1918 Vincent Pepe Real Estate Broadside Map of Greenwich Village - Gentrification

A fascinating bit of New York City ephemera, this is a double-sided advertising broadside map of Greenwich Village promoting the real-estate developments of Vincent Pepe (1886 - 1935) - the driving force for the gentrification of Greenwich Village from 1915 - 1925.

A Closer Look

The map details the small part of Greenwich Village that, under Pepe's eye, first underwent gentrification: east of 8th Avenue, south of 14th, north of Spring, and west as far as Washington Square and Wooster. Residential streets are indicated with double lines.

The verso features a May 1918 article first published in Vanity Fair that laments or praises (it is ambiguous) the district's gentrification at the hand of developer Vincent Pepe. It describes how the 'bohemians' of the Village have been driven west of 8th Avenue to Sheridan and Abingdon Squares by high rents, displaced by monied dilettantes yearning to be associated with the Village's famous artsy bohemians. It details Pepe's acquisition and renovation of dilapidated townhouses and their transformation into multi-unit apartment buildings. In one voice, it both celebrates the preservation of this historic district and laments the loss of the edgy bohemians that made it famous.

Vincent Pepe - Gentrifier of Greenwich Village

Vincent Pepe (1886 - 1935) emigrated to the United States from Italy in 1887 when he was just a year old. His father started a real estate business, and as a young man, Pepe followed suit, recognizing the beautiful but rundown historic townhouses and bohemian reputation of Greenwich Village as an ideal combination for profitable redevelopment. Pepe controlled many properties in and around Greenwich Village, but his signature development was the Minettas - a cluster of streets known for libertarian anything-goes nightlife even in the 19th century. On the west side of Minetta Street, Pepe acquired 13 buildings, renovated them, and combined their backyards into a common garden. He accomplished a similar feat with 1, 3, and 5 Minetta Lane and 17 Minetta Street. Although he promoted the developments as 'for artists', few of whom could afford the new apartments. Pepe, himself a wealthy man, lived only a few blocks away at 30 West 11th Street. Pepe came to a sad end. The Great Depression (1929 - 1939) proved hard on his real estate interests, and he killed himself in 1935.

Publication History and Census

This broadside was printed on behalf of Pepe Brothers Real Estate. The quoted article was written by Elmer Davis and first published in the May 1918 issue of Vanity Fair. We believe this broadside to be contemporaneous with the article and Vincent Pepe's most active period. This is the only known example.