Residents of the downtown artists’ housing reflect on their home and work spaces

“[It is] really the best, greatest moment of your life.”

After decades on a waitlist, residents like Karen Santry recall a seemingly destined, life-changing moment: getting a phone call from Westbeth Artists Housing.

For any artist in New York, rent is often a roadblock to creative work in the city. Many artists dream about the day they are offered a loft in the West Village for a fraction of the neighborhood’s average rent.

It is rare to find a place like Westbeth, a 52-year-old housing complex named for its location at the intersection of Bethune and West Streets. The nonprofit is one of the few spaces that financially and emotionally supports artists at any point in their creative careers, providing residents with both housing and workspaces. The building helps free artists from many of the financial stressors that prevent them from prioritizing their creative work. Once off the waitlist, most never leave.

Describing the building itself is a near impossible task, as it encapsulates the roaring, creative, and mystical quality of New York, in addition to creating a community of connected values. Many of the artists who arrive would not be able to imagine their lives without the financial freedom Westbeth provides. Beyond providing loft-style housing for artists, there are gallery spaces, studios and events hosted in the building. Its fascinating history begins with its purchase from Bell Laboratories in the 1960s. After renovation, it opened to its first residents in 1970.

– Maya Olsen West Village for Our Town 17 August 2022

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