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It’s a neighborhood that is rich in history and now the city is hoping to preserve it. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering giving historic designation to a large part of the East Village.

"These five or six blocks tell a great story about New York City’s immigrant past: waves of immigration in the 19th century and in the 20th century. So you see the tenements, the row houses, the churches, the synagogues, the theaters -- all of which produced a very diverse culture then and even now," said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Robert B. Tierney.

The commission recently completed a study of close to 300 buildings in the proposed district that is bounded roughly by East 2nd and East 7th Streets between First Avenue and the Bowery, as well as 10th Street on the north side of Tompkins Square Park.

The neighborhood currently has 27 individually landmarked buildings and only one historic district.

Andrew Berman, the executive director for the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, calls the plan a great first step, but says he hopes the designation will include a greater area.

"It's one of the most historic neighborhoods in all of New York City. We think it's great that they are looking at the areas they are looking at which are definitely worthy of landmark designation. We are just also concerned about the areas they are not looking at, which aren’t included which are also worthy of landmark designation," Berman said.

While the historic designation would preserve the integrity and character of the neighborhood, it will create more obstacles for building owners looking to make upgrades. Some say that could be a draw back, while others claim the historic status will only help the neighborhood flourish.

Before it’s approved, the public will have plenty of opportunities to weigh in. The first will be May 12th when the commission officially presents its plan to the community board. It's scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. at the BRC Senior Services Center at Sara Delano Roosevelt Park, located at 30 Delancey Street, between Chrystie and Forsyth.

For information about the proposal, visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/propose/pending.shtml
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