By Salvador V. Bleecker Flower Shop opened in March 2019 as a flower studio located on Bleecker Street in the West Village in Manhattan. It was founded by two Spanish friends, Valeria Castillejo and Bebes Ferrer, who bonded over a passion for flowers, nature and artisan work. When Valeria was looking for an apartment they
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The Grey Marrow
By Loraine Gibney The 20th century saw many advancements in the medical field; however, many people in Greenwich Village, New York experienced much loss and calamity. In the West Village, the Northern Dispensary was established for the treatment of the poor in 1791 in the neighborhood of City Hall. As the West Village grew the
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Envisioning Its Future: Challenges for the Country’s Only Music School for the Blind
Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones, executive director of The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School (fmdgmusicschool.org) By Barbara Chacour SURPRISING HISTORY: The New York Lighthouse for the Blind was started in 1905 by sisters Edith and Winifred Holt (of the Holt publishing family), who had been inspired by a group of blind schoolchildren’s enthusiastic attendance
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The Psychology of Perpetrators, Bystanders, and Victims of the Holocaust
By Leila Amin Attempting to explain human behavior during an event as unfathomable as the Holocaust can seem like an impossible task. However, although a nation of bystanders was crucial to its implementation, so too was an army of active perpetrators, each of whom had to undergo a transformation of their own in order to
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Cell Phone Free Restaurants, Please
By Jill McManus Can anyone tell me of a good restaurant where I can be spared the self-absorbed conversations of cell phone users all around me, and rest my body from microwaves? Many people are trying to fight a robotical addiction to their cell phone. And many others are becoming EMF-sensitive from an overload of
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50th Anniversary of Stonewall: Remembered through Dramatic Work
By Celeste Kaufman Phoenix Lindsey-Hall, a ceramicist, photographer, and mixed media artist, has a story to tell; and what better time to share her story than during the celebration of the Stonewall uprising? She explores themes related to queer communities, and the violence perpetrated against them. Originally focusing on photography, earning degrees from Parsons School
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Rocketman Launches Taron Egerton into Stardom
By Raphael Carty Rocketman is an audacious reimagining of Elton John’s life as a musical set to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin songbook, with touches of whimsy and surrealism creating a fantastically entertaining film. Beneath the stardust and sequins is a darker story than I had gleaned from the headlines over the years. From his parents
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The White Horse—A Pub with Food
By David Porat Having spent a good bit of time in London and England (having visited many times over four or so decades), I have seen and tasted some very poor English food. But I have also had some very good meals in rustic pubs in unassuming, unpretentious, settings. These meals can be straightforward and
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A Banner Year for Terrence McNally
By Robert Heide The year 2019 has certainly been a banner year for playwright Terrence McNally. He won a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award, has a Broadway revival at the Broadhurst Theater of his 1987 two-character play, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, starring Audra McDonald as Frankie and Michael Shannon as Johnny; and
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Nicky and Me
By Webster Stone I am not the guy you’d expect to know a 1970s heroin kingpin. But I knew Nicky Barnes pretty well. I first met him fifteen years ago. He didn’t go by Nicky Barnes, not anymore. He was in the U..S. Federal Witness Protection Program. He went by Clayton “Clay” Williams. The name
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The Dignity of Work
By Siggy Raible I am retired now and have been for almost eight years. But when I worked I found what I did to “earn a living” dignified and fruitful—I managed my husband’s small law firm. We did not make a ton of money, but we earned our keep. I was floored by the news
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Six Patients Thank Their Northwell EMS Providers
Six patients who received life-saving care from the first responders of Northwell Health’s emergency medical services (EMS) came back during EMS Week to personally thank the medical professionals who helped save their lives. Sam Swartz (center), who was shocked back to life after his heart stopped while en route to Lenox Health Greenwich Village during a harrowing day in
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St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine
By Brian J. Pape, AIA In 1916-1919, five Greek families raised $25,000 to buy a tavern at 155 Cedar Street, a three-story rowhouse built around 1830 as a private residence, and transformed it into a church in the bustling immigrant neighborhood populated by large numbers of Greek, Lebanese and Syrian immigrants. It was destroyed in
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IN AND OUT
Things were quieter this month, both for openings and closings, with most of the activity concentrated in the Meatpacking area. Chelsea Market and Gansevoort Market Update Hot Bread Kitchen, the organization which sells ethnic breads made by immigrants has a food incubator to help people interested in food entrepreneurship. Chelsea Market (75 9th Avenue between
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Climate Change Victories
By Tom O’Keefe New York State has witnessed two major climate victories in recent weeks. First, on May 15th, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation rejected the Williams Company’s proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline which would have carried fracked gas under New York Harbor off the coast of the Rockaways to Long Island.
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New Pop-Up Park on Thompson Street
By Jane Heil Usyk We have fond memories of the pop-up park that was on Sullivan Street for a few years. We waited every April for the park’s sponsor to take it out of his basement in big pieces and set it up. He had gone through a lot to get permission to put it
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Country Mouse, City Mouse
By Gordon Hughes One morning while sitting in my favorite coffee joint, Cafe Panino Mucho Gusto, I overheard a couple talking about Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. Now that’s not something one is likely to hear about while sipping a cup of joe with a little skim milk here in the West Village. So ears perked
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We’ll See What Happens
By Tom Lamia With the late arrival of spring here in Maine, there are smiles, greetings and courteous conduct among all about me. The world is right again. Snow tires off, door and window screens on, lawn furniture and Weber barbecue laid out in a circle awaiting family and friends. What’s wrong with this picture?
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A Requiem For Celeste
Celeste Martin: November 11, 1927—December 13, 2018 By Denise Marsa How many times have you heard about a New York City landlady giving every tenant in her multiple landmark rental buildings a special gift bag filled with Christmas goodies? Every year Celeste Martin looked forward to taking her staff, including her driver, carpenter and super,
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Request to Albany: Do the Right Thing
By Penny Mintz There was an exciting and promising development in Albany that bears directly on the Lower Manhattan community’s struggle to save Beth Israel Hospital. It may come to nothing this year, because the legislative session ends on June 19th. But as of this writing, there is still a possibility that both the State
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Then&Now: 501 Hudson and Christopher Street
By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP Then: This March 1933 photo (matching an earlier 1927 photo) of the once four-story-corner-building-next-to-a-3-story-mixed-use rowhouse, describes both as 501 Hudson Street and 131 Christopher Street. Even the GVHD Designation Report of 4/29/69 describes these addresses as one lot, though clearly they are not one building. The 12 over 12
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Robert Heide At The Newark Museum
By John Gilman WestView News writer Robert Heide will be featured on a panel about Pop Art at the Newark Museum in downtown Newark on Saturday, July 13 at 2 PM. The Museum, at 49 Washington Street, is a few short blocks from Newark’s historic Penn Station—best way for Greenwich Villagers to get there is
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Whither the Village?
By Senior Minister at Judson Church The Village can’t be what it used to be any more. Been there, done that. It may be that the times have changed. Since 9-11, most people are more concerned about safety than we are about freedom. We even say good-bye with the words “Be Safe,” as though safe
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The New School Turns 100
An Interview With Mary Watson, Executive Dean, Schools Of Public Engagement at The New School What is important about the school that Mary is now the Dean of is that it was the school that emerged from the Columbia University break away—there must have been many singing phrases and angry words that crackled and sung
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550 Washington Street is Moving Forward
By Brian J Pape, AIA, LEED-AP Oxford’s development along West Street, across from the Pier 40 and Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) headquarters, was originally the 1930s St. John’s Terminal for the New York Central freight railroad viaduct (now the High Line). It will soon be an industrial-loft-type office building when nine stories are added
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The Village’s Own Gem of a Festival—The 13th Annual Manhattan Film Festival at Historic Cinema Village Theater
Villagers attend one of “The coolest film festivals in the World” as ranked by Movie-Maker Magazine The Manhattan Film Festival (MFF) recently completed its 13th year. The festival is rated by Movie-Maker Magazine as one of “25 film festivals worth the entry fee.” The MFF has been located at that historic gem of Independent filmmaking,
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2019 TD Five Boro Bike Tour
By Eric Uhlfelder It seems that every time I cover this most remarkable bicycle event for WestView News, the weather gods conspire to tell me: do something else. It rained, sometimes biblically, the entire day. But there are too many unique parts to this ride to stay safely tucked away at home out of the rain—like
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Watching the Brain Learn
By Adam L. Hall As we race through the information age at warp speeds, one interesting topic to consider is how our capacity to learn new things is affected by the vast amounts of information bombarding our brains at any given moment. Many of us enjoy learning new things, and remain awestruck by the ever-increasing
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Style on the Street: Everyday Pride in The Village
By Karen Rempel | Fashion Editor This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and half a century of LGBTQIA+ liberation. The first NYC Pride March was held in 1970 and the march has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years, its purpose has broadened to include recognition of the
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Pat Lasch: Artist and Seven Generations in the West Village!
By Melinda Photis My mother, Pat Lasch, has the distinction of having had her artwork lost or discarded by the Museum of Modern Art in New York two years ago—not one of MoMA’s high points! But that’s only a small part of her history. My mom was born in Gotham Hospital on 5th Avenue. My
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Moon Child Sprinkles Fairy Dust on Christopher Street
By Karen Rempel | Fashion Editor Moon Child is a magical wonderland of fantastical creations by owner Irina Jatskova Corso. The first thing that catches your eye and draws you into the store is Irina’s mystical handmade dreamcatchers. Then you enter an enchanted forest of unique handmade jewelry crafted from earth stones and crystals for
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Important Reasons Why You Should Have a Will
By Walter Boxer Fifty-five percent of all adults and thirty percent of those over 65 do not have wills. If you die without a will, the state will appoint someone to oversee and administer your estate. Your assets and possessions will be divided as provided for by state specified mandates, and an administrator will be
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The Kate Smith “God Bless America” Controversy
By Robert Heide Before every performance at the legendary Caffe Cino coffee house theatre on Cornelia Street, Joe Cino, the proprietor and guiding light for the plays presented there, would step forward under a spotlight, sometimes wrapped in an American flag, and introduce the play as it was about to start. Over the sound system
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A Fifties State of Mind
By Barbara Riddle John Cassavetes, the Stonewall Inn and the end of the Cold War are all connected in my mind by two words. Two words that describe what we badly need during these politically insane times: resistance and hope; hope and resistance. My thoughts were triggered during a book reading/signing I recently attended, a
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Not Your Grandmother’s Square Dancing
By Kian Lam Kho It is a cool beautiful spring evening in the Village and the main door of P.S. 3 on Hudson Street is slightly ajar. You can hear music wafting through the gap and recognize Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. But over the music a firm sing-song voice is calling
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Stonewall Uprising, 1969: A 50-Year Celebration
By Robert Heide and John Gilman Yes, we were there the night of June 28th, 1969, and all the rest of those famous nights whose impact has been felt around the world. This year’s annual Gay Pride Parade will celebrate the 50th anniversary of that date, and is expected to be attended by a record
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Small Residential Lots Get a City Competition Treatment
By Brian J Pape, AIA, LEED-AP Big Ideas for Small Lots NYC (BISL) is a design competition to find housing solutions for smaller than standard lots (<25’ x 100’), and to explore their potential to contribute to affordable housing options across various site and neighborhood conditions. More than 444 proposals were received from 36 countries
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75 Morton School Update
By Mar Fitzgerald On June 26th the students of MS 297 will mark the close of the first year in their forever home at 75 Morton Street. Due to construction delays, the inaugural class of 160 sixth-graders spent their first year of middle school co-located with the Clinton School for Writers and Artists on 15th
