A group consisting of impassioned current and former Greenwich Village residents has been formed to push back against the ongoing commercialization of the Village (& just about everything…).
A newly launched street poster campaign begun by Save Our Village features the image above of the Arch covered in corporate logos with Citi Arch at the top.
The group’s mission:
Saveourvillage.org is a project rooted in love and respect. When you feel such a deep connection to what you love, you take responsibility for it. Responsibility leads to action.
Many of us have left our home, we are either unable to afford to live in Our Village or no longer feeling the inspiration to create. Many of us are artists in exile, awaiting the dream in belief that one day we will be able to return to our home.
This project has been a return to our roots, understanding what we have been given and that it is now our responsibility to stand up and protect what we love.
The root of why we are taking a stand now is that we recognize that each of us would not be the people that we are without the magic of The Village and we want others to continue the tradition of creativity that we have received.
Only from researching the historic evolution of art and culture here, do we stand to understand the fountain of wisdom that we are so lucky to be a part of.
(To be successful, activism campaigns like this have to be ready to stay in there for the long haul, even when it may get tedious and enthusiasm and numbers of people seem to wane.)

The fact that private conservancies are being given the keys to our city parks illustrates just another chain link in this manipulative fence of privatization and commercialization.
The result of this continuing “trend?” Our public spaces and the city itself losing their soul.
We think that the above — selling naming rights to the Washington (Square) Arch — could never happen… but if this privatizing path that we’re being led on continues, is it really that improbable?
Images: Save Our Village Facebook
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