Grove Street – Then And Now (Part 2)

By Richard Eric Weigle and Michael Anastasio

How is it possible that one tiny street in Greenwich Village could have such an impact on history, pop culture, film, literature and lifestyle? In February we wrote about “Hollywood On Grove” and “Literary Greats On Grove.” Here’s more about this special street and its impact on New York City’s culture and history.

History On Grove
In 1799 when Grove Street was little more than a dirt road traversing an apple and cherry orchard, it was called Columbia Street. For some reason it was quickly changed to Cozine Street, named for a well-known family living nearby. It then became Burrows Street named for William Burrows, a naval war hero. Perhaps, not to have it confused with nearby Barrow Street, it was changed one last time to Grove Street reflecting the nearby orchard and groves of trees in the area. To this day Grove Street is one of the greenest streets in all of New York City.

Arriving at Grove Street from the east, where it splits off from Christopher Street at Waverly Place, one notices an interesting row of single family houses on the left with their various architecture styles leading up to a towering brick apartment building. To the right, across Christopher Park, through the trees, one can glimpse the historic Stonewall Inn where a police raid in 1969 led to three days of riots that began the Gay Civil Rights Movement. In 1970, The Christopher Street Liberation Day March commemorated those riots and eventually became the annual Gay Pride Parade. The Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park, with Grove Street as its southern boundary, have become The Stonewall National Monument. How many streets in NYC can boast of a National Monument?

Heading west across Seventh Avenue, you’ll find the block which is home to Marie’s Crisis. This is where Thomas Paine who wrote Common Sense, The Rights of Man and The Age of Reason, once lived. He is considered by many to be the Father of the American Revolution. Paine died on this site on June 8, 1809. Tourists from around the world come here to pay homage where a plaque commemorates him.

The farther west one proceeds, the more residential the street becomes. On the right, soon after crossing Bleecker Street, is 45 Grove St., an impressive Federal-style manor house built in 1830. Once a freestanding mansion, it has since been divided into apartments, hence the fire escapes on the front of the building. On his way to Washington D.C. in 1865, John Wilkes Booth stopped at number 45 to enlist the aid of his friend and fellow actor, Samuel K. Chester who lived there. Booth had a plot to take over the government, kidnap President Lincoln and take him to Virginia. When Chester showed no interest in his friend’s scheme, Booth modified his plan to assassinate Lincoln, a task he could accomplish alone. One short visit to Grove Street and the course of history was changed! In addition, 17 and 45 Grove were reportedly stops on the Underground Railroad. There are tunnels under the sidewalks to this day that led up from the Hudson River where slaves arriving by boat could be smuggled through the streets of Greenwich Village to relative safety. There’s even rumored to be a tunnel, long ago boarded up, that connects the former Chumley’s Speakeasy on Bedford Street to 17 Grove, apparently for quick escapes during the police raids of the Prohibition era.

Lifestyle On Grove
Time and again we hear non-New Yorkers say, “I love New York but I could never live there.” These people have never been to Grove Street! It’s where neighbors come together in the spring to plant flowers up and down its blocks. We hang bird houses, walk our dogs and pick up after them, kick the occasional piece of litter to the curb, congregate on stoops sharing stories of our days, sometimes sipping wine and waxing poetic about how much we love living here. We know our postal carrier by his first name and actually talk to our neighbors. We are proud and happy residents of Grove Street, “Villagers” in our aptly named “Greenwich Village.”

While Grove Street is a little oasis of relative calm and beauty, it is still in close proximity to shopping on Bleecker Street, Off-Broadway theaters with such venerable names as Lucille Lortel, Cherry Lane and Minetta Lane, The IFC and The Quad Cinemas, and The Whitney Museum. Nearby are the promenades along the Hudson River, The Little Island and The Highline. We also have some of the finest dining in the city including The Little Owl, Buvette, Emmett’s On Grove, I Sodi, and Via Carota, and some of the most popular bars — Grove Social and Bar Pisselino. We are even close to the subway.

While the nature of the neighborhood has changed over the years the essence of what has always made Grove Street special has remained. With its restaurants and bars, Grove Street isn’t as quiet as it once was, but it has never looked better. And it’s never been safer. At police precinct meetings we now talk about delivery bikes on the sidewalks and dining sheds instead of murders and rapes. New York is a city of change and Grove Street has changed along with it. This lovely little street gives a lesson about the futility of trying to hang on to the past. As the city changes, so must we. With every loss something is gained. Who knows what the future may hold for Grove Street? Whatever happens, it is sure to remain one of the most charming and live-able blocks in all of New York City.

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This concludes our two-part series on Grove Street.