Five Points

Five Points. It was a notorious slum neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, centered on the five-way intersection of Anthony Street, Cross Street, Orange Street, Mulberry Street, and Little Water Street. From the early 19th century until its eradication by urban renewal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was internationally infamous for extreme poverty, gang violence, and disease, becoming a symbol of urban squalor. The area's population was a volatile mix of Irish, German, Italian, and African American residents, often living in crowded tenement buildings like the infamous Old Brewery.

History

The neighborhood originated from the filling of the Collect Pond, a freshwater source that became polluted by tanneries and breweries, leading to its drainage in the early 1800s. The unstable, marshy land caused buildings to sink, contributing to the area's rapid decline into a slum. Mass immigration, particularly during the Irish Potato Famine, overwhelmed the district, with new arrivals crowding into subdivided homes and boarding houses. This period saw the rise of violent street gangs such as the Bowery Boys, the Dead Rabbits, and the Roach Guards, whose battles were central to the New York Draft Riots. Reform efforts by figures like Jacob Riis and Charles Loring Brace brought attention to its conditions, which were eventually cleared for public projects like the Foley Square courthouse complex and parts of Columbus Park.

Geography and demographics

Located in what is now part of Civic Center and Chinatown, its core was roughly bounded by Worth Street to the north, Baxter Street to the west, Park Row to the south, and the Bowery to the east. The demographic composition was intensely diverse and segregated, with distinct ethnic enclaves within a few blocks. The Sixth Ward was its political domain, often controlled by the Tammany Hall political machine, which traded services for votes in a system of patronage. African Americans, many of whom had been freed following the gradual abolition laws, lived in a subsection sometimes called Little Africa, though they faced significant tension and violence from immigrant groups.

Cultural depictions

Five Points was a frequent subject of sensationalist journalism and reformist literature, most famously in Charles Dickens's American Notes, where he described its "reeking" atmosphere. It served as the central setting for Herbert Asbury's non-fiction book The Gangs of New York, which later inspired Martin Scorsese's film *Gangs of New York*, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis. The neighborhood also features in the Broadway musical *The Dead* and numerous historical fiction novels, often serving as a metaphor for America's struggles with immigration and urbanization. Early photographers like Jacob Riis, in his work How the Other Half Lives, provided stark visual evidence of its living conditions.

Notable residents

Despite its poverty, the area was home to several individuals who rose to prominence. Political boss William M. Tweed, the leader of Tammany Hall, began his career organizing in the ward. Prize fighter John Morrissey, who became a Congressman and state senator, started as a gang enforcer and later opened a famous gambling house. Social reformer and police reporter Jacob Riis lived nearby and documented the area extensively. The father of Al Capone, Gabriele Capone, lived on Park Row before moving his family to Brooklyn. Early African American journalist and abolitionist Samuel Ringgold Ward also resided in the district for a time.

Legacy and significance

Five Points remains a pivotal case study in urban history, immigration history, and social reform movements in the United States. Its eradication set precedents for using eminent domain for slum clearance and the construction of large-scale public works, a model applied later in projects like Robert Moses's highway developments. The neighborhood's archeological site, uncovered during the Foley Square federal building expansions, has provided invaluable material artifacts about 19th-century urban life. Today, largely replaced by government buildings and the expansion of Chinatown, it stands as a powerful reminder of the challenges of rapid industrialization and the complex history of the American melting pot.

Category:Neighborhoods in Manhattan Category:Former populated places in New York City Category:History of New York City