Forgotten New York

DIVISION and CANAL, Lower East Side

Division Street is one of Manhattan’s most unremarked-on thoroughfares. It hasn’t gotten much respect over the centuries and decades, either — it’s been reduced to less than half of its original length, first by placing a public park smack in its path, and the rest was later taken out by a massive housing project.

In the grand scheme of the Manhattan street layout, though, Division Street played, and continues to play — a pivotal role. It also once hosted an elevated train line.

Explore the many faces of Division Street on this FNY page.

 

Meanwhile, here’s a bit of Division Street arcana I didn’t notice the first time around. Division and Canal Streets come to a rather sharp angle, and the building at #143 Division wraps around to Canal ever so slightly.

You’d never notice the carved Canal and Division Street signs on the building unless you were regarding the building closely, as I was.

1/6/15

 

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