Cooper Square
Encyclopedia
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Cooper Square is a junction of streets in lower Manhattan
, New York City
located at the confluence of the neighborhoods of The Bowery to the south, NoHo
to the west and southwest, Greenwich Village
to the west and northwest, the East Village
to the north and east, and the Lower East Side
to the southeast.
Beginning at its southern end when The Bowery crosses East 4th Street, the road then splits in two, both with Cooper Square addresses, until they cross Astor Place between East 8th Street and St. Marks Place and become Fourth Avenue (the western street) and Third Avenue
(the eastern street). Because The Bowery, Third Avenue and both sides of Cooper Square are two-way streets, the intersection is complex, and difficult for pedestrians to navigate, especially considering that it is part of a city-approved through-truck route. The New York City Department of Transportation
has announced plans to "normalize" traffic, increase the size of the park in the middle of the square, and create a new community park in the area.
Cooper Square is named after Peter Cooper
, the 19th Century industrialist and philanthropist who, early in his life, ran a grocery store nearby. In 1853, Cooper broke ground for Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
, an institution founded on the belief that high-quality education should be "free as air and water" and available to all who qualified, including women – a radical notion at the time – without cost. It continues to provide every student with a full-tuition scholarship. Frederick A. Peterson's Cooper Union Foundation Building on the north end of the square, the oldest existing American building framed with steel beams, still stands where it was located when it opened in 1859, but the interior was extensively reconstructed in 1975 not only to modernize it, but also to fulfill one of Cooper's plans which was never realized at the time: the installation of a round elevator. The exterior of the building was restored in 1999 as well.
Downtown of the Foundation Building is a small park, Cooper Triangle, which includes a monument dedicated to Peter Cooper. Across the street, at 41 Cooper Square, is the school's newest building, the New Academic Building, designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis.
The Village Voice
's headquarters are on the western side of the square, as are classroom buildings of New York University
and Kaplan, Inc.
The sleek, modern high-rise Cooper Square Hotel
at #25 is one of the newest buildings on the square.
Cooper Square is a junction of streets in lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
located at the confluence of the neighborhoods of The Bowery to the south, NoHo
NoHo
NoHo, for North of Houston Street is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, roughly bounded by Houston Street on the south, The Bowery on the east, Astor Place on the north, and Broadway on the west. NoHo is wedged between Greenwich Village, west of Broadway, and the East Village...
to the west and southwest, Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
to the west and northwest, the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
to the north and east, and the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
to the southeast.
Beginning at its southern end when The Bowery crosses East 4th Street, the road then splits in two, both with Cooper Square addresses, until they cross Astor Place between East 8th Street and St. Marks Place and become Fourth Avenue (the western street) and Third Avenue
Third Avenue (Manhattan)
Third Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from Cooper Square north for over 120 blocks. Third Avenue continues into The Bronx across the Harlem River over the Third Avenue Bridge north of East 129th Street to East Fordham Road at...
(the eastern street). Because The Bowery, Third Avenue and both sides of Cooper Square are two-way streets, the intersection is complex, and difficult for pedestrians to navigate, especially considering that it is part of a city-approved through-truck route. The New York City Department of Transportation
New York City Department of Transportation
The New York City Department of Transportation is responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure...
has announced plans to "normalize" traffic, increase the size of the park in the middle of the square, and create a new community park in the area.
Cooper Square is named after Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and candidate for President of the United States...
, the 19th Century industrialist and philanthropist who, early in his life, ran a grocery store nearby. In 1853, Cooper broke ground for Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
, an institution founded on the belief that high-quality education should be "free as air and water" and available to all who qualified, including women – a radical notion at the time – without cost. It continues to provide every student with a full-tuition scholarship. Frederick A. Peterson's Cooper Union Foundation Building on the north end of the square, the oldest existing American building framed with steel beams, still stands where it was located when it opened in 1859, but the interior was extensively reconstructed in 1975 not only to modernize it, but also to fulfill one of Cooper's plans which was never realized at the time: the installation of a round elevator. The exterior of the building was restored in 1999 as well.
Downtown of the Foundation Building is a small park, Cooper Triangle, which includes a monument dedicated to Peter Cooper. Across the street, at 41 Cooper Square, is the school's newest building, the New Academic Building, designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis.
The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
's headquarters are on the western side of the square, as are classroom buildings of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc. is a for-profit corporation headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan. Kaplan provides higher education programs, professional training courses, test preparation materials and other services for various levels of education...
The sleek, modern high-rise Cooper Square Hotel
Cooper Square Hotel
The Cooper Square Hotel is a 21-story high-rise luxury hotel located at 25 Cooper Square in lower Manhattan, New York City. The tower was designed by Carlos Zapata and has interiors by the Milanese designer Antonio Citterio. The hotel, which opened in December 2008, has 145 rooms and is the...
at #25 is one of the newest buildings on the square.