Greenwich Village

The Urban Lens: From Bob Dylan to Jack Kerouac, see rare photos of the Village’s Beat Generation

© Estate of Fred W. McDarrah

December 7, 2017

The Urban Lens: From Bob Dylan to Jack Kerouac, see rare photos of the Village’s Beat Generation

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Perhaps no single photographer could be said to have captured the energy, the cultural ferment, the reverberating social change emanating from New York City in the second half of the 20th century as vividly as Fred W. McDarrah. McDarrah got his start covering the downtown beat of the Village Voice in the 1950s and '60s, as that publication was defining a newly-emerged breed of independent journalism. McDarrah penetrated the lofts and coffeehouses of Lower Manhattan to shed light upon a new movement known as "The Beats" and went on to capture on film the New York artists, activists, politicians, and poets who changed the way everyone else thought and lived. Through the generosity of the Estate of Fred W. McDarrah and the McDarrah family, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation was fortunate enough to add to its digital archive a dozen of the most epochal of Fred McDarrah’s images of downtown icons, including Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Jane Jacobs, and Allen Ginsberg. And just in time for the holidays, you can purchase your own copy (with all proceeds benefitting GVSHP!).
Learn the story behind all the photos
The long cultural and musical history of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village

Jimi Hendrix, via Wiki Commons

November 30, 2017

The long cultural and musical history of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village

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Jimi Hendrix would have turned 75 this week. In his brief 27 years and even briefer musical career, Hendrix left an indelible mark upon guitar playing and rock music, permanently transforming both art forms. But perhaps in some ways his most lasting impact came from a project completed just three weeks before his death--the opening of Electric Lady Studios at 52 West 8th Street in Greenwich Village. On August 26th, 1970, the studio opened, the only recording artist-owned studio at the time. It provided Hendrix with affordable studio space that would also meet his personal technical and aesthetic specifications. Kicked off by an opening party near summer’s end, Electric Lady Studios was the location of Hendrix's last-ever studio recording--an instrumental known as "Slow Blues"--before his untimely passing on September 18, 1970. Fortunately, this was only the beginning of the studio’s incredible run recording some of the greatest rock, hip hop, and pop albums of the last nearly half-century and only the latest incarnation of one of the Village’s most unusual and storied structures.
The whole history here
$980K Village co-op maximizes space with smart storage and a bonus outdoor patio
November 22, 2017

$980K Village co-op maximizes space with smart storage and a bonus outdoor patio

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This Greenwich Village apartment, at the cooperative 175 Bleecker Street, is within cozy quarters. But the ground-floor, one-bedroom unit is more than meets the eye post-renovation. It's packed with some ingenious storage, a lofted second bedroom space, and a dreamy private patio. After last selling in 2015 for $849,000, it's back on the market with a steeper ask of $980,000. Will someone be willing to spend close to $1 million on a well-designed but modest apartment, right in the heart of the Village?
Take a look around
Artist aeries: Touring downtown’s ‘studio windows’

Artist’s studios on Bleecker Street, via GVSHP

November 9, 2017

Artist aeries: Touring downtown’s ‘studio windows’

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With fall’s arrival and the turning back of the clocks, sunlight becomes an ever more precious commodity. Perhaps no New York living space is more centered around capturing and maximizing that prized amenity than the artist’s studio, with its large casement windows and tall ceilings. So with sunlight at a premium, let’s conduct a brief survey of some of the most iconic artist’s studio windows in the Village and East Village.
But first, a little history
DXA Studio proposes prismatic glass addition for Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square home
November 8, 2017

DXA Studio proposes prismatic glass addition for Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square home

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Just a week after the pair of buildings at 827-831 Broadway was landmarked, not only for their cast-iron architecture but for their long cultural history that most notably includes serving as home to world-famous artist Willem de Kooning, the developer/owner has put forth a proposal for a four-story prismatic glass addition and landscaped roof terrace. Though the architects at DXA Studio say the modern topper's reflectivity is representative of two phases of de Kooning's work--his 1960s rural and pastoral landscapes as seen through the reflection of surrounding plantings and his late 1950s urban landscapes through the building reflections--local groups are not so convinced.
All the details ahead
‘Good Wife’ star Josh Charles buys Devonshire House pad in the Village for $6.3M

Image courtesy of the Stein Team of Sotheby’s Downtown. Credit: Scott Wintrow/Gamut Photos.
Josh Charles image: Wikipedia.

November 2, 2017

‘Good Wife’ star Josh Charles buys Devonshire House pad in the Village for $6.3M

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Alec Baldwin and Amanda Seyfried just got a new celebrity neighbor at the venerable Greenwich Village condo Devonshire House at 28 East 10th Street. According to the Post, "The Good Wife" star Josh Charles just purchased a three-bedroom home at the celebrity-loved building for $6.3 million. According to records, the actor recently sold a two-bedroom condo at 42 East 12th Street for $3.75 million.
Take a look
First look at proposed Greenwich Village tower by Robert A.M. Stern
October 27, 2017

First look at proposed Greenwich Village tower by Robert A.M. Stern

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If there's one neighborhood in NYC where new developments face the most challenges it's Greenwich Village. One of the city's first historic districts and once home to preservation godmother Jane Jacobs, the low-scale community is arguably the most vocal and steadfast in the city. But it looks like Madison Realty Capital didn't get the memo, as they've tapped starchitect Robert A.M. Stern to design a hulking, 27-story condo tower at 14 Fifth Avenue, just a block north of Washington Square Park, according to NY Yimby. And while Stern's signature classy, limestone design fits in well with the stretch's other apartment buildings, the proposed 367-foot height will likely not sit well with locals. However, at this point, the tower is merely conceptual and will still require a public review need Landmarks Preservation Commission approvals.
More looks and details
Off the grid: The little Flatiron Buildings of the Village
October 19, 2017

Off the grid: The little Flatiron Buildings of the Village

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The Flatiron Building is one of the city’s most iconic and beloved landmarks. Since 1902 it’s been a symbol of New York, though ironically its acute angle formed by the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue makes it an unusual sight in our otherwise orthogonal city on a grid. But while the Flatiron Building may be the most famous product of quirky street angles, it’s far from the only one. In fact, the "off-the-grid" streets of Greenwich Village and the East Village contain scores of them, most of which pre-date the 23rd Street landmark.
Take a tour of the little Flatirons
Lorraine Hansberry’s Greenwich Village: From ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ to civil rights

Google Street View of 337 Bleecker Street

October 12, 2017

Lorraine Hansberry’s Greenwich Village: From ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ to civil rights

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Lorraine Hansberry, the trailblazing playwright, activist, and Nina Simone song inspiration was perhaps most closely associated with Chicago. But in fact she lived, went to school, and spent much of her life in Greenwich Village, even writing her best known play "A Raisin in the Sun" while living on Bleecker Street. And shortly a historic plaque will mark the site of her home on Waverly Place.
Learn the full history here
Stonewall Inn to get NYC’s first permanent LGBT pride flag

Stonewall Inn, photo via Wikimedia

October 10, 2017

Stonewall Inn to get NYC’s first permanent LGBT pride flag

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LGBT activists will unveil a rainbow flag outside the historic gay bar Stonewall Inn on Wednesday, marking the 30th anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The Greenwich Village bar at 53 Christopher Street is often credited with launching the gay rights movement after multiple violent police raids in the summer of 1969. President Barack Obama designated Stonewall as a national monument last year, the first National Park Service unit dedicated to the gay rights movement (h/t DNA info).  Stonewall's rainbow flag will be the first permanent LGBT pride flag in New York City. 
More this way
Rock royal Ann Dexter-Jones lists glam Village duplex for $5M
October 5, 2017

Rock royal Ann Dexter-Jones lists glam Village duplex for $5M

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Ann Dexter-Jones, British-born socialite, jewelry designer, mom to the Ronson clan, and once-again wife of Foreigner’s Mick Jones (the pair married 32 years ago, divorced in 2007 and recently remarried) just put her chic three-bedroom Village co-op on the market (h/t New York Post). The 2,075-square-foot home at 42 West 9th Street in the coveted "Gold Coast" neighborhood off lower Fifth Avenue, asking $4.995 million, has a townhouse vibe and plenty of character. Four wood-burning fireplaces, 11-foot ceilings, and pre-war details can be found throughout, in a building with more amenities than a townhouse.
Take the tour
Uncovering the sites of the South Village’s secret ‘Little Italy’

Caffe Reggio, via Prayitno/Flickr

October 5, 2017

Uncovering the sites of the South Village’s secret ‘Little Italy’

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Many think of Little Italy’s Mulberry Street or the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue as the centers of Italian-American life and culture in New York. But some of the most historically significant sites relating to the Italian-American experience in New York can be found in the Greenwich Village blocks known as the South Village--from the first church in America built specifically for an Italian-American congregation to the cafe where cappuccino was first introduced to the country, to the birthplace of Fiorello LaGuardia, NYC's first Italian-American mayor.
All the historic sites right this way
Iconic album covers of Greenwich Village and the East Village: Then and now
September 28, 2017

Iconic album covers of Greenwich Village and the East Village: Then and now

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There’s no shortage of sites in the Village and East Village where great makers of popular music lived or performed. Less well known, however, are the multitude of sites that were the backdrop for iconic album covers, sometimes sources of inspiration for the artists or just familiar stomping grounds. Today, many are hiding in plain sight, waiting to perform an encore for any passersby discerning enough to notice. Ahead, we round up some of the most notable examples, from "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" to the Ramones' self-titled debut album.
Learn about the covers and see what the locations look like today
Alec Baldwin drops $1.3M on third apartment in Greenwich Village’s Devonshire House

Devonshire House via CityRealty; Alec Baldwin via Gage Skidmore/Flickr

September 27, 2017

Alec Baldwin drops $1.3M on third apartment in Greenwich Village’s Devonshire House

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It's like musical chairs for Alec Baldwin and his apartments at the Devonshire House. He bought the Greenwich Village building's penthouse for $11.7 million in October 2011; in June 2012, his wife Hilaria bought the unit next door in her name; and the following year, they scooped up an eighth-floor unit for $2.25 million. Two years ago, however, Baldwin sold this last apartment at a loss for $2.1 million, and this past May, he also unloaded the Eldorado apartment he shared in the '90s with ex-wife Kim Bassinger, both transactions leading many to believe the Emmy-winning Trump portrayer would be departing NYC. But Mansion Global now reports that he's bought another Devonshire unit for $1.3 million. It's on the same floor as his other two units, so it's likely that he'll combine the three into one massive spread.
READ MORE
Ai Weiwei exhibit will displace Washington Square Christmas tree this holiday

Ai Weiwei’s installation will be underneath the Washington Square Arch beginning this October, rendering via Ai Weiwei and Public Art Fund

September 22, 2017

Ai Weiwei exhibit will displace Washington Square Christmas tree this holiday

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An art installation from internationally acclaimed artist-activist, Ai Weiwei, will be displayed at the same time as the Christmas tree underneath the Washington Square Arch this year, displacing the tree, which has been a holiday tradition since 1924. The exhibit serves as one part of the famed Chinese artist’s larger project, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” which will feature ten large fence-themed works and more than 90 smaller installations across the five boroughs. As Bedford + Bowery learned, the plan is moving forward, despite objections from the Washington Square Association, who sought an appeal to have the project withdrawn because it will disrupt the usual holiday celebration, the second oldest tree lighting ceremony in New York City.
More this way
From Willem de Kooning’s loft to the threat of the wrecking ball: The history of 827-831 Broadway

827-831 Broadway today via Wiki Commons (L); Willem de Kooning in his Fourth Avenue studio, April 1946. Harry Bowden, photographer. Harry Bowden papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.Via The Willem de Kooning Foundation. (R)

September 21, 2017

From Willem de Kooning’s loft to the threat of the wrecking ball: The history of 827-831 Broadway

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Underneath the lyrical and much-admired sherbet-colored facades of the twin lofts at 827-831 Broadway lies a New York tale like no other. Incorporating snuff, sewing machines, and cigar store Indians; Abstract Expressionists; and the “antique dealer to the stars,” it also involves real estate and big money, and the very real threat of the wrecking ball. Ahead, explore the one-of-a-kind past of these buildings, which most notably served as the home to world-famous artist Willem de Kooning, and learn about the fight to preserve them not only for their architectural merit but unique cultural history.
Get the entire history
Asking $7.8M, this 1845 West Village townhouse has been renovated and decorated with timeless style
September 17, 2017

Asking $7.8M, this 1845 West Village townhouse has been renovated and decorated with timeless style

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The kitchen may be in the cellar, but this 2,400-square-foot townhouse at 154 West 11th Street in the lovely western reaches of Greenwich Village keeps every inch of interior space clean, bright and airy. At 20 feet wide with three (legit) floors, it's understandable why so much thought was put into making sure space was used wisely. Built in 1845 and surrounded by its historic brethren in the Greenwich Village Historic District, the three-bedroom home has been lovingly restored and made ready for modern family life from to its walnut-stained oak floors and four wood-burning fireplaces to its charming garden.
Explore every floor
Foodies! Enter to win two VIP tickets to ‘Taste of the Village’ (worth $250)

Animation © WooJin Chung for 6sqft

September 6, 2017

Foodies! Enter to win two VIP tickets to ‘Taste of the Village’ (worth $250)

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Animation © WooJin Chung for 6sqft Now in its 15th year, Taste of the Village returns next month with a delicious fundraiser for Washington Square Park. Hosted by the Washington Square Park Conservancy, more than 30 local purveyors will set up under the historic Arch, offering samples of their tasty food and drinks accompanied by performances by Park musicians. This […]

How LGBT activism led to NYC’s most notorious bank robbery: The real story behind ‘Dog Day Afternoon’
August 24, 2017

How LGBT activism led to NYC’s most notorious bank robbery: The real story behind ‘Dog Day Afternoon’

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The most notorious bank robbery in New York City history took place on August 22, 1972, during the decidedly dog days of that long hot summer. Immortalized in the film "Dog Day Afternoon," it was an unlikely anti-hero tale with a backstory that began in Greenwich Village, interwoven with the social and political currents running through the city at the time, most notably the growing LGBT movement that had taken hold after the Stonewall Riots.
Get the whole surprising history this way
Soak in the Village from your lovely outdoor terrace at this $6,750/month apartment
August 21, 2017

Soak in the Village from your lovely outdoor terrace at this $6,750/month apartment

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Just imagine enjoying the dwindling days of summer from this spacious wood patio lined with greenery. The outdoor space is tacked onto a 25-foot-wide Greenwich Village townhouse, at 34 West 9th Street, and your view is of the peaceful backyard gardens. Walk out the front door, though, and you're in the bustle of the Village. As for the apartment, it's still got some of the townhome's original architectural details, including two decorative fireplaces. For the one-bedroom pad, with a bonus, window-less second bedroom, it'll cost $6,750 a month.
Go inside the unit
A 15-year-old Greenwich Village student inspired the hit song ‘Summer in the City’

Image via Wiki Commons

August 17, 2017

A 15-year-old Greenwich Village student inspired the hit song ‘Summer in the City’

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Everyone knows the folk-rock classic "Summer in the City" by the Lovin’ Spoonful, which topped the charts 51 years ago this August in 1966. But fewer know the song’s roots in Greenwich Village--lead singer John Sebastian actually grew up in the neighborhood and the act got their start in the local clubs--and fewer still know a 15-year-old Village student was responsible for a significant part of its composition.
Get the whole story
The Village’s Twin Peaks: From a quirky ‘Swiss-chalet’ to a landmarks controversy

102 Bedford Street in 2015 (left) via Wiki Commons, and as of today, via GVSHP

August 10, 2017

The Village’s Twin Peaks: From a quirky ‘Swiss-chalet’ to a landmarks controversy

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Few buildings capture the whimsy, flamboyance, and bohemian spirit of early 20th century Greenwich Village as does the building known as "Twin Peaks" at 102 Bedford Street. Described as a "wonderfully ludicrous mock half-timbered fantasy row-house castle" by architecture critic Paul Goldberger, the present incarnation of the building was born in 1925 as a radical remodeling of an 1830 rowhouse into a five-story artists’ studio apartment building. In the mid 20th-century, the building became even more iconic with a cream and brown paint job that mimicked its Alpine cottage inspiration. However, a more recent paint job stripped away this history, resulting in a controversial landmarks battle.
The whole story
‘Heard it through the grapevine?’ The source was probably at 6th Avenue and 11th Street

6th Avenue and 11th Street, 1905. Image via Ephemeral New York,

August 3, 2017

‘Heard it through the grapevine?’ The source was probably at 6th Avenue and 11th Street

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On August 6, 1966, the first known recording of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was made by the Miracles. Written by Motown pioneers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, the song was re-recorded several times, most famously by Gladys Night and the Pips and Marvin Gaye, whose version landed on the top of the charts for seven weeks in early 1969. But the famous saying about receiving important news or information through a person-to-person chain of communication significantly pre-dates the Motown era. In fact, plentiful evidence and credible sources say it all goes back to a beloved tavern on the corner of 6th Avenue and 11th Street in Greenwich Village.
more on the history here
$4,000/month West Village rental comes with its very own front door entrance
August 1, 2017

$4,000/month West Village rental comes with its very own front door entrance

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You could pretend you live in your own West Village townhouse with this rental, which comes with a private front door you enter off the street. Located at 344 West 12th Street, a tree-lined and cobblestoned stretch between Greenwich and Washington Streets, your front door will take you right into a pre-war one bedroom with a wood burning fireplace, the original hardwood floors and French doors. Though it's in a co-op building, this apartment is up for rent at $4,000 a month.
See more of the prewar details
CetraRuddy proposes sustainable designs for first office building along the Village’s ‘Silicon Alley’
July 27, 2017

CetraRuddy proposes sustainable designs for first office building along the Village’s ‘Silicon Alley’

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An "oversized Silicon Alley" is what some are calling Mayor de Blasio's plan to transform Union Square and its southern stretches into the city's next tech hub. The main component so far is the massive Union Square Tech Hub proposed to replace the P.C. Richard & Son building on East 14th Street, but Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation are advocating that, in exchange for the building, the city rezone the surrounding blocks to prevent an influx of out-of-scale development. Despite their oppositions, CetraRuddy has revealed on their site two environmentally friendly proposals for the site at 799 Broadway, the former home of the St. Denis Hotel at the southwest corner of East 11th Street. Spotted by CityRealty, the 240-foot, 17-story office building would be the first catering to the Mayor's tech dreams, though the renderings are merely conceptual at this point.
All the renderings and details ahead
Hess Triangle is NYC’s smallest piece of private land

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 17, 2017

Hess Triangle is NYC’s smallest piece of private land

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If you've ever walked by the busy intersection of 7th Avenue South and Christopher Street, you've likely seen people snapping photos of the iconic corner-facing Village Cigars, but what you probably didn't realize is that they were standing on top of New York City's smallest piece of private land. The Hess Triangle sits on the sidewalk at the southwest corner of this Greenwich Village crossing, a small concrete slab with an embedded mosaic that reads "Property of the Hess Estate Which Has Never Been Dedicated For Public Purposes."
Find out the story behind this cryptic message and one of the city's best historic remnants
On this day in 1645, a freed slave became the first non-Native settler to own land in Greenwich Village

Plan of New York  map courtesy of Curriculum Concepts International

July 14, 2017

On this day in 1645, a freed slave became the first non-Native settler to own land in Greenwich Village

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In 1626, the Dutch West India Company imported 11 African slaves to New Amsterdam, beginning New York’s 200 year-period of slavery. One man in this group, Paolo d’Angola, would become the city’s first non-Native settler of Greenwich Village. As the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) discovered, and added to their Civil Rights and Social Justice Map, as a recently freed slave, d’Angola was granted land around today’s Washington Square Park for a farm. While this seems like a generous gesture from a slave owner, d’Angola’s land actually served as an intermediary spot between the European colonists and the American Indians, who sometimes raided settlements. This area, in addition to Chinatown, Little Italy, and SoHo, was known as the “Land of the Blacks.”
Find out more
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