169 Avenue A | Block : 438 | Lot #29

Building Date : 1880
Original Use : Residential/Commercial

Original Owner : Louis Rallwagen
Original Architect : William Jose

Description & Building Alterations

The four buildings at 165-171 Avenue A were constructed in 1880 designed by architect William Jose and owned by Louis Rallwagen. They shared an identical facade when completed. The ground floor was home to Brownies, which opened in 1989 as an Irish bar. In 1994 it became known as a venue for indie rock and hosted early gigs by The Strokes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Liars before closing in 2002.

No. 169 features a bracketed cornice with paneled frieze, hooded window lintels, with neo Grec-style triangular pediments at the third story, footed sills, patterned brickwork and decorative beltcourses.

Block : 438 / Lot : 029 / Building Date : 1880 / Original Owner : Louis Rallwagen / Original Use : Residential/Commercial / Original Architect : William Jose

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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.