Tom Fox’s photos from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s reveal a time when the Lower West Side waterfront was in a state of neglect, and then, as detailed in his book, “Creating the Hudson River Park,” how it was transformed into the public park we know today. In the 1970s and 80s, Manhattan’s Hudson River […]
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 […]
The West Side Elevated Highway had been a dark presence looming over the edge of the Meatpacking District and other Hudson River Manhattan neighborhoods for several decades in the mid-20th century. Construction on the full route lasted from 1929 to 1951 as it snaked its way from West 72nd Street to Battery Place along 12th […]
On July 18, 2013, Village Preservation publicly signaled the alarm over legislation passed in Albany with little community input but with massive potential impact for the West Village and communities on the west side of Manhattan. That legislation would have allowed the transfer of as much as approximately 1.6 million sq ft of unused air […]
Village Preservation has been, and continues to be, the guardian of many different archives. Still, our repository continues growing, and our newest online resource, the Preservation History Archive, is somewhat distinct from all the rest. Instead of relaying the broad history of our neighborhood, the Preservation History Archive holds original documents on the history of […]
You can buy bottled water. You can buy plots of land. And in New York (and some other places), you can buy air rights. But what are “air rights?” An increasingly common component of development across NYC, “air rights” are a type of development right in real estate. The owner of a building sometimes has the right to use and develop […]
For weeks now we’ve all been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing of New York City’s landmarks law, which actually took place on April 19, 1965. As we approach this momentous occasion, we thought we’d take a look at some items on our current preservation agenda, and the many challenges we face today.
Today you may be shaking your head over the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s shocking plan to de-calendar some 100 buildings from landmark consideration. But there’s plenty of good news in our neighborhoods as well. Feel free to send your observations from the sunny side of the street to kloew@gvshp.org. From light poles come sculptures The ongoing […]
Today we were all hit with the surprise news that a $130 million contribution from the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, combined with $40 million in infrastructure funding from the City, State, and Hudson River Park Trust, will result in a huge new landscaped pier and performance center in the Hudson River Park off 14th Street, […]
OK, let’s face, it, nobody likes to talk about or think about sanitation. Well, I shouldn’t say “nobody.” I know someone who not only thinks about and talks about sanitation, she is passionate about sanitation. Her name is Dr. Robin Nagle, and she is Anthropologist-in-Residence with the New York City Department of Sanitation. (It’s a […]
In 2014 Village Preservation presented a program at the Community Room at Westbeth with author Prof. William W. Buzbee and his book, “Fighting Westway: Environmental Law, Citizen Activism, and the Regulatory War that Transformed New York City.”
We at GVSHP want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and best wishes for the new year. We’ll be posting intermittently for the next week or so until we pick up a normal schedule again at the beginning of 2014. It’s been a momentous year of course. What better way to end the year […]
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 […]
For a few days after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, life in Greenwich Village was far from normal. I remember having to walk north of 14th Street just to get a newspaper and basic supplies from a convenience store. There was no traffic allowed below 14th Street, so there were no deliveries to […]
Talking Point Read the full article here July 18, 2013 BY ANDREW BERMAN | In late June we learned that the state Assembly and Senate had passed legislation that, among other things, allows the sale of air rights from piers within the Hudson River Park for development one block inland, with the […]
Tomorrow, February 1, Grand Central Terminal will celebrate its Centennial. A year-long celebration of events and programming will ensue, marking the milestone of the opening of this Beaux Arts landmark (check out these great little-known facts about the station). While attention will be justifiably focused on this Midtown landmark tomorrow, we thought we’d take the […]
