Search Carpe City
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
Subscribe

MacDougal Alley

New York City

History

A Hidden Street Home to Famous Artists

Macdougal alley greenwich village history
macdougal alley greenwich village
Macdougal alley greenwich village history
  • 1 MacDougal Alley, New York, NY 10011

About MacDougal Alley

 & why it made the Carpe City list

  • MacDougal Alley, off MacDougal Street just south of 8th Street, is a hidden treasure.   
  • The alley was originally built in the 1830s for horse stables, but the increasing popularity of theautomobile caused the stables to be transformed into artists’ studios.  
  • The renovated MacDougal Alley is the former home of art patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the Whitney Museum of American Art. The original museum was in a series of studio buildings stretching from West 8th Street to McDougal Alley.  
  • Today, the old Whitney Studio and Museum building is the New York Studio School. Mercedes Matter, the art teacher and founder of the New York Studio School, also lived on McDougal Alley! 
  • A wide range of artists called the alley home, including poet Edward Arlington Robinson, artist Jackson Pollock, and sculptors Isamu Noguchi, Albin Polasek, and Daniel Chester French, who designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.   
  • In the 1830s, New York University moved to the area and is where art professor Samuel Morse gave the first telegraph demonstration. 

Carpe City Trivia

Streets like MacDougal Alley could also be called "MacDougal Mews".

A “mews” is a street where the residences were once stables or carriage houses. Most streets that have “mews” in their names are not truly mews! 

By: Lucie Levine
  • 1 MacDougal Alley, New York, NY 10011

New York City Tours

Great Places Near MacDougal Alley

Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor flight greenwich village
Art & Culture

Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor

Our Favorite Stop in the Village for a Craft Brew

26 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
hangman's elm greenwich village
History

Hangman's Elm

Roots in History? Definitely. Hangings? Maybe.

27 Washington Square North, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
Amelie Wine Bar greenwich village cheese plate
Bars

Amelie Wine Bar

A Favorite French Neighborhood Wine bar

22 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
Loring Place Restaurant
Restaurants

Loring Place

A Great Vibe with a Fresh & Local Veggie Heavy Menu

21 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
electric lady studios exterior greenwich village
Art & Culture

Electric Lady Studios

'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky

52 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
Eleanor Roosevelt's Home entrance greenwich village
History

Eleanor Roosevelt's Home

Pied-à-terre to primary residence

29 Washington Square W, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
washington square park fountain greenwich village
Art & Culture

Washington Square Park

Iconic Greenspace Considered the Heart of Greenwich Village

14 Washington Square N, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
Blue Hill food greenwich village
Restaurants

Blue Hill

Intimate Landmarked Speakeasy Offering a Unique Epicurean Experience

75 Washington Pl, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village
CO Bigelow Interior greenwich village
Art & Culture

C.O. Bigelow

Historical Apothecary with a Nice Selection of Beauty Products

414 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Greenwich Village

More Great Walking Tours

Subscribe

Sign up to our monthly e-mail about the latest and greatest places for food, wine art and history

No thanks.