120 St. Mark’s Place | Block : 435 | Lot #24

Building Date : 1851-52, 2006
Original Use : Residential

Original Owner : John Riss(1851-52), Benjamin Shaul(2006)
Original Architect : Unknown(1851-52), Brent M. Porter Architects & Asso.(2006)

Description & Building Alterations

This six-story apartment building at 120 St. Mark’s Place was originally erected in 1851-52 as a five-story tenement.

The building became a Squat (an abandoned building being occupied by “squatters”) in the late 20th century, and it was the last active squat until 2006, when residents were forced to move out for a redevelopment plan. The building was enlarged both horizontally and vertically during this project.

Block : 435 / Lot : 024 / Building Date : 1851-52, 2006 / Original Owner : John Riss(1851-52), Benjamin Shaul(2006) / Original Use : Residential / Original Architect : Unknown(1851-52), Brent M. Porter Architects & Asso.(2006)

Do you know this building? Please share your own stories or photos of this building here!

What is the Building Blocks Project

What does a building mean to someone who lives there? A person who lives on the block? In the neighborhood? In the city? This site presents a wealth of historic information gained from GVSHP’s architectural research survey about the buildings located in the East Village.

The site explores the area generally considered today as the East Village: from a northern border of 14th Street to a southern border of Houston Street, Avenue D in the east to 4th Avenue/the Bowery to the west. You can explore the information about the blocks and buildings featured here in two ways.

Pick a block. Maybe it’s yours, or perhaps it is just your favorite place to shop, grab a bite, or just people watch. Then explore the buildings that make up that block. Or take one of the many guided tours on the site, curated by a collection of organizations and experts from the neighborhood. See how they experience the neighborhood. Then tell us what the neighborhood means to you. The site’s comments section allows you to open a dialogue with others who feel just as passionately as you do about the East Village.