Greenwich Village Historic District

170-year-old Greenwich Village buildings will be razed and replaced with high-rise condo tower

Rendering courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Acheson Doyle Partners, Hill West Architects

May 12, 2021

170-year-old Greenwich Village buildings will be razed and replaced with high-rise condo tower

Two five-story apartment buildings in the Greenwich Village Historic District will be demolished to make way for a 213-foot-tall luxury condo tower. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans from Madison Realty Capital and City Urban Realty to raze 14-16 Fifth Avenue, an apartment building that sits just north of Washington Square Park. Preservationists campaigned against the demolition of the building since the project was first announced in 2017, citing the history of the 170-year-old structure as significant enough for protection.
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Policy

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

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

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

December 12, 2019

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

By Alexandra Alexa

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

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

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

Celebrate 50 years of the Greenwich Village Historic District with a neighborhood-wide open house

Via Flickr cc

April 5, 2019

Celebrate 50 years of the Greenwich Village Historic District with a neighborhood-wide open house

By Lucie Levine

Via Flickr cc The Greenwich Village Historic District was officially landmarked in April 1969. To celebrate the district's 50th anniversary, Village Preservation will host a Village Open House Weekend on April 13th and 14th. Throughout the weekend, more than 70 local businesses, houses of worship, theaters, educational institutions, bars, restaurants, and neighborhood landmarks will open their doors, offering walking tours, events, and promotions.
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Events & Things To Do

February 7, 2019

The 10 most charming spots in the Greenwich Village Historic District

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

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 a unique treasure trove of rich history, pioneering culture, and charming architecture. GVSHP will be spending 2019 marking this anniversary with events, lectures, and new interactive online resources, including a celebration and district-wide weekend-long “Open House” starting on Saturday, April 13th in Washington Square. This is the first in a series of posts about the unique qualities of the Greenwich Village Historic District marking its golden anniversary. The Greenwich Village Historic District literally oozes with charm; so much so, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a top-10 list. But with no insult to sites not included, here is one run at the 10 most charming sites you’ll find in this extraordinarily quaint historic quarter--from good-old classics like the famous stretch of brick rowhouses on Washington Square North to more quirky findings like the "Goodnight Moon" house.
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History

Greenwich Village Historic District

170-year-old Greenwich Village buildings will be razed and replaced with high-rise condo tower

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

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

31 literary icons of Greenwich Village

Celebrate 50 years of the Greenwich Village Historic District with a neighborhood-wide open house

The 10 most charming spots in the Greenwich Village Historic District

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