West Village in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Jane Jacobs

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 23, 2022

1. Jane Jacobs Marker

Inscription.
Jane Jacobs
May 4, 1916 - April 25, 2006

The author and urbanist bought this 1842 rowhouse in 1947 and remained until 1968. While here, Jacobs helped lead successful campaigns to ban cars from Washington Square, to defeat Robert Moses' planned Lower Manhattan Expressway, and to stop his plans for "urban renewal” demolition in the West Village. She wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities while living here.

Erected 2020 by Village Preservation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Charity & Public Work • Women. In addition, it is included in the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 4, 1916.

Location. 40° 44.122′ N, 74° 0.373′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in West Village. Marker is on Hudson Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 555 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Greenwich Village Historic District (within shouting distance of this marker); The Family (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hart Crane (about 500

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feet away); Greenwich Village Historic District Extension (about 600 feet away); 134 Charles Street (about 600 feet away); Sinclair Lewis (about 600 feet away); Abingdon Square Park (about 700 feet away); Abingdon Square World War I Memorial (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

Also see . . .
1. Historic plaque marks the Greenwich Village home of Jane Jacobs (The Villager, Nov. 18, 2020). Short article that provides a synopsis of the virtual online plaque unveiling for Jacobs.

Excerpt: "In 1961, she spells it all out in her book The Death and Life of American Cities: what makes cities safe or not, what constitutes a neighborhood, why some neighborhoods remain poor and others reconstitute themselves. She helps define what makes cities work."

(Submitted on May 25, 2022.)

2. Jane Jacobs (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: "Jane Jacobs OC OOnt (née Butzner; 4 May 1916 – 25 April 2006) was an American-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics. Her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) argued
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 23, 2022

2. Jane Jacobs Marker - wide view
that "urban renewal" and "slum clearance" did not respect the needs of city-dwellers.

(Submitted on May 25, 2022.)

Jane Jacobs Marker - wider view image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 23, 2022

3. Jane Jacobs Marker - wider view

Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 105 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 25, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.