Sacred City - St. Mark's Church In-the-Bowery

Visit the Spiritual and Bohemian Cultural Roots of a Neighborhood. Find Peace, Inspiration and Sometimes, Just Your Average Lovely Afternoon in NYC

If you ever go wandering in the East Village, just following your fancy, you may come to the corner of E. 10th St. and 2nd Ave, and the apex of the diagonally-running street, Stuyvesant. You will have arrived, just outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery. It might be the first time. It might be that you have walked by dozens of times and never really looked it. Take notice, this time, because it is one of the most interesting pieces of New York living history and one of the most accessible for you to learn about and explore.

St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, part of the Episcopal Diocese, was completed and consecrated in 1799. Its history is marked by a long tradition of dedication to this community. It is the cornerstone of an entire cultural way of life, with decades of service to a definitively diverse population of residents, and a steadfast commitment to the artistic and socially progressive ideals that are the roots of a genuinely East Village experience. The parish maintains an active congregation today, holds masses in Spanish, as well as English, and warmly welcomes the LGBT members of its spiritual family. It openly and truly represents and serves the neighborhood it sits in. In additional to being a functional church, it is a permanent home to a dance company, a theatre company, a long-running poetry organization and several artists-in-residence in any given season. This is an extraordinary spiritual, social and creative place. As if that wasn't enough reason to go there, one of its most delightful hidden treasures, is actually outside and is one of my absolute favorite secret spots in the city.