Governor Alfred E. Smith Houses, or the Alfred E. Smith Houses. is a public housing development built by the New York City Housing Authority in the Two Bridges neighborhood of the Lower East Side of Manhattan.[3][4][5] There are 12 buildings in the complex; all are 17 stories tall.[3] It covers 21.75 acres (8.80 ha), has 1,931 apartments, and houses an estimated 5,739 people.[3][6] The grounds are bordered by St. James Place to the west, Madison Street to the north, Catherine Street to the east, and South Street to the south.[3]
Alfred E. Smith Houses | |
|---|---|
 Knickerbocker Village framed by two of the Alfred E. Smith Houses towers in 2012 | |
 Location in New York City | |
| Coordinates: 40°42′40″N 73°59′56″W / 40.711°N 73.999°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Manhattan |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.033 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 4,232 [1] |
| ZIP codes | 10038 |
| Area codes | 212, 332, 646, and 917 |
| Website | my |
About
editThe razing of buildings for the construction of the complex began in 1950, and the buildings were completed on April 1, 1953.[3][7]
The key sponsor of the development was State assemblyman John J. Lamula and it was named after four-time New York Governor Al Smith (1873–1944), the first Catholic to win a Presidential nomination by a major political party and a social reformer who made progress in the areas of better living and working conditions.[3][8] Smith served as governor from 1919–1920 and 1923–1929, and was nominated unsuccessfully by the Democratic Party in 1928, with Joseph Taylor Robinson as his running mate.[8] Nearby are the Alfred E. Smith Park, a 2.77-acre (1.12 ha) park with memorials for Governor Smith located at the corner of South St, Catherine Slip, and Madison St, the Alfred E. Smith Recreational Center, which has community rooms and a gymnasium, and P.S. 126.[9]
Of the residents at the Governor Alfred E. Smith Houses, 30% were elderly as of 2010, then the highest such percentage of all public housing developments in New York City.[6]
Notable people
edit- Luther Vandross (1951 – 2005), singer and record producer.[10]
- Michael Che (born 1983), comedian.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Alfred E. Smith Houses Population".
- ^ "Alfred E. Smith Houses Area". Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "SMITH, ALFRED E. HOUSES". NYCHA Housing Developments. New York: New York City Housing Authority. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ "Governor Alfred E Smith Houses Populated Place Profile". HomeTownLocator. HTL, Inc. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ Amateau, Albert (October 29, 2008). "After shootings, calls for cops, cameras, evictions". The Villager. New York: Community Media, LLC. Archived from the original on September 29, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ a b "Grants-Award Summary". Recovery.gov. United States Federal Government. Archived from the original on October 11, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ Steed, Tonia. "The Lower East Side revealed". The Villager. New York: Community Media, LLC. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ a b "Alfred Smith (1873-1944)". The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers. George Washington University. 2006. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ "Alfred E Smith Park". Explore Your Park. New York: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ Coombs, Orde (February 15, 1982). "The Voice of The New Vulnerability". New York. 15 (7). New York Media, LLC: 45–49. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
- ^ Seabaugh, Julie (June 3, 2014). "How New York Comedian Michael Che Willed His Way to SNL and The Daily Show". Village Voice. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2020.