396 BLEECKER STREET’S backyard garden. Photos by Frank Veilson.

By Gordon Hughes

It’s very prestigious for people on the Upper East Side or for that matter Upper West Side to say they live in a pre-war building. They are rather cocky about that fact. It means the building was erected before World War II. Well I live in a pre-war building in the West Village. It too is pre-war. Real pre-war.

Yes, before WWII, WWI, The Spanish American War or any number of incursions, primarily south of the border, and yes before the Civil War. Now that’s what I call Pre-War.

New York City records place the construction date of the first two houses that make up the co-op buildings on Bleecker Street and West 11th Street at 1852/3.

Now, for those of you who read WestView News, it is not a bulletin that the Village has gone through a demographic change over the past ten years. There are brownstones that are being bought up and transformed into McMansions. One only has to look at West 11th Street to see that. That said, the Village still holds on to its eclectic profile. The buildings that make up our co-op are a great profile of people living in the Village and the story I want to share.

Located on Bleecker between Perry and 11th Streets, this unique set of structures enjoys both a rich history and today a remarkable artistic group of owners. The houses were originally built for Charles Schultz who owned other properties on Bleecker St. Mr. Schultz’ buildings were standouts. Both had peaked roofs with gabled ends that, along with their chimneys, made these buildings unique. When they were constructed both buildings had storefronts. That was changed sometime in the early 20th century when the stores were converted into apartments. In 1988 the building went co-op and in 2013 the co-op board that oversees both buildings on 11th St. and on Bleecker converted one of the apartments on Bleecker into a store again. Special care was taken to insure both the architectural integrity and historic appearance of the building. The other building in the co-op is located on W. 11th Street between Bleecker and Hudson; four stories constructed in 1860. Originally with a storefront, which was converted into an apartment mid 20th century, remarkable lintels that remain today and skylights were added in the 1950’s to create a dramatic roof line not to mention dramatic top floor apartments—several of which are duplex apartments.

EXTERIOR OF 396 BLEECKER STREET with Christofle storefront.

All this said about the two buildings leads us to the real gem of this co-op which is the backyard. Now rumor has it, that about a hundred and fifty years ago horses were stabled there. Today there is a multi-level landscaped garden with a fountain and a variety of seating areas; an oasis within the city. During the Gilded Age the likes of Mrs. Astor housed themselves on the Upper East Side. In terms of social climbing and all that went with it, the Upper East Side has not changed all that much. People are still wearing Belgians. In the West Village not much has changed in terms of the indigenous natives from when Sinclair Lewis lived there in what is now the headquarters of WestView News. The Bleecker/11th Street co-op reflects that to a T. Over a third of the residents are French. One of the most popular French comedians lives between Paris and the Village. A French antique dealer whose store is in the Village (Le Fanion) travels between the West Village and Provence, a French newspaper columnist lives between Paris and the Village. There are others as well and it makes cheese and wine gatherings on early summer nights in the garden tons of fun, especially when they are joined by a mid-century antique dealer, a movie director, two movie producers, a Broadway producer, owner of a talent agency, an actor, an actress, a noted Professor at Princeton, an expert Greenwich Village historian/realtor and even a surgeon! An amazing assembly of talented and interesting people. Occasionally the garden is reserved by our retail store—Christofle (also of French origin) for cocktail parties when they are launching a new line or just as a special “merci” to their best customers. Fortunately we are also invited to those as well! No Belgians but there are lots of espadrilles. It’s a nice place to visit and I’m sure glad I get to live here too!

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