First Avenue (Manhattan)

First Avenue (Manhattan). First Avenue is a major north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, running from Houston Street in the East Village north to the Willis Avenue Bridge, which connects to the Bronx. It is a primary component of the Manhattan street grid established by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 and serves as a vital corridor for traffic, public transit, and access to numerous hospitals, institutions, and residential neighborhoods along the East River.

Route description

First Avenue originates at its intersection with Houston Street, proceeding north through the East Village, Stuyvesant Town, and the Peter Cooper Village housing complexes. It forms the western boundary of the United Nations Headquarters complex in the Turtle Bay neighborhood and continues along the Upper East Side, passing the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Metropolitan Hospital Center. The avenue terminates at the approach to the Willis Avenue Bridge, a swing bridge that crosses the Harlem River into the South Bronx. Major cross streets include 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, 57th Street, and 86th Street.

History

The route of First Avenue was mapped out as part of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which imposed a gridiron street plan over most of Manhattan. The avenue was constructed over former paths and estates, with significant development following the opening of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in the early 20th century. The construction of the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive (FDR Drive) in the 1930s and 1940s, which runs parallel and to the east, transformed the waterfront and isolated the avenue from the East River in many sections. The mid-20th century saw the development of large-scale residential projects like Stuyvesant Town and the establishment of the United Nations headquarters, cementing the avenue's institutional character.

Transportation

First Avenue is a major bus corridor, served by the M15 local and M15 SBS Select Bus Service routes, which are among the busiest in the New York City bus system. The avenue runs parallel to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, with key stations at 14th Street–Union Square and 86th Street. The FDR Drive provides limited-access highway connections, while the Queensboro Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge feeder roads intersect the southern portion. The NYC Ferry system has stops at East 34th Street Ferry Landing and Stuyvesant Cove, providing waterborne transit.

Notable places

First Avenue is lined with numerous significant institutions, most notably the United Nations Headquarters, which occupies a large tract between 42nd and 48th Streets. The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Weill Cornell Medical Center campus is a major medical hub, alongside the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Hospital for Special Surgery. Other landmarks include the Sutton Place enclave, the Museum of the Moving Image (just across the Queensboro Bridge in Queens), and the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at Rockefeller University. The avenue is also home to the New York City Fire Museum and several large residential complexes like Peter Cooper Village.

In popular culture

First Avenue has been featured in numerous films and television shows, often representing the gritty energy of New York City. It serves as a backdrop in movies like The French Connection, which famously filmed a car chase underneath the 86th Street subway station, and The Godfather Part II. The avenue is referenced in the lyrics of songs by artists such as Lou Reed and Billy Joel. Television series set in New York City, including Law & Order and Seinfeld, have frequently used locations along First Avenue for exterior shots, particularly around the hospital districts and the East Village.

Category:Streets in Manhattan Category:East Side (Manhattan)