VID Takes on Law-Breaking Landlords
By Erik Coler, President of the VID The first time Aaron Carr tried to explain what a state-issued J-51 tax credit was, I had no […]
West Village Houses Today: The Garage Struggle
By Brian J. Pape, AIA Attending Community Board 2’s (CB2’s) full board meeting on July 20th gave me an earful of local news. Following up […]
Historical Commercial Rent Controls in New York City
By Brian J. Pape, AIA Contrary to common belief, there is still rent control for historic commercial buildings in New York City, as was reported […]
Department of Buildings Shrugs as Megatowers Take Over New York City
By Nan Victoria Munger If you want to get to Carnegie Hall, you could practice a whole lot. Or, you could simply raise your eyes […]
Landlord of the Flies: Steve Croman’s Social Diary Is Empty
By Joseph Turco, Esq. Let’s gather what we know about the ever-sinking fortunes of the ‘Bernie Madoff of Landlords,’ Steve Croman. 1. In May 2016, […]
Urban Myth: Landlords Save Money by Keeping Spaces Empty (Part One)
By Steve Wilson Passing by empty storefronts and restaurants, Villagers can often be heard uttering the widely accepted urban “truth”—They (landlords) make money by deducting […]
Temporary Closing of Gourmet Garage
Gourmet Garage, located at 117 7th Avenue South (between West 10th and Christopher Streets), has announced a mid-August temporary closing. The building owner needs to […]
Reflecting on NYCHA
I recently watched a show called “History of China” and it ended with images of how China is doing today. The show included a shot […]
A Stroll Around the Neighborhood: Construction and Development Sites
By Brian J. Pape, AIA You know that you are in a popular neighborhood when there seems to be construction on every block. This stroll […]
Diller Island: The Continuing Saga
By Michael Gruen Opinions vary as to whether Pier 55 (a.k.a. Diller Island) is a desirable project. Does it benefit the public, and if so, […]
Bring Back Commercial Rent Control?
By Brian J. Pape, AIA Bring back? Until recently, I never knew it had existed. All we hear is how high rents and taxes are […]
Reflecting on Gardens and Housing
Dear Editors: In writing about and photographing the gardens at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields and Jane Street, Justin Matthews touches on […]
Amidst Bleecker Street Closures, a Survivor and a Reviver
By Nan Victoria Munger In 1979, Afghan millionaire Abdul Nusraty fled the communist government of Afghanistan, leaving behind his four cars and a 180-worker jewel […]
Landlords and Tenants Agree: London’s Grenfell Tower Fire Was Preventable
By Joseph Turco, Esq. Greenwich Village/Westbeth artist Joyce Rezendes, who resided in London in the late 1960s, often compares its Kensington district to Greenwich Village. […]
Kill The Zombie Park Already Part II: The Fake Alternative
By Alec Pruchnicki It’s much easier to think of an alternative to a controversial project than to complete the years of hard work necessary to […]
Hold the Mayo! The Future of Grocery Prices in the West Village
By W. Russell Neuman I know I should, but I don’t pay a lot of attention to price tags in stores. I should also keep […]
Bread and Roses
By Keen Berger Affordable housing is a top priority. Every community needs housing that is truly affordable. Yes and yes. I agree completely with both […]
Kill the Zombie Park Already Part I: Build Housing
By Alec Pruchnicki It should be dead, but somehow it’s still alive. Advocates continue fighting to keep the Elizabeth Street Garden entirely open space rather […]