Building: 22 Grove Street

22 Grove Street, nestled near the intersection of Bedford and Grove in New York City’s celebrated West Village, is an enchanted location. The word quintessential is overused, but how can you not think it when you walk out the front door and facing you is the historic wooden house at 17 Grove Street which has survived in near pristine condition since 1822? Just behind it is 102 Bedford, the whimsical “Twin Peaks” apartment house owned by Clifford Daily and once called home by such luminaries as Cary Grant, Walt Disney and Miles Davis. A few steps to the west is Grove Court, which is described on NYC-Architecture.com as “a charming, secluded mews built for the working-class population of the West Village. It is a good representation of the style used in the 1820s for residences designed by builders rather than by architects.“ Grove Street is quintessential West Village.

The current cooperative apartment building at 22 Grove dates from 1930; and from the lime green vine ornamental lintel over the street entrance to the first floor lobby, it exudes art deco. Built by The 22 Grove Street Corporation (Henry Kimmel, President), it originally had 35 units. There are at least 3 combined apartments in the building today and an array of studio, 1 and 2 bedroom units.

Prior to building the current six story structure, the address 22-24 Grove Street was occupied by a three-story building housing The Grove Street Theater. The theater was built as a small opera house in the 1920s. It opened on March 15, 1926 with “The Immortal Hour.” It was an attempt to start in the United States, as already existed throughout Europe, a system of small opera houses to supplement big opera houses like the Metropolitan Opera. By October 1927, the theater had been leased to a German Repertory Theater (Deutsches Theatre) under the direction and management of Erni Belllin. The 25 member troupe and 12 musicians performed one evening of drama and 5 operettas a week.

The current six story structure is located on a plot measuring 44’ x 100’. The apartments feature decorative fireplaces, arched doorways, Tudor style stucco walls and nine foot ceilings. 22 Grove is located just east of the building that is used as the façade of the apartment building in the popular sit-com Friends and that also houses the intimate restaurant The Little Owl. You will often find tourists gathered at the intersection of Bedford and Grove, cameras in hand. Quintessential West Village, indeed.

Description provided by:Philip Koeber