STOMP’s Long Run at the Orpheum Theatre
On February 27, 1994, STOMP, the “international sensation and iconic New York theatrical landmark” opened at the 347-seat Orpheum Theatre at 126 2nd Avenue between 7th Street and St. Marks. … Continued
Patricia Field’s Village Shops
Costume designer and fashion icon Patricia Field is best known for, among other accomplishments, her work on the television show Sex and the City. For decades, Field also operated a … Continued
Women Crush Wednesday: The Poets
April is National Poetry Month! Launched by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, the month of April marks a marvelous opportunity to celebrate the expressiveness, delight, and pure charm … Continued
The Heyday of Revival Movie Theaters in the Village
Going to the movies: One of America’s favorite pastimes. Before the advent of at-home technologies such as VHS, DVDs, and certainly streaming services, often the only way to see a … Continued
Architect and Artist: The Rigid Le Corbusier Colored Outside the Lines in Greenwich Village
A city “utterly devoid of harmony” — that is how the controversial Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, described New York without actually having ever visited when … Continued
Hip Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 5: Negril Nightclub
Hip Hop at 50This is the fifth in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip … Continued
Jewelry Makers of the Village and their Provincetown Summer Studios
Provincetown, Massachusetts has long had a deep and interesting connection to Greenwich Village. As one of the largest artist colonies on the East Coast, many of the artists, thinkers, and … Continued
Jimmy Carter, Habitat for Humanity, and the East Village
Former president Jimmy Carter and his late wife Rosalynn Carter were long at the forefront of Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit that helps communities build new homes and improve existing … Continued
Castles in the Sky on Sixth Avenue: Calvert Vaux and the Victorian Gothic
Greenwich Village, with its cobblestone streets and historic brownstones, stands as a testament to the rich architectural heritage that defines New York City. Among the many architects who left an … Continued
The Folk Music Revival Scene: A South Village Tour
December is South Village Month – join us in celebrating this vibrant neighborhood all month long! The South Village in the 50s and 60s was a hotbed of creativity and activism. Where … Continued
Hidden in Plain Sight: A Painted Sign Uncovers History on 13th Street
Our blog series “Hidden in Plain Sight” highlights the many architectural curiosities and unique features found on buildings throughout our neighborhoods — details you might not notice on first pass, … Continued
Touring the Gardens of the East Village
The 1970s was a dangerous and difficult time for New York City. Arson and neglect left many poor and working-class neighborhoods with abandoned lots, filled with hazardous debris. Residents of … Continued
Business of the Month: Deco Jewels, 131 Thompson Street
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, … Continued
The New York City Work Horse
New York City was powered by horses for almost three hundred years. At its peak, well over 150,000 horses and by some estimates up to 200,000 lived in the city. … Continued
Fiorello LaGuardia — NYC’s ‘Greatest Mayor,’ One of Several from Greenwich Village
Fiorello H. LaGuardia was born on December 11th, 1882 in Greenwich Village. LaGuardia and his family lived at 177 Sullivan street, which would have been known as 7 Varick Street … Continued
The Meat Markets of the South Village
December is South Village Month, when we celebrate the incredible neighborhood south of Washington Square and West 4th Street. Village Preservation kicked off the effort to preserve this endangered historic neighborhood in December … Continued
Ottendorfer Library: A Chronicle of Diversity and Knowledge in the East Village
Nestled in the vibrant streets of New York City’s East Village at 135 Second Avenue, the Ottendorfer Library stands as a testament to the multicultural and linguistic tapestry that has … Continued
What’s So Special About the South Village?
Village Preservation kicked off its campaign to honor, document, and seek landmark designation for the South Village and its remarkable immigrant and artistic histories in December 2006, and completed the effort in December 2016 with … Continued
Kerouac and Catholicism in Greenwich Village
“…really a story about two Catholic buddies roaming the country in search of God.” So said Jack Kerouac about his book, “On the Road,” soon after it was published in … Continued
A Glimpse into the Gilded Age East Village of the Tiffanys
Many would be surprised to learn that Charles Tiffany, the founder of Tiffany & Co., known for the manufacture of goods which came to be synonymous with the wealthiest New … Continued
The Beats: A South Village Tour
December is South Village Month – join us in celebrating this vibrant neighborhood all month long! Postwar America in the 1950s through the early 1960s experienced the birth of a movement and … Continued
Celebrating the Origins of the South Village
December is South Village Month – join us in celebrating this vibrant neighborhood all month long! In December 2016, following a multi-year advocacy campaign spearheaded by Village Preservation, the Sullivan … Continued
Three Stops on Christopher Street
Christopher Street is one of New York City’s oldest streets: known as Skinner Road in the 18th century, it was rechristened in 1799 by local landowner Charles Christopher Amos with … Continued
Jane Jacobs, the Enduring “Anti-Planner”
Mainstream city planning has known its share of eloquent critics over the years (including, if we may be so bold, yours truly). But perhaps none has been as consequential as … Continued
The American Seamen’s Friend Society Sailors’ Home and Institute
By the early nineteenth century New York City had developed as the largest port in the United States and one of the largest in the world. This growth of New … Continued
Glass and the Gilded Age: Tiffany Windows in the First Presbyterian Church
Known as the Gilded Age, the period following the Civil War in late nineteenth century New York City was filled with glamour and bold, imaginative aesthetics. However, one person, and … Continued
Unveiling the Women of Provincetown Playhouse: Beacons of Artistic Innovation in Greenwich Village
In the heart of Greenwich Village, a historic theater emerged as a cradle of creativity and a crucible for groundbreaking theatrical experiments—the Provincetown Playhouse. Established in 1915 in Provincetown, Massachusetts … Continued
Manic Panic and Ricky’s: Local Fashion & Beauty Shops That Groomed a Generation
Greenwich Village and the East Village are areas famous for creativity and innovation in all arenas, and that includes fashion and beauty trends. Today we will take a look at … Continued
Isamu Noguchi: Artist of the Century
He was one of the most significant, prolific, and versatile artists of the 20th century, and he produced several of his many iconic pieces from a studio located in a … Continued
Bright Lights, Big Village
You decide to write a blog post about Bright Lights, Big City, the 1987 film based on a novel published three years earlier about the excesses and pitfalls of life … Continued
The First Red Scare Comes to Town: the 1919 IWW Headquarters Raid
The East Village and Greenwich Village have long been bastions of progressive thought and hotbeds of radical social movements. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), or “Wobblies” as they … Continued
Pier 40’s Murals Illustrate Local History
Pier 40 was built between 1958 and 1962 for the Holland America Cruise Line, and became the largest passenger and freight terminal in the Port of New York at the … Continued
Celebrating the Long Life of our Business of the Month Initiative
We launched our Business of the Month program on November 13, 2014. Thanks to all of you who have nominated businesses through the years, we have surpassed 100 honorees. Help … Continued
Veterans in the Village
You’re probably not that likely to associate military veterans with Greenwich Village and the East Village; in the popular mind, the neighborhoods’ profile is much more strongly associated with peace … Continued
WeWah & BarCheeAmpe: Pioneers of Two-Spirit Advocacy, Rooted in Greenwich Village
Coined in 1990 at the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American First Nations Gay and Lesbian American Conference held in Winnipeg, the term “Two Spirit” (2S) refers to indigenous individuals whose … Continued
Cappuccino: Introduced to America in Greenwich Village, Still Going Strong
Cappuccinos are made from equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam. While this recipe is not debatable, the origin story is. Various Italian, French, Turkish, Viennese/Austro-Hungarians lay claim to all … Continued
St. Benedict the Moor Church and the South Village’s Little Africa
St. Benedict the Moor was the first Church for Black Roman Catholics in the North, dedicated on November 18th, 1883 at 210 Bleecker Street. St. Benedict the Moor Church opened … Continued
Business of the Month: Andrade Shoe Store, 320 Bleecker Street
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, … Continued
Emma Lazarus and the Poem on Lady Liberty’s Pedestal
One of the most beloved features of the Statue of Liberty is the poem inscribed on a bronze plaque inside its pedestal. “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses … Continued
The Public Theater’s Manahatta and the Confluence of Three Nations at Astor Place
The Public Theater is opening a significant new play, Manahatta, by Native attorney, activist, and playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle. It is fitting that this important piece of theatrical literature will … Continued
Decades of Spooky Splendor: Celebrating the Village Halloween Parade
Since 1973, New York City has hosted one of the most extravagant and enchanting Halloween celebrations in the world: the Village Halloween Parade. Its beginnings in the early 1970s were … Continued
Retracing the Stories and Homes of Early Village Preservationists
By the time the demolition of McKim, Mead & White’s monumental Penn Station commenced on October 28th, 1963, advocates had been fighting to save the Beaux Arts building for several … Continued
Remembering the boy bar
In the late 19th century the term “boy bar” referred to what we would now call a “gay bar”. This is not to be confused with the boy bar, which … Continued
South of Union Square: Home of the Abstract Expressionists
The area South of Union Square has drawn artists into its corridors for many decades. From social realist painters of the early twentieth century to contemporary practitioners, this section of … Continued
Patricia Field’s Village Shops
Costume designer and fashion icon Patricia Field is best known for, among other accomplishments, her work on the television show Sex and the City. For decades, Field also operated a … Continued
Fall Auction: A First for Village Preservation
There have been countless “firsts” in our neighborhoods: the first cappuccino machine (Café Reggio), the first building constructed specifically to house artists’ studios (The Tenth Street Studios at 51 West … Continued
The Clay Club: Shaping Sculptural Legacies in Greenwich Village
While many are aware of the Whitney Museum’s modest origins as a studio club of artist and collector Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, fewer know that only a few feet away from … Continued
Celebrating Shirley Hayes, Village Activist
“You can help save Washington Square Park. Robert Moses can be stopped. A handful of women did it in Central Park. The bird watchers did it in Central Park. The … Continued
The Mayor from, and of, the South Village: Fiorello LaGuardia
Fiorello (Italian for ‘Little Flower’) LaGuardia is remembered today as one of New York City’s greatest mayors. A progressive who guided New Yorkers through the Depression and World War II, he was the first Mayor to serve three terms, and the first of either Italian or Jewish descent. It was LaGuardia’s achievements as mayor, and his birth in the South Village, that prompted the Friends of LaGuardia to commemorate LaGuardia with a statue on October 19, 1994.
The Legacy of The Brownies’ Book
On October 10, 2023, Chronicle Books published The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families. It’s an anthology assembled by Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer that combines … Continued
Welcome Aboard, Sandra Pomeleo-Fowler
Today we welcome Sandra Pomeleo-Fowler as our new Development Associate. Sandra is excited to be joining Village Preservation, and looks forward to supporting and working with our dedicated member community. … Continued
NoHo’s Original Superstore: From Wanamaker’s to Wegmans
During the years 1903 to 1907, construction was underway for an imposing steel frame structure located on the block bounded by Broadway, Fourth Avenue, and East 8th and 9th Streets. … Continued
The Modernist Jewelry Studios of Greenwich Village
After World War II, the U.S. saw the rise of modernist jewelry: handcrafted jewelry inspired by Cubism, Surrealism and Constructivism. There were two hubs of this movement: San Francisco, which … Continued
Hidden in Plain Sight: Named Buildings Edition
This is the first entry in our new blog series, “Hidden in Plain Sight,” which highlights the many architectural curiosities and unique features found on buildings throughout our neighborhoods — … Continued
A History of Protest and the Marjorie Zien Collection
Greenwich Village resident and photographer Marjorie Zien has spent the last several decades chronicling life in her neighborhood and city. In 2021 she donated a collection of photos to Village … Continued
South of Union Square: Where Bowlmor Lanes Began
Bowlmor Lanes was opened at 110 University Place by Nick Gianos in 1938, at the beginning of what has been referred to as the “Golden Age of Bowling”. During this … Continued
Architect and Artist: The Rigid Le Corbusier Colored Outside the Lines in Greenwich Village
A city “utterly devoid of harmony” — that is how the controversial Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, described New York without actually having ever visited when … Continued
Business of the Month: Unregular Pizza, 135 4th Avenue
Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, … Continued
The Artists of the Greenwich Village Historic District
Greenwich Village has long been a mecca for artists and artistic endeavors. For over a century and a half, the neighborhood has fostered creative energy thanks in part to its … Continued
The Italian Cafés of the South Village
October is Italian American History and Heritage month, and it is impossible to deny the influence that Italian culture and immigration has had on our neighborhoods. This is especially true … Continued
Edwin Fancher, Co-Founder of The Village Voice
Edwin Fancher (August 29, 1923 – September 29, 2023) was a co-founder and part-owner of The Village Voice, along with partners Dan Wolf and Norman Mailer, from the 1950s until … Continued
354 West 11th Street: An Exemplar of Greek Revival Architecture
If you ever find yourself taking a stroll in the far West Village (and I highly recommend you do), follow West 11th Street almost as far as the West Side … Continued
Hip-Hop’s 2nd Birthplace, Part 6: Fab 5 Freddy
Hip Hop at 50This is the sixth in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal places of Hip … Continued
The Forgotten Fifth Avenue South of Washington Square Park
If New York City streets had their own royal court, Broadway would be the old king and Fifth Avenue would be its fabulous queen. Just saying Fifth Avenue evokes glamour, … Continued
The Art and Archives of the American Indian Community House
The American Indian Community House (AICH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of Native Americans living in New York City. With a mission to enhance the well-being … Continued
Meet the Fall 2023 Interns!
Village Preservation’s team is a strong one – we’re lucky to have a group of interns who are looking to gain experience in historic preservation in a non-profit environment. We usually … Continued
Dorothy Canning Miller: Champion of Abstract Expressionism
”Congratulations, Dorothy, you’ve done it again. They all hate it.” So said Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art, to Dorothy Canning Miller, its … Continued
Before Baldwin: The Writings of Richard Bruce Nugent
The African American literary critic and professor Henry Louis Gates once stated that the Harlem Renaissance was “surely as gay as it was Black, not that it was exclusively either … Continued
Hispanic Heritage in the East Village: A Walk through Loisaida
The East Village has for decades been one of New York City’s most vital Hispanic enclaves, and a thriving hub of latin culture. One need only look at Avenue C’s … Continued
Hudson River Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary
We have gratefully reached that point in September in New York City when the weather is close to flawless, with clear blue skies, moderate temperatures, and a light westerly breeze. … Continued
