First Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from Houston Street northbound for over 125 blocks before terminating at the Willis Avenue Bridge into The Bronx at the Harlem River near East 127th Street. South of Houston Street, the roadway continues as Allen Street south to Canal Street. Traffic on First Avenue runs northbound (uptown) only. Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... The Five Boroughs of New York City: 1: Manhattan 2: Brooklyn 3: Queens 4: Bronx 5: Staten Island In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government used to administer the five constituent counties that make up the city; it differs significantly from other borough forms of... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Houston Street looking east, from The Bowery Houston Street looking west, from The Bowery Houston Street is a large east-west thoroughfare in downtown New York City. ... The Willis Avenue Bridge carries northbound road traffic over the Harlem River from Manhattan to the Bronx. ... The Bronx is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City in the United States. ... The Harlem River, shown in red, between the Bronx and Manhattan in New York City The Harlem River is a tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the East River and the Hudson River, separating the borough of Manhattan from the Bronx. ... Canal Street is a major street in New York City, crossing lower Manhattan to join New Jersey in the west (via the Holland Tunnel) to Brooklyn in the east (via the Manhattan Bridge). ...

First Avenue passes through a variety of mostly residential neighborhoods. Between 42nd Street and 45th Street, it borders the United Nations headquarters complex. Main article: Transportation in New York City 42nd Street, NYC 42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. ... United Nations headquarters in New York City, viewed from the East River. ...

Like all of Manhattan's major north-south Avenues, First Avenue was proposed as part of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 for Manhattan, which designated 12 broad north-south Avenues running the length of the island. The southern portions of the Avenue were cut and laid out shortly after the plan was adopted. The northern sections of the Avenue would be graded and cut through at various intervals throughout the 19th Century as the northward development of the island demanded. An 1807 version of the Commissioners Grid plan for Manhattan, a few years before it was adopted in 1811. ...

The IRT Second Avenue Line ran above First Avenue from Houston Street to 23rd Street before turning left at 23rd and then right onto Second Avenue. The El was torn down in 1942. The Second Avenue Line, usually called the Second Avenue Subway (SAS), refers to a series of public works projects and engineering studies undertaken to construct a subway underneath Second Avenue in New York Citys borough of Manhattan. ... Houston Street looking east, from The Bowery Houston Street looking west, from The Bowery Houston Street is a large east-west thoroughfare in downtown New York City. ... 23rd Street runs from river to river across Manhattan, carrying two-way traffic. ... Looking south on Second Avenue from 85th Street, May 2005 Second Avenue is an avenue on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City that extends from Houston Street to the Harlem River Drive. ...

A Trip Up First Avenue

Starting in the south, First Avenue passes through the East Village, once a predominantly German then Jewish neighborhood, now a trendy area populated mostly by young professionals. Leaving the East Village First Avenue runs by a succession of large urban development projects that sit on what used to be a working industrial waterfront: Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, two middle income housing developments, the Bellevue Hospital Center complex, and then, the United Nations complex. North of the United Nations, First Avenue runs through a number of residential areas of varying character and income. Looking south from 6th Street down Second Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares through the East Village. ... Stuyvesant Town as well as the adjacent Peter Cooper Village is a large residential development on the East Side of Manhattan. ... Peter Cooper Village is a residential development on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

On the Upper East Side the Avenue is one of the main shopping streets of the Yorkville neighborhood, historically a German and Hungarian neighborhood, today a mix of upper middle class residents. Much of the housing in this area was built for lower income immigrants in the 19th Century, therefore compared to the rest of the Upper East Side, the older buildings along First Avenue are relatively affordable today (relatively being the key word here). In this area First Avenue is also known as "Bedpan Alley" (a pun on "Tin Pan Alley") because of the large number of hospitals located nearby. The Upper East Side at Sunset The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. ... A section of Yorkville as seen from a high rise on Second Avenue and 87th Street Yorkville is a neighborhood within the Upper East Side of the borough of Manhattan in the city of New York City. ... Tin Pan Alley was the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... A hospital today is an institution for professional health care provided by physicians and nurses. ...

Crossing 96th Street, First Avenue runs through Spanish Harlem, a historically Puerto Rican neighborhood. Before Puerto Rican migration in the 1950's, much of this area was populated by Italians and known as "Italian Harlem". First Avenue in Italian Harlem was the site of a major open-air pushcart market in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. There is still a small Italian enclave in the Pleasant Valley section of East Harlem, between 114th and 120th Streets. The northern reaches of First Avenue, north of roughly 110th Street have also seen a significant increase in Mexican residents. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

First Avenue crosses the Harlem River at 127th Street via the Willis Avenue Bridge and becomes Willis Avenue in the Bronx. The Harlem River, shown in red, between the Bronx and Manhattan in New York City The Harlem River is a tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the East River and the Hudson River, separating the borough of Manhattan from the Bronx. ... The Willis Avenue Bridge carries northbound road traffic over the Harlem River from Manhattan to the Bronx. ... The Bronx is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City in the United States. ...

First Avenue in the Movies

The opening scene of Ghostbusters 2 was filmed at the intersection of First Avenue and 77th Street. Ghostbusters II is the 1989 sequel of Ghostbusters (1984); the sci-fi comedy films are about three parapsychologists. ...