Edna St. Vincent Millay
As a young girl born and raised on the rugged coast of Rockland, Maine, few could have guessed Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was … Continued
As a young girl born and raised on the rugged coast of Rockland, Maine, few could have guessed Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was … Continued
Martha Graham’s (1894-1991) remarkable career as a dancer and choreographer spanned more than 70 years. During her lifetime, she saw contemporary dance evolve from a new art form to a … Continued
An architect of fantastic lands and sprightly stories, Maurice Sendak was a renowned children’s book author and illustrator whose work has stirred the souls of millions. Sendak lived and worked … Continued
The striking 12-story Beaux Arts style office building at 70 Fifth Avenue was constructed in 1912 for publisher George Plimpton. It housed an extraordinary array of civil rights and social … Continued
At Village Preserevation our tours, lectures, book talks, exhibitions, and other public programs explore and celebrate preservation, history and culture. Beyond sharing vital information from the past and present about Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, our programs bring together community members from various walks of life to connect and learn from one another. Whether it is participants sharing their favorite memories of concerts at Filmore East on our East Village Rock Tour or gathering at a local school to learn about historical figures who helped shape our community, like Sarah Curry who founded the Little Missionary Day School, our programs provide the vital service of connecting you with your community and its history.
Village Preservation is pleased to announce the 2nd year of VILLAGE VOICES, an outdoor public art exhibition produced by Village Preservation that celebrates and illuminates the artistic, social, political, and cultural … Continued
Village Preservation began offering an East Village Rock Tour in July, and it has been met with great enthusiasm and large groups gathering to learn more about the history of Rock ‘n Roll in the East Village.
“For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other … Continued
Lewis Miller is a floral designer by day. But by night, he’s known as “the Banksy of Floral Design.” Perhaps you have happened upon one of these striking floral creations … Continued
New York City’s trees shade us in the summer, beautify our neighborhoods, help reduce noise, clean our air, counteract heat islands, absorb rainwater, and support important urban wildlife, among an … Continued
When spring arrives, our wonderful neighborhoods are alive with activity. Many more people are out and about, enjoying the unique beauty of our slice of the big city, where you can … Continued
Did you know that National Farm to City Week begins the Thursday before Thanksgiving? This special week celebrates and recognizes the beneficial partnerships between rural and urban communities that make … Continued
Have you ever seen these little boxes when you’re out on a stroll around the neighborhood? Noticed that they were full of fabulous books, magazines, and information? These birdhouse-shaped depositories … Continued
Christopher Park has been a community gathering place and green oasis in the urban landscape of Greenwich Village for 180 years. In recent decades it has also become a hub … Continued
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
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
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
Christopher Park has come a long way; beginning its life as a condemned parcel of land on April 5, 1837, the park was born, transformed, and eventually born again as … Continued
By Matt
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
On January 16, 2004, Jodie Lane was walking her dogs in the East Village, where they began to act erratically around the corner of 11th Street and 1st Avenue (about … Continued
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
New York City Trolley or Streetcar service ended in New York City on April 6th, 1957 on Welfare (now Roosevelt) Island. But it began one hundred twenty five years earlier … Continued
On this day in 1837, the City condemned a parcel of land between Christopher, Grove, and West 4th Streets, which eventually became Christopher Park.
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
On this date in 2011, the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), presented a “Resource Evaluation” that agreed with the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s earlier finding that the complex known … Continued
Ever since the Stonewall designation back in June, the push for designating LGBT sites around New York City and Greenwich Village has been met with more energy and enthusiasm. One … Continued
Chess tables have been a staple of New York City public parks for decades. While the first ones appeared in parks during the 1940s, the popularity of “street chess” as … Continued
That’s the name of Tim McDarrah’s new walking tours. The tours are based on the photographs his late father, Village Voice photojournalist Fred W. McDarrah, took of people and places … Continued
Last week the design team behind the AIDS Memorial in St. Vincent’s Park presented some design changes at a public meeting held at the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Off the … Continued
The weekend blizzard, dubbed Nemo by some media outlets, dropped 11.4 inches of snow as recorded in Central Park, a lot less than the historic blizzard of 1888, which dumped … Continued
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
Monday, October 8, is Columbus Day, a day of recognition of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World 520 years ago as well as a day to celebrate … Continued
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
This week, the Fourth of July holiday has us here at Off the Grid thinking about the connections the Village has to the Revolutionary War. While the Village remained a … Continued
A little over two months ago, Off the Grid covered a meeting regarding the proposed AIDS Memorial in the triangle park next to the former St. Vincent’s Hospital. The proposal, … Continued