Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza facts for kids
Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza is a public park in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. It is located where Trinity Place, Greenwich Street, and Edgar Street meet. The park faces the exit ramp from the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel.
This park is named after Elizabeth H. Berger (1960-2013). She was a community leader and president of the Downtown Alliance. Elizabeth Berger worked hard to combine two small traffic areas into this larger park. The park is built on land that was once part of a lively immigrant neighborhood called Little Syria. This community was moved when the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel was built in 1953.
Contents
A Look Back at the Land
Edgar Street: Manhattan's Shortest Street
On the north side of the park is Edgar Street. Many people say it is the shortest street in Manhattan. Its gentle slope shows that it was once part of a ridge. This ridge ran along the old shoreline of Manhattan.
In the early days, during the Dutch period (1624-1664), it was a very narrow street. It was called 'Tuyn Paat,' which means 'Garden Alley.' When the British took control in 1664, they changed the name to Tin Pot Alley.
The City of New York bought the street in 1795. That is when it got its current name, Edgar Street. It was likely named after the family of William Edgar (1736-1820). He was a successful merchant who moved to New York around 1780. For a while, the street led to the Edgar family home nearby. Before the land was filled in, this street went almost to the water's edge. Today, the Robert and Anne Dickey House is the only old building left on Edgar Street. It is located across from Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza.
Greenwich Street: The Old Coastline
The path of Greenwich Street was once the original coastline of Manhattan Island. In 1787, the city decided to expand the shoreline. They added about 60 feet of new land into the Hudson River.
After this, Greenwich Street was built on the new land. Soon, many beautiful Federal-style townhouses lined the street. Washington Street was built around 1808, and West Street followed by 1830. The land's slope from Broadway suddenly becomes flat where the new land begins.
Park Updates and Future Plans
Honoring Arab-American Culture
In October 2013, groups like the Washington Street Historical Society held a special event. People of Lebanese and Syrian backgrounds were part of this dedication. They placed plaques on benches in the park. These plaques have names and quotes from important Arab-American people and groups.
The park, formerly known as Edgar Street Plaza, was officially renamed Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza on December 16, 2013. The park now has juniper bushes along the benches. A small open area surrounds a central garden with oak leaf hydrangeas, viburnums, and river birch trees. These plants help shield visitors from traffic, making the park a peaceful green space.
Future Expansion and Tributes
In 2017, plans were announced to make the plaza even bigger. It will be combined with Trinity Plaza to the south. The new park will be about 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) in size. It will also include special tributes to the historic Little Syria neighborhood. The direct off-ramp from the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to Greenwich Street will also be removed.
However, as of April 2019, the park's construction was delayed. This was due to the building of a new school at 77 Greenwich Street, inside the old Dickey House. The construction of the park is expected to be finished by 2021.
In Spanish: Plaza Elizabeth H. Berger para niños
