Charles FitzGerald arrived on St. Marks Place in 1959 as a young English teacher and soon struck a $28-a-month deal with his landlord for both his apartment and a storefront. At the time, the block was rundown and sparsely occupied, but FitzGerald began selling wooden kitchenware from his window, eventually formalizing the shop as Bowl and Board. What started as a side hustle grew into a collection of seven stores and several buildings, placing him at the center of the street’s transformation.

As artists, musicians and bohemians flocked to the neighborhood in the 1960s and 1970s, FitzGerald nurtured its eclectic spirit. He opened shops selling furs, vintage clothing and imported goods, along with a bar and gallery, helping shape St. Marks Place into a cultural hub associated with counterculture icons. Tenants and residents credit him with preserving the block’s distinctive energy, describing him as a curator who valued creativity and community over profit.

Despite waves of commercial development and rising property values that brought national retailers and luxury apartments, FitzGerald, now 91, remains philosophical about change. He has supported small businesses, at times forgiving rent during कठिन periods, and continues to subsidize ventures like a late-night bookstore devoted to New York culture. For FitzGerald, the goal has never been financial success but fostering adventure, culture and a sense of place on a block he calls fertile ground for invention.