Civic Center

Architecture
Politics

Romane

Publié le 19/03/2025

Ce point d’intérêt est disponible en audio dans le circuit: Visit New York, The Towers of Wall Street

You’re now in the legal heart of New York City! On your right, there’s the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building. It’s right next to the New York City Hall and is actually an extension of it. It was built back in 1912 to house the new administrative services of the municipality. But by 1898, the city had grown so much that the original City Hall building was just too small. The current building’s quite a sight, isn’t it? It was inspired by Vienna’s City Hall, and has since been the inspiration for many other buildings in the U.S.. It was built in the Beaux-Arts style, and is one of the tallest administrative buildings in the world, standing at 177 meters. Opposite the Manhattan Municipal Building, you’ll find the Surrogate’s Courthouse built in the Beaux-Arts style to house the city archives. If you continue down this street, you’ll find yourself in Foley Square. This is where you’ll find the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, home to the U.S. Court of Appeals. It was named after the first African-American Justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, beginning in 1967. You’ll also see the famous New York Supreme Court, the oldest court in the U.S., which handles civil cases for the entire state, as well as crimes committed within the city. All these buildings make up what is known as the Civic Center – an area that has become one of Manhattan’s most important districts, home to impressive classical-style buildings, as well as various courthouses.