Second Street

Located on the corners of 2nd street and 2nd Avenues are 2 buildings.  One is our neighborhood Catholic High School, La Salle Academy.  In 1856, Bishop Hughes invited 4 De La Salle Christian Brothers from France to open a High School In New York City.  161 years later it is still in operation.  The faculty now is 95% lay teachers.

The 2nd Ave. entrance

The property was purchased from the novelist Washington Irving and, interestingly, Eugene O'Neill was a student at the school.  He didn't graduate but one of their famous graduates was Patrick Hayes, class of 1886.  He became Cardinal Hayes, and Cardinal Hayes is the name of my High School.  I like being connected to Washington Irving and Eugene O'Neill.  In 2000 La Salle Academy received recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.  Well there's no connection there between me and the school.   

 
This is directly across from La Salle Academy.  

The Anthology Film Archives. 
Initially the building was Manhattan's Second Avenue Courthouse.  Anthology was founded in 1969 by Jonas Mekas, Jerome Hill, P. Adams Sitney, Peter Kubelka, and Stan Brakhage.  It is the first museum devoted to film as an art form.  They have over 900 programs a year, and  have preserved over 800 films.  Today as a part of their Women's Filmmakers series they are screening "Wonder", described as: "one script, seven directors".
The founders wrote: "Fueled by the conviction that the index of a cultures health and vibrancy lies largely in its margins ... Anthology strives to advance the cause and protect the heritage of a kind of cinema that is in particular danger of being lost, overlooked, or ignored."  "The Margins" ... at one time that would have been the perfect description of the East Village.   Protect and preserve "The Margins".