Tourist's
LOWER MANHATTAN
Green Apple TRAVELOGUE
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Every time I have visited NYC as a tourist, I have found a map to be my best friend. Getting to know the city is like piecing together a giant jigsaw puzzle. With the aid of a map, the task of getting to know a new place becomes much less arduous and one can gain a holistic overview of all the pieces.

Living in the East Village for a year has allowed me to explore Manhattan in greater depth and I appreciate the diversity of the many neighborhoods in this unique city. The Lower Manhattan bike tour is a suggested route that features some of my favorite sites and can be completed within a few hours. The tour previews the following contrasting neighborhoods: East Village, Lower East Side, Bowery, Chinatown, Little Italy, Civic Center, Financial District, Battery Park City, Tribeca, West Village, Greenwich Village and the Union Square District. The sites listed in the travelogue are relevant in 1999 and may change with time.

The Lower Manhattan Tourist Map illustrates the bike route that accompanies this Travelogue. Sites are featured from the southern tip of the island to 23rd St. The Icon Map and Icon List provide a comprehensive list of Downtown sites, some of which are featured in the bike tour. Feel free to deviate from the tour to visit other Green Mapped sites or span the ride over a few days if you wish to spend time exploring each area.

Enjoy!

Emma McGregor-Lowndes, Green Map System Intern, October 1999
comments can be emailed to Emma or Green Map Central.

have fun! We're not responsible if things change or you get lost, etc.

Bike Safety Tips in NYC

* Wear a helmet
* Ride in the same direction as traffic and in bike lanes where possible
* Use a light when riding at night
* Lock up your bike securely
* Stay alert at all times

 

ASTOR PLACE CUBE

A popular meeting area and a gathering point for many protests and bike events (such as TIME'S UP! critical mass bike rides), Astor Place Cube is across from the Cooper Union, the first University with a co-ed, multi-racial student body.
Historical Astor Place Subway Entrance
Astor Place Cube
-Continue east along St Mark's Place to Ave A (passing the Whole Earth Vegan Bakery,
130 St Marks Pl) to Tompkins Square Park-

 

EAST VILLAGE

The Ukrainian and Polish community that was established here more than 100 years ago is still very much in evidence. In recent years the East Village has seen tensions sparked by the gentrification that has pushed poorer residents further east towards the river into what was known as Alphabet City. It's a very mixed neighborhood today that is densley populated with many tourists. There is a strong Spanish influence in 'Loisaida' (Lower East Side) and on 4th St is a Casita (Spanish outdoor community stage). Many community gardens were originally started by squatters living in local urban homesteads in the area.

The Village is renowned for fabulous thrift stores. Second hand bargains at can be found at; Monk (A between 10 and 11th St), Rags-a-go-go on St Marks (8th St between A and 1st) and the outdoor market on the corner of 11th and Ave A on weekends.

Tompkins Square Park is an infamous East Village park. Many protests and rallies have taken place here over the years. I have spent many relaxed Sundays skating in the park and watching dogs frolic the dog run. On Sundays there is a Farmers Market at the South West corner and at St. Marks Church, E. 10th St and 2nd Ave., on Tuesdays during the harvest season.

The 6th St Garden (corner of 6th and B) is cared for by members of the local community and has a large toy sculpture and community stage.The 6BC Botanical Garden is also open to the public and a great place to relax and 'smell the flowers'. Once under threat, this garden and many others is now saved thanks to Land for Public Trust, NYC Parks and caring community members. There are 700 community gardens in the city that are still under threat of being developed. Hugo the friendly English bull terrier or Kitty Carlisle may be on patrol at 6BC.
St. Marks Church Farmers Market
vegie cafe
6BC Garden

- Continue straight through Tompkins Square Park and turn right (south) on Ave B to 6th St.
Turn left (east) on 6th and visit the 6BC Garden. Return to Ave B and turn left (south).-

 
There are many tasty vegetarian restaurants in the East Village, and Kate's Joint (58 Ave B) is one of them. For radical readers, a community update or information on the latest protest, stop at Blackout Books at 50 Ave B.
- Turn right on 3rd st (passing Mamas on your left) then left onto Ave A. passing the health food store, Urban Roots. Turn right into Houston, leaving the East Village behind and entering the Lower East Side.-

 

LOWER EAST SIDE

Turn left onto Ludlow St - a progressively gentrified street- or you can walk your bike down the next street on your left, Orchard (one way traffic) famous for tourist shopping . Architecturally, this old tenement area still retains its character. The Lower East Side is becoming increasingly popular and gentrification is occurring at a rapid rate. Once a haven for drug dealers, streets such as Ludlow are now full of trendy bars. The Lower East Side's neighborhood's heritage is preserved at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum on 90 Orchard St.

You may wish to deviate from the path and visit the first community garden- Liz Christy on Houston and 3rd. The garden has a turtle pond and an old solar air heating system on the wall above it.

- Continue down to Delancey Street.-

BOWERY / LITTLE ITALY
-Turning right (west ) on Delancey, turn right on the Bowery and shortly after, left onto Prince. You are now crossing into Little Italy. Continue across Broadway and into SoHo -

You may wish to stop at the Museum of African Art at 596 Broadway, the City's only space dedicated solely to the work of African artists, or continue north on Broadway to view the American Indian Community House Gallery at 708 Broadway.

 

SOHO
The blocks SOuth of HOuston (SOHO) and north of Canal streets are the city's largest concentration of cast-iron fronted buildings, built as warehouses and manufacturing spaces, but converted in the 60's and 70's to living spaces, called "lofts," for artists and sculptors. The area quickly filled with art galleries, restaurants, and fashionable shops. Due to gentrification, many of the artists have moved to less costly neighborhoods like DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
-Turn left (south) onto Wooster (a cobblestone street) and continue-

You will pass Terra Verde (120 Wooster St), NYC's original eco-store that also displays and distributes Green Maps. Further along on the right, you will pass Patagonia, the clothing store that uses organic cotton (101 Wooster St). You may wish to spend more time in SoHo and experience the New York Earth Room (141 Wooster St).

Also in the area, is Kate's Paperie (561 Broadway & Prince) where you will find a great range of recycled paper and Evolution (120 Spring) which is a great place to pick up a quirky gift. For a snack, try Whole Foods (117 Prince St) or Luckies Juice Joint at (75 West Houston St at Wooster). On the corner of Wooster and Spring, is an open air clothing market.

 

LITTLE ITALY / CHINATOWN
-Turn left onto Spring and cross Broadway. On your left is the Open Center- an alternative health education center. Spring St. Natural, a vegetarian restaurant at 62 Spring St is on the right. Turn right onto Lafayette (Bicycle Habitat, 244 Lafayette St., (212) 431-3315 for bike needs) and enter Chinatown.-
Watching the cultural influences change within a few blocks is unique to New York and illustrates what NYC travel books refer to as a 'melting pot'.

-Turn left onto Grand St and right onto Mott St
(an Auto-free place on weekend evenings).-
Sites in the Chinatown area include; Old St Patrick's Cathedral at 263 Mulberry St, that served as the city's first Roman Catholic Cathedral from 1809 to 1878. The Museum of the Chinese in the Americas, 70 Mulberry St, sponsors walking tours and craft workshops on paper lantern making and other creative endeavors. If you wish to visit a Chinese-style vegetarian restaurant, House of Vegetarian, is located at 68 Mott St.
- Turn left onto Canal St and right onto the Bowery. Cross the street and veer left down Catherine St. Continue to the East River -

 

CIVIC CENTER & SEAPORT
-Cross the street. The entrance to the bike path is slightly to the left. Enter and turn right (south) onto the bike path and follow it under the Brooklyn Bridge and past the South Street Sea Port-
If you wish to journey over the bridge, there is a pedestrian walkway that begins just east of City Hall and leads across to the Brooklyn Bridge. You can stop at observation points and view Lower Manhattan and read about the history of the New York waterfront.
At the South Street Seaport, you can view tall sailing ships and the Brooklyn Bridge. The South Street Seaport Historical District is a pedestrian zone and is largely auto-free. There is a certain European ambiance in this District as people can gather in groups safe from the threat of cars.
You may wish to explore the South St Seaport Museum, at Fulton and Front Sts. On Piers 15 and 16, are the seaport's floating exhibits. Some are berthed here permanently: the Peking, the lighthouse ship the Ambrose, the three-masted Wavetree, and the Pioneer.

 

FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Though famous as the world's financial capital, this area is a museum of architecture - there are Federal homes, Greek revival temples, Gothic churches, Renaissance palazzos and 20th century skyscrapers. During the 90's, many office buildings were converted to upscale residences. The Financial District has potential for future housing as availability for accommodation becomes increasingly scarce in the city.
- Continue past the Seaport and turn right (west ) onto Wall St. You will have to walk your bike as traffic is one way. Trinity Church will be visible at the end of the street. This is where New York City began as Nieuw Amsterdam back in 1621. Turn left on Broadway. Continue to the end -
Eco Smart Healthy Properties, 40 Wall 23rd Floor (sadly now closed) and has on display a variety of green building materials and designs. The Wall Street area has become the home of US commerce and the financial capital of the world. It stands at the site where early Dutch settlers constructed a northern barrier to protect New Amsterdam from attacks by Indians and the British.

 

 You may wish to explore some of the green sites in the Financial District, such as: the National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian Institution in the US Custom's House at 1 Bowling Green. Bowling Green is New York City's oldest public park. St Paul's Chapel is at Broadway and Fulton St - After his inauguration in 1789, George Washington walked here from Federal Hall to pray for the new nation.
The original warehouses and mercantile buildings of Lower Manhattan were built right to the shoreline, but over the years, landfill has provided the Financial District with a fringe of green. Old Slip was one of the many inlets around the island's tip, where ships uploaded rare merchandise from around the world. Like many others, it was landfilled, and today, 100 Old Slip is the office of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Heading east up Pearl St is the historical block at Coenties Slip, a Dutch docking station that became a street as landfill extended the city further south.
Peter Minuit Plaza is the site of the purchase of Manhattan for the equivalent of $24. Up State St to Pearl St, is the Shrine to St Elizabeth Ann Seton, dedicated to America's first Roman Catholic saint, 7 State Street. Behind this building is New York Unearthed, an exhibit of historical items discovered by archeologists and construction workers over the years at 17 State St. Opening just north of the park is the Museum of Jewish Heritage, a memorial to the victims of the holocaust. There are Green Markets at: Bowling Green, Broadway and Battery Place on Thursday's, and Thursday's, and at City Hall, Chambers and Center Sts., on Tuesday's and Friday's.

HISTORIC BATTERY PARK / BATTERY PARK CITY
- At the end of Broadway, cross into Historic Battery Park and continue to the waterfront.-
The Hope Garden memorializes the thousands who have died of Aids. At the end of the garden is Castle Clinton. The Castle has been through many incarnations during its long history at Historic Battery Park, which is comprised of 23 acres of waterfront park created from layers of landfill. Behind the Castle (where you can purchase tickets), begin the lines for the The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The 15-minute ferry ride allows you to relax from the rat-race of the Financial District and view Downtown from a comfortable distance. Ferries depart every 30 minutes from 9:30am-3:15pm, 7 days. The line for the ferry can delay your depature for an hour, though! The Staten Island Ferry is free and leaves from terminal at South Ferry. Check timetable in the ferry terminal or call (718) 815-BOAT for more information
The Statue of Liberty Ferry
Only a 15 minute Ferry Ride
Statue in front of Castle Clinton
-Follow the bike path alongside the Hudson west -
You will pass Pier A, The Plaza at Battery Park - this is Manhattan's oldest pier and is soon to be restored with shops, restaurants and a visitors center. Continue along the path and through the Robert F. Wagner Jr Park and South Gardens featuring a landscaped lagoon, and the Hudson River Park (north of Vesey Street), featuring a playground with artwork. Along the Esplanade (a walk / bike / skateway along the Harbor), you can view the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Narrows.
-Continue North on the bike path next to the Hudson River-

 

TRIBECA
As you ride north on the path, you will skirt the edge of Tribeca and the West Village on your right. Over the Hudson River, is the shore line of New Jersey. Nearby is Wetlands Preserve Eco-Saloon (nightclub) at 161 Hudson St where eco-info is available.
You will pass the Downtown Boathouse, Pier 26 is located at Beach St and the Hudson. Here, you can rent kayaks (free on weekends) or relax at Pier 25. You may wish to detour from this tour and continue up to the Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex, on the Hudson River at the end of 23rd St. It is a 30-acre sports center that caters to all sporting types. You can golf, rock-climb, box, bowl (or try Bowlmor Lanes in Greenwich Village), swim, play basketball and volleyball, and kayak.
- This tour turns right (east) shortly after Pier 42 onto lively Christopher St. Veer right on W4. Continue on W4 across 7th and 6th Ave.-

 

GREENWICH VILLAGE
Greenwich Village revolves around two squares. Washington Square is the largest and oldest public space in the neighborhood. From Sheridan Square west to the river runs yet another important axis of Village life, Christopher Street, symbolic and geographic center of gay and lesbian New York. There is a PATH train station on Christopher St.
- After Washington Square South, turn left on University Pl.-

 

WASHINGTON SQUARE
The area now called Washington Square once drained a creek the Indian called Manata: "Devil's Water." Minetta Creek, now channeled and controlled, still flows underneath the park. It's a reminder of the time when the area was a miasmic marsh, and used as a communal burial plot. The bodies of cholera victims from all over the city were dumped in the swamp. Today, Washington Square Park is reported to be, by inch, the most crowded recreational space in the world. NYU is close by.
- Continue north on University Place to 14th st.-

 

UNION SQUARE
Union Square is home to the city's best-known, open-air produce market, the Greenmarket, which operates, Mondays, Wednesdays, Friday and Saturday mornings year round. This is one of 28 farmers markets in NYC, and everything is grown on small farms nearby. On the east side of the park is the vegetarian restaurant, Zen Palate (34 Union Square E.) and close by, is the macrobiotic restaurant Souen, (28 E. 13th St).
You may wish to finish your tour of Lower Manhattan here and shop at the Greenmarket, or continue onto the other sites listed on the Lower Manhattan Green Map. For an indepth tour of the Lower East Side, click on the East Village Tour. I hope you have enjoyed the ride and gained insight into the green sites and diversity of Lower Manhattan.

 

 

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