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Tag: gay street
William Kunstler: Armchair Liberal Turned Radical Lawyer
William Moses Kunstler (July 7, 1919 – September 4, 1995) was a giant in the legal profession most well-known for his groundbreaking civil rights and social justice work. While a highly controversial figure throughout his career, his work continues to inspire movements in the ongoing fights for human rights and social justice, legacies that run […]
The Supposed Streets of Little Africa
Beginning in the late 18th century, the area more or less defined by today’s Bleecker, Mercer, Thompson, Sullivan, MacDougal, and Carmine Streets started to grow as a free Black community in New York City. Institutions were formed — the Abyssinian Baptist Church moved to 166 Waverly Place in 1864 and stayed there for four decades; […]
Bertram Goodman’s Views of the Village
We love historic photos of our neighborhoods, many of which appear in our vast historic image archive. A subset of that archive includes artists’ renderings and interpretations. One Village artist whose work we’ve often admired, Bertram Goodman, created a number of works showing Greenwich Village in the mid-20th century with a particularly special quality. Bertram […]
Our Epic Greenwich Village and East Village Watch-List
It’s time to dive into our beloved neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo as they’re seen through the movie camera lens. Presented in no apparent order, this list is full of Village locations, Villagers behind and in front of the camera, romance, action, drama, intrigue, and all the things to keep us […]
The Origins of Greenwich Village Historic District Street Names: Part 1
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. The streets, parks, and squares of the Greenwich Village Historic District are named for a unique collection of historical figures. In honor of the […]
Eight Years Off the Grid
GVSHP launched our blog Off the Grid on February 25, 2011, to share news, research, viewpoints, and historic information about our neighborhoods and beyond. Since then, we have written over 2,000 blog posts (wow!). In honor of our 8th Anniversary, we wanted to look back at our most popular blog post of each year:
The 10 most charming spots in the Greenwich Village Historic District
The Greenwich Village Historic District literally oozes with charm; so much so, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a top-10 list. But with no insult to sites not included, here is one run at the 10 most charming sites you’ll find in this extraordinarily quaint historic quarter–from good-old classics like the famous stretch of brick […]
What’s in a name? Gay Street
Gay Street is one of the most charming and picturesque streets in Greenwich Village, an icon of the historic neighborhood’s anachronistic character. But the origins of its name are hotly debated, with the LGBT rights movement and abolitionism often cited as the source of its unusual nomenclature. And while the street certainly has strong connections to […]
King’s Assassination Began Fifteen Year Quest for a National Holiday
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Witnesses point towards the fleeing gunman moments after King was shot. This ended the life of one of the 20th century’s most revered and influential figures. It also began a fifteen year […]
Black History Month in the Village: African-American & LGBT Historic Sites
February is Black History Month. We here at GVSHP are celebrating it by highlighting different sites of significance to the African-American community within our neighborhoods. We’re focusing on sites found on our new Civil Rights & Social Justice Map, discussing their connections to African-American History and the Civil Rights Movement.
In Old Greenwich Village
I recently came across a book printed in 1894 by Thomas A. Janvier entitled In Old New York. The section on Greenwich Village contained a treasure trove of illustrations, some of which could be compared to views of today. However, before I get to the images, here is how the author described the Village and its […]
It Happened Here: 80’s Music Videos, Part Deux
It’s been over four years since the original It Happened Here: 80’s Music Videos graced the pages of Off The Grid. But like all good sequels, this one hopes to be worth the wait. These last dog days of summer often make one think of their misspent youth; and what better way to see how much […]
June is Gay Pride Month
This year’s Gay Pride Month certainly got off to an auspicious start with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission finally agreeing to consider the Stonewall Inn for individual landmark designation — a proposal GVSHP has been spearheading for the last year and a half — which would make it New York City’s first LGBT […]
King’s Assassination Began Fifteen Year Quest for a National Holiday
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. This ended the life of one of the 20th century’s most revered and influential figures. It also began a fifteen year campaign to make Dr. King’s Birthday a national holiday — the […]
Is Gay Street really ‘gay’?
It’s one of the quaintest and most intriguing streets in the West Village. It’s located just a block from the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. And as Off the Grid favorite Jerry Seinfeld would say, it’s thin, clean, and neat. So in honor of Thursday’s National Coming Out Day, Off […]