Small businesses have been on everyone’s mind, and it’s no secret that Village Preservation is working hard to support our local small businesses — from our Small Business/Big History campaign, … Continued
From the late nineteenth century until the mid-twentieth century, four elevated rail lines crossed over the streets of our neighborhoods.
With good reason, Missouri and Connecticut like to claim the great writer Samuel L. Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), as one of their own. But … Continued
Did you know that for many local small businesses, more than half their revenue is generated in November and December, which brings them into the black for the year and … Continued
The creation of the African Free School, which was founded on November 2, 1787, signaled a profound shift in the course of social reform, abolition, education, and racial equality in … Continued
We recently added a new collection, the Jean Polacheck Collection, to our historic image archive. This collection dates largely from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, and includes scenes of Washington … Continued
One of my favorite things about our neighborhoods is the history that is under our feet and to our side and yet unknown. Case in point is 49-51 Fifth Avenue. … Continued
It’s no secret that we are big fans of the New York City Municipal Archives digital collection of all 720,000 of its tax photos of most building in New York … Continued
Village Preservation has partnered with Urban Archive to explore the history of the former P.S. 64/Charas-El Bohio Cultural Center in their Story of a Building campaign. The former P.S. 64 … Continued
The A.T. Stewart Store, now better known as the Sun Building, was built in 1845-46 by New York architects Joseph Trench and John B. Snook for the prosperous and pioneering merchant Alexander Turney Stewart (October 12, 1803 – April 10, 1876). This magnificent Italian Renaissance “Marble Palace” at 280 Broadway, designated an NYC individual landmark on October 7, 1986, is one of Manhattan’s most significant 19th century structures.
Fifth Avenue, one of New York’s defining thoroughfares, stretches from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, kicked off (or terminated, depending upon your perspective) by Washington Square Arch. It stretches … Continued
The East Village is renowned as a place of great cultural innovation over the years. But two of the least well-known great leaps forward with roots in the neighborhood — … Continued
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted on August 18, 1920, affirming that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged … Continued
You might be surprised to know that the Hospital for Special Surgery, the oldest existing orthopedic hospital in the United State, and a powerhouse in the world of medicine and … Continued
Hilly Kristal is no doubt best known as the owner of CBGB in the East Village. But he actually had his first restaurant and bar in Greenwich Village just a … Continued
Civil War Major General Daniel E. Sickles had one of history’s most contentious, strange, and multifarious biographies.
It’s Pride Month!! Today we look at Richard Wandel, someone who has been instrumental in archiving LGBT history and who shared his story with us through our Oral History Project … Continued
Our neighborhoods have been the home of many of history’s most important civil rights and social justice leaders, as documented in Village Preservation’s Civil Rights and Social Justice Map. Three … Continued
For most of us right now, traveling the world to explore places or cultures different from our own is not an option. But fortunately through the works of some great … Continued
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return to ‘normal.’ … Continued
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return … Continued
Greenwich Village has long been the home of many of history’s most important social change champions. Now, using Village Preservation’s interactive map of the Greenwich Village Historic District, we can … Continued
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return … Continued
Located on the north shore of Staten Island not far from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal lies an oasis like none other in New York, recognized by local, state, and federal government for its extraordinary architectural and cultural significance.
Here in NYC, Patrick’s Day means millions of people clad in green celebrating at the parade and countless others packed into bars and restaurants throughout the city. Unfortunately, many of … Continued
Today marks the beginning of Immigrant Heritage Week. Immigration is a core theme in the history of New York City and especially our neighborhoods. People from all over the world … Continued
Some years back, we had a series called ‘What’s In A Name?,’ exploring the reason behind some of the names found on buildings, streets, parks, or other locations in our area … Continued
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 … Continued
For many, celebrating Irish American heritage in March brings one to Fifth Avenue for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, or perhaps a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But for … Continued
Jerry Fujikawa was a Japanese-American actor who had a long career in films, television, and Broadway. Jerry debuted on Broadway in the five-time Tony Award winning play The Teahouse of … Continued
Today we’re looking at two great New York City landmarks: 1083 Fifth Avenue, a beautiful Second Empire–style mansion located in the Expanded Carnegie Hill Historic District. and Our Lady of Lourdes Church, a Venetian Gothic–style Catholic Church located in West Harlem at 463 W 142nd Street that today serves a primarily immigrant congregation, and when designated was called “one of the oddest buildings in New York.”
In the years before the abolition of slavery in New York State in 1827 and the Civil War, New York was a hotbed of both pro-slavery and anti-slavery sentiment. The … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50. The Academy Award-winning … Continued
This post is 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, … Continued
Greenwich Village, specifically the historic district at its core, has been described as many things, but “literary” may be among the most common. That’s not only because the neighborhood has an … Continued
The Queensboro Bridge, built in 1909, was the first bridge linking Queens to Manhattan. Directly connecting Midtown Manhattan to booming Long Island City and used by millions of commuters each year, this amazing and still free bridge is also an architectural and engineering marvel.
When doing research on buildings in our area, you never know what you may find. We try to exhume and bring to light all the history we find — the … Continued
The New York Foundling is one of New York City’s oldest and largest child welfare agencies. Founded in 1869 to save the lives of babies being abandoned on the streets of New York, the Foundling currently serves over 30,000 people each year in New York City, Rockland County, and Puerto Rico.
Congregation Shearith Israel, now located at 2 West 70th Street, takes pride in being the very first Jewish congregation in North America, where something like half the world’s Jewish population now lives.
In the second half of the twentieth century, particularly during the city’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, the East Village experienced high rates of crime and drug use, and a … Continued
Few places have made more significant contributions to civil rights and social justice struggles, artistic creativity, and freedom of expression than the East Village. Now more than ever, it’s important … Continued
Hillel (Hilly) Kristal, founder of legendary rock club CBGB, was born on September 23, 1931 in New York City. His early life, well into adulthood, might not have given any … Continued
Now that school is back in session and summer weather is having its last hurrahs, we’re all either living by the bell or remembering the days when we did. So … Continued
As we do every month, we just added some new historic images to the Village Preservation historic image archive from the latest Landmarks Permit Applications which we have reviewed. This … Continued
Village Preservation collaborated recently on a major project with Google Arts + Culture. We put together tours of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo that highlighted the deep and rich cultural and artistic movements in … Continued
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
Many artists have been inspired by the scenes of life in New York City, particularly Lower Manhattan. But perhaps no artist captures the feeling of New York during the hot, … Continued
This post is part of our “Beyond the Village and Back” series, in which we look at great New York City landmarks outside of the Village, and trace their (sometimes surprising) … Continued
The tumult and unrest in the streets of Puerto Rico right now harken back to a time when many Puerto Rican New Yorkers were also agitating in the streets for … Continued
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
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
Their neighbor to the west, Greenwich Village, may be more well known as a nexus for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history, but the East Village and Noho are chock full of … Continued
This was one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District in 2019. Credited with building some of the most … Continued
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
Read blog posts about each of our 2019 Village Awardees. Santo and Margaret Mollica told our friends at Manhattan Sideways the unusual origin story of their small business, The Source, which reflects … Continued
Each year, immigrant history week is celebrated in late April, commemorating the day in 1907 when more immigrants came through Ellis Island than any other day in history. More than … Continued
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 … Continued
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
In the fall of 1949, a group of the most renowned artists of their time who were part of the Abstract Expressionist movement gathered together to fix up a third-floor … Continued
We recently came across a video on YouTube of what looks almost like silent home movies of beat writers Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and several others gathering at an East … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. To learn about more artist and other great historic figures, sites, and … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50. The Greenwich … Continued
When the days are finally seeming longer than they used to be, the beautiful details of the Village begin to reveal themselves in new ways. Today, I’m thinking about public … Continued
This is part of a series of curated tours to help the public explore the buildings and history shared on our recently-launched East Village Building Blocks site — see it here. During … Continued
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969. One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s … Continued
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969. One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s … Continued
The corner of East 9th Street and Avenue C looks rather naked to some local residents. But it’s not because it is February and the trees are bare. It’s because … Continued
As the calendar year comes to a close, GVSHP is looking back at some of our 2018 blog posts. Our neighborhoods are so rich in history on every street and … Continued
Each year GVSHP writes almost 250 blog posts, with our staff (the authors) competing to write the best, most popular posts. Today, we look back on our five most popular … Continued
Straddling Greenwich Village and the East Village, the neighborhood south of Union Square between Fifth and Third Avenues was once a center of groundbreaking commercial innovations, radical leftist politics, and … Continued
I was holiday shopping at my local bookstore and was delighted to encounter Emily Jenkins’ “All of a Kind Family Hanukkah.” In the book, a Jewish immigrant family prepares for … Continued
New York history buffs have been waiting a long time for this — the New York City Municipal Archives has digitized all 720,000 of its tax photos of every building in … Continued
James Renwick, Jr. was born on November 11, 1818, in New York City. He would become one of the most successful American architects of the 19th century, designing such high … Continued
In a recent application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to make some changes to the building at 770 Broadway (8th/9th Streets), there is a great picture of this impressive building … Continued
The now infamous Ninth Street Show, a ‘coming out’ of sorts for the post-war New York avant-garde art scene, began as a whimsical idea, but ended up literally overturning the hegemony … 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
GVSHP took a trip to the Whitney Museum’s exhibition called “David Wojnarowicz: History Keeps Me Awake at Night,” and learned about this incredible Villager, artist, poet, and activist. His work from … Continued
It’s not often that a building plays a starring role in a major motion picture. But in In Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, which premiered on August 1st, 1954, that is … Continued
The great American artist and illustrator Maxfield Parrish was born on July 25, 1870 in Philadelphia. Born Frederick Parrish, he died more than ninety-five years later on March 30, 1966 … Continued
Twenty years ago, on July 20, 1998, Mayor Rudy Giuliani sold former Public School 64 on the Lower East Side, then home to the Charas-El Bohio Community and Cultural Center, … Continued
The former Public School 64, which once housed the CHARAS community and cultural center, was designed by master school architect C.B.J. Snyder in the French Renaissance Revival style in 1904-06. And … Continued
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, one of Greenwich Village’s most inventive and exciting producers of new works, is partnering with GVSHP, the NYC AIDS Memorial Board, St. John’s in the Village, and … Continued
On June 6th in 1892, the Chicago “L” (elevated train line) began running. But did you know that elevated trains (or “Els” as they were known) were once a not … Continued
On March 30, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was certified as duly ratified, prohibiting the denial of citizens the right to vote based on “race, color, or … Continued
We all know that New York University has an enormous presence in Greenwich Village and the East Village — one that has grown tremendously in recent decades, and is continuing … Continued
Change in New York is an expected norm, sometimes so constant it almost goes unnoticed. It’s such an ingrained part of the New Yorker’s experience, we often forget just how … Continued
Only three months into the year and we have already experienced four Nor’easters here in NYC! Though a definite inconvenience, snow is nothing new to New Yorkers, and many have … Continued
Greenwich Village has been known throughout its existence for breaking new ground and embracing outsiders. One often-forgotten but important element of that trailblazing narrative is the extraordinary role the Village played … Continued
Happy New Year! We here at GVSHP hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and look forward to 2018! Like many people everywhere, GVSHP has also made some resolutions for the … Continued
I recently wrote about the rich and interesting cultural history behind the Ukrainian National Home, located at 140-142 Second Avenue just south of 9th Street in the East Village, for … Continued
On 2nd Avenue, just south of 9th Street at No. 140-142, sits one of the East Village’s oddest structures. Clad in metal and adorned with Cyrillic lettering, the building sports … Continued
The African Free School was founded on November 2, 1787 in Lower Manhattan by the New-York Manumission Society and founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. It was the very first school … Continued
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
Walking on East 9th Street the other day I saw a new and surprising element on the Mud Cafe storefront at 307 East 9th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, … Continued
Our good friend Tom Bernardin was born on this day in 1948. A longtime resident of the West Village, Tom is perhaps best known as the “unofficial” historian of Julius’ … 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
This summer, members of GVSHP’s first-ever book club (myself included!) are reading Tim Murphy’s Christodora together. It’s a time-travelling exploration of evolving neighborhoods, the impact of HIV/AIDS, and how the lives … Continued
Today we celebrate 90 years of the Strand Bookstore. This beloved neighborhood institution was founded in 1927 by Benjamin Bass as a used bookstore on the famous Book Row, which consisted of 48 … Continued
This post is adapted and updated from an earlier Off the Grid post written by Karen Loew in 2014. On June 10, 2014, GVSHP and Two Boots Foundation had the … Continued
The following is an updated re-posting originally authored by Dana Schulz. As May is Lower East Side History Month, we at GVSHP thought it would be nice to revisit a … Continued
