Poe’s shadow still lingers on West Third Street. This isn’t just any street. It’s a street steeped in history. It’s a street that whispers tales of churches turned cinemas. Of jazz clubs echoing with legends. Of a newsstand with intricate scrollwork.
West Third Street once housed Edgar Allan Poe. At number 85 he lived and wrote. Famous works like “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” were born here. This building hosted Bertolotti’s a beloved Italian restaurant for 70 years. Sadly NYU demolished it. They replaced it with a law school building. The new building does however resemble Poe’s former home. There’s even an annual Poe event.
Walk further and you’ll find the IFC Center. Its peaked roof is a subtle hint. This building was once the West Reformed Dutch Church. Built in 1853 when Sixth Avenue was called West Road. It served as a church until 1893. Then part became a glass factory. Later it transformed into the Waverly Theater. It showed first-run movies and art house films. The Rocky Horror Picture Show even held midnight screenings there. In 2001 it became the IFC Center.
The Blue Note a famous jazz club opened its doors in 1981. Sarah Vaughn Lionel Hampton Dizzy Gillespie and other greats played there. Look for its grand piano-shaped entrance canopy. Nearby stood Ace Hardware. In the 1980s it was a local favorite. It was originally built in 1920 as a garage. Zachary T Piercy’s name still graces the roofline.
Two other clubs once shared a building at 130 West Third. Fat Black Pussycat and Village Underground. The Fat Black Pussycat is named for an earlier club. Bob Dylan Mama Cass Elliott and Tiny Tim once played there. Village Underground sits on the site of Gerde’s Folk City. This legendary folk club closed in 1986. Sadly there’s no official plaque to mark the spot. The building started as an FDNY repair shop in 1875.
A few steps further is a marvel. A pair of brick buildings from 1852 with a stunning wrought-iron portico. Legend says Louis May Alcott wrote Little Women here. That’s untrue. He actually wrote it in Concord Massachusetts.
West Third Street is more than just addresses. It’s a timeline of New York City’s ever-evolving history. It’s a story waiting to be discovered with each step. A story imprinted on every brick. A story that lives on.