The Neighborhood Women Walking Tour highlights the role of grassroots women’s leadership in the historical development, growth and vitality of their communities. It also honors at an individual level the work of NW activists and attracts and inspires Williamsburg-Greenpoint residents to actively participate in the transformation of their community. Though the work of Neighborhood Women is visible in the built environment of Williamsburg-Greenpoint, their biggest impact has been in the perception the women had of themselves and the many lives they continue to transform in the community through their leadership.
The Neighborhood Women Walking Tour will help you discover how these grassroots women leaders and activists transformed Williamsburg-Greenpoint! Some of their accomplishments include a daycare and a senior center, a living and learning center and affordable women’s housing.
Take the Tour!
- Download our Walking Tour Brochure
- Print it
- Visit the places transformed by grassroots women activists in Williamsburg
 Plaque |
 No plaque |
81 Devoe Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211
Ann Giordano
28 Kingsland Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11211
284 Jackson Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211
302 Jackson Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211
40 Debevoise Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11211 ↓
NW honored: Margaret Carnegie, Mildred Johnson, Mildred Tudy-Johnston, Frances Allen, Dianne Jackson
284 Jackson Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 ↓
NW honored: Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Marrero (Garden), Mary Alice Richardson and Geraldine Miller (Community Room), Jan Peterson and Marie Leanza (Jan Peterson Building), Tish and Guido Ciancotta (Tish and Guido Ciancotta Building), Margaret Carnegie and Mildered Johnson (Margaret Carnegie Building)
2 Kingsland Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11211
850 Grand Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211
NW honored: Juanita Orengo-Rodriguez
260 Powers St, New York, New York 11211
NW honored: Marie Leanza
211 Ainslie Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 ↓
NW honored: Tillie Tarantino
249 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11211
NW Plaque ↓
History
NW honored: Caroline Pezzullo, Sandy Schilen, Geraldine Miller, Juanita Orengo- Rodriguez
Approximate duration: 1 hour
Distance: 1.6 miles
- Neighborhood Women Living and Learning Center
249 Manhattan Ave
The NW LLC provides support for neighborhood women committed to community building. It is designed to illustrate how the community can be a learning campus, how wealth can be created through pooling resources, and how intergenerational mentoring and support can sustain long-term leadership and organizing. The Center is owned by the NCNW and co.managed by the two global networks, Huairou Commission and GROOTs International, whose New York offices are at the same location.
Geraldine Miller (See also 12) founded the Household Technicians Union to ensure equal rights for women working as maids, nannies and cooks. She was president of the NCNW and ran a program for Project Open Doors that brought to light similarities and shared concerts of homemakers and household workers, breaking down the barriers of class and race.
- Leonard Library
81 Devoe St
Ann Giordano graduated from the NW College Program. In 1978 she became the coordinator of the same program, helping grassroots women attend college in the neighborhood and become community leaders. Ann led the fight against the closing of Leonard Library by organizing a petition to preserve the library, which resulted in the Brooklyn Public LIbrary reversing its decision.
- Swinging Sixties Community Center & Small World Day Care Center
211 Ainslie St
In 1969, under the guidance of Jan Peterson (See also 10), the Conselyea Street Block Association founded the center to bring services to children, parents and seniors in the community. Tillie Tarantino (See also 7) was the Executive Director for over 30 years.
- Former Eastern District High School
850 Grand St
In 1992 after a student got stabbed in the head, Juanita Orengo.Rodrigez organized a boycott at the school. Parents and students gathered for three days outside to demand better conditions. Juanita and the PTA achieved to relieve overcrowding, and to increase security, number of teachers and counseling programs. She also worked for a decade as Director of the NCNW “You Can Community School.” With Juanita’s guidance it became the number one Offsite Education Services School. Juanita graduated from the NW College Program.
- Margaret Carnegie Playground
This playground, located in Cooper Park, honors public housing leader Margaret Carnegie (see also 6 and 8). She succeeded in bridging differences between ethnic groups in WIlliamsburg-Greenpoint by being involved in several neighborhood organizations throughout her life. Carnegie dedicated over forty years, the strengthening of family relations and better quality of life for seniors. Grandparents Avenue, located along a section of KIngsland Avenue, earned its name in recognition of her work.
- Cooper Park Houses
Margaret Carnegie (see also 5 and 8), MIldred Johnson (see also 8) and Mildred Tudy (see also 10) moved to Cooper Park Houses in 1952. They were the founders of the Cooper PArk Houses Tenant Association.
- Neighborhood Women Houses
In 1982, the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) closed the 67-year-old Greenpoint Hospital (GH). The Department of Housing and Preservation converted the GH into a men’s homeless shelter, ignoring plans that the community board had presented for redevelopment of a nursing home and senior housing, The HHC moved in 1200 homeless men without consulting the community. The result was neglect of the men, along with a profound disturbance to the quality of life in the neighborhood. A coalition of five neighborhood groups formed The Greenpoint Renaissance Enterprise Corporation (GREC), the majority of those involved were women, members of NW. After protesting the hospital closing, and trying to limit the numbers in the homeless shelter, GREC presented its vision for a positive reuse in the homeless shelter, GREC presented its vision for a positive reuse of the eight abandoned buildings to the Community Board. They voted in favor and Neighborhood WOmen received three hospital buildings to convert into thirty-three units of housing. These are the Neighborhood Women Houses.
- Marie Leanza and Tillie Tarantino Building
29 Debevoise Ave
Marie Leanza and Tillie Tarantino (See also 3) are grassroots women activists who have demonstrated an abiding commitment to the betterment of Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Marie and TIllie, lifelong Williamsburg residents, became involved in 1975 with NCNW through the Neighborhood Women College Program. Marie worked for over three decades at St. Nicks Alliance specializing in senior housing, She led the fight against redling in Williamsburg and was key to the establishment of the Building Survival Fund. Tillie co-founded the Conselyea Street Block ASsociation to bring services to parents and seniors in the community. She was a founder of Small World Day Care Center and served as Executive Director of the Swinging Sixties Senior Center for over three decades.
- Margaret Carnegie and Mildred Johnson Building
302 Jackson St
Margaret Carnegie (see also 5 and 6) and Mildred Johnson (see also 6) represented Cooper Park Houses at GREC. AS founding members of the Cooper Park Tenants Association, they achieved improvements of the Cooper Park Tenants Association, they achieved improvements in safety and the creation of new community spaces. Mildred, a devout worshiper, channeled her faith into the community by establishing youth and head start programs. When the Greenpoint Hospital was converted into a homeless shelter, she fought to assure the homeless were treated with justice and respect.
- Tish and Guido Cianciotta Building
284 Jackson St
Theresa “Tish” and Guido Cianciotta formed in 1978 the COncerned cItizens of Withers Street and Area Block Association. When the empty building of the GH were converted by the city into a homeless shelter they protested the city’s intrusion by picketing, along with other neighborhood allies, for 140 nights for the release of the main building. They followed up by going to the courts and City Hall, which resulted in the release of four buildings for housing the GREC plan and the reduction of the homeless shelter.
- Jan Peterson and Mildred Tudy Building
28 Kingsland Ave
Jan Peterson founded the NCNW. As founding member of GREC she had a key role in the transformation of the empty Greenpoint Hospital buildings into the NW Houses. Her experience spans from local and national to global work, playing a founding role in the GROOTS and the Huairou Commission. Jan has committed more than four decades to the improvement of grassroots women’s lives globally. MIldred Tudy Johnston (see also 6) was a founding member of the Cooper Park Houses Tenant Association. She was a principal founder of Crispus Attucks Community Council of Williamsburg where she served as Executive Director until the age of 73. She advocated for racial equality, better jobs for teens, improved public housing, voter registration, the building of Woodhull hospitals and holding elected officials accountable to the community.
- ELizabeth Marrero Garden and Mary Alice Richardson and Geraldine Miller Community Room
The NW Houses garden honors woman leader Betty Marrero for acting as a social link that brought together the community, and for the energy and passion she demonstrated through her volunteer work. The community room honors Geraldine Miller (see also 1) and Mary Alice Richardson, who was president of NWWG and pioneered work in economic development as the first director of a Community Action Program in the 1960s.