Each year, New York City’s 1 million public school students return to school after a long summer break. Few realize that one man is responsible for so profoundly shaping our idea of how a school would look and function, and that some of his best work is located right here in our own community. In […]
On January 6 2015, on Three Kings Day, the East Village community and allies rallied on the steps of City Hall on a cold winter day to urge Mayor de Blasio to return the Old PS 64/CHARAS El Bohio Community Center to community use. That was just one of many, many grassroots actions over many […]
In the second half of the twentieth century, particularly during the city’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, the East Village experienced high rates of crime and drug use, and a number of its buildings were abandoned by private property owners and the city government. During this period, cultural and arts organizations began to repopulate these […]
Few places have made more significant contributions to civil rights and social justice struggles, artistic creativity, and freedom of expression than the East Village. Now more than ever, it’s important to remember and pay tribute to that history and to the lessons learned from it. That is why it is important to take note of […]
Village Preservation collaborated recently on a major project with Google Arts + Culture. We put together tours of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo that highlighted the deep and rich cultural and artistic movements in our neighborhoods, one of them being Latinx History. With Google’s innovative technology and a voice-over by actor John Leguizamo, going through the Latinx tour on the Google […]
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, to a developer, despite opposition from the building’s occupants and the surrounding community. The decision and the building remain mired in controversy to this day. Community groups […]
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 widespread community opposition. Check out the Facebook event page here.
The former Public School 64, which once housed the CHARAS community and cultural center, was designed by master school architect C.B.J. Snyder in the French Renaissance Revival style in 1904-06. And on June 20, 2006 Landmarks Preservation Commission designated it an official New York City landmark, saving it from planned demolition by its developer/owner. .
On this day in 1970, the Landmarks Preservation Commission granted landmark status to the dignified Greek Revival house at 37 East 4th Street. This three and a half story house was built in 1844-45 by Samuel Tredwell Skidmore, a relative of Seabury Tredwell, who lived with his family only a few doors away at 29 East 4thStreet, […]
“Alternative facts” seems to be the buzzword this week, and may become the phrase of the next four years. For better or worse, for those of us involved in the fight for preservation and against overdevelopment, tackling the concept of “alternative facts” — assertions by someone in authority that seems to have no basis in […]
It is autumn time, but a new old garden springs alive again. After many years of community efforts, Carmen’s Community Garden on Avenue C between 7th and 8th Streets will re-open to the public. Many people and groups worked so hard to help make this happen.
School has started and we are eagerly anticipating our fascinating program this Thursday evening organized with The Loisaida Center Inc. at their 710 East 9th Street location near Avenue C. The program is about one of the foremost architects of school buildings from the turn of the last century, and will include presentations about how his work featured in their […]
Today marks the ten year anniversary of the LPC designation of 605 East 9th Street, the former P.S. 64 & Charas-El Bohio Cultural Center. GVSHP fought hard in support of this designation along with many neighborhood partners, which saved the property from imminent destruction. As part of an all too common story, the owners of the […]
When you’ve been involved in a struggle since last century – 16 long years – you don’t let an opportunity to celebrate pass by. Some 200 East Villagers, elected officials and others did just that yesterday, on a sunny street in front of a dilapidated building. The building – a grand public school opened in […]
Oh, if only Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s administration hadn’t auctioned off P.S. 64 to a private buyer back in the sultry days of July, 1998, a whole decade and a half ago. The community center called CHARAS/El Bohio that improved and inhabited the historic 1906 schoolhouse would not have gone homeless for 12 years (after finally […]
We hope you can join us for our upcoming lecture on Charles B. J. Snyder on Tuesday, September 4th (RSVP information). An architect and Superintendent of School Buildings from the city’s consolidation in 1898 until 1923, Snyder was the guiding force behind the planning and construction of more than 140 elementary schools, ten junior high […]
