The Village Cigars Shop and the Hess Triangle

The Village Cigars Shop and the Hess Triangle are located at the corner of Seventh Avenue South and Christopher Street in New York City’s West Village’s historic district

The Hess Triangle is a plaque set in the sidewalk in front of Village Cigars and reads “Property of the Hess Estate which has never been dedicated for public purposes”. This plaque is the result of of a dispute between city government and the David Hess Estate. In the 1910’s, the city was expanding the the IRT subway line and claimed eminent domain in order to tear down an apartment building owned by David Hess. This triangle represents the only remaining piece of the Hess Estate’s private property.

The tiny, triangle-shaped Village Cigars shop, with its red exterior, unique pressed cornice and vintage signs, remains an iconic landmark in the West Village.