Cortlandt Alley

Alley in Manhattan, New York

40°43′7.763″N 74°0′5.043″W﻿ / ﻿40.71882306°N 74.00140083°W﻿ / 40.71882306; -74.00140083

Cortlandt Alley, 2022

Cortlandt Alley is an alley in Lower Manhattan, New York City, which is often used as a filming location. Filming is not allowed in many of New York City's alleys, so Cortlandt Alley appears in many movies and TV shows,[1][2][3] including Crocodile Dundee, 9½ Weeks and Boardwalk Empire.[4] As of 2019, film crews were working in the alley three to four times a week.[1]

The alley runs north to south from Canal Street to Franklin Street for three blocks between Tribeca and Chinatown. Like Cortlandt Street in Manhattan's Financial District and Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, the alley was named after the Van Cortlandt family. It was first laid out in 1817.

Location scout Nick Carr says "it's a self-perpetuating fictional version of New York, the alley has become iconic. It's gotten to the point that we've seen alleys in so many movies and TV shows that actual New Yorkers think that they're all around us".[5][6][1]

## History

[edit]

The Commissioners' Plan of 1811, regarded as the single most important document in New York City's development, was a major effort to optimize and maximize the city's real estate. The plan created 155 streets and 12 Avenues intersecting at right angles leaving out alleys by design. The plan gave the commission eminent domain: the power to force existing land owners to sell any land the commission needed in order to build their design.

Roughly 40 percent of all existing buildings were destroyed to make way for the new grid. In return for their losses, the commission didn't place any alleys on the land that remained, so that the land owners could provide and profit from more housing and commercial units.

Today, most of the only remaining alleys left in New York City are located in lower Manhattan south of Canal Street. Cortlandt Alley was laid out in 1817, six years after the commissioner's plan.

Filmmakers often use Cortlandt Alley as backdrop to shoot a murder scene, a street fight, an adrenaline-fueled police pursuit, and any crime-related scene. To make the alley seem even more dangerous and dingy and shady, film crews have sometimes pasted papers on the walls, staged bags of garbage on the sides, and purposely dirtied the environment.[7]

## Filming location

[edit]

Notable films and television series include:

* Men in Black
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
* Highlander
* Gotham
* Kate & Leopold
* Boardwalk Empire
* 9½ Weeks
* Law & Order
* NYPD Blue
* The Smurfs
* And Just Like That...[8]

Music videos:

* Simba by J. Cole
* on the street (with J. Cole) by j-hope of BTS
* Maxident trailer by Stray Kids

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Whitlock, Cathy (September 20, 2019). "Why Is This "Gritty" NYC Alley Featured in So Many TV Shows and Movies?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
2. ^ Nigh, Meredith Geaghan-Breiner, Ben. "The NYC locations that appear over and over again in films and TV shows". Insider. Retrieved July 3, 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. ^ Rosenberg, Joe (January 8, 2019). "Cortlandt Alley". 99% Invisible. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
4. ^ "Filming Location Matching "Cortlandt Alley, New York City, New York, USA" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
5. ^ "Mini Stories: Volume 6".
6. ^ Garlock, Stepanie (November 1, 2013). "One Sociologist's Epic Quest: Walk New York City, All 120,000 Blocks". Bloomberg.
7. ^ Carlson, Jen (July 12, 2018). "This is the Most Filmed in Alley in NYC". Gothamist.
8. ^ Facey, Liv (December 13, 2021). "'And Just Like That' filming locations you can visit IRL". My Imperfect Life.

* v
* t
* e

Tribeca

Manhattan, New York City

Green spaces|

* Albert Capsouto Park
* Duane Park
* Hudson River Park
* LentSpace
* St. John's Park
* Tribeca Dog Run
* Washington Market Park

Education|

* Borough of Manhattan Community College
* Metropolitan College of New York
* New York Academy of Art
* New York Law School

Culture|

* Tribeca Festival
* TriBeCa Synagogue

| Restaurants and nightlife|

* Frenchette
* Icca
* Jungsik
* L'Abeille
* Matsugen
* One White Street
* Sushi Azabu
* Sushi Ichimura
* Tamarind Tribeca
* The Odeon
* Tribeca Grill

|

Theaters, galleries, museums|

* Art Projects International
* Artists Space
* Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology
* Postmasters Gallery
* Soho Repertory Theatre
* The Flea Theater

Former|

* Area
* Bâtard
* Bouley
* Brushstroke
* Chanterelle
* Corton
* Ichimura at Brushstroke
* Montrachet
* Mudd Club
* Rosanjin
* Lo Scalco

Buildings and
structures|

* 2 White Street
* 32 Avenue of the Americas
* 56 Leonard Street
* 60 Hudson Street
* 75 Murray Street
* 90 Church Street
* 101 Warren Street
* 108 Leonard (Former New York Life Building)
* 111 Murray Street
* 175 West Broadway
* 177 Franklin Street
* 287 Broadway
* 291 Broadway
* 319 Broadway
* 359 Broadway
* 361 Broadway
* 388 Greenwich Street
* 408 Greenwich Street
* A&P Warehouse
* American Thread Building
* Astor House
* Barclay Tower
* Barclay–Vesey Building
* Broadway–Chambers Building
* Canal Street Post Office
* Cary Building
* Cosmopolitan Hotel Tribeca
* David S. Brown Store
* Firehouse, Engine Company 31
* Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8
* Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
* Home Life Building
* Kitchen, Montross & Wilcox Store
* Mutual Reserve Building
* One Hudson Square
* Roebling Building
* Textile Building
* Tower 270
* Woolworth Building

Transportation|

| Subway stations|

* Canal Street/Broadway
* Canal Street/Sixth Avenue
* Canal Street/Varick Street
* Chambers Street
* Chambers Street/WTC/Park Place
* City Hall
* Franklin Street

|

Streets|

* Broadway
* Canal
* Chambers
* Church
* Greenwich
* Hudson
* Leonard
* North Moore
* Sixth Avenue
* Washington
* West Broadway
* West
* Worth

Historic districts|

* Tribeca West Historic District

See also: Manhattan Community Board 1

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* t
* e

Chinatown, Manhattan

Manhattan, New York City

Green spaces|

* Columbus Park
* Collect Pond Park
* Sara Delano Roosevelt Park

Education|

* Shuang Wen School
* Pace University High School

Religion|

* Church of the Transfiguration
* Eldridge Street Synagogue
* Mariner's Temple
* Sea and Land Church
* St. James Roman Catholic Church
* St. Joseph Church

Culture|

| Museums|

* Asian American Arts Centre
* Museum of Chinese in America

|

Community|

* Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
* Chinese Community Center
* Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Businesses|

* Chinatown Fair
* Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
* Hop Kee
* Jing Fong
* Nom Wah Tea Parlor
* Pearl River Mart
* Wo Hop
* Yu & Me Books

Other buildings|

* 51 Market Street
* 97 Bowery
* 254–260 Canal Street
* Alfred E. Smith House
* Bowery Savings Bank Building
* Confucius Plaza
* Edward Mooney House
* Stephen Van Rensselaer House

| Former|

* Atlantic Garden
* Bull's Head Tavern

|

Transportation|

| Subway stations|

* Canal Street
* Grand Street
* East Broadway

|

Streets|

* Allen Street
* Baxter Street
* Bowery
* Chatham Square
* Chrystie Street
* Division Street
* Doyers Street
* East Broadway
* Elizabeth Street
* Forsyth Street
* Henry Street
* Madison Street
* Mott Street
* Mulberry Bend
* Mulberry Street

Related topics|

* Five Points
* The Old Brewery
* The Tombs

See also: Manhattan Community Board 2, Manhattan Community Board 3

* v
* t
* e

Streets of Manhattan

* Commissioners' Plan of 1811
* List of eponymous streets in New York City
* List of numbered streets in Manhattan

North–south|

| Major avenues|

* 1st Av
* 2nd Av
* 3rd Av
* Lexington Av
* Park Av
* Madison Av
* 5th Av
* Broadway
* 6th Av (Av of the Americas)
* Lenox Av
* 7th Av (Fashion Av)
* 8th Av
* 9th Av
* 10th Av
* 11th Av
* 12th Av

|

Financial District|

* South
* Pearl
* Broad
* William
* Nassau
* Theatre Alley
* Whitehall
* Canyon of Heroes
* State
* West

Lower East Side|

* Allen
* Pike
* Baxter
* Centre Market Pl
* Bowery
* Centre
* Division
* Chrystie
* Coenties Slip
* Eldridge
* Elizabeth
* Essex
* Forsyth
* Lafayette
* Doyers
* Rivington
* Ludlow
* Mott
* Mulberry
* Orchard
* Park Row
* Spring
* Cherry

Lower West Side|

* Cortlandt Alley
* Trinity Pl
* Church
* Greenwich
* Hudson
* Jones
* MacDougal
* Patchin Pl
* Sullivan
* Gay
* Thompson
* Varick
* Washington
* W Broadway
* LaGuardia Pl
* Weehawken
* West Side Hwy
* Bank
* 13th Av

East Village / Gramercy|

* Ave D
* Ave C
* Ave B
* Ave A
* Asser Levy Pl
* Shevchenko Pl
* Irving Pl
* 4th Av
* Union Square E
* Park Av S
* University Pl
* Union Square W

Midtown|

* Beekman Pl
* Sutton Pl
* Park Av Viaduct
* Park Av Tunnel
* Vanderbilt Av
* Rockefeller Plz
* 6½ Av
* Great White Way
* Shubert Alley
* Dyer Av
* Hudson Blvd

Upper East / Upper West|

* East End Av
* York Av
* Museum Mile
* East Dr
* Center Dr
* West Dr
* Central Park W
* Columbus Av
* Amsterdam Av
* West End Av
* Riverside Dr

Harlem / Wash. Hts.|

* Pleasant Av
* Lenox Av (Malcolm X Blvd)
* Powell Blvd
* Douglass Blvd
* Morningside Dr
* Audubon Av
* St. Nicholas Av (Duarte Blvd)
* Claremont Av
* Ft. Washington Av
* Cabrini Blvd
* Sylvan Pl
* Tiemann Pl

East–west|

| Financial District|

* Bridge
* Stone
* Marketfield
* Beaver
* Exchange Pl
* Wall
* Albany
* Liberty
* Cortlandt St/Wy
* Maiden La
* Dey
* Fulton
* Vesey
* Ann

|

Downtown|

* Spruce
* Roosevelt
* Chambers
* E Broadway
* Henry
* Madison
* Cherry
* Worth
* N Moore
* Broome
* Canal
* Hester
* Grand
* Delancey
* Stanton
* Houston
* Vandam
* Bleecker
* Bond
* Great Jones
* 4th
* Waverly Pl
* Washington Square N
* Astor Pl
* Washington Mews
* Stuyvesant
* Macdougal Alley
* 8th
* St. Mark's Pl
* Greenwich Av
* Christopher
* Charles
* 14th

Midtown|

* 23rd
* 34th
* 42nd
* 45th (George Abbott Way)
* 47th
* 50th
* 51st
* 52nd (Swing Alley / St of Jazz)
* 53rd
* 54th
* 55th
* 57th
* 59th (Central Park S)

Uptown|

* 66th / Peter Jennings Way
* 72nd
* 74th
* 79th
* 85th
* 86th
* 89th
* 93rd
* 95th
* 96th
* 110th (Cathedral Pkwy / Central Park N)
* 116th
* 125th (Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd)
* 130th (Astor Row)
* 132nd
* 133rd
* 139th (Strivers' Row)
* 145th
* 155th
* Bogardus Pl
* Dyckman
* Plaza Lafayette

Intersections|

| Circles|

* Columbus
* Duke Ellington
* Frederick Douglass

|

Squares|

* Chatham
* Cooper
* Duarte
* Duffy
* Foley
* Gramercy Park
* Grand Army Plz
* Hanover
* Herald
* Hudson
* Jackson
* Lincoln
* Madison
* Mulry
* Pershing
* Petrosino
* Sherman
* Stuyvesant
* Times
* Tompkins
* Union
* Verdi
* Washington
* Zuccotti Park

* Italics indicate streets no longer in existence.
* All entries are streets, circles, or squares unless otherwise noted
* See also: Manhattan address algorithm

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