NYC's Bowery (now part of 4th Avenue) was originaly the drive entry to peter styvetson's county estate (about 3 miles north of Wall Street-- the old city line!) *Peter's name is spelled wrong... forgive me...

His estate was called the bowery because the entry drive was lined with stately trees forming a bowery. (peter also mapped out the only street in Manhattan to run true east/west--its on a diagonal to most of the city's grid of east/west and North/south streets.

later, this area (just north of chinatown/little Italy, and south east village was the area of the "Bowery Boys" -- 1920 and 30's movies about lovable but rascally kids who where borderline juvenial delinqients. the area was one of poverty and immigrants.

Just to the east of the Bowery is "alphabet city" (there is a bumbed out in Manhattan island-- and instead of the last avenue being 1st Avenue, there are 4 extra avenues, A, B, C and D. tidal action cause the bumb out to collect flotsome and jetsom (or in modern days, 'floaters' dead bodies) which do not enhance the neighborhood or its image.

the area is not unsafe, but it also has not been too gentrified, (tompkom square park area) the Bowery is only about 4 blocks long (from Canal to Houston) then from Houston to Astor Place, its 4th Avenue, above there its Lexington Avenue.

alphabet city was the first site of "public housing" (council flats) in NYC (and the US!) Part of the reform action of Jacob Riis. these are still in use 100 years later.


my other obsession