MacDougal Alley

This is the second of the Village alleys I am featuring. Most of the small buildings on this charming gated cul-de-sac were built in the 1830s as stables for the larger homes on Washington Square North and 8th Street, much as those on Washington Mews (see my post from 9/9/06). As the well heeled moved uptown, however, this alley became quite seedy. According to an article by Christopher Gray, the alley was rescued by sculptor Frederick Triebel in 1902; by 1906 the street was already a fashionable art district. In 1907, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney had a studio there and later established the Whitney Museum on 8th Street. There is a longer roster of well known artists and sculptors who have resided here. Originally the alley went from MacDougal Street to Fifth Avenue until the behemoth 2 Fifth Avenue was built in 1955 (the large building in the center of the photo). MacDougal Alley had the last remaining gaslights in NYC ...