How do you say “screw you” in just 500 square inches, in front of a cigar shop, no less?
Simple: be stubborn. Real stubborn.
Let’s take a metaphorical stroll to New York City. Specifically, to 110 7th Avenue South, in the heart of Greenwich Village. There you’ll find a tiny red corner building, or at least, you used to. It was painted boldly with “VILLAGE CIGARS” along the side. A subway stairwell nestled up beside it like an old drinking buddy. It was more than a smoke shop. It was a landmark—known just as much for what was in front of it as what was sold inside.
Under your feet, on the sidewalk, lies the smallest piece of private land in New York State. This is known as the Hess Triangle.
So what’s the deal with this cigar shop—and what does it have to do with flipping off the city?
To find out, we’ve got to roll back the clock to 1910.
Back then, standing on that corner, you wouldn’t see a shop at all. You would be in front of an apartment building called The Voorhis. It was owned by a man named David Hess. And David? Well, David was not a man to take a loss lying down.
You see, the city was expanding. Widening 7th Avenue. Expanding the IRT subway. The city used the power of eminent domain. It seized not just Hess’s building but also 254 others in the area. Hess and his family fought the legal battle, of course, but by 1913, they lost. The city got the land, and construction moved ahead.
But then someone in the Hess estate spotted a mistake. This was according to journalist Rose Duff and writer Wyttock, while they were researching for the Hartford Courant.
Turns out the city’s land surveyors missed a spot.
A triangle of land—just 500 square inches—was accidentally excluded from the city’s claim. That’s about the size of a pizza box. But to the Hess family, it was a golden opportunity.
Rather than hand it over, they planted their flag in the form of a mosaic tile. On July 27, 1922, they embedded this small but mighty plaque into the sidewalk:
“Property of the Hess Estate which has never been dedicated for public purposes.”
And there it remains to this day, the most stylish middle finger in New York history.
Enter: United Cigars (and Later, Village Cigars)
Right around this time—or just before—the United Cigar store opened beside the triangle. Big red signage, posters for clocks, books, and, of course, tobacco. Imagine walking in with a dime and walking out with a decent stogie. The good old days.
We lose track of the store’s timeline after that. But by the early 1960s, United Cigar had become the iconic Village Cigars. The store went on to make appearances in films like:
- Just My Luck (2006)
- Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1971)
- Hero at Large (1980)
- Author! Author! (1982)
- Big Daddy (1999)
- And even an episode of NYPD Blue (“The Final Adjustment,” 1994)
(Source: IAMNOTASTALKER.com)
The Kinky Friedman Connection
Village Cigars even became part of New York literary legend. In the 1980s, the shop played a role in the career revival of country satirist-turned-crime-novelist Kinky Friedman.
According to Friedman, while buying a cigar one night, he saw a woman being mugged outside the store’s ATM vestibule. With no one else around to unlock the security door, he used his card and got inside. He bonked the mugger on the head. Then, he held him until police arrived.
The New York Post dubbed him a hero, putting him on the front page with the headline:
“Country Singer Plucks Victim From Mugger”
He was photographed outside the shop. He had a cigar in hand and his guitar was slung over his shoulder. He looked like a cowboy version of Sherlock Holmes. His later books would reference Village Cigars as the haunt of his fictional self, his personal Baker Street.
A Bittersweet Goodbye
Sadly, Village Cigars closed in 2024, the victim of a leasing dispute. Locals mourned the loss. Articles from Curbed, Village Preservation, and New York Post marked the end of an era. But all is not lost.
The building’s owner has vowed to only lease to someone who will preserve the iconic triangle and the historic signage. No head shops. No dispensaries. Just respect for the legacy, and maybe the hope for its return.
So What Now?
If you’re in the Village, swing by. Grab a sandwich from Andy’s Deli, stand over the triangle, and light up something good. You’ll be standing on a slice of one man’s spite. It shows one family’s stubbornness. It’s one of the greatest “screw yous” ever baked into a sidewalk.
Here’s to hoping the shop rises again. Just like the smoke from good cigars and great histories always do.
Sources:
- Village Cigars Closing on Curbed
- The End of Village Cigars on Village Preservation
- Village Cigars on I Am Not a Stalker
- The Hess Triangle on Wikipedia
Any weird tobacco-related history you’ve stumbled upon? Drop some knowledge in the comments!
Quack Pack Tabac 
