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Tribeca, Manhattan: Triangle Below Canal, Loft by Loft

Tribeca, New York

Pictures from Tribeca

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Federal-era row houses, 25-29 Harrison Street Duane Park Washington Market Park Pier 25, Hudson River Park

Tribeca's name is a syllabic abbreviation of 'Triangle Below Canal' — coined in the early 1970s when residents formed the TriBeCa Artists' Co-op during a zoning dispute, then popularized (and stretched beyond its original boundaries) by an April 1976 New York Times article. Dutch settlers had farmed the area from 1636 under Roeleff Jansen's land patent, and Trinity Church, which received a royal land grant in 1705, later developed St. John's Park and its surrounding townhouses; the area stayed largely residential until the 1840s. From then on it became a commercial hub: the Washington Market — New York's most important wholesale produce market at its 1880-1910 peak — expanded through the district until the industry relocated to Hunts Point in the Bronx and the market buildings came down in the 1960s. Artists moved into the emptied warehouse lofts soon after, following the live/work model pioneered in neighboring SoHo.

  1. A community-won green space named for the produce market that once dominated the district.

  2. Bought from Trinity Church for five dollars in 1795 — a tiny triangle with an outsized backstory.

  3. A pocket-sized alley museum built around everyday objects rather than masterpieces.

  4. A below-ground screening room inside The Roxy Hotel, with 35mm prints in the rotation.

  5. Mini golf and the retired steamship USCGC Lilac on Tribeca's stretch of the Hudson River waterfront.

  6. The brasserie that defined Tribeca's 1980s downtown scene, still going since 1980.

  7. Pies, pancakes, and home cooking at the Hudson and North Moore corner.

  8. Andrew Carmellini's urban Italian taverna inside The Greenwich Hotel.

  9. Modern French bistro cooking on West Broadway, from the team behind Frenchette Bakery and Le Rock.

  10. A Leading Hotels of the World property with a spa, courtyard, and Locanda Verde downstairs.

  11. 201 mid-century-styled rooms over a cinema, a jazz club, and an oyster bar.

Five Historic Districts and a Festival Born From Recovery

The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated five Tribeca historic districts, protecting the loft blocks that gave the neighborhood its name: Tribeca West (May 1991); Tribeca East, North, and South (December 1992); and Tribeca South Extension (November 2002). The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 specifically to help contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan after the September 11 attacks, and it has anchored the neighborhood's calendar ever since.

Getting there by subway

The 1 train runs up the spine of Tribeca on Varick Street and West Broadway. Franklin Street station sits in the heart of the neighborhood (1 at all times, 2 during late nights), with Canal Street (1) at the north edge and the Chambers Street stations — 1/2/3, plus A/C/E at Chambers Street-World Trade Center — at the south edge. Almost anywhere in the triangle is a short walk from a stop.

From Market to Green Space

Washington Market Park opened in April 1983 on a former dump site after community activists defeated a proposed parking lot, and takes its name from the historic wholesale produce market that once stood nearby. Duane Park, a small triangular green the city acquired from Trinity Church in 1795 for five dollars, was originally laid out by Calvert Vaux and is ringed by ornate 19th-century loft buildings. Down at the water, Pier 25 in Hudson River Park has a mini golf course and the museum ship USCGC Lilac, the last steam-powered vessel in the Coast Guard fleet, moored alongside.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Tribeca by subway?
Take the 1 to Franklin Street for the heart of the neighborhood (2 trains also stop there late nights), Canal Street (1) for the north edge, or the Chambers Street stations — 1/2/3 and A/C/E at Chambers Street-World Trade Center — for the south edge.
Where does the name Tribeca come from?
It's a syllabic abbreviation of 'Triangle Below Canal (Street),' coined in the early 1970s when residents formed the TriBeCa Artists' Co-op during a zoning dispute; an April 1976 New York Times article popularized the name, though it applied the term to a larger area than originally intended.
Why was the Tribeca Film Festival created?
It was founded in 2002 specifically to help contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan after the September 11 attacks.
Is Duane Park worth a detour?
It's tiny, but it has a good story: the city bought the triangular lot from Trinity Church in 1795 for five dollars, laid it out with Calvert Vaux, and named it for Trinity parishioner James Duane. The surrounding 19th-century loft buildings make it a quiet pocket to pause in.
Where can I stay in Tribeca?
The Greenwich Hotel (377 Greenwich Street) is a Leading Hotels of the World property with the Shibui Spa and Locanda Verde on site; The Roxy Hotel (2 6th Avenue) has 201 rooms plus its own cinema and jazz club.

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