Alphabet City, Manhattan

Alphabet City
Avenue C was designated Loisaida Avenue in recognition of the neighborhood's Puerto Rican heritage
Avenue C was designated Loisaida Avenue in recognition of the neighborhood's Puerto Rican heritage
Map
Location in New York City
Coordinates: 40°43′34″N 73°58′44″W / 40.726°N 73.979°W / 40.726; -73.979
Country United States
State New York
CityNew York City
BoroughManhattan
Community DistrictManhattan 3[1]
Area
 • Total
1.2 km2 (0.47 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total
45,317
 • Density37,000/km2 (96,000/sq mi)
Ethnicity
 • White41.5%
 • Hispanic30.6%
 • Asian14.3%
 • Black9.3%
 • Other4.4%
Economics
 • Median income$63,717
ZIP Code
10009
Area codes212, 332, 646, and 917

Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter names. It is bounded by Houston Street to the south and 14th Street to the north, and extends roughly from Avenue A to the East River.[4] Some famous landmarks include Tompkins Square Park, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and the Charlie Parker Residence.

The neighborhood has a long history, serving as a cultural center and ethnic enclave for Manhattan's German, Polish, Hispanic, and immigrants of Jewish descent. However, there is much dispute over the borders of the Lower East Side, Alphabet City, and East Village. Historically, Manhattan's Lower East Side was 14th Street at the northern end, bound on the east by East River and on the west by First Avenue; today, that same area is Alphabet City. The area's German presence in the early 20th century, in decline, virtually ended after the General Slocum disaster in 1904.

Alphabet City is part of Manhattan Community District 3 and its primary ZIP Code is 10009.[1] It is patrolled by the 9th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.

  1. ^ a b "NYC Planning | Community Profiles". communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov. New York City Department of City Planning. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Manhattan census tracts 34, 22.02, 20, 24, 26.01, 26.02, 28, 30.02, 32". NYC Population FactFinder.
  3. ^ "Zip code 10009". Census Reporter.
  4. ^ Hughes, C.J. (September 6, 2017). "Living In: Alphabet City". The New York Times. Stretching from Avenue A to the East River, and East 14th to East Houston Streets, Alphabet City is ...