Ada Louise Huxtable March 14, 1921 – January 7, 2013 A pioneering critic who made architecture part of the public discourse, Ada Louise Huxtable was the first full-time architect critic on any American newspaper when named to that position at The NewYork Times in 1963. In 1970, she was awarded the first Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism. She left The New York Times in 1981 to become one of the first MacArthur Fellows, and from 1997 to 2012 she was the architecture critic of The Wall Street Journal. Known as the Dean of American architectural criticism, she was the author of eleven books. A magna cum laude graduate of Hunter College (1941); in 1942 she married industrial designer L.Garth Huxtable.

Albert Sprague Bard December 19, 1866 – March 25, 1963 For over 60 years, from 1901-1963, Albert S. Bard practiced law and pursued his civic activities from his office here. He was a founder of the Citizen's Union, an early President of the Municipal Art Society, and an officer of the Fine Arts Federation. Bard was a national authority on "aesthetic regulation," and a leader in early NYC preservation efforts, and the author of, and leading advocate for the "Bard Act," the ground-breaking NY State legislation passed in Albany in 1956, which provided NYC the legal authority to adopt, in 1965, its Landmarks Law. The NYC Law set the standard for the nation, and is responsible for the protection of the architectural and historical treasures of NYC, including this building, once the city's largest office building.

Andy Warhol 1928-1987 The Pop artist best known for his silkscreens of cultural icons, including Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Chairman Mao, and Campbell's Soup cans, lived here from 1974 to 1987. The founder of Interview magazine and producer of underground films such as Chelsea Girlsi (1966) and Trash (1970) predicted, "everybody will be world-famous for fifteen minutes."

Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth) 1895-1948 "The Sultan of Swat" led the New York Yankees to seven pennants between 1920 and 1934. Ruth hit 714 career home runs, a record until 1974. He lived here for several years, beginning in 1929, and then moved to 173 Riverside Drive

Barnett Newman January 29, 1905 - July 4, 1970 Born on the Lower East Side, the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland, abstract expressionist Barnett Newman was one of the foremost color field painters of the mid-twentieth century. His rejection of expressive brushstrokes, in favor of harder-edged fields of pure flat color, was a precursor to minimalism, and an important influence on younger artists. Many of his works had a philosophical bent, and reflected his interest in myths and the primitive unconscious. His trademark "zips", a lifelong feature of his work, were characterized by a thin, vertical line that zips through large areas of color. Newman's series, "The Stations of the Cross" (1958-66), considered the peak of his achievement, and started shortly before he moved here with his wife, Annalee, has been interpreted as a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. His best-known sculpture, "Broken Obelisk" (1963) depicts an inverted obelisk, whose point balances on the apex of a pyramid.

Bella Abzug July 24, 1920 – March 31, 1998 Born in The Bronx to Russian immigrants, Bella Abzug was a graduate of Hunter College (1942) and Columbia Law School (1947). A labor and civil rights lawyer, much of her work was pro bono defense for victims of injustice. A cofounder of Women Strike for Peace (1961), the national women's peace movement, and the National Women's Political Caucus (1971), created to increase women's participation in politics, she entered politics with a successful run for Congress (1970). On her first day there, Abzug introduced a bill to end the Vietnam War; in 1975, she introduced the first Congressional gay rights bill. After an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate (1976), she left the House in 1977. Though she never again held elected office, Abzug remained dedicated to social action and politics, and co-founded the Women's Environmental Development Organization (1991). Married to lawyer Martin Abzug from 1944 until his death in 1986, they raised two daughters, Eve and Liz.

Bernard M. Baruch College/CUNY A center of commerce by the 1840's, NYC attracted a growing immigrant population. Townsend Harris, President of the Board of Education, saw the need for publicly-supported higher education. In 1849, his vision was fulfilled when The Free Academy opened here, "for the poor man's children," with a class of 149 men. In 1866, it became the College of the City of New York. It is now Baruch College, known globally for excellence in business education.

Brooks Atkinson

Edith Wharton 1862-1937 This (pictured on the right) was the childhood home of Edith Jones Wharton, one of America's most important authors, at a time when 23rd Street marked the northern boundary of fashionable New York. Here, in her father's extensive library, young Edith Jones discovered the world of literature. Wharton wrote with authority on gardens and design, but was most celebrated for her fiction. Her novels and stories are characterized by her intelligence, perception and the great beauty of her prose. Wharton lived in France for the latter part of her life, but the complex world of patrician New York remained the source of her greatest fiction. This includes The House of Mirth (1905) and The Age of Innocence, for which, in 1921 she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.

Edna Ferber 1887-1968 The widely-read novelist, short story writer, and playwright, best known for the novel Giant (1952), lived here from 1923 to 1929. Ferber's fiction is distinguished by larger-than-life stories, strong female characters, and distinctive renderings of American settings. Two of her novels were published while she lived here: the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big (1924), and Show Boat (1926).

Edna St. Vincent Millay 1892-1950 The irreverent poet, who wrote "my candle burns at both ends" lived here in 1923-24 at the time she wrote the "Ballad of the Harp-Weaver," for which she won a Pulitzer Prize.

Edward Durell Stone 1902 - 1978 Architect Edward Durell Stone was a pioneering American Modernist who designed The Museum of Modern Art (1939) in association with Philip Goodwin. Stone later rejected the austerity of modernism and sought to create a warmer, more decorative modern architecture in projects such as the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India (1954), the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (1959), the Gallery of Modern Art (1958) on Columbus Circle, the General Motors Building (1967) on Fifth Avenue, and this townhouse, which he renovated in 1956, and where he lived until 1964.

Edward Hopper July 22, 1882 - May 15, 1967 A printmaker, illustrator, and prominent watercolorist, Hopper is renowned for his oil paintings, whose focus on everyday life explores the visualization of human isolation, regret and boredom. His most famous painting, Nighthawks (1942), shows customers at a brightly lit all-night diner, inspired by a local Village restaurant. Many of Hopper's canvases focus on solitary figures or couples in their everyday environments; his rural landscapes and marine paintings were inspired by the area around Truro, Massachusetts, where he summered for nearly 40 years. Hopper developed a consistent style of modern painting that remained realist, despite the dominance of abstraction in art during much of his life. Though he had no formal students, many artists, including de Kooning and Rothko, have cited him as an influence. From 1913 until his death, Edward Hopper shared his studio with his wife, Jo, who was also a painter, his only model, and his muse.

Frank O'Hara

George Gershwin 1898–1937 The composer lived here with lyricist Ira Gershwin during 1929–33, the years they wrote Broadway shows Girl Crazy and, their political satires, Of Thee I Sing, and Let 'Em Eat Cake.

Harry Lloyd Hopkins 1890–1946 Harry Hopkins, one of the most influential non-elected officials in American history, became a Settlement House worker in 1912 at Christodora, where his exposure to the struggles of new immigrants helped shape his thinking about social reform. Christodora, launched in 1897, was then housed in 143/145/147 Avenue B, and to this day continues its mission to help alleviate inequities among the underserved. In 1933, President Roosevelt asked Hopkins to implement the Social Security Act of 1935, and to direct the Works Progress Administration, which hired more than 3 million unemployed to rebuild highways, bridges, public buildings, and parks. During WWII, he was Secretary of Commerce and FDR's personal representative to London and Moscow. In 1945, Hopkins helped arrange the Potsdam Conference for President Truman, who honored him with the Distinguished Service Medal

Horace Greeley

James Cagney 1899-1986 Actor, who set the standard for gangster roles in movies such as Angels With Dirty Faces and The Public Enemy, lived here from 1965 to 1968. Other residents were actress Margaret Hamilton and soprano Emma Thursby.

John Dewey 1859-1952 The influential educator and philosopher rejected education by rote in favor of "learning by doing," which develops the critical thinking skills Dewey believed were essential for participation in a democratic society. He lived here from 1913 to 1927, and was the author of Democracy and Education (1916) and Experience and Nature (1925).

John J. Fitzgerald 1894-1963 The turf reporter, who popularized "The Big Apple" as a name for N.Y.C. racetracks, lived here from 1934 to 1963. He first heard the term, equating "the big time" with N.Y.C. racing, in 1920 from African-American stable hands in New Orleans. A decade later, jazz musicians began using the name to identify N.Y.C. as the Capital of Jazz. By the 1970s, "The Big Apple" replaced "Fun City" as the international description of our city.

John Purroy Mitchel July 19, 1879 – July 6, 1918 John Purroy Mitchel, often called the “Boy Mayor” – he was 34 when elected – lived here while in office (1914-1917). His family emigrated from Spain to Venezuela and then to New York. Although a U.S. citizen, his grandfather served as the Venezuelan Consul to the U.S. for many years. A graduate of Fordham Preparatory School, Columbia University, and New York Law School, Mitchel was born in The Bronx. He was a staunch opponent of Tammany Hall. In 1909, after leading investigations into municipal corruption, he was elected President of the Board of Alderman, and then in 1913, was elected Mayor. He promoted professionalism in government, created the first zoning plan in the U.S., and appointed the first woman to head a major city agency. Filled with wartime fervor, his failed campaign for a second term was an appeal to militarism and nationalism. After his reelection bid failed, Mitchel enlisted in the Army Air Service during World War I, and died in a tragic training accident in Louisiana.

John Steinbeck 1902-1968 The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Grapes of Wrath (1939) was a prolific writer who showed great compassion for the ordinary person caught up in political and economic circumstances beyond his or her control. Often called The Bard of The People, his novels include Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, and East of Eden. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, and lived here for the last five years of his life.

John Vliet Lindsay November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000 The leadership of John V. Lindsay, 103rd Mayor of New York City (1966-1973), kept this city calm during a time of social unrest, when other cities were beset with riots, by walking though troubled streets, adopting a policy of police restraint, and opening government power to minorities. Known as "America's Mayor," his many urban innovations included closing parks to traffic, incentive zoning, and air conditioning subways. Elected as a Republican and re-elected as a Liberal, he ran unsuccessfully for President in 1972. A Naval officer in World War II who saw action in the Pacific, Lindsay was elected from the 17th District to four terms in Congress (1958-65), where he was a leader in civil rights and liberties, and an early opponent of the Vietnam War. He, his wife Mary, and their four children lived here from 1955 to 1962.

Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990 World-renowned composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein was an American musical icon of the 20th century. He turned millions of viewers into music lovers through his televised Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic, establishing him as a leading educator. Bernstein's orchestral and choral compositions include three symphonies (No. 1 "Jeremiah", No. 2 "Age of Anxiety", and No. 3 "Kaddish"), Serenade, Chichester Psalms, Mass, and many others. His works for the Broadway stage include On the Town, Wonderful Town, Candide and the immensely popular West Side Story. Bernstein also wrote three major ballets (Fancy Free, Facsimile, and Dybbuk) and the score to the film On the Waterfront. Bernstein's copious audio and video recordings, numerous books, and lifelong outspoken views on human rights, together with his music, comprise his profound and lasting cultural and humanitarian legacy.

Lincoln Kirstein May 4, 1907 – January 5, 1996 (128 East 19th Street on the right) Lincoln Kirstein is widely recognized as one of the founders of the American ballet tradition. With George Balanchine, he created the School of American Ballet in 1934 and served as its President until 1989. Beginning in 1935, he attempted to launch four different ballet companies before successfully establishing the New York City Ballet with Balanchine in 1948. Kirstein was the company's General Director for over 40 years, until 1989. A supporter of modernism across the arts, in 1928 Kirstein co- founded with John Walker III and Edward M.M. Warburg, the Harvard Society for Contemporary Art; this group led, the following year, to the founding of the Museum of Modern Art. A scholar, writer and outspoken critic, Kirstein authored more than 500 articles, poems, reviews, books and essays on the visual and performing arts, history, and literature. He founded the Dance Archives at New York's Museum of Modern Art (1940), as well as Dance Index magazine, of which he was editor from 1942 to 1948. His many honors include the Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts.

Malvina Hoffman 1887-1966 The sculptor of numerous works in bronze and marble, a pupil of Rodin, lived here from 1914 to 1966. Her series of 101 portraits, Races of Man (1930-35), a result of an anthropological study trip around the world, reflected the variety of human form

Marian Anderson 1897-1993 In 1939, after the contralto was refused the use of Constitution Hall by the D.A.R. because of her race, she sang at the Lincoln Memorial for an audience of 75,000. The first African American to perform at The White House (1936), and to be a permanent member of the Metropolitan Opera Company (1955), lived here from 1958 to 1975. During that time, she served as an alternate delegate to the United Nations (1958).

Odetta Dec 31, 1930 - Dec. 2, 2008 Odetta, born Odetta Holmes, was an influential artist/activist of the civil rights generation. During her 60-year career, she influenced numerous performers, including Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin. Her signature song was "This Little Light of Mine." Odetta took part in the historic freedom marches of the 1960s in Selma, Alabama, and in Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. named her "Queen of American Folk Music." President W.J.Clinton honored her with the National Medal of Arts, saying, "Odetta reminds us all that songs have the power to change the heart and change the world."

Stonewall Rebellion The Stonewall Rebellion, widely regarded as the catalyst for the modern LGBT liberation movement, is considered by many to be the single most important event leading to the fight for gay and lesbian civil rights in the U.S. Here on the morning of June 28, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall Inn. What followed were six days of sporadic riots by hundreds of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, demanding an end to police harassment, arrests and raids on gay establishments, which were common at the time. The conflict is viewed as the first time that gays and lesbians forcefully asserted their rights to equal treatment under the law. The original Inn, which closed in 1969, was located at 51–53 Christopher Street. The Inn and surrounding area was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000.

Willa Cather / Richard Wright 1873-1947 / 1908-1960 Willa Cather, author of My Antonia, wrote her first novel, Alexander's Bridge, here in 1912. Richard Wright, author of Native Son, wrote his autobiography, Black Boy, here in 1945.

e.e. cummings 1894-1962 The poet and painter, who made art of commas and parentheses, lived here for the last forty years of his life. He characterized himself as "an author of pictures, a draughtsman of words."