it takes a village

IMGP2431.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

Snapped in Greenwich Village. Michael and I popped in to buy a pack of Nat Sherman's for a friend of his.

Of this kooky little shop- there is an interesting fact to point out:

laid permanently in in the sidewalk (you can just make out the point of the plaque right at the door) is a marker that reads:

"Property of the Hess Estate
which has never been dedicated for public purposes"

"There used to be a five-story residential building on Christopher Street called the Voorhis. It was condemned in the 1910s to make way for the IRT subway. However, the Voorhis' owner, David Hess, refused to surrender this small plot to the city to become part of 7th Avenue South's new sidewalk. The Hesses created this mosaic to let everyone know of their small (VERY small) victory against the city.

Village Cigars moved to its present corner site in 1922, and bought the 500-square inch property from the Hesses for $1,000. The mosaic has stayed put."