The pathfinder mural is a historic political and artistic landmark now nearing completion on a six-story wall of Pathfinder publishing house in New York’s Greenwich Village. The centerpiece of the … Continued
Veniero’s: An East Village Cornerstone Since 1894
On September 23, 1894, one of the East Village’s longest-running businesses, Veniero’s Pasticceria, opened its doors. This venerable local institution has been serving confections, cakes, and pastries to New Yorkers … Continued
Hearing for St. Marks Office Tower Air Rights Transfer This Thursday
The final public hearing on the application to allow an air rights transfer to increase the allowable size of a planned office tower at 3 St. Mark’s Place (3rd Avenue) by 20% … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: The ‘Marble Palace’ A.T. Stewart Store at 280 Broadway
The A.T. Stewart Store, now better known as the Sun Building, was built in 1845-46 by New York architects Joseph Trench and John B. Snook for the prosperous and pioneering merchant Alexander Turney Stewart (October 12, 1803 – April 10, 1876). This magnificent Italian Renaissance “Marble Palace” at 280 Broadway, designated an NYC individual landmark on October 7, 1986, is one of Manhattan’s most significant 19th century structures.
Beyond the Village and Back: Bowne House in Flushing, Queens — Birthplace of Religious Freedom in America
One of New York’s most historic but least known landmarks is the Bowne House, built ca. 1661 at 37-01 Bowne Street in Flushing, Queens. The two-and-a-half story wood house is the oldest building in the Borough of Queens and one of the oldest in New York City.
Is NYC Government Still Trump’s Apprentice?
The Trump SoHo was approved for construction by the City on May 8, 2007, over the objections of dozens of elected officials and a broad coalition of community and business … Continued
A Tour of Jewish Historic Sites South of Union Square
The area south of Union Square is the center of an amazing and dynamic collection of histories.
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.
Cemeteries of Greenwich Village, Part II
Archeologist Elizabeth D. Meade, PhD has created an amazing map of the hundreds of cemeteries and burial grounds, past and present, in NYC. Over 35 such sites can be found … Continued
There’s a Buzz About Urban Beekeeping
We at Village Preservation keep tabs on all different types of preservation, including environmental sustainability. So we’ve been really interested to learn about the expanding opportunities in our neighborhoods for … Continued
The Modern Roller Skate, and Men Fighting for Women’s Suffrage — Introduced at the Same East Village Locale
The East Village is renowned as a place of great cultural innovation over the years. But two of the least well-known great leaps forward with roots in the neighborhood — … Continued
Why Isn’t This Landmarked?: 112 Fourth Avenue
The five story Italianate style cast-iron loft building at 112 Fourth Avenue was constructed in 1872.
Rose Schneiderman: Making History at the Intersection of Labor and Women’s Suffrage
A remarkable number of people and places in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo played important roles in the move towards women’s suffrage. These neighborhoods were long centers of … Continued
Explore Our 19th Amendment Centennial StoryMap
August 18th is the hundredth anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited discrimination in voting in the United States based upon sex. It was the culmination of … Continued
Preserving, Adapting, Reusing: Good for Buildings, Good for Clothing, Good for Small Business
We here at Village Preservation are in the business (so to speak) of trying to help ensure historic buildings are preserved and, when necessary, adapted and reused rather than destroyed. … Continued
Mabel Ping-Hua Lee and the Fight for Chinese American and Women’s Rights
On May 4, 1912, ten thousand people marched for women’s suffrage along Fifth Avenue.
The First Global Economic Crisis, and An Easily-Overlooked Greenwich Village House
Today, global economic crises are all too familiar and common. A bad day on Wall Street, or a troubling decision by China or the European Union, can send markets tumbling … Continued