11. 8 Disappearing Districts And Neighborhoods of NYC

Marc Gordon, AIA, LEED®AP BD+C Partner, is a practicing architect in New York, where he’s a partner at the firm Spacesmith. A lifelong student of New York history, he’s an enthusiastic believer that the city’s past holds lessons for us all today. On weekends and in other snippets of free time, Marc traverses the boroughs exploring hidden history and seeking stories that he hopes will illuminate New York’s architectural heritage, inspire an appreciation for the richness of urban life, and give voice to the metropolis he calls home. He’s shared this piece with Untapped Cities readers:

There has been plenty of talk recently about the gentrification of New York. This is a dynamic city and it is often said that the only constant in New York is change. In the last 20 years, New York has transformed at an astonishing rate, and parts of the city are hardly recognizable from the gritty urban decline of the 1970’s and 80’s and subsequent turnaround in the 90’s. However, along with the positive aspects of economic growth come the negative side effects of rampant over development and loss of character that makes our city unique.

One aspect of recent developments includes the disintegration of many distinct commercial districts specializing in a particular service or type of business. Here are few that you may still be able to find and few that are gone forever.