NYC:Manhattan hoods-Civic Center

Heading over to the city's main political area brings us into the hood known as the Civic Ctr. It is everything between Park Row, Brooklyn Br ramp, Water St, and Worth St. This hood is mostly commercial. Originally this was nothing but open swamp land until City Hall was errected in 1812, to be the base of the NYC government and would have a park surrounding it. The original name was Five Points due to a major intersection. In 1820, the area became known for its sewuage in Collect Pond, which could no longer be used to get freshwater from. As a result, the pond was drained. The pollution problems also caused people of the middle class to leave and go further uptown. Five Pts became home to numerous immigrants who were looking for a place to live, and especially the Irish, who escaped the Potato Famine of 1845. Blacks later on joined in along with Anglo-Saxons. The Jews and Italians came in later on. As being part of the 6th Ward, it set a historical moment for having non-whites as politicians. Although Five Pts became a Meltion Pot, blacks were forced to move more uptown to the westside. Gang riots broke out in 1857 as a result. Around the time of the Civil War, William "Boss" Tweed was elected into office, and become a very corrupt mayor and cost taxpayers millions and wanting to build a courthouse in a name for himself in which he was ironically tried and incarcerated at in 1871. In 1878, came the 3rd Ave El from Chatham Sq that would allow for people to get uptown faster than just using carraiges. The 2nd Ave El was added to Chatham Sq in 1880, and was for the very eastside. PT Barhum used to do shows on the sothside of City Hall Pk until it burnned down in the 1890's. In 1881, the NY County Courthouse was built to hold all crimes that were commited in NY County. In 1883, the Brooklyn Br was built, and it connected Manhattan to Brooklyn for the first time hence expanding the city. In 1886, the Potter Bldg was errected on Park Row, and is one of the city's oldest skyscrapers to still be in existance. Its construction marked a new day for NYC to have the WTB after Chicago built the Home Ins Bldg. In 1890, NYC surpassed by building the World Bldg until it would be surpassed by the Manhattan Life Bldg in 1896. A center for newspapers was errected in 1899, in which it would be known as Newspaper Row. Completed as the center piece was the Park Row Bldg, which became the WTB until it would be surpassed by the Singer Bldg in 1908. Mayor Robert Van Wyck stuck the golden shovel into the ground by City Hall in 1900 to give birth to the subway station, which would be completed in 1904 for the first line. In 1912, the Muncipal Bldg was built to accompany City Hall, and was the first skyscraper in NYC to be built with a subway station as part of it. Once again Five Pts had the WTB when Cass Gilbert built the Woolworth Bldg in 1913, which would be until it was surpassed by 40 Wall St in 1929. More government buildings were added in as the the 1920's was around. In 1933, the intersection known as a Five Pts was demolished as the US Courthouse was built in 1936. As a result, the area was renamed the Civic Ctr due to the many government buildings that were around. After WWII, more government buildings were errected such as the Jacob Javits Federal Bldg and 1 Police Plaza in the 60's and 70's. Unfortunately, some old places went down since the 50's such as both els being taken down in 1953 at Chatham Sq for being obsolete to the expanding subways lines. The World Bldg was given no respect either and was demolished for an extending road for the Brooklyn Br. One developement stopped at Elk St near Duane St as the result of discovering the African Burial Ground that was hidden durring the 60's hence it was preserved. In 1998, the Foley Sq Courthouse was built as the new home for the NY State Supreme Court. Today, the Civic Ctr is still a major place for the city government, though there are also some places for the state as well as the nation. Pace University is located here as well as the Verizon Bldg, which is used for the main switching center. Hearings for Manhattan CB 1 are usually held at 250 Broadway, located by the Woolworth Bldg. For those who are into electronics, Park Row is now home to J and R Music World. You can get here by taking the 4, 5, or 6 trains to Brooklyn Br-City Hall, the N, R, or W trains to City Hall, or the J, M, or Z trains to Chambers St. Here is what you will find in the Civic Ctr.









































































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