Immigrant Heritage Week was established in 2004 and is coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs as a city-wide celebration that honors the experiences and contributions of immigrants in New York City. The … Continued
Today we welcome Dena Tasse-Winter as Village Preservation’s Director of Research and Preservation. A native New Yorker, Dena joins us with a background in architectural and landscape history, archival research … Continued
In the latter half of the 19th century, Manhattan and Brooklyn became centers of everyday life for thousands of Italian immigrants entering the United States. Their numbers started off small … Continued
Village Preservation’s proposed South of Union Square Historic District was recently named one of 2022-2023’s “Seven to Save” — the biannual list of the most important endangered historic sites in … Continued
On June 8th, 2004, 127, 129, and 131 MacDougal Street, three 1829 Federal Style houses, were landmarked — the first three of thirteen Village Preservation and the NY Landmarks Conservancy jointly proposed and campaigned for landmark … Continued
Bob Dylan (born May 24, 1941) began his legendary career in Greenwich Village. The storied clubs and coffee houses in the neighborhood were the incubators for his formidable talent and … Continued
Greenwich Village has a new bookstore located at 115 MacDougal Street in the lobby of the historic Players Theatre. The specialty bookshop, Bravo’s Book Nook, focuses on books about theater, … Continued
The South Village is an area rich in architectural, cultural, and historic resources, distinct from (though connected to) those of its surrounding historic communities, such as Greenwich Village, Soho, and … Continued
On January 16th, 2013, Village Preservation sent a letter to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) requesting that it landmark key sites of significance to lesbian, gay, bisexual, … Continued
On Columbus Day in 2012 ( which was on October 8th), Village Preservation launched its “Save the South Village” video campaign. Columbus Day is traditionally a time to celebrate the … Continued
When searching through the chronicles of Greenwich Village history, some things almost seem too Village-y to be true, with all their quirky details and theatrical anecdotes. A prime example: The … Continued
This post is part of a series about our favorite things in and about the Village. Andrew Berman, GVSHP’s Executive Director since 2002, has a plethora of favorite things … Continued
It’s August in New York. It’s hot. Need I say more? And conversations tend to revolve around the temperatures at this time of year. How hot is it? How humid … Continued
We at GVSHP were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Romana Raffetto of Raffetto’s Fresh Pasta, located at 144 West Houston Street. She was a great friend to GVSHP … Continued
Lucy Cecere, who passed away on March 19, 2011, at the age of 89, was small in stature, but a true giant in a neighborhood of outsized personalities in which … Continued
On December 21, 1969, the Gay Activist Alliance (GAA) was founded. Almost exactly six months after the Stonewall Riots, the group was founded by Marty Robinson, Jim Owles, and Arthur Evans, … Continued
Last week I took a break from my normal duties as GVSHP’s Director of Research and Preservation and led about forty people on a tour of Bleecker Street as part … Continued
The Sullivan-Thompson Historic District is the Village’s most recently designated historic district, and was designated in record time. We’re happy to report that it has received its new street signs in record … Continued
This piece was originally posted in 2014 These beautiful late summer days have got us thinking about sun and sky. Which has us thinking about that most iconic of Village … Continued
In this series, ‘More is More,’ we look at historic district extensions in our area. The Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II was designated June 22, 2010 after a multi-year campaign led … Continued
1804. Weehawken. Dawn. Guns. Drawn.* Perhaps the most famous duel in American history took place on July 11, 1804, a result of a bitter political rivalry. Aaron Burr and Alexander … Continued
June is Pride Month, an especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with our neighborhoods, and this month we’re highlighting the LGBT history of the … Continued
Five years ago today, the South Village was named one of the Preservation League of New York’s ‘Seven to Save’ — the seven most important, endangered historic sites in New York … Continued
The Vesuvio playground, one of the few green spaces in the newly designated Sullivan-Thompson Historic District, is a true haven for South Village children. In the 1920s, the New York … Continued
JUST SIX DAYS LEFT IN 2016! 2016 was a year of incredible accomplishments for GVSHP. Help us keep the progress going, and protect what we hold dear about our neighborhoods.
The recently landmarked Sullivan-Thompson Historic District is one of the first historic districts in New York City so designated almost exclusively based upon its immigrant history and working-class architecture. As … Continued
Christmas is coming early this year! We have been told by the Landmarks Preservation Commission that the designation report for the newly landmarked Sullivan-Thompson historic district, aka phase III of … Continued
On Saturday, December 10, 2016, the extraordinary Patti Smith accepted the Nobel Prize for Literature on behalf of Bob Dylan in Stockholm, Sweden. In a transcendent performance, Smith was overwhelmed … Continued
Ten-block, 160-building district gets immediate protections from developers, incl. Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner; brings to 1,250 total number of buildings landmarked in neighborhood since 2003 The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission … Continued
Bob Dylan in Sheridan Square The South Village has many reasons to be celebrated these days. Of course, the (hopefully) impending designation of the Sullivan Thompson Historic District is a … Continued
Last week, news broke that the City will be moving ahead with the final phase of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District, a roughly ten-block, one hundred sixty building area … Continued
Two and a half years after the designation of the South Village Historic District, the official brown terra cotta signs are now appearing identifying the streets included in the … Continued
This series shines a light on the important things we’re achieving together in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. Each month, we’ll be exploring a new site or topic … Continued
A stroll through the Village on a crisp autumn day offers so many alluring bakeries and cafes that it is almost impossible to choose one in which to spend your … Continued
Believe it or not, the Soho Playhouse is actually within the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District, which was designated 50 years ago this week, a district which is part of the larger … Continued
Some things never change about New York City life; New Yorkers’ social lives have seemingly always hinged on the restaurants and bars in their neighborhoods. Aside from the very lucky … Continued
Recently, GVSHP has been reporting on and testifying against the plans for a building to replace the 2 story parking garage at 11-19 Jane Street. Built in 1921, the structure is … Continued
John Lequizamo, arguably one of the Village’s funniest residents, was not always a preservationist. As he remarked in a recent interview in the New York Times, his therapist recommended that … Continued
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
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 … Continued
Fifty-one years ago today, on April 19, 1965, the New York City landmarks law went into effect. A year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the landmarks law has been … Continued
This Sunday, March 13th, is the three year anniversary of the NYC Council Land Use Committee vote to approve the proposed Hudson Square Rezoning. This vote was a significant milestone … Continued
As one of the oldest surviving houses in Manhattan, 57 Sullivan Street has born witness to and participated in the story of the evolution of housing in New York City. … Continued
There are hundreds of individual landmarks in Manhattan alone – many in Greenwich Village, NoHo, the East Village and surrounding areas. We’re taking a look at some of these important sites, … Continued
An Off the Grid reader contacted us to ask for more background information and history about the buildings mentioned in last week’s e-newsletter “Pushing the Envelope in the West Village“. Fortunately, … Continued
In celebration of Black History Month, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation will host several public programs this month with specific focus on the history of the African-American community in Greenwich … Continued
Your input is needed! Today we feature our second “Business of the Month” — the first one selected by YOUR votes! Now tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich … Continued
After a nearly half-century wait, last week the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission finally voted to approve landmark status for the 150-year old religious building located at 334 East 14th Street, … Continued
(This post is the first of a series on the history of the LGBTQ community in Greenwich Village.) It is easy to assume, in the aftermath of the Stonewall riots, … Continued
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 … Continued
Last night, in the main gallery of the Salmagundi Club on 5th Avenue, GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman gave a lecture/slideshow about the state of historic preservation. Over the past … Continued
This is the latest installment of the Off the Grid series in which we highlight the people, places and events featured in our new book Greenwich Village Stories, available for purchase now. Visit our Facebook … Continued
The 20th century had hardly begun when the New York State legislature signed into law a new act to address old problems in this city regarding tenement construction. This groundbreaking … Continued
The Looking Up series of posts explore the unique architectural and historical stories that can be discovered when we raise our gaze above the sidewalk, the storefront, and the second … Continued
“Yeah, yeah, yeah” – as the New York Times wrote in February 1964 – it was in fact February 7, 1964 that the Beatles arrived for the very first time … Continued
We’ve been focusing a lot lately here at Off the Grid on the newly designated South Village Historic District and the designation report that allows us to learn much about … Continued
Here at GVSHP, we’ve been poring over the new South Village Historic District designation report, and it has some wonderful facts and even a few surprises we thought we’d share. … Continued
As you likely know by now, the South Village was designated an official New York City historic district by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) at the end of December. Part … Continued
We’re excited to share that the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted today to landmark the South Village Historic District, a two hundred forty-building, thirteen-block section of Greenwich Village south … Continued
Last week GVSHP took an important step in documenting the South Village for its listing on the National Register of Historic places by photographing a selection of sites to be … Continued
Today marks the birthday of great Greenwich Village artist and chronicler of everyday life in Lower Manhattan John Sloan, born August 2, 1871. Sloan worked as an painter and illustrator, first in … Continued
In honor of Bastille Day this Sunday, July 14, we here at Off the Grid thought we would take a look at the French Quarter, a small area south of … Continued
