East 17th Street/Irving Place Historic District

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Coordinates: 40°44′10″N 73°59′17″W / 40.736052°N 73.98802°W / 40.736052; -73.98802
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East 17th Street

The East 17th Street/Irving Place Historic District is a small historic district located primarily on

Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 30, 1988, and encompasses nine mid-19th century rowhouses and apartment buildings on the south side of East 17th Street, from number 104 to number 122, plus one additional building at 47 Irving Place just south of 17th Street.[1][2]

An unfounded local legend claims that writer Washington Irving, for whom Irving Place is named, lived in the house in the foreground house, 122 East 17th Street, also known as 49 Irving Place; also in the photo is 47 Irving Place.

Most of the houses in the district were built in the aftermath of the opening of Union Square in 1839, after which the area became one of the most sought-after residential districts in the city. The houses were primarily made in the Greek Revival and Italianate styles, while later apartment buildings in the district were in the Renaissance Revival style. By 1938, all the single-family dwellings in the district had been converted into apartment buildings.[1][2]

One of the most significant structures in the district is 122 East 17th Street, also known as 49 Irving Place, which was built in 1843-44 as one of three Greek Revival row houses, along with 47 Irving Place and another no longer extant. It was extended along 17th Street c.1853-54, at which time Italianate features were added. Additional changes were made c.1868-70. Despite a historical plaque on the 17th Street facade, there is no historical evidence for the local legend that Washington Irving lived in this house, although his nephew, Edgar Irving, did live next door at 120 East 17th Street, and had a son named Washington Irving after the writer. Elsie de Wolfe and Elisabeth Marbury, called by The New York Times the "most fashionable Lesbian couple of Victorian New York" lived here from 1892–1911, and de Wolfe may have been instrumental in spreading the Irving rumor.[1][2]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to East 17th Street/Irving Place Historic District.
  1. ^ a b c Harris, Gale and Shockley, Jay. "East 17th Street/Irving Place Historic District Designation Report" New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (Jun 30, 1988)
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1
    ., p. 84


40°44′10″N 73°59′17″W / 40.736052°N 73.98802°W / 40.736052; -73.98802


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Manhattan is the most popular city in New York City. This diverse city is made up of 64 Neighborhoods and 4 primary sections. Manhattan, originality named ‘Mannahatta’ was inhabited by the Lenape people. Later in 1664 the British took control of the colony and named it New York. The city is made ups of 4 primary sectors Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, and Harlem and The Heights. The areas south of 14th Street are considered part of Downtown. Midtown extends from 14th Street to the southern border of Central Park at 59th Street. Uptown is 60th to 116th Streets and north of 116th is considered Harlem.[1] In these 4 primary sections are 64 neighborhoods including; Alphabet City, Battery Park City, Bloomingdale District, Bowery, Carnegie Hill, Central Park, Chelsea, Chinatown, Civic Center, East Harlem, East Village, Financial District, Fort George, Garment District, Governors Island, Gramercy, Greenwich Village, Hamilton Heights, Harlem, Hell’s Kitchen (Clinton), The Highline, Hudson Heights, Hudson Square, Hudson Yards, Inwood, Kips Bay, Lenox Hill, Lincoln Square, Little Italy/Nolita, Lower East Side, Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville, Marble Hill, Meatpacking District, Metropolitan Hill, Midtown, Midtown East, Midtown South, Morningside heights, Murray Hill, Noho, Nomad, Randall’s Island, Roosevelt Island, Rose Hill, Soho, South Street Seaport, Spanish Harlem (El Barrio), Stuyvesant Town, Sugar Hill, Sutton Place, Theater District (Times Square), Tribeca, Tudor City, Turtle Bay, Two Bridges, Union Square, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Washington Heights, West Village, World Trade Center, and Yorkville.[2]

Downtown Manhattan are known as the areas below 14th Street and commonly well known as the business hub of New York. This includes some well known areas like Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bride entrance, Financial District, World Trade Center cite, and historic Seaport District. This was the original start of the city back in 1624 and is the southern part of the island. This is the oldest part of the city with arrays of architecture, soaring skyscrapers, and historical areas.[3] The NYTimes has a walking tour of this area that can be found here: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/TOUR-LM.html

Midtown Manhattan, the tourist hub of the city, is filled with everything that makes the city what it is. This section is known as the areas between 14th street and the south boarder of Central Park on 59th street. In 1807 the city planners of the city began to create a grid system and was finalized 4 years later for the plans to create Midtown Manhattan. Some famous landmarks/areas in Midtown include; Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), Empire State Building, Bryant Park, Times Square, Madison Square Garden, and Carnegie Hall.[4] The NYTimes has a walking tour of this area that can be found here: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/TOUR-MID.html?scp=1&sq=Magnificent%2520Tree&st=cse

Uptown Manhattan is located from the south end of Central Park to to not most point of it spanning across 60th street to 116th street. This specific area of Manhattan is one of the most sought after places to reside in with neighborhoods such as the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side. Along the east side of the island is also a small island, Roosevelt Island, commonly used in the 19th century for prisons, institutions, and rehabilitation.[5] The NYTimes has a walking tour of the Upper West Side that can be found here: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/TOUR-WS.html?ref=untapped-new-york.ghost.io

Harlem and The Heights are all of the neighborhoods in Manhattan above 116th street. Harlem is known internationally as the Black Mecca of the world, but has been home to the Dutch, Irish, German, Italian, and Jewish. This was originally farmland when it was first settled back in 1658 and undeveloped for about 200 years. The IRT subway line was finished in 1904 and people assumed this would make Harlem desirable to relocate to. With such easy access to the city, many developers built apartments and home anticipating the move from lower to upper Manhattan. Unfortunately, this was an over speculations and most places were left unsold. A real estate agent, Philip A. Payton, approach many of the landlords with proposition to have black families move into these home, eventually creating ‘Black Harlem’ in the early 1900’s. During this time the Harlem boomed with culture and artistic expression also known as the ‘Harlem Renaissance’ in the 1920’s.[6] Here is a short walk through of Harlem from the NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/arts/design/harlem-virtual-tour.html

Overall, Manhattan is a very large city spanning over 13 miles long[7] of city, history, and opportunity. Spanning through 4 primary sections, this city offers thousands of places to visit and discover.

  1. ^ https://www.gobeyondthesquare.com/post/manhattan-uptown-downtown-and-the-places-in-between-2
  2. ^ https://www.cityneighborhoods.nyc/manhattan-neighborhoods
  3. ^ https://infographicworld.com/downtown-manhattan-the-little-known-history-of-downtown-manhattan/
  4. ^ https://thedisabilityguys.com/the-history-of-midtown-manhattan/
  5. ^ https://rioc.ny.gov/161/Island-History
  6. ^ https://www.vagelos.columbia.edu/education/residencies-fellowships-and-training/harlem-hospital-center/about-harlem-hospital-center/our-history/harlem-and-new-york-city#:~:text=Harlem%20is%20known%20internationally%20as,territory%20for%20approximately%20200%20years.
  7. ^ https://www.nyctourism.com/visitor-info/#:~:text=Manhattan%20Island%20is%20roughly%2013.4,across%20at%20its%20widest%20point.
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