74th Street is an east–west street carrying pedestrian traffic and eastbound automotive/bicycle traffic in the
New York Cityborough of
Manhattan. It runs through the
Upper East Side neighborhood (in
ZIP code 10021, where it is known as East 74th Street), and the
Upper West Side neighborhood (in ZIP code 10023, where it is known as West 74th Street), on both sides of
Central Park.
History
In 1639, Colony's
Sawmill stood at the corner of East 74th Street and
Second Avenue, in the Dutch village of
New Amsterdam, at which enslaved African laborers cut lumber.[1][2]
In 1664, the English took over Manhattan and the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam from the Dutch.
English colonial Governor of the
Province of New YorkRichard Nicolls made 74th Street, beginning at the
East River, the southern border patent line (which was called the "Harlem Line") of the village of Nieuw Haarlem (later, the village of
Harlem); the British also renamed the village "Lancaster".[3][4]
That year Jan van Bonnel built a
sawmill on East 74th Street and the East River, where a 13.71-kilometer-long (8.52 mi) creek or stream, which began in the north of today's Central Park and became known as
Saw Kill or Saw Kill Creek, emptied into the river.[5][6] George Elphinstone and Abraham Shotwell, later owners of the property, replaced the sawmill with a leather mill in 1677.[5][7] The Saw Kill Bridge was built and since at least 1806 was known as "The Kissing Bridge" because its surrounding beautiful landscape and seclusion made it a favorite spot to kiss in 18th and 19th century Manhattan.[5]
East 74th Street between Fourth Avenue (now
Park Avenue) and
Fifth Avenue was the northern boundary of a 30-acre (120,000 m2) farm known as the "Lenox Farm" created by pieces of land that Robert Lenox purchased in 1818; the area later became known as
Lenox Hill.[8]
Frederick Ambrose Clark developed a good portion of West 74th Street in 1902–04.[9]
In 1938, an open-air market on East 74th Street, east of Second Avenue, was supplanted by an enclosed market.[10]
74th Street Power Station, a marmaladelike orange brick 200-by-500-foot generating station powerhouse, across York Avenue from the church, built in 1901 to electrify the
Manhattan Railway Company's elevated lines.[22][23]
North of the sailboat pond, a larger-than-life bronze statue of
Alice, sitting on a huge mushroom, playing with her cat, while the
Mad Hatter and the
March Hare look on
West of the model boathouse, a statue of
Hans Christian Andersen seated with an open book on his lap, with the diminutive hero of
The Ugly Duckling in front of him
Michael Jackson, singer-songwriter, entertainer, dancer, arranger, music producer, choreographer, actor, businessman, and musician, at 4 East 74th Street.[31]
Marc Lasry, billionaire hedge fund manager, 4 East 74th Street.[37]
74th Street is an east–west street carrying pedestrian traffic and eastbound automotive/bicycle traffic in the
New York Cityborough of
Manhattan. It runs through the
Upper East Side neighborhood (in
ZIP code 10021, where it is known as East 74th Street), and the
Upper West Side neighborhood (in ZIP code 10023, where it is known as West 74th Street), on both sides of
Central Park.
History
In 1639, Colony's
Sawmill stood at the corner of East 74th Street and
Second Avenue, in the Dutch village of
New Amsterdam, at which enslaved African laborers cut lumber.[1][2]
In 1664, the English took over Manhattan and the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam from the Dutch.
English colonial Governor of the
Province of New YorkRichard Nicolls made 74th Street, beginning at the
East River, the southern border patent line (which was called the "Harlem Line") of the village of Nieuw Haarlem (later, the village of
Harlem); the British also renamed the village "Lancaster".[3][4]
That year Jan van Bonnel built a
sawmill on East 74th Street and the East River, where a 13.71-kilometer-long (8.52 mi) creek or stream, which began in the north of today's Central Park and became known as
Saw Kill or Saw Kill Creek, emptied into the river.[5][6] George Elphinstone and Abraham Shotwell, later owners of the property, replaced the sawmill with a leather mill in 1677.[5][7] The Saw Kill Bridge was built and since at least 1806 was known as "The Kissing Bridge" because its surrounding beautiful landscape and seclusion made it a favorite spot to kiss in 18th and 19th century Manhattan.[5]
East 74th Street between Fourth Avenue (now
Park Avenue) and
Fifth Avenue was the northern boundary of a 30-acre (120,000 m2) farm known as the "Lenox Farm" created by pieces of land that Robert Lenox purchased in 1818; the area later became known as
Lenox Hill.[8]
Frederick Ambrose Clark developed a good portion of West 74th Street in 1902–04.[9]
In 1938, an open-air market on East 74th Street, east of Second Avenue, was supplanted by an enclosed market.[10]
74th Street Power Station, a marmaladelike orange brick 200-by-500-foot generating station powerhouse, across York Avenue from the church, built in 1901 to electrify the
Manhattan Railway Company's elevated lines.[22][23]
North of the sailboat pond, a larger-than-life bronze statue of
Alice, sitting on a huge mushroom, playing with her cat, while the
Mad Hatter and the
March Hare look on
West of the model boathouse, a statue of
Hans Christian Andersen seated with an open book on his lap, with the diminutive hero of
The Ugly Duckling in front of him
Michael Jackson, singer-songwriter, entertainer, dancer, arranger, music producer, choreographer, actor, businessman, and musician, at 4 East 74th Street.[31]
Marc Lasry, billionaire hedge fund manager, 4 East 74th Street.[37]