By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP In the 17th Century Wouter van Twiller operated a brewery here before this ty street was laid out the early 19th Century. The first documented mentn of Gay Street appeared the Common Council mut of April 23, 1827. Gay Street was wined 1833. 1820s perd ho
Contents:
- GAY STREET, GREENWICH VILLAGE
- IS GAY STREET REALLY ‘GAY’?
- THERE’S SOMETHG QUEER ABOUT TWELVE GAY STREET
- THEN&NOW: THAT GAY STREET!
GAY STREET, GREENWICH VILLAGE
Over the years, Gay Street has been rich wh showbiz and lerary figur and has been the subject of plenty of movie shoots * waverly place and gay street *
Between Waverly and Christopher jt wt of 6th Avenue is a short dogleg lled Gay Street, which ntas a number of handsome Feral-style buildgs and has a varied lore.
The name of the street predat Greenwich Village’s gay muny by several s, but the rivatn is dispute. In Namg New York, Sanna Feirste claims was named for Sidney Howard Gay (1814-1888), edor of the Chigo and New York Tribun and a proment abolnist, but The Street Book, Henry Mosw says the name ‘Gay Street’ appears the Common Council mut of 4/12/1827 — when Sidney Howard Gay was thirteen. Though is narrow now, for s first , Gay Street was even narrower.
Over the years, Gay Street has been rich wh showbiz and lerary figur and has been the subject of plenty of movie shoots, as you might image. Even though Gay Street is que short, s entire length nnot be seen om eher end bee of the bend tak jt south of Christopher Street.
IS GAY STREET REALLY ‘GAY’?
It's one of the quatt and most trigug streets the Wt Village. It's loted jt a block om the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the morn gay rights movement. And as Off the Grid favore Jerry Sefeld would say, 's th, clean, and neat. So honor of Thursday's Natnal Comg Out Day, Off * waverly place and gay street *
Lookg south on Gay Street.
Two buildgs wh ontage on Gay Street actually have Christopher Street addrs.
THERE’S SOMETHG QUEER ABOUT TWELVE GAY STREET
On the other si of Gay Street is the largt buildg ontg on , #10 Christopher, a massive 7-story brick loft buildg that went up 1903.
#17 (left) and #15 Gay Streets. #18 Gay Street was built 1831, wh a 4th story add 1883. #16 Gay Street was built 1828 for merchant Francis Barretto, who was also an assemblyman Hunts Pot Wtchter County which was later part of the Bronx.
#14 (right) and #12 Gay Street are tws, though not intil.
THEN&NOW: THAT GAY STREET!
Both were nstcted 1828, makg them among Gay Street’s olst buildgs. #10 Gay Street is a 5-story brick apartment buildg nstcted 1892, and closely rembl #143 Waverly Place around the rner; they were likely built at the same time. #13 Gay Street was built 1844, the same year as s neighbors #15 and #17.
#11 (left) and #9 Gay Street were nstcted by Thomas Cummg, who also owned and built several Gay Street properti, 1860, replacg stabl. Lookg toward Waverly Place om about #10 Gay Street.