CHARACTERS OF THE VILLAGE

Andrew Berman, Preservationist and Activist

By Brian and Joy Pape

Anyone living or working in lower Manhattan has probably heard of Andrew Berman. He has been the face and voice of historic preservation in Greenwich Village and beyond since 2002, when he became executive director of the Village Preservation organization.

Although Greenwich Village has a long history of preservationists working to save the special character of the Village, such as Jane Jacobs and friends, it wasn’t until 1980 that Regina Kellerman and others formed the Greenwich Village Trust for Historic Preservation (perhaps to match the National Trust moniker). While sharing the Salmagundi Art Club mansion at 47 Fifth Avenue, Kellerman became the first executive director in 1982, and in 1984 made a slight name change to Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Since 1999, it has occupied the former rectory of St. Mark’s in the Bowery Church at 232 East 11th Street, and rebranded in 2019 as Village Preservation (online at villagepreservation.org).

Here’s our interview with Berman.

Andrew, you are well known in the Village for your tireless advocacy for preservation, so what brought you to the Village and to this profession?
I was born in New York City in 1969 when my parents lived in the Bronx. When I was only one, my family moved to a new affordable housing development in the Bronx called Coop City. It was isolated from the rest of the city, so I took every opportunity to come down to the Village with my school friends because it offered such an amazing variety of experiences.

When I was 15, we visited Washington Square Park where I recognized David Byrne, of the Talking Heads. He was my idol, at the peak of the Heads’ popularity, and I was in awe of seeing him in person out taking a walk. I followed him for blocks down to Greene Street in SoHo until he entered a building. I’ll never forget it. It left an impression of what the Village had to offer.

Even while I was at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, I kept coming back to the Village. I graduated with a degree that emphasized art and architectural history, and I was also politically active for various causes. After graduating, I moved to Hell’s Kitchen in 1991, started working for City Councilperson Tom Duane in 1993, and continued when he became a state senator. When the offer came in 2002 for the position of executive director at Village Preservation, I thought it was a perfect fit; I’ve been there ever since.

What are your days like, especially since the pandemic shutdowns?
I remember when the shutdown started and everything was adjusted for stay-at-home or away from crowds and remote activities. We don’t have a car so we walk everywhere, especially to and from the Village Preservation office, about a 45 minute walk. Fortunately, my husband’s parents live on the Upper West Side and we could borrow their car to get to further places.

It’s been great getting back to in-person meetings, rallies, and get-togethers. Being around the Village nearly every day is never boring, and neither is my job. The Village brings people from all over the world to experience the special architecture, history, and atmosphere that nowhere else has.

I am humbled by my respect for the job I have of sharing this special history and character with others on a daily basis. I get to connect with others over the respect of these features and the cultural significance worth protecting.

What are your favorite things to do in the Village?
There is always something new to explore and discover, and I miss some of my favorite places from the past. Two places that continue to attract my attention are the Twin Peaks house at 102 Bedford Street with its bohemian and quirky style, and Westbeth, a momentous achievement to repurpose a large abandoned commercial laboratory and office building into one of the first artist loft residences that is still thriving today; historic preservation at work!

Professionally, my passion is to work to expand the themes of preserving the special character and cultural significance of this special place, to show people how this benefits the city and the world, even while there is a way and a place for appropriate new construction, as we’ve shown in our studies and reports. We’ve secured historic status for over 1,300 buildings and districts in the South Village, Meatpacking, East Village and NoHo areas. We’ve linked the lives of people and events with the places in the Village, which express the historic cultural value, besides the architecture. Saving important places around the LGBTQ experience is one example of that.

What are your least favorite things?
We work very hard to show people the long and short term benefits of historic preservation, so the resistance from government agencies and real estate developers (money and lawyers) can be very frustrating, especially when promises or laws are not followed. It feels like a David vs. Goliath imbalance, but we are committed to continue to protect our Village heritage, and sometimes we win.

Any parting words?
I feel fortunate to work in Greenwich Village, where I meet people from all over the city and the world. People have contributed to Village Preservation who have only visited us from far parts of the world, but they recognize the magic of this place. So, even though we may be going through hard times right now, ultimately I think we will get to a better place for our city, country and world that we envision.