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Tag: Mark Twain

Bret Harte and 14-16 Fifth Avenue

On May 11th, 2021, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, in a highly unusual split decision, voted to approve the demolition of the historic, landmarked 170+-year-old building at 14-16 Fifth Avenue and replace it with a 213-ft-tall tower. While we were deeply disappointed by and adamantly opposed the Commission’s decision, we were glad that our advocacy and that of […]

    Nikola Tesla: Retracing the Visionary’s Lost Legacy in Our Neighborhoods

    Arguably the most important “father of electricity,” Nikola Tesla spent 13 years developing some of his most famous inventions critical to the future of electricity in laboratories located in Greenwich Village, NoHo, and the edge of today’s Chinatown. Emblematic of the way in which the far-sighted Tesla’s legacy and contributions to science were largely undervalued […]

      Traveling the World from Home, with Village Authors

      For most of us right now, traveling the world to explore places or cultures different from our own is not an option.  But fortunately through the works of some great Greenwich Village authors, we can safely explore places (and times) very different than our own, and enjoy a bit of the escape we may not […]

      31 Literary Icons of Greenwich Village

      Greenwich Village, specifically the historic district at its core, has been described as many things, but “literary” may be among the most common. That’s not only because the neighborhood has an air of sophistication and drama, but because it has attracted some of the nation’s greatest writers over the last 200 plus years. Ahead, learn about just […]

      Great Writers and the Greenwich Village Historic District

      This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  The Greenwich Village Historic District has been home, over the years, to countless writers, authors, poets and other literati. Known as an area for artists, the writers […]

        From Mark Twain and the Lovin’ Spoonful to Tech Hub: The overlooked history of Union Square South

        Straddling Greenwich Village and the East Village, the neighborhood south of Union Square between Fifth and Third Avenues was once a center of groundbreaking commercial innovations, radical leftist politics, and the artistic avant-garde. With the city’s recent decision to allow an upzoning for a “Tech Hub” on the neighborhood’s doorstep on 14th Street, there are […]

        Many Layers of History at 9th Street and 5th Avenue

        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 […]

        Happy Birthday Greenwich Village Historic District!

        Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Drew Durniak Map of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click to enlarge. On April 29th, 1969, Mayor John Lindsay was still smarting from the botched cleanup of the February 1969 snowstorm, The 5th Dimension was at the top of the pop charts with […]

        The House of Death

        14 West 10th Street is a Greek Revival house near Washington Square Park with a dark history.  It is probably most well known for being a one-time residence of Mark Twain, but did you know it’s also the site of a terrifying haunting and gruesome tragedy? Let’s take a closer look at what some people […]

        The Beauty of the University Place & Broadway Corridors

        Last week’s community meeting about the need to better preserve and protect the Village’s University Place and Broadway corridors was a great success.  Well attended, participants at the meeting were extremely engaged and enthusiastic, and there appeared to be a very strong consensus about the need to change the current state of affairs which allows […]

        Then & Now: A Home Fit for Fifth Avenue (and Mark Twain)

        For most, lower Fifth Avenue conjures up images of grand early to mid-20th century apartment houses that guide the eye towards Washington Square Arch, the gateway to one of the city’s most fabled parks. But before these buildings were constructed, the base of Fifth Avenue actually resembled the small-scale row house streetscapes of much of […]