TriBeCa NYC in Focus
If you are looking for a quieter, less commercialized neighborhood in downtown Manhattan, look no further than the TriBeCa community. The acronym comes from the neighborhood’s location description—“the Triangle below Canal Street”—and locals spell it either with or without the mixture of upper and lower case letters. Located in Lower Manhattan, the specific boundaries are Canal Street, West Street, Broadway and Vesey Street, but often streets just outside these boundaries participate in its lower crime rate, excellent access to transit and Hudson River waterfront accessibility. Tribeca sits just north of Ground Zero.
Historically, Tribeca was industrial and vestiges of its past are apparent in its loft-style living spaces carved from former commercial shops and factories with metal fire escapes, higher ceilings and grand facades. Other historic relics of its past include wooden water towers and cobbled streets. The transformation began in the 1970s with the influx of artists, but slowly transformed into a vibrant, high-end neighborhood, due in part by post 9/11 investors like Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, with their TriBeCa Film Center and TriBeCa Grill. The annual TriBeCa Film Festival each spring exposes independent films, short films and documentaries to millions of festival attendees and boosts the neighborhood’s economy.
Known for boutique shopping and local fare, the neighborhood’s fun vibe took a new turn in 2012 with the announcement of the planned opening of a massive European food hall feature coffees, meats, chocolates, frozen treats and baked goods with continental flair. Some additional newcomers joining the dozens of local eateries include Blue Smoke, an urban barbecue; Atera, billed as “cutting-edge” cuisine; and, François Payard Bakery, where you can indulge your sweet-tooth or enjoy salads, sandwiches and savory quiches. Joining local specialty shops and services is a new bathhouse located on Franklin Street. Aire Ancient Baths offers a variety of thermal and ritual baths, steam rooms, jetted tubs and massage services.
Schools serving the Tribeca neighborhood rate high among parents, making the area popular with young families. Other family friendly venues include the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, which offers artistic entertainment and educational programs and Moomah, a café offering arts and crafts classes, and creative workshops.
Families also enjoy the neighborhoods many mini triangular parks such as Duane Park, Finn Square, Tribeca Park and Washington Market Park—that features a larger playground and hosts the weekly farmer’s market.
Subway Stations providing access include:
- 1 to Canal St. A,C,E to Canal St.
- 1 to Franklin St. | N,Q,R,W to Canal St.
- 1,2 to Chambers St.
- A,C to Chambers St.
- R,W to City Hall
- 2,3 to Park Pl.
- E to World Trade Center
Notable sights include the Harrison Street houses, featuring restored Eighteenth Century townhouses; the former New York Mercantile Exchange (now); and the pedestrian bridge spanning two buildings above Staple Street.
