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Tag: High Line

Image Archive Collection: The High Line in 1979 — Noah Greenberg’s “Manhattan Promenade” Proposal

We recently added a new collection to our historic image archive, Noah Greenberg’s “Manhattan Promenade” Proposal. This collection dates from 1979, and includes shots of what we now know as the High Line, at a unique moment in its history. Scroll down to see a sample of the collection, or click here to see all […]

‘Manhattan Promenade’: The Plan for Adaptive Reuse of the High Line ca. 1979, and Other New Historic Images

We’re proud to share with the public new historic images and materials from a 1979 proposal by Greenwich Village architect Noah Greenberg to turn the abandoned West Side Elevated Rail Line that ran through his neighborhood into a “park in the sky” called “Manhattan Promenade.” While the proposal was well received at the time, it of course never came […]

    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 […]

    New Historic Images- Astor Place, 10th Street, Village Community School, and more.

    GVSHP just added 29 new historic images to our archive taken from current public applications to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for significant changes to landmarked buildings in our neighborhoods. Historic photos are typically included in applications to provide explanation or context for proposed changes in historic districts or to individually landmarked structures, and GVSHP […]

    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 Personal or family pictures taken of one’s surroundings or familiar spots often now become, years later, important historical documents.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 […]

    The Tree of Heaven in Washington Square

    I recently read the novella Washington Square for the first time, eager to see how this 1880 work by Henry James might paint the Square of olden days. Although the story was absorbing – centering on the relationship between a successful physician and the grown daughter who disappoints him – it didn’t provide quite as […]

    Program Recap: The Origins of Little Spain and The Whitney Museum

    GVSHP presents free public programs all year long, at various venues throughout the East Village, West Village and everywhere in between. Our past two programs were particularly amazing, and got an especially enthusiastic reception from program participants. On Wednesday, May 20th we visited the Spanish Benevolent Society (founded in 1868) on West 14th Street near 8th […]

    High Line, Part 3

    Congratulations to our friends at The High Line! The third and final section of the park will open to the public this Sunday, September 21st. GVSHP has a special kinship with The High Line. I mean that is what historic preservation is all about! GVSHP was one of the earliest endorsers of the plan to […]

    Old Buildings, New Forms: Creative adaptive re-use in the built environment

    On Tuesday evening, Village Preservation presented a program with architect, preservationist, and author Françoise Bollack about her new book, Old Buildings, New Forms: New Directions in Architectural Transformations, published by the Monicelli Press. It was a wonderful presentation, with images from her book of places all over the world where old buildings were saved instead […]

    It Happened Here: 80’s Music Videos

    We here at GVSHP spend a great deal of time pouring over archival records and buildings department files to document the history of our neighborhoods — when buildings went up, when they came down, how they once looked, how they changed, etc. (click HERE to learn more). However, a less dusty (and frankly more fun) […]