Fourth Avenue (Manhattan)

Fourth Avenue (Manhattan) is a major north-south thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Manhattan, running for approximately two miles from Cooper Square in NoHo north to Union Square. Historically a bustling commercial and entertainment corridor, the avenue has undergone significant transformations, evolving from a notorious vice district in the 19th century to a modern hub for retail, education, and transit. Today, it is a vital artery flanked by a mix of historic structures, academic institutions, and major transportation hubs, forming a key part of the city's street grid.

History

The avenue's origins lie in the early 19th-century expansion of New York City northward, laid out as part of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. Throughout the 1800s, the section below Union Square became infamously known as the Bowery, a center for raucous entertainment, German immigrant culture, and later, urban squalor. The construction of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the Third Avenue El in the late 19th and early 20th centuries spurred development but also contributed to congestion. A major redesign in the early 20th century, including the creation of a central mall, sought to rebrand it as a grand boulevard, leading to its renaming as Park Avenue South above 17th Street. The mid-20th century decline of the Bowery gave way to late-century gentrification, with the avenue now anchored by institutions like Cooper Union.

Route and description

Fourth Avenue originates at its intersection with Bowery and Cooper Square, directly facing the historic Cooper Union Foundation Building. It proceeds northward, passing through the eastern edge of Greenwich Village and the East Village. The avenue features a distinctive divided roadway with a planted median strip for several blocks, a remnant of its early-20th-century beautification. It runs parallel to and between Broadway to the west and Third Avenue to the east, serving as a primary conduit into Union Square, where it terminates. The streetscape is characterized by a blend of early 20th-century commercial loft buildings, modern retail storefronts, and several notable institutional structures.

Transportation

The avenue is a critical transit corridor, served extensively by the New York City Subway. The BMT Broadway Line runs directly underneath, with key stations at 8th Street and 14th Street–Union Square, the latter being a massive interchange for the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, BMT Canarsie Line, and BMT Broadway Line. Numerous MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes, including the M1, M2, M3, and M101, travel along its length. Its terminus at Union Square connects it to a major hub for the Long Island Rail Road and future Metro-North Railroad access via the East Side Access project.

Notable buildings and landmarks

Prominent structures along the avenue include the landmarked Cooper Union Foundation Building, home to the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. The Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site is located just off the avenue on East 20th Street. Other significant edifices are the First Ukrainian Assembly of God and the former Germania Bank Building. The Zeckendorf Towers residential complex dominates the view at the avenue's northern end at Union Square, while the New York City Marriott Union Square hotel is a major presence. The New York Film Academy and the New York City Department of Buildings also maintain facilities on the street.

In popular culture

Fourth Avenue and the surrounding Bowery area have been depicted in numerous cultural works, symbolizing both gritty urban life and transformation. It is famously referenced in the Beat Generation literature of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. The street's earlier notoriety featured in the illustrations of John Sloan and the photographs of Jacob Riis. In music, it is mentioned in songs by artists like Bob Dylan and The Velvet Underground. The avenue has served as a filming location for movies and television series, including Law & Order and *Spider-Man*, often representing a quintessential New York City streetscape.

Category:Streets in Manhattan Category:North–South streets in Manhattan