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Tag: Far West Village

Beyond the Village and Back, Severance Edition: Bell Labs Holmdel Complex

In our series Beyond the Village and Back, we take a look at some great landmarks outside of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, celebrate their special histories, and reveal their (sometimes hidden) connections to our neighborhoods. The headquarters of the fictional Lumon Industries, featured in the hit Apple TV show Severance, perfectly captures […]

Historic Hotels of the West Village Waterfront

When Village Preservation submitted its proposal requesting landmark protections for the Far West Village in 2004, we recognized the many building typologies that are prevalent in this historically industrial waterfront area. In particular, our report indicated that the neighborhood “contains an unusually high concentration of certain building types that cannot be found in such abundance […]

Jane Jacobs, the Enduring “Anti-Planner”

Mainstream city planning has known its share of eloquent critics over the years (including, if we may be so bold, yours truly). But perhaps none has been as consequential as Jane Jacobs. Her groundbreaking 1961 treatise Death and Life of Great American Cities announces at the outset its intent to attack current planning and redevelopment […]

    Pier 40’s Murals Illustrate Local History

    Pier 40 was built between 1958 and 1962 for the Holland America Cruise Line, and became the largest passenger and freight terminal in the Port of New York at the time of construction. Jutting into the Hudson River and effectively extending Leroy, Clarkson, Houston, King, and Charlton Streets west into the water, the pier was […]

    Hudson River Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary

    We have gratefully reached that point in September in New York City when the weather is close to flawless, with clear blue skies, moderate temperatures, and a light westerly breeze. A respite from the humidity of August and a welcome reminder that fall approaches, it is also a great time to reflect on one of […]

    Welcome Aboard, Dena Tasse-Winter

    Today we welcome Dena Tasse-Winter as Village Preservation’s Director of Research and Preservation. A native New Yorker, Dena joins us with a background in architectural and landscape history, archival research and writing expertise, and extensive experience within the governmental and cultural non-profit sectors in both New York City and Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Village […]

      Romare Bearden and the Formation of An African American Artistic Identity Downtown

      Groundbreaking artist, intellectual, and activist Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was born in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina. When Bearden was about 3 years old, his parents Bessye Johnson Banks Bearden and Richard Howard Bearden moved the family to Harlem in search of a better life as so many other southern African Americans […]

      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 mural is a giant printing press churning out sheets of paper and books adorned with the portraits of outstanding working class and revolutionary leaders whose […]

      The Irish Immigrant Community of the Far West Village

      In 1991, the U.S. Congress proclaimed March Irish-American Heritage Month.  Today we thought we would look at one part of our neighborhood that housed a large Irish immigrant community which greatly affected its development, the Far West Village. The beginnings of what would become a huge wave of Irish immigration to New York City began […]

      The Birth of The Committee to Save the West Village, Led By Jane Jacobs

      The battle between Village preservation icon Jane Jacobs and Robert “put a highway through every park” Moses is quite storied and well-documented.  But for us, understanding it and preserving its memory — including how decisions were made, tactics used, plans that were formulated and scrapped — has special meaning, and important lessons that should not […]

      POPS goes the Village!

      Privately owned public spaces, or POPS, are public areas adjoining or adjacent to buildings created through incentivized zoning.  What this zoning means is that by providing a public space, developers are given a floor area bonus, allowing them to build a larger building with a greater Floor Area Ratio (FAR) than they would have been […]

      A Decision By the State Was An Important Milestone in Preserving Gansevoort Market

      There were many moments to celebrate along the arc of fighting for the protection of the Gansevoort Historic District, also known as the Meatpacking District. One such milestone took place on July 17, 2002, when the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation determined, in response to an application by GVSHP, that […]

      Jane Jacobs’ NYC: The sites that inspired her work and preservation legacy

      Jane Jacobs’ birthday on May 4 is marked throughout the world as an occasion to celebrate one’s own city — its history, diversity, and continued vitality. “Jane’s Walks” are conducted across the country to encourage average citizens to appreciate and engage the complex and dazzling ecosystems which make up our cityscapes (Here in NYC, MAS is […]

      Westbeth – Adaptive Reuse Trailblazer, Home, Studio, and Community for Over 50 Years

      1968 was a big year for New York City and the world – music, arts, staggering political and social change. And, in the midst of it all, a tan block-square collection of connected buildings known as the Bell Telephone Laboratories was transformed into the Westbeth Center for the Arts.  A key component of that transformation […]

      The High Line is Dismantled and the West Side is Transformed

      There’s no overstating it – we at Village Preservation love our members and friends sharing old mementos and images of our neighborhood. Personal or family pictures taken of one’s surroundings or familiar spots often now become, years later, important historical documents. Case in point:  we’ve just added to our ever-growing Historic Image Archive a mini-collection of […]

      Happy Birthday to Wolf Kahn, who Draws the City like a Landscape

      The renowned painter Wolf Kahn was born on October 4, 1927.  In his oral history with GVSHP, Wolf Kahn brought wit, snark, and great, detailed memories about his time in the Village and the role he played in the art scene there, attending salons, renting half his apartment to Robert De Niro Sr., and spending […]

        The Village’s Twin Peaks: From a quirky ‘Swiss-chalet’ to a landmarks controversy

        Few buildings capture the whimsy, flamboyance, and bohemian spirit of early 20th century Greenwich Village as does the building known as “Twin Peaks” at 102 Bedford Street. Described as a “wonderfully ludicrous mock half-timbered fantasy row-house castle” by architecture critic Paul Goldberger, the present incarnation of the building was born in 1925 as a radical remodeling […]

        Happy Anniversary to Far West Village Landmark Victories!

        On May 2, 2006, two new historic districts were designated in the Far West Village, the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension and the Weehawken Street Historic District, as part of GVSHP’s on-going campaign since 2001 to secure protections for this historically, architecturally and culturally rich area.  The Greenwich Village Historic District Extension was the first-ever […]

        Mourning the Loss of Superior Inks, and Taking Stock of Its Replacement

        For over 85 years, the 195 foot tall smokestacks of the Superior Inks building were a local landmark and beacon for the Far West Village. They were also a vital link to the Greenwich Village waterfront’s maritime/industrial heritage, as in the mid-2000’s they were part of the last operating factory on the Greenwich Village waterfront. Unfortunately, […]

          This Day in Preservation History- October 11, 2005: City Approves Far West Village Rezoning

          In the ten years leading up to 2004, the Far West Village along West Street experienced huge changes. Large, out-of-scale luxury developments were built where only low-rise buildings had been found for generations along the waterfront. In response, GVSHP and other local community groups banded together to push for landmark protections and downzoning of the neighborhood from […]

          Zoning Does Matter: Townhouses, or A Tower?

          ZONING MATTERS: REZONED WEST VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT SITE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HUGE TOWER, NOW MARKETED FOR TOWNHOUSES ~ Hearing Jan. 14 on Univ. Pl./B’way Rezoning Proposal It has recently been reported that the two-story duplex co-op apartments at 8 Charles Lane/151-157 Charles Street are being marketed for sale and redevelopment. What’s so noteworthy, however, is that […]

          Remembering the Original New Yorkers

          In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we thought that we should share a brief history of the original New Yorkers, the Lenape. When the Dutch arrived in New York in 1624, there were approximately 15,000 Lenape Indians living on Manhatta, translated as “the island of many hills.” It was later renamed by the Dutch “Manhattan.” Although […]

          Saving Sacred Spaces

          After a nearly half-century wait, last week the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission finally voted to approve landmark status for the 150-year old religious building located at 334 East 14th Street, now the Tifereth Israel Town & Village Synagogue, and prior to that a German Baptist and a Ukrainian Autocephalic Church. Ironically, the Commission’s decision was followed soon […]

          277 West 10th Street, Then & Now

          Located at the corner of West 10th and Washington Streets, the imposing building at 277 West 10th Street was built between 1894 and 1896 to the designs of Martin V.B. Ferdon. Now residential, it lies within the boundaries of the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension in the Far West Village. No. 277 West 10th Street […]

          Throwback Thursday: 392 West Street

          With the summer breeze , a stop along the Greenwich Village waterfront to reminisce about its past seems in order. The building at 392 West Street (A.K.A. 6 Weehawken Street) is a charming physical reminder of the wooden buildings that once lined this stretch of our neighborhood. For its modest appearance, its history is quite […]

            Lucy Moses Honors

            It was eight years ago today on May 8, 2006 that GVSHP was honored with the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Lucy G. Moses Award for organizational excellence.  We were in great company that night at St. Bartholomew’s Church, including Evelyn and Everett Ottner, the Park Slope preservation pioneers, who received the Preservation Leadership Award, and […]

            A Block of West Street, Then & Now

            In the Far West Village, along the Greenwich Village waterfront, sits a block of West Street between 10th and Charles Streets. Of the buildings on this block,  only 396 and 398 West Street sit within the Weehawken Street Historic District, which the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated in 2006. The Greenwich Village waterfront is one of […]

              Reminder: Waterfront Town Hall Wed. Nov. 13 – 6:30 PM

              We hope you and your neighbors can join us tomorrow evening for an important community meeting about Hudson River Park air rights. The New York State Legislature recently passed a bill allowing the sale of air rights from Hudson River Park piers for development along the waterfront in our neighborhood. Decisions will soon be be […]

              October 11, 2005: City Approves Far West Village Rezoning

              On October 11, 2005, the Far West Village rezoning plan was unanimously approved and adopted. Village Preservation had led the fight for this plan to protect a vulnerable part of the Village. Here’s the story: In early 2004, following our successful efforts to landmark the Meatpacking District, Village Preservation and allied community groups kicked off […]

              LPC Spotlights Women in the Arts

              March is Women’s History Month; the month-long celebration highlights the accomplishments of women in various fields throughout our history. With so much to choose from in New York City alone, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has put together a slideshow of designated landmarks with 19th and 20th century connections to women in the field of […]

              Titanic Connections

              In the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, the 883 foot long, 50 ton, and reputedly unsinkable ocean liner the RMS Titanic sunk on its maiden voyage from England to New York off the coast of Newfoundland, after hitting an iceberg just before midnight the night before. Of the 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, […]

              The Keller Hotel: Then and Now

              We’re coming up on the sixth anniversary of the landmarking of the Keller Hotel at West Street and Barrow Street in the Far West Village. The Keller Hotel (built 1897-98) is one of only three remaining intact former sailors’ hotels on the Greenwich Village waterfront, and as you can see from the before and after […]

              Happy Presidents’ Day

              Can you name the only United States president to be born in New York City? Here’s a hint: he served as the city’s Police Commissioner when the 9th Police Precinct Station House on Charles Street in the Far West Village was constructed in 1896-97.                      

              February Long on New and Old News

              February may be the shortest month, but that does not mean that there is any shortage of important things happening this month on the Village Preservation calendar. Far from it.  Aside from our ongoing roster of programs, as anyone who has been following the battle over NYU’s massive 20 year expansion plan knows, this month […]

              West Village Colossus

              Rising like an ark over Christopher Street, the Archive Building’s construction and multiple uses over a New York century reflect the changing character of the Far West Village waterfront and the city as a whole. Join us as we trace the unique history of this colossus of the West Village.

                A Five Year Milestone for Far West Village Landmarking

                As early as 1963, Jane Jacobs urged that a fledgling NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) protect and designate the Greenwich Village waterfront and the Far West Village neighborhood in which she lived.  However, in 1969, when the LPC did finally designate the Greenwich Village Historic District, it left out the entire Greenwich Village waterfront and […]