1. We will walk to Church Street and discuss the recently completed or buildings under construction such as 15 Barclay and the new 5 Star Four Seasons 85 story Hotel going up on Murray Street as well as the new 63 story apartment house on Leonard Street.
|
2. Walking to Leonard Street you will see how the zoning lots were combined to permit the New York Law School expansion. The corner lot will contain a 63 story apartment house.
|
3. Squeezed in at 346 Broadway is the Old Clocktower Building. The picture shows the original sculpture by Philip Martiny on top. No one knows where the sculpture went to when it was removed in 1948. Originally built for the New York Life Insurance Company. The sculpture on top was of four crouching figures of Atlas, each one 11 feet tall, stood atop the four corners of the clock tower. On their shoulders rested a hollow globe, 15 feet in diameter, laced by a latitudinal and longitudinal network. On top of the globe was a 7-foot-tall eagle, its wings spread. Within the globe was a solid sphere, 7 feet in diameter. The sculptor was Philip Martiny, a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the creator of two-dozen statues that adorn the former Hall of Records on Chambers Street. The building now houses the DA Offices and some court functions. Building Today at right.
|
4. The entire black granite exterior of this building has been removed and replaced with the light colored gray which is less threatening and more in conformity with the other buildings. This is the Family Court Building.
|
5. This is the Housing Court (and Civil Court matters) the parking lot next door is planned to become a new City Park. 
|
6. The is part of the Criminal Court complex which includes the Tombs to the north.
|
7. The New York State Supreme Courthouse contains courtrooms as well as administrative functions and the place where the juries first meet.
|
8. A portion of the WPA mural of the Supreme Court's Rotunda showing the 10 Commandments. The entire ceiling shows the"Law Through the Ages". The artist was Attilio Pusterla. If you go to the 4th floor you can see murals of the history of New York from pre-European to the 1930's scenes by Robert K. Ryland.
|
9. The Federal U.S. Courthouse. 
|
10. The U.S. Court of International Trade. 
|
11. When excavating the federal office building they uncovered bones and discovered the African American burial grounds for free blacks and slaves. Only white Christians could be buried in the city limits at the Trinity Church cemetery. The Jews were buried near present day James Street.
|
12. The Surrogates Court Building contains the Muncipal Archives and the information about deeds, etc. and probate.
|
13. No longer a courthouse, the former "Boss Tweed Courthouse" was known for its corruption and cost overruns more than anything else. It is now used by the Dept. of Education.
|
14. The Sun Building now contains the Department of Buildings, but was once the home of the Sun Newspaper and before that a Department Store. Mrs. Lincoln used to love to shop there.
|
15. A new green glass high rise apartment house is going up next to this landmark which started to shift. It is now being braced until the new building can support it.
|
16. This shows what a typical C6-4 zoning district allows as far as bulk and no height limits.
|
|
17. Back to New York Law School.
|
The Urban Renewal Area is now completed with luxury apartments a school and retail stores.
|
Barnes and Nobles and Bed Bath and Beyond are now in this building.
|
Whole Foods is also in this building and The Palm Restaurant is under construction next door.
|
INDEPENDENT STUDY SCAVENGER HUNT
When walking around the neighborhood during the next 3 years see if you can find the following:
|
1. Remember the movie Ghostbusters? This is where the Fire House scenes were shot.
|
2. This was across the street from JFK, Jr.'s apartment house. He came to community board meetings protesting a proposed movie theater for the building. There are horses living nearby.
|
3. The Donald's daughter is building a "condo-hotel" in this manufacturing district that doesn't permit permanent residential housing.
|
4. Robert Niro's Hotel has a zoning and landmarks problem on the roof. 
|
5. This former nursery for plants is now the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Many 9/11 refugees lived there after the tragedy until the area to the south was re-opened for habitation. 
|