Greenwich Village

This Greenwich Village co-op at 2 East 12th Street is the perfect year-round oasis. For those cold winter months, the interiors are super cozy, with two working fireplaces. But in the summer, the backyard is a true retreat. It's two levels, along with a side patio and, most notably, a sunken Japanese-style cedar hot tub. You'll also find a large Ipe wood deck with a built-in banquette, plenty of planters, and a cedar potting shed for all those gardening needs.
You've got to see this place

Distinctive Homes

The secret history of Julius’, the oldest gay bar in NYC

Owner Helen Buford with longtime bartender Daniel Onzo

July 21, 2020

The secret history of Julius’, the oldest gay bar in NYC

By James and Karla Murray

On the corner of West 10th and Waverly Place sits Julius’ Bar, New York City’s oldest gay bar. Constructed in the middle of the 19th-century, the landmarked Greenwich Village building first opened as a grocery store and later became a bar. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously operating bars in the city, Julius’ is also known for its historic “Sip-In" on April 26, 1966, when members of the Mattachine Society--one of the country’s earliest LGBT rights organizations--protested the state law that prohibited bars from serving "suspected gay men or lesbians." Not only did the demonstration lead to the courts ruling in 1967 that gay people had the legal right to assemble and be served alcohol, but it also became one of the most significant instances of gay rights activism before the Stonewall Riots in 1969. Like many businesses forced to close because of the coronavirus pandemic, especially now that indoor dining is on hold indefinitely, Julius' owner Helen Buford is struggling to pay the bills and launched a fundraising campaign this month to help save the bar. Ahead, go behind the scenes of Julius' while it remains closed, learn about its unique history from longtime bartenders Daniel Onzo and Tracy O’ Neill, and hear more from Helen about the struggle to survive as a small business during COVID-19.
Go behind the scenes

Where I Work

July 17, 2020

Sarah Jessica Parker asks Citi Bike to help save 100-year-old Greenwich Village restaurant

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, longtime Greenwich Village resident Sarah Jessica Parker posted a heartfelt note to Citi Bike, hoping they can help save one of her favorite local restaurants. Gene's Restaurant has been located on West 11th Street near 6th Avenue for 101 years. But because of a Citi Bike rack right outside their front doors, the Italian restaurant has been unable to set up outdoor dining and is struggling from the pandemic fallout. "I'm happy to help move the @citibike rack just a bit east to make room for some outdoor seating. Whatever it takes," wrote SJP, who is a Citi Bike rider herself.
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July 8, 2020

NYC’s oldest gay bar launches crowdfunding campaign to stay afloat

On the corner of West 10th Street and Waverly Place, Julius' Bar stands as the oldest gay bar in New York City. It's also known for the "Sip-In" that took place here in 1966, which ultimately led to legal LGBT bars and was one of the most significant instances of LGBT activism prior to Stonewall. Julius' was forced to close its doors in mid-March amidst the COVID crisis, and they've since been unable to reopen. Therefore, they've launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $50,000 that will keep them and their employees afloat until indoor dining is permitted.
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Photo by Rhododendrites on Wikimedia

July 1, 2020

Stonewall Inn gets $250K lifeline to avoid COVID-19 closure

By Devin Gannon

New York City's iconic Stonewall Inn got a much-needed lifeline this week after receiving a $250,000 donation from the Gill Foundation. The Greenwich Village bar, considered the birthplace of the LGBTQ rights movement, has been closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic and has struggled to keep up with bills, including its $40,000/month rent. But thanks to the donation, and more than $300,000 raised as part of an online fundraiser, the national historic landmark will able to survive a little longer.
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Food & Dining

$3M Washington Square Park condo has a secret closet and an Insta-friendly vintage kitchen

Listing photos by The Blumstein Team for The Corcoran Group

April 24, 2020

$3M Washington Square Park condo has a secret closet and an Insta-friendly vintage kitchen

If you've been perusing Pinterest for design inspiration to spruce up your apartment during quarantine, look no further than this totally adorable Greenwich Village apartment. The seafoam kitchen has vintage attitude with SMEG's retro appliances, and there are cool boho accents all over. There are architectural details, too, like exposed brick and a 19th-century fireplace, and there's even a secret closet hidden behind part of the built-in bookshelf (You need to pull the copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to access!). What's even better is that when you step outside of the building at 106 Waverly Place, you're just around the corner from Washington Square Park.
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Uncategorized

This Greenwich Village rental with Parisian panache is asking $7,500/month

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

March 13, 2020

This Greenwich Village rental with Parisian panache is asking $7,500/month

By Devin Gannon

Custom wooden shutters, a wood-burning fireplace, and original casement windows bring a European flair to this Greenwich Village rental. A two-bedroom corner unit in the Windsor Arms co-op building at 61 West 9th Street is asking $7,500/month and it comes fully-furnished with "designer-grade pieces," according to the listing.
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Distinctive Homes

Pubs, parades, and politicians: The Irish legacy of the East Village and Greenwich Village

Photo of White Horse Tavern (bottom left) courtesy of Wikimedia; Photo of the Merchant’s House Museum (bottom right) courtesy of Village Preservation on Flickr

March 10, 2020

Pubs, parades, and politicians: The Irish legacy of the East Village and Greenwich Village

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 those willing to venture beyond Midtown, there’s a rich Irish American history to be found in Greenwich Village and the East Village. While both neighborhoods became better known for different kinds of communities in later years – Italians, Ukrainians, gay men and lesbians, artists, punks – Irish immigration in the mid-19th century profoundly shaped both neighborhoods. Irish Americans and Irish immigrants played a critical role in building immigrant and artistic traditions in Greenwich Village and the East Village. Here are some sites connected to that great heritage, from the city's oldest intact Catholic Church to Irish institutions like McSorely's Old Ale House.
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February 18, 2020

For $4.5M, a giant Greenwich Village loft with a sunken living room and 1,000-square-foot master

The sunken living room at this Greenwich Village co-op is giving off "Mad Men" vibes, while the exposed brick and cast-iron columns are quintessentially downtown loft. Taking up the entire fourth floor at 43 West 13th Street, the three-bedroom apartment is a whopping 5,000 square feet, 1,000 of which is dedicated to the master suite. Other features include 14-foot ceilings, a kitchen with two of everything, and 10 oversized south-facing windows.
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Distinctive Homes

Live across the street from The Strand in this $695K loft duplex

Listing images by Evan Joseph; courtesy of Compass

February 14, 2020

Live across the street from The Strand in this $695K loft duplex

Just around the corner from the bustle of Broadway at 49 East 12th Street, this one-bedroom duplex features dramatic 16-foot ceilings and a full-height lofted bedroom. Though it technically falls within Greenwich Village, it's just two blocks south of Union Square and practically across the street from beloved bookstore The Strand. Best of all, its $695,000 price tag falls nicely within the "under $1 million" category, though maintenance fees will add $1,175 to your monthly expenses.
The full tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

February 14, 2020

Civil Rights, the NAACP, and W.E.B. DuBois: The African American history tied to 70 Fifth Avenue

When we think of great African American historic sites in New York, we typically think of Harlem’s Apollo Theater, Lower Manhattan’s African Burial Ground, or Brooklyn’s Weeksville Houses. But one building that should perhaps join the list is 70 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village, which housed the headquarters of the NAACP, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization; The Crisis, the first magazine published for an African American audience; and the first magazine dedicated to African American children, meant to combat the commonplace demeaning stereotypes of the time, headed by none other than civil rights icon W.E.B. DuBois.
Learn all this history ahead

History

January 31, 2020

The history of how the New York Public Library got its start Downtown

This year, the New York Public Library is celebrating its 125th anniversary. With 53 million items and 92 locations across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, the NYPL is the largest municipal library in the world. It’s also the steward of some of New York’s greatest landmarks, reflecting a century and a quarter of Gotham’s history, and in some cases even more. The roots of this library system can be found in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Noho. The main antecedents of the NYPL which formed the foundation of today’s system— the Astor Library, the Lenox Library, and the New York Free Circulating Library – all began in these neighborhoods just below 14th Street. As a result, this is where New York’s oldest public library buildings and the oldest building housing an NYPL branch are located -- the latter ironically having been where great works of literature were banned and censored before it became a library.
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History

January 30, 2020

City Bakery founder opening a hot chocolate bar in Greenwich Village

City Bakery founder Maury Rubin has spent the past weeks in a "Wonka-ish frenzy," Grub Street tells us, as he prepares to launch his latest venture: the Wonderbon Chocolate Co. Rubin and his partner have taken out a three-month lease on a storefront at 257 Bleeker Street—most recently occupied by Sugar and Plumm—which will feature a menu of twelve hot chocolate flavors in an espresso-bar setting. The opening comes just in time for February, the month Rubin made famous for his hot chocolate festival at City Bakery, a tradition he began in 1992 that attracted more than 50,000 customers each year.
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Food & Dining

For $2.75M, this dreamy Village duplex is the next best thing to a private townhouse

Photo credit: Matt Vacca for Douglas Kampsen, Compass

January 24, 2020

For $2.75M, this dreamy Village duplex is the next best thing to a private townhouse

It's easy to forget that this gorgeous duplex at 136 West 13th Street isn't an entire townhouse. Located on the kind of Village block that inspires envy in even the most jaded passerby, it has all of the best bits within its two gracious floors. With historic charm in full effect and a stylish, sophisticated renovation adding custom design, the two-story, one-bedroom co-op is asking $2.75 million.
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Distinctive Homes

From Civil War generals to Oscar winners: 7 historic figures who called 14-16 Fifth Avenue home

Streetview of 14-16 Fifth Avenue, Map data © 2020 Google; Painting of Henry Breevort via public domain, Photo of General Daniel Edgar Sickles courtesy of the Library of Congress, and photo of Celeste Holm via public domain

January 17, 2020

From Civil War generals to Oscar winners: 7 historic figures who called 14-16 Fifth Avenue home

Madison Realty Capital filed plans last month to demolish 14-16 Fifth Avenue, a five-story apartment building constructed in 1848, and replace it with a 244-foot-tall tower. Because it is located within the Greenwich Village Historic District, it can only be demolished if the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission rules that the building itself is of no historic or architectural merit, and does not contribute to the character of the district (the public hearings where this would be debated and decided have not yet been scheduled). What may seem like a nondescript apartment building actually has an incredibly rich and varied history. Throughout its 170-year history, 14-16 Fifth Avenue was home to Civil War generals, Gold Rush writers, Oscar-winning actors, railroad magnates, pioneering industrialists, inventors, and politicians. What follows is just some of the history behind this easily-overlooked lower Fifth Avenue landmark.
One building, tons of history

Photo credit: Rich Caplan courtesy of Compass.

January 10, 2020

$1.25M Village loft in the Cast Iron Building has private outdoor space and amenities

The classic Greenwich Village residence known as the Cast Iron Building at 67 East 11th Street is every bit the downtown loft its name implies. In addition, it's a doorman building with luxury amenities. Asking $1.25 million, this dramatic pre-war duplex co-op has the 15-foot ceilings loft-lovers crave, plus private outdoor space in the form of a 100-square-foot terrace–a rare perk in a loft.
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Distinctive Homes

Photo credit: Ben Fitchett courtesy of Compass.

January 7, 2020

$7,200/month Village loft with a rooftop ‘cabin’ was once home to John Barrymore

According to the listing for this utterly charming Greenwich Village penthouse loft at 132 West 4th Street, silent film actor John Barrymore lived here a century ago and christened it "The Alchemist's Corner." While the silver screen connection adds stardust to its image, a spot atop an 1839 townhouse, a massive dramatic skylight, and a rooftop garden with a heated porch and den make this $7,200 a month rental opportunity magical all on its own.
Alchemy and views, this way

December 19, 2019

14 historic sites of the abolitionist movement in Greenwich Village

As this year marks 400 years since the first African slaves were brought to America, much attention has been paid to what that means and how to remember this solemn anniversary. The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission issued a story map highlighting landmarks of the abolitionist movement in New York City. Absent from the map were a number of incredibly important sites in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Noho, which were a hotbed of abolitionist activity through the 19th century, as well as the home of the city’s largest African American community. Ahead, learn about 14 significant sites of the anti-slavery movement.
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History

Asking $50M, the Greenwich Village Milbank House is twice as wide as the average townhouse

Photo credit: Cary Horowitz for Brown Harris Stevens.

December 16, 2019

Asking $50M, the Greenwich Village Milbank House is twice as wide as the average townhouse

Between Russian-born billionaire Roman Abramovitch's three-townhouse Upper East Side combo, Sarah Jessica Parker's Village two-fer plans, and the many similar but less newsworthy grandiose schemes by modern-day moguls to collect and build dream castles, the mega-mansion may seem like a sign of 21st-century excess. But the practice has a long history, as evidenced by this 54.5-foot-wide Greenwich Village property at 11 West 10th Street that just hit the market for a trophy-level $50 million, which could set a townhouse record below 34th Street, according to the New York Times. Built by renowned architect Ernest Flagg in the early 1800s, the duo was combined in the early 1900s by investor Jeremiah Milbank, creating a 16,560-square-foot, L-shaped property surrounded by 5,690 square feet of private terrace. Today, it's been renovated from stem to stern and is ready to welcome a new decade's decadence.
Megamansion tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

December 12, 2019

Plans filed to replace historic Greenwich Village houses with a 244-foot luxury tower

Developer Madison Equities filed plans on Thursday to demolish two five-story buildings at 14-16 Fifth Avenue in favor of a 21-story, 244-foot luxury apartment tower. According to The Real Deal, Madison Equities bought the property with City Urban Realty in 2015 for $27.5 million and at the time cited plans to renovate the existing apartments. The buildings currently contain 20 units of “relatively affordable housing” while the proposed new building would comprise 18 “super-luxury” units. The Gothic Revival townhouses date back to 1848 and are landmarked within the Greenwich Village Historic District so the plans can only proceed with approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
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Policy

From top left: Photo of Robert Frost via Wikimedia, Photo of Emily Post via Library of Congress, Photo of Henry Miller via Wikimedia; From bottom left: Photo of James Baldwin by Allan Warren via Wikimedia, Photo of Patricia Highsmith via Wikimedia, and Photo of Margaret Mead via Smithsonian Institution Archives Wikimedia

December 6, 2019

31 literary icons of Greenwich Village

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. One of the city’s oldest and largest landmark districts, it’s a treasure trove of history, culture, and architecture. Village Preservation is spending 2019 marking this anniversary with events, lectures, and new interactive online resources. This is part of a series of posts about the Greenwich Village Historic District marking its golden anniversary. 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 air of sophistication and drama, but because it has attracted some of the nation’s greatest writers over the last 200 plus years. Ahead, learn about just some of the cornucopia of great wordsmiths who have called the Greenwich Village Historic District home, from Thomas Paine to Lorraine Hansberry.
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History

This $2.7M Village duplex across from Film Forum is great for movie buffs

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

November 18, 2019

This $2.7M Village duplex across from Film Forum is great for movie buffs

This two-floor co-op at 200 West Houston Street, asking $2.695 million, may be on a busy Village thoroughfare, but its location across from the critic favorite Film Forum movie theater–and screening-room-ready lower level–might make it the perfect spot for someone who wants to immerse themselves in film. There's room to configure the space differently (it's currently set up as a one-bedroom), and each level has a separate entrance.
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Distinctive Homes

$1.1M Noho duplex is a futuristic white box

Photo credit: Warchol Photography, Courtesy of Compass.

November 12, 2019

$1.1M Noho duplex is a futuristic white box

By Andrew Berman and Hunter Lane of Village Preservation

Located in Noho's nondescript-modernist Bleecker Court at 77 Bleecker Street, this unique home was designed in 2003 by architect and educator Diane Lewis for an art-world client who wanted, according to the listing, "a cross between Mies van der Rohe and Barbarella." She definitely achieved that goal, creating a downtown apartment that's perfect for anyone with collections to archive and display or who is seeking a sleek, pristine home that does a lot in a small space. It's asking $1,075,000.
More views of this modern architectural wonder

Distinctive Homes

17 legendary musicians who called Greenwich Village home

Photo of Bob Dylan by Chris Hakkens on Wikimedia, Photo of Janis Joplin via Wikimedia, Photo of Buddy Holly via Wikimedia, Photo of Jimi Hendrix via Wikimedia, Photo of Lou Reed by Mick Rock on Wikimedia

October 31, 2019

17 legendary musicians who called Greenwich Village home

For generations, Greenwich Village, and particularly the historic district which lies at its core, has attracted musicians of all stripes. They’ve been inspired by its quaint and charming streets and the lively cultural scene located in and around the neighborhood. It would be a fool’s errand to try to name every great musician who ever laid their head to rest within the Greenwich Village Historic District’s boundaries. But as we round out a year’s worth of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the district’s designation, here are just a few of the greats who at one time or another called it home, from Bob Dylan to John Lennon to Jimi Hendrix to Barbra Streisand.
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History

October 22, 2019

Asking $995K, this rustic West Village co-op has soaring brick barrel-vaulted ceilings

Listing images by David Palmieri courtesy of Citi Habitats Housed inside a former printing house built in the 1880s, this one-bedroom at 9 Barrow Street “embraces its rich architectural history,” as the listing notes. Plaster was stripped away during a recent renovation to feature the warm exposed brick and nearly 11-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings. It’s not just the character-filled interior that earns this co-op it’s $995,00 asking price. Located on a quaint, tree-lined Greenwich Village block, the property easily checks off the “great location” box. Elevator access and a small but charming private terrace round out the package.
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Distinctive Homes

October 17, 2019

This $1.5M condo is a study in modern architecture tucked into a historic Village townhouse