This is the latest installment in our Gilded Village blog series. The Gilded Age was a time of contradictions and change: extreme wealth and desperate poverty; political stability and corruption; venal greed and generous philanthropy; social retrenchment and reform; an ever-more powerful establishment and a rising immigrant class. Nowhere were the paradoxes and churn of […]
The neighborhood #SouthOfUnionSquare can be characterized as a true crossroads — where art, politics, industry, commerce, the New York elite, and the working class collided to create an eclectic built environment and cultural ferment emblematic of New York City’s status as America’s “melting pot.” While some have cited this eclecticism as a reason why the […]
With good reason, Missouri and Connecticut like to claim the great writer Samuel L. Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), as one of their own. But New Yorkers like to claim Twain as well, and there’s plenty of cause to do so. He did have a love/hate relationship with the city, […]
James Renwick was one of the most influential, accomplished, and skilled American architects of the 19th century.
Did someone say FREE CONCERT? Yes, indeed we did! Celebrating the 125th anniversary of its historic choir, Grace Church is offering a free concert featuring current choir members and alumni, as well as professional singers, at 7:00 PM on Friday, April 26th at Grace Church, 805 Broadway at 11th Street. The music will include compositions […]
Recently we looked at seven late 19th and early 20th century buildings now under consideration for landmarking by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (read about them here,) They are all located along Broadway south of Union Square, in an area rich in architectural and cultural significance, and also increasingly endangered since the approval by the […]
With the colder air, the shorter days, and the mania of holiday planning that come with late November, it seems right to start spending more time in the warm, comfortable indoors. And looking through our Historic Image Archive, while our neighborhood’s building facades and street life take center stage, it’s also nice to note the […]
James Renwick, Jr. was born on November 11, 1818, in New York City. He would become one of the most successful American architects of the 19th century, designing such high profile buildings as New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Smithsonian “Castle” in Washington D.C., and Grace Church, right here in our neighborhood on Broadway […]
Seven late 19th and early 20th century buildings are now under consideration for landmarking by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. They are all located along Broadway south of Union Square, in an area rich in architectural and cultural significance, and also increasingly endangered. So in looking around the area, it begs the question: […]
This post is part of a series about Village intersections that correspond to the date. September is here and a new month means a new corresponding Village intersection! Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue is now the site of several large apartment buildings, but did you know it was once the location of the famous Brevoort […]
We are fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood rich in 19th century architecture — both individual buildings and entire streetscapes. But while well-preserved 19th century buildings are not uncommon in the Village, perfectly preserved 19th century interiors that we can still view, especially from the apex of the Gilded Age, are quite rare. Rarer still […]
Today we celebrate the glorious structure on the corner of Broadway and East 10th Street: Grace Church in New York. On this day in 1966, Grace Church in New York and its rectory were designated New York City Landmarks. In 1974, the entire complex was listed on both the State and National Register of Historic […]
These beautiful late summer days have got us thinking about sun and sky. Which has us thinking about that most iconic of Village architectural features, the artist’s studio. So we thought we’d use the occasion of these warm August days to conduct a brief survey of some of our favorite artist’s studio windows in the […]
Completed in 1853, by architect James Renwick, the St. Denis Hotel stood at the corner of East 11th Street and Broadway. The property, which was owned by the Renwick family, had been given to them by their relative, Henry Brevoort, a successful farmer and prominent landowner during the late eighteenth century. The hotel was named […]
It’s that time of year again. Someone dressed as Minnie Mouse passes you on your way to the office (just this morning, in fact) and dogs in their Halloween finest parade around the city’s many parks. That’s why on today’s Building Broadway post we’re taking a closer look at 808 Broadway, also known as the […]
Recently, our friends over at EV Grieve posted a great then-and-now of the southwest corner of Avenue A and East 10th Street. This beautiful building, St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church, became an official New York City Landmark in 2008 (you can read the designation report HERE). Completed in 1883, St. Nicholas of Myra actually has a […]
Today we pause to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of one of the Village’s most beloved landmarks: on March 7th, 1846, Grace Church was consecrated at Broadway and 10th Street. The year 1846 was an exciting year for the Gothic Revival. James Renwick Jr.’s design of Grace Church, along with that of Trinity Church […]
