Pete Seeger: Folk Icon and Champion of Working People
Pete Seeger: born on the Lower East Side on May 3, 1919.
Pete Seeger Anniversary
Today marks the two year passing of folk music legend Pete Seeger. Seeger was an influential singer, songwriter, and civil rights and anti-war activist. Seeger also founded a nonprofit environmental organization … Continued
Village People: Pete Seeger
(This post is part of a series called Village People: A Who’s Who of Greenwich Village, which will explore some of this intern’s favorite Village people and stories.) Pete Seeger … Continued
Remembering Pete Seeger
“The artists.” Without a doubt, that response is the one I hear most often when I ask what people love most about the Village’s history. And when it comes to … Continued
Peter, Paul and Mary: All Over This Village
Fifty years ago, in May of 1962, folk group Peter, Paul and Mary released their self-titled debut album. The group went on to become one of the most, if not … 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
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
Connie Converse: The Enigma and Mystery of the Original Singer Songwriter
Connie Converse was arguably the first modern singer-songwriter, writing and playing intimate songs on her acoustic guitar in the mid-1950s, before Bob Dylan ever arrived in Greenwich Village. But her … Continued
More Than Dizzy and Duke: Jazz Legends South of Union Square
“I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about… Now [jazz] was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important.” – Nina … Continued
How Greenwich Village Helped Save Harry Belafonte
In 1951, Harry Belafonte decided he was finished with singing. For the past few years, he had been taking acting classes at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School with … Continued
Joan Baez: The Queen of Folk Merges Music and Social Justice
Since the late 1950s, Joan Baez (b. January 9, 1941) has had a storied career, releasing over 30 albums in six languages, often using her music as a platform for … Continued
Tour the Musical Sites of Producer John Hammond’s World
John Hammond Sr. (December 15, 1910 – July 10, 1987) was a talent scout, producer, musicologist, broadcaster, journalist, and mentor. His influence profoundly shaped popular music in the 20th century, … Continued
Shop Local and Enjoy the Miracle of Lasagna!
It’s the quintessential comfort food: pasta sheets layered with a variety of sauces, cheeses, vegetables, and/or meats, and then baked so that your bite goes from crusty to chewy to … Continued
Dave Van Ronk: Ally at the Stonewall Uprising
Dave Van Ronk has been called a “folk singer’s folk singer.” He personified the image of the Greenwich Village artist and musician as the “local” who didn’t forsake his roots … Continued
John Hammond: Villager & 20th Century’s Most Influential Producer
While the name of John Hammond Sr. (December 15, 1910 – July 10, 1987) might be unfamiliar to some, as a talent scout, producer, musicologist, broadcaster, journalist, and mentor, he … Continued
Oral History Highlight: Colette Smith Douglas
Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant … Continued
David Amram: Artist, Composer, and Beloved Villager
David Werner Amram III is an American composer, arranger, and conductor of orchestral, chamber, and choral works, many with jazz flavorings. He plays piano, French horn, Spanish guitar, and pennywhistle, sings, and is passionate about teaching music … Continued
May He Stay Forever Young: 80 Things We Love About Bob Dylan
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
Asian-American History in Greenwich Village and the East Village
The Asian-American and Pacific Islander community has a more than 150-year-long history in the United States, dating back to the first wave of Chinese and Japanese immigrants settling on the … Continued
#SouthOfUnionSquare Tour — Musical Heritage and History
Music and the Village are synonymous, perhaps no place more so than where Greenwich Village and the East Village meet, south of Union Square. Today we’re taking a wonderful journey … Continued
Seized During the Red Scare, This Lefty Archive from Our Neighborhood Is Now Available Online
80 Fifth Avenue at 14th Street is a building with an incredibly rich civil rights and social justice history, about which we have done a great deal of research as … Continued
Hey, Hey, It’s the Monkees — on Thompson Street!
This may be a little known fact even for the most dedicated of Monkees fans, but from 1967 to 1969, Monkees lead singer Davy Jones had a ‘mod’ clothing shop … Continued
“The Bells” – Poe’s Poetry and Ochs’ Folk Music in the Village
Where do folk music and gothic poetry come together? In Greenwich Village, of course! Two beloved but very different figures in the Village’s history are united in a surprising twist … Continued
Why Isn’t This Landmarked?: 55 Fifth Avenue
Part of our blog series Why Isn’t This Landmarked?, where we look at buildings in our area we’re fighting to protect that are worthy of landmark designation, but somehow aren’t landmarked. … Continued
Henry Wallace: Progressive Pioneer
Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 – November 18, 1965) served as Vice President under Franklin Delano Roosevelt from January 20, 1941 to January 20, 1945. Roosevelt preferred that Wallace … Continued
GVHD50 Tour: Homes of Music Greats
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and … Continued
The Bitter End, 2019 Village Awardee
People commonly note that Bleecker Street is a far cry from what it was half a century ago, with high-end retail chains replacing its bohemian past. But, thankfully, a few … Continued
12 social change champions of Greenwich Village
Few places on Earth have attracted more or a broader array of activists and agitators for social change than Greenwich Village. And much of that activity took place right in … Continued
Woody Guthrie’s New York Comes Alive
Folk music icon Woody Guthrie was a little man with beady eyes – as described by his second wife Marjorie, though she had imagined him to be taller, strapping, and … Continued
Gerde’s Folk City: The End of a Greenwich Village Icon
Gerde’s Folk City was a Greenwich Village music venue central to the folk and rock scenes in this neighborhood for a quarter century. Though always moving locations, the club finally … Continued
Women’s Work: Celebrating (More) Amazing Female Artists of the Village
Scrolling through Off the Grid or any other collection of New York history, we’ve all become familiar with the legendary characters of the Village – Dylan, Kerouac, Hendrix, Duchamp, and … Continued
3000 Beatniks and the Right to Free Speech
There is an absurdity in the photos and video which depict the event now known as “The Beatnik Riots” in Washington Square Park on April 9, 1961. At face value, … Continued
Happy Birthday Woody Guthrie!
Singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie was born on this day 104 years ago. Although he passed away in 1967, he remains a strong influence on many contemporary artists.
GVSHP Oral History: David Amram
GVSHP is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and … Continued
Folk Music in Greenwich Village: 1953-1961
On Sunday 9 April 1961, Washington Square Park was full of folk musicians and their friends. The park had become a gathering place for them starting in the 1940s, when … Continued
Folk Music In Greenwich Village: 1940s-1953
There are some that mark the beginning Greenwich Village’s involvement with the revival of American Folk music as 9 April 1961, with the ‘Beatnik Riot’ in Washington Square Park. But … Continued
Folk Music in Greenwich Village: 1961-1970
The exact date is impossible to confirm. But it is widely accepted that Bob Dylan arrived in New York City on 24 January 1961, in the midst of the coldest … Continued
Village People: Paul Clayton
(This post is part of a series called Village People: A Who’s Who of Greenwich Village, which will explore some of this intern’s favorite Village people and stories.) Paul Clayton … Continued
Happy Birthday Woody Guthrie
Folk icon Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was born July 14, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma, and died fifty-five years later of Huntington’s disease in his adopted hometown of New York City. … Continued
A Greenwich Village Stories Walking Tour of the West Village
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
Coming Soon — Greenwich Village Stories
GVSHP works to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo in many different ways. Landmark designations and zoning protections, though challenging to secure, can … Continued
Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, Musician Who Inspired Generations
Louisiana’s notorious Angola State Prison. Folk singer Pete Seeger. The Dry Dock District in Alphabet City. The Library of Congress. Kurt Cobain. http://youtu.be/mcXYz0gtJeM?t=15s Seemingly unrelated, right? Not exactly. They are … Continued
Storied Village Music Venue to Close
Kenny’s Castaways, the music venue which has been located on Bleecker Street near Thompson Street since 1976, will stage its last performance tonight. Citing rising rents and a decreased … Continued
