SoHo’s Cast Iron Landmarks: 1969 and Today
Edward LaGrassa was an architecture student in 1969 when he photographed hundreds of cast iron buildings and structures, largely in SoHo and Tribeca, but also in Harlem and Upper Manhattan. … Continued
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Tag: soho
Alana Heiss & The Alternative Spaces Movement
Birthed by cultural curator Alana Heiss during the early ‘70s, the Alternative Spaces Movement aligns closely with the Historic Preservation Movement here in New York City. It sought to adaptively … Continued
Victory: Punitive SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Measure Vetoed!
We are thrilled to report that late Friday Mayor Adams vetoed a draconian, punitive measure we opposed introduced by (now former) City Councilmember Margaret Chin and approved in December by … Continued
City Council Approves SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement Plan
Hard-Fought-For Changes Will Blunt Some of Worst Elements of Plan, which Remains Giant Real Estate Giveaway Late yesterday the City Council voted 43 to 5 to approve the revised version … Continued
SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Rezoning Reminder: Final Vote as Soon as Wednesday, Call and E-Mail TODAY
The full City Council appears poised to vote on the revised SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning+Displacement Plan as soon as this Wednesday (full Council is currently scheduled to meet at 1:30 pm). It’s … Continued
City Council Committee Approves SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement Plan With Modifications
Yesterday the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee and Land Use Committee each voted to approve a revised SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement Plan, with changes negotiated by Councilmembers Margaret Chin and Carlina … Continued
Council Appears Poised to Vote on SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Plan TODAY, as New Financial Analysis Shows Fatal Flaws in Affordable Housing Claims
After several delays, the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee and Land Use Committee appear poised to vote on the massive SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement plan today starting at approximately 11:30 am. … Continued
City Council Vote On SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Pushed Back to Week of December 6 — CALL AND WRITE NOW!
The vote on Mayor de Blasio’s SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning+Displacement plan, originally expected this Thursday, has now been pushed back to next week, with the first vote in the Council’s Zoning Subcommittee … Continued
SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Vote Likely This Week — Flood the City Council with Calls and Letters
The City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee will vote on the Mayor’s SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning+Displacement plan as early as this Thursday, setting the stage for the final decision by the full City Council. … Continued
SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Rezoning Vote Likely After Thanksgiving; Video and Final Push for ‘No’ Vote
The first (and in many ways most important) of three required votes in the City Council on the Mayor’s disastrous SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement plan may take place as early … Continued
City Council Virtual Hearing on Disastrous SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning Plan TODAY — PLEASE TESTIFY AND/OR SUBMIT COMMENTS!
The City Council’s sole public hearing on the massive and disastrous proposed upzoning of SoHo, NoHo, and parts of Chinatown will be Tuesday, November 9, in the Zoning Subcommittee of … Continued
Facts and Data Continue To Contradict Upzoning Argument
or YIMBY Movement: A Flat Earth Society for the 21st Century Earlier this month, I wrote an op-ed citing two recent analyses — one about new housing construction by neighborhood … Continued
Tenants in the Crosshairs: the SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan Victims the Mayor Wants You to Forget, Part 3
This is the third part in a series about low- and moderate-income affordable housing tenants in the rezoning area put at risk of displacement by de Blasio’s rezoning. If you … Continued
Opponents Overwhelm Six-Hour City Planning SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Hearing; City’s Baseless Claims of Racism Face Backlash; Elected Officials Join Opposition
Some important updates on the SoHo/NoHo rezoning fight: Opponents Swamp Supporters at Public Hearing: Around 100 people testified at yesterday’s City Planning Commission public hearing, even though it was held … Continued
City Planning Commission SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Hearing This Thursday, September 2, 10 am
Virtual and In-Person Testimony Allowed Borough President Holds Five-Hour Public Hearing, Withholds Recommendation Opponents Including Incoming and Past Councilmembers Urge Rejection The City Planning Commission will hold its sole public … Continued
De Blasio’s Plan for SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Small Business: Replace Them With Big Box Chain Stores
A plan that does not do what it purports to do is a bad plan. A plan that, on top of that, does the opposite of what it purports to … Continued
New Affordable Housing in Soho/NoHo/Chinatown: Loopholes, Exemptions, and Lies, Oh My!
The City has dangled the promise of affordable housing in SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown before the public to give a progressive veneer to the massive handout that De Blasio’s upzoning plan makes available … Continued
Meet the Wolf of SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown!
We have received a piece of art that truly captures the essence of the SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown rezoning and breathes new life into the age-old maxim: never pick a fight with someone … Continued
Tenants in the Crosshairs: the SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan Victims the Mayor Wants You to Forget, Part 2
This is the second part in a series about low- and moderate-income affordable housing tenants in the rezoning area put at risk of displacement by de Blasio’s rezoning. If you … Continued
Tenants in the Crosshairs: the SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan Victims the Mayor Wants You to Forget, Part 1
This is the first part in a series about low- and moderate-income rent regulated tenants in the rezoning area the de Blasio rezoning puts at risk of displacement. If you … Continued
Huge Turnout for SoHo/NoHo Hearing, Housing/Tenant and Neighborhood Groups United in Opposition
We had a huge and united turnout on Wednesday at our press conference opposing the Mayor’s outrageous SoHo/NoHo rezoning plan and the Community Board 2 public hearing that followed. We were … Continued
Talking Points for SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning City Council Public Hearing
With the City Council’s one and only public hearing for the city’s proposed SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown upzoning on Tuesday Nov. 9, here are talking points we strongly suggest you use for your … Continued
2021 Village Awardee: Linda Pagan
It’s that time of year again…time for Village Preservation’s Annual Meeting and Village Awards! The Village Awards recognize and honor some of the businesses, organizations, and institutions that make our … Continued
Demographic Deception: de Blasio’s SoHo/NoHo Plan
Last week, the City ‘certified,‘ or issued its final proposal for the massive upzoning of SoHo, NoHo, and parts of Chinatown. The voluminous documents contained numerous inaccuracies, falsehoods, and mischaracterizations, … Continued
Historic Photo Mysteries from a Newly Donated Collection (and a reminder of what’s at stake with the SoHo/NoHo upzoning proposal)
Village Preservation recently shared an incredible new addition to our historic image archive of donated photos of cast-iron New York City landmarks, some destroyed during the late 60s, others threatened … Continued
Plan To Upzone and Rezone SoHo and NoHo Announced
Details Are Scarce, But Indications Raise Big Concerns and Conflicts of Interest; Local Elected Officials, Citywide Candidates, and Real Estate Interests Back Move In a surprise move this Wednesday, Mayor de Blasio … Continued
There’s Been A Lot of Talk About Affordable Housing in SoHo and NoHo. Here’s What They Really Mean
An abridged version of this piece appeared as an op-ed in the January 23, 2020 edition of AM-Metro NY. A recent report issued on behalf of the NYC Department of … Continued
M1-5 What? A Lofty History of Zoning in SoHo and NoHo
Scrolling through the NYC Department of City Planning website, it is easy to get lost amidst the zoning texts and maps and terms. But, as we come to realize from … Continued
The Former Gay Activists Alliance Headquarters at 99 Wooster Street Has At Last Become a Landmark
On June 18, 2019, Village Preservation scored a big victory five years in the making — persuading the City to landmark two more LGBT historic sites: the LGBT Community … Continued
That Time (One of Many) When Trump Was Caught
On December 6, 2006, the Trump SoHo ‘Condo-Hotel’ was caught advertising its planned units to prospective buyers as a “Primary Residence” or “Secondary Residence.” GVSHP found the advertisements and immediately … Continued
Happy Birthday, SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District
GVSHP’s primary focus is between the Hudson and East Rivers, from Houston Street to 14th Street. Still, in 2016 GVSHP fought to secure the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District which dips 3+ blocks just below Houston … Continued
Stories from GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive- “Is That My Mother?”
Since its online release in August, 2017, GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive has been the source of several amazing stories. The recently released Carole Teller’s Changing New York Collection particularly so, … Continued
Trump SoHo Fined and Restrictions Enforced After City Shamed Into Enforcing Law
On this day in 2014, GVSHP wrote Mayor de Blasio to demand that the Trump Soho be subject to strict and clear oversight and enforcement, something missing for years under the … Continued
Tenements of the South Village
As mentioned in the GVSHP testimony at the designation hearing for the Sullivan-Thompson historic district, the majority of the historic fabric in this district is its tenements. Here is a … Continued
This Day in 1984: The Pope of Greenwich Village
On this day in 1984, the movie The Pope of Greenwich Village was released in theaters. It starred Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts as Charlie and Paulie, cousins and would-be … Continued
Happy Birthday SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District
Here at Off the Grid we are primarily concerned with Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, but tomorrow we will be happy to help our neighbors celebrate an important … Continued
Art in the Village: East 10th Street Galleries
Perhaps the most well-known art movement associated with Greenwich Village is Abstract Expressionism (also known as the New York School). Abstract Expressionism, which focused on the portrayal of emotions rather … Continued
NoHo and SoHo Firewall Against NYU in Jeopardy
From the January 31, 2013 issue of The Villager. Noho and Soho’s firewall against N.Y.U. is at risk http://www.thevillager.com/?p=10030 By Andrew Berman, Executive Director, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation … Continued