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Our 2015 House Tour Preview: Bleecker Gardens

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A peek at Bleecker Gardens, courtesy Douglas Elliman.

We’re excited to announce that individual tickets for our 17th annual house tour are now available for purchase! There are a number of different types; scroll to the bottom of the page to buy individual tickets.

As we gear up for the big day on Sunday, May 3rd, we wanted to share some fun bits of information we’ve come across about the many incredible homes included. Today, we’re focusing on Bleecker Gardens, a little known and very rarely seen outdoor oasis just off bustling Bleecker Street. You’ll be able to take a peek at this beloved courtyard if you take our popular tour!

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Mark Van Doren. Source: Wikipedia.

Have you ever heard of Bleecker Gardens? The idyllic space was created in 1929 and is shared by thirteen 19th century townhouses that front Bleecker and West 11th Streets. One of the creators was Mark Van Doren, “a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, critic, playwright and highly regarded professor at Columbia University,” according to Alfred Pommer’s Exploring the Original West Village. Van Doren lived at 393 Bleecker Street, one of the homes off the gardens. He and his neighbors agreed to remove the fences that separated their backyards in order to create the courtyard. Pommer mentions that the space was “a gathering place for writers and intellectuals, with Van Doren as the central figure, for nearly thirty years. James Thurber and Lionel Trilling were among the Bleecker Gardens regulars.”

We hope you’ll come out and join us to see this hidden Village treasure. You can buy your ticket(s) online or on the day of the tour (just note that day-of tickets sell at a higher rate). If you’re interested in volunteering, you can sign up here.

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