Varick Street (Manhattan)
History
Varick Street is named for Richard Varick, an early New York lawmaker and the mayor of New York City from 1789 to 1801, who owned property in the area.
In 1853, Heinrich Englehard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway) founded the first American Steinway & Sons factory in a loft at the back of 85 Varick Street.
Varick Street was widened during the southward extension of Seventh Avenue in 1917. A number of old buildings were torn down during the widening project, including St. John's Chapel, which facilitated construction of the New York City Subway's IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and opened up a new vehicular route between Midtown and lower Manhattan.
Transportation
The downtown M20 bus route runs the entire length of Varick Street (uptown buses use Hudson Street). Additionally, the crosstown M21 bus intersects Varick Street at Houston Street in the westbound direction and at Spring Street in the eastbound direction. The Houston Street, Canal Street, and Franklin Street subway stations on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line (1 and 2 trains) are located under Varick Street.
References
Notes
- ^ "Downtown Street Names and the Stories They Tell". Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center. December 27, 2004. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
An extension of Seventh Avenue leading south from Clarkson Street, Varick Street got its name from Richard Varick, who served as the mayor of the city from 1791 to 1801.
- ^ Panchyk, Richard (2008). German New York City. Arcadia Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-7385-5680-2.
- ^ Goldenberg, Susan (1996). Steinway: From glory to controversy; the family, the business, the piano. Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-88962-607-2.
- ^ "Seventh Avenue Extension Will Create Great Business Revival in Old Greenwich". The New York Times. September 24, 1911. p. X9. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
External links
- 7th Avenue With Varick Street: A New York Songline – virtual walking tour