East Village
Houston to 14th Streets; the East River to the Bowery
The East Village is a district of New York City, United States on the East Side of Lower Manhattan. In the north between 14th Street and Houston Street in the south it is known as the area east of the Bowery and Third Avenue. The East Village has 3 parts. Little Ukraine, close to Second Avenue and 6th and 7th Streets; and Bowery, located near the homonymous street, are the avenues of the city which have one-letter names east from First Avenue.
Originally the Lenape Americans inhabited the area today referred to as the East Village. The Lenape traveled to the shore in the summer to fish and inland to hunt and to raise crops in autumn and winter during different seasonal seasons. The people of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam are situated mainly under the current Fulton Strait, while to the north are a number of small plantations and big businesses then known as the bouwers. Manhattan was bought by Peter Minuit of the Dutch West Indians in 1626 who served as director general of New Netherlands.There were several free or ‘half-free’ Africans enclaves around these farms which were a barrier between the Dutch and the Native Americans. One of the biggest was the “only independent ghetto” of this kind in Manhattan and was located along the new bowery between Prince Streets and Astor Place. The black farmers were among the earliest in the region.
Due to the increase in real estate prices following the success of the Arts scene, East Village became more gentrified in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Throughout the 1970s there were relatively low rents and many would prefer to stay in the area. But, the Times reported that as early as 1983, many of the businesses of long-term origin and immigrants were forced to leave the East Village because of the influx of artists. By next year, young people became part of the population of the area. Nevertheless, there was still violence and drug sales became available in Tompkins Square Park.
Landmark Efforts
Local civic organizations like the GVSHP actively seek to ensure the preservation and conservation of the neighborhood’s architectural and cultural heritage for the East Village and district landmark designations. At the beginning of 2011, two historic districts in East Village were proposed by the New York City Landmark Protection Boards: one tiny district along 10th Street, north of Tompkins Square Park and one larger, low Second Avenue district. It was expanded before later. In January 2012, LPC named the Historic District of East 10th Street. In October, the LPC was also renamed the Historic District of East Village / Lower East Side.
A number of losses were also part of significant efforts. In 2012, the site was demolished starting in 2013 and, notwithstanding the demands of the GVSHP and related groups to identify the christian school, church and presbytery of Mary Help. In 2011, a demolition to make way for a university dorm was approved in an early 19th century federal home on 35 Cooper Square — one of the oldest in Bowery and East Village. On appeals from civic organizations and elected officials. In fact, LPC does not work on a fixed schedule, leaving some “calendar” classification requests indefinitely available.
