New York Songlines: Watts Street

West | Washington St | Greenwich St | Hudson | Varick | 6th Ave | Macdougal | Sullivan | Thompson | Broome | West Broadway

John Watts by macten, on Flickr Watts Street was named in 1794 for John Watts (1749-1836). The last recorder of the City of New York under the colonial government, Watts supported the Revolution and became a three-time speaker of the New York Assembly (1791-93), a Federalist member of Congress from 1793-95 and a Westchester County judge (1802-07). He helped found the Leake and Watts Orphan Asylum and the New York Dispensary. He's probably best remembered today for his gravesite at Trinity Church, which features a prominent statue of him.




HUDSON RIVER

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Block (34 Debrosses): A 15-story luxury apartment building built in 2009 with the unlikely name of Truffles Tribeca.







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Corner (451-453 Washington): The landmarked Fleming Smith warehouse, a fanciful 1892 building in a Flemish Revival style, was originally a shoe factory and a warehouse for wine; it's said to be the first Tribeca building converted to residential use. Houses the Capsouto Freres bistro, opened in 1980.

131 (corner): A six-story Renaissance Revival loft building, designed by Franklin Baylies for tea and coffee importer Samuel Crooks. This building and 465 Greenwich Street across the street are in the Tribeca North Historic District.

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130 (corner): The SoCa Building is a seven-story building from 1920.


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465 Greenwich Street 001

Corner (465 Greenwich St): A six-story red-brick Romanesque Revival warehouse completed in 1885, designed by George DaCunha.

111 (corner): This five-sided, 12-story 1928 building (also known as 205 Hudson and 480 Canal) was designed by Renwick, Aspinwall & Guard. It's home to SFK, aka Success for Kids--originally Spirituality for Kids--a Kaballah-inspired educational project backed by Madonna and Demi Moore.

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Zinc Building

Block (475 Greenwich St): A striking seven-story condo that went up in 2005.















S <===     HUDSON STREET / CANAL STREET     ===> W

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Geekdown by Jeff Howard, on Flickr

Point (200 Hudson): 92Y Tribeca, the Downtown outpost of the 92nd Street Y. It used to be an independent Jewish arts center called Makor, which merged with its current parent in 2001. It's been at this location since 2008.

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DSC_0011 by j.e.s.1981VA, on Flickr

Block (431 Canal): The Holland Plaza Building, a 1930 Art Deco structure designed by Ely Jacques Kahn for the printing industry, now houses the Metropolitan College of New York, founded in 1964 by Audrey Cohen, along with the Manhattan Center of Adelphi University, founded in 1896 as New York's first co-ed college.



















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Holland Tunnel Entrance

NYC: Holland Tunnel by wallyg, on Flickr

The Holland Tunnel, connecting Manhattan to Jersey City, was started in 1922 and completed in 1927, allowing cars to drive into New York City from New Jersey for the first time. Though the name evokes New York City's Dutch heritage, it actually honors Clifford Milburn Holland, chief engineer of the project, who died on October Holland Tunnel by 24gotham, on Flickr 7, 1924, the day before the tunnels dug from New York and New Jersey were con- nected. The project was completed by famed tunnel designer Ole Singstad, whose pioneering ventilation system allowed the Holland Tunnel to be the first vehicular tunnel of substantial length.

On I Love Lucy, Lucy is said to have made U-turn in the Holland Tunnel, tying up traffic all the way to East Orange. The mutant insect in The Deadly Mantis is killed here with nerve gas.


S <===     VARICK STREET     ===> N

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Corner (101 6th Ave): This 1992 25-story tower is the headquarters of the Building Services Employees International Union.

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66: A Federal-style rowhouse dating from 1820 was torn down in 2007; as of 2011, there's nothing here but a vacant lot. "They tore down the garage to make room for the torn-down garage"--They Might Be Giants.

64: The ghost of No. 66 can be seen in outline on the western wall of its former neighbor. new building on watts by bondidwhat, on Flickr

54: Hampton Inn Soho, an 18-story hotel opened in 2008. The design is by Peter Poon, an architect with an idiosyncratic aesthetic.


S <===     6TH AVENUE     ===> N

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Block (100 6th Ave): The Green 6th Avenue Building is a 1928 Art Deco structure designed by Ely Jacques Kahn; note the bas relief workers on the 2nd floor.









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2010.11.01 by ekonon, on Flickr

Corner (110 6th Ave): Lupe's East L.A. Kitchen, Mexican restaurant where Jeff Daniels met Melanie Griffith in Something Wild.





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Corner (40 Thompson): Originally a New York Edison substation, this 1928 building has been the Manhattan Brewing Company, the Thompson Street Brewery, the nightclub NEXT and Nacho Mama's. Seems to be doing business now as an event space called Red Bull Space.

3: Oddly, this building seems to do business as both 505 Broome Street and 366 West Broadway. But it really is on Watts Street.

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Small Park at the Intersection of Thompson, Broome, and Watts Streets by john weiss, on Flickr A small landscaped traffic island.










S <===     WEST BROADWAY / BROOME STREET     ===> N

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NYC - SoHo - Broome Street Bar by wallyg, on Flickr

Point (363 West Broadway): Kenn's Broome Street Bar; cozy neighborhood beer-and-burger joint is in a c. 1825 Federal townhouse.





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DSC07733 by Kramchang, on Flickr

Point (506 Broome): This three-story building was built in 2001 to house the flagship store for Tommy Hilfiger.



S <===     BROOME STREET / WEST BROADWAY     ===> N

Broome Street by PIC-To, sans prétention, on Flickr

Corner (500 Broome): Originally a pepper factory built in 1876, this cast-iron building underwent a loving renovation in the 1990s. Dominico Vacca, men's fashion, is on the ground floor.



What am I missing on Watts Street? Write to Jim Naureckas and tell him about it.

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