Co-Named Streets Commemorate Local Heroes, Part III
Co-named streets abound in our communities. Today we look at more local honorees: Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer, Dave Van Ronk, and Ellen Stewart.
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Tag: Dave Van Ronk
Talkin’ Greenwich Village: Folk Music’s Legacy in the Village
The 1960s was an era defined by political unrest, civil rights protests, and the re-popularization of American folk music. Author David Browne’s book, Talkin’ Greenwich Village: The Heady Rise and Slow Fall of America’s Bohemian Music explores the significance of Greenwich Village as an epicenter for folk and other countercultural movements in the mid-20th century, […]
The Folk Music Revival Scene: A South Village Tour
December is South Village Month – join us in celebrating this vibrant neighborhood all month long! The South Village in the 50s and 60s was a hotbed of creativity and activism. Where the West Village might be known as the heart of the neighborhood, the area south could be called its soul. Sullivan Street, Thompson Street, MacDougal […]
Dave Van Ronk: Ally at the Stonewall Uprising
Dave Van Ronk has been called a “folk singer’s folk singer.” He personified the image of the Greenwich Village artist and musician as the “local” who didn’t forsake his roots for fame and fortune. He was alternately dubbed both “the Mayor of Greenwich Village” and “the Mayor of MacDougal Street,” and stood as a symbol […]
Caffe Reggio: A Village Respite Since 1927
You will be hard pressed to find an establishment in New York City that has survived for as long as 92 years! Well my friends, Caffe Reggio has earned that distinction. Located at 119 MacDougal Street and celebrating its birthday on August 29th, Caffe Reggio opened in 1927 and is one of this writer’s favorite […]
Bob Dylan’s South Village
Bob Dylan in Sheridan Square The South Village has many reasons to be celebrated these days. Of course, the (hopefully) impending designation of the Sullivan Thompson Historic District is a big story for GVSHP. Our 13-year quest to protect all of the areas of the South Village is finally coming to fruition with the potential […]
Rulers and Royalty of the Village
Gone but not forgotten, below is a list of just some of the individuals who have carried honorary titles in connection to the Village. Each one was influential in the arts or in advocating for the unique character of the neighborhood. Their legacies will forever remain testaments to how they shaped the Village, and how the Village […]
Happy Birthday, Dave Van Ronk!
On this day in 1936, David Kenneth Ritz “Dave” Van Ronk was born. Van Ronk was a highly influential figure in the American folk music revival and Greenwich Village music scene of the 1960’s. He even earned the nickname the “Mayor of MacDougal Street”.
Village People: Dave Van Ronk
(This post is part of a series called Village People: A Who’s Who of Greenwich Village, which will explore some of this intern’s favorite Village people and stories.) Dave Van Ronk came to the Village in the 1950s, after twice shipping out with the Merchant Marine. He lived at 15 Sheridan Square, a section of […]
Folk Music in Greenwich Village: 1953-1961
On Sunday 9 April 1961, Washington Square Park was full of folk musicians and their friends. The park had become a gathering place for them starting in the 1940s, when the likes of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie began singing and socializing there. A permit was required at this time, but was considered a formality […]
Folk Music in Greenwich Village: 1961-1970
The exact date is impossible to confirm. But it is widely accepted that Bob Dylan arrived in New York City on 24 January 1961, in the midst of the coldest winter New York had seen in 28 years. He’d dropped out of the University of Minnesota, and spent the last twenty-four hours driving east with […]
Village People: Paul Clayton
(This post is part of a series called Village People: A Who’s Who of Greenwich Village, which will explore some of this intern’s favorite Village people and stories.) Paul Clayton was a mentor and friend to Dave Van Ronk, a friend to Liam Clancy, and later a mentor to Bob Dylan. (It is said that […]
(Street) Signs of the Times
If you haven’t already read it, the Times reported last week on the recent completion of a catalog of New York City’s ‘honorific’ street names designated since 1998. These honorific names are noted with a sign that appears in tandem with a street’s original name and can be seen all around the city. The honorific […]
Upstairs/Downstairs: A Night Out on MacDougal Street
We’ve been focusing a lot lately here at Off the Grid on the newly designated South Village Historic District and the designation report that allows us to learn much about the architecture and history of the district. The designation report is a powerful tool, so we thought we would share one of the ways we […]
Village Pleasures for a Long Winter’s Eve
The holidays are behind us, and a stretch of short days and long nights lies ahead. Whether you have items to exchange for something you really want, or simply find yourself seeking entertainment to while the winter away, we can offer a few media suggestions for the armchair urbanist. The year now past included notable […]