Village Trivia
I came across this innocuous padlock on the guardrail of a pedestrian bridge in the Village, but it seemed strangely out of place. Why is it there? Who would put it there? Do you know what it is, and where it is?
Category: Neighborhood
Springtime is a Great Time to Dive into Village History
Village Preservation recently released a raft of wonderful new resources that highlight and bring to life the Village’s rich history.
BOOK REVIEW – Celebrating Big Dreams and The Second Avenue Subway
This lushly-illustrated coffee table tome, Second Avenue Subway: Building New York City’s Most Famous Thing Never Built, is a paean to big dreams and big infrastructure, a welcome reminder that big isn’t necessarily bad.
Jefferson Market Library
Jefferson Market Library history buffs and long-time residents will know that our building exists today due to the hard work of neighborhood activists who fought to have the old, abandoned courthouse saved from demolition and converted to a library.
Carolyn Hester, A Village Folk Legend of the 60s
Carolyn Hester was in the Village when the folkies took over the clubs and streets. And, she put a young harmonica player named Bob Dylan into her band.
Beyond the Keys: Kimball Gallagher’s Night of Music, Meaning, and Connection
I covered 88 International’s founder, Juilliard master pianist Kimball Gallagher, in a different role: the musical artist himself, commanding the stage in a masterful program at Zankel Hall on April 13.
The Story of Rupert & Lulu
Rupert Pupkin and Lulu Bean both hail from the great state of Texas, arriving one year apart via a rescue group called Peyton’s Safe Haven. They’re Heelers born to herd, manage, supervise, and occasionally micromanage ─ and they take this responsibility very, very seriously.
Good-Bye to Japonica
Now upon finding out a few weeks ago from Jeffrey, the owner of Japonica, that my favorite Japanese restaurant was closing at the end of April, I am sadder still. Japonica on University Place, like Elephant and Castle, has been a go-to restaurant since it opened 48 years ago.
My View of the Village
A new Integral Yoga Institute is rising like a phoenix under the direction of Sosie Hublitz, the new CFO and general manager. I had a wonderful conversation with Hublitz who is running this reboot.
The Mayor of West 4th Street
Ali, the smile-beaming mayor of West 4th Street, has been behind the counter since 2007. He knows everyone’s stories and treats the deli like an extension of the living room. Here are my favorite parts of our conversation:
- The Story of Rupert & Lulu
Rupert Pupkin and Lulu Bean both hail from the great state of Texas, arriving one year apart via a rescue group called Peyton’s Safe Haven. They’re Heelers born to herd, manage, supervise, and occasionally micromanage ─ and they take this responsibility very, very seriously.