WAPR: Astor Place Radio
05/30/15 12PM
Out in Public
Cover Image:
Work begins on First Houses, facing northwest from across the intersection of Avenue A at 2nd Street, April 4, 1935
Part of the Street Program
Mayor LaGuardia built First Houses in 1936 as an important initiative to address widespread poverty and tenement conditions. Today, these eight modest buildings on a quiet courtyard barely stand out from nearby walk-ups but contrast sharply with NYCHA’s well-known tower developments. We will visit the St. Mark’s Bookstore housed in the development. Then, we will enter through the gates guarding 126 apartments housing 200 residents. In the courtyard, we will see playgrounds, walkways, and a garden. Finally, we will walk a few blocks to the Meltzer Tower, which has 230 apartments housing seniors whose diversity reflects that of the Lower East Side.
New York Housing Authority tours will be leaving from the Shared Tour Hub in Sara D. Roosevelt Park at the corner of Stanton and Forsyth Streets at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Categories:
Civic Life, Politics
Participating Organizations:
New York City Housing Authority
