Tribeca: Cobblestones, Lofts and De Niro’s Neighborhood

Tribeca is a trendy neighborhood in Downtown Manhattan, originally an industrial district that in the seventies began transforming into one of New York's most important cultural hubs and the home of plenty of celebrities.

The name probably rings a bell, and that's because this is the home of the well-known Tribeca Independent Film Festival created by Robert De Niro, who happens to be one of the stars living on these streets.

The name is short for Triangle Below Canal Street (Triangle Below Canal Street), which describes exactly where it sits: south of SOHO and between the Hudson River and Chinatown.

What to do in Tribeca

Tribeca is fundamentally a residential neighborhood, true, but it has spots and times of year you shouldn't miss, and I'll walk you through them now.

Oh, and if you're after trendy accommodation in Tribeca, you'll find it: there are boutique hotels here, surrounded by loads of restaurants and bars with a vibrant cultural scene (especially if your visit lines up with the Tribeca Film Festival).

1. Historic industrial buildings

Plenty of warehouses and old factories survive from its industrial past, now converted into luxury homes. They look a lot like the buildings in the Cast Iron Historic District in SOHO

One of the best examples is the historic Fleming Smith Warehouse, which dates back to 1891 (135 Watts Street).

Other distinctive buildings include the Powell Building on Hudson Street, built in 1901 for a cotton magnate, and the New York Telephone Company building at 140 West Street.

2. The Ghostbusters firehouse

Many movies have been filmed on the streets of Tribeca, but one of the most beloved is definitely Ghostbusters (1984), the one where Bill Murray and his colleagues rent an old fire station as their headquarters.

That building is real (10 North Moore Street) and it's actually a working fire company: 8 Hook & Ladder. The interior scenes of the Ghostbusters' offices were shot in Los Angeles studios, not here, so don't bother the firefighters 😜 

If you want to visit this and other real Ghostbusters locations in New York, click the link.

3. Pier 26 at Hudson River Park

In October 2020, Pier 26 at Hudson River Park opened to the public, in the stretch of the park that belongs to Tribeca.

Its landscaping was designed down to the last detail so visitors appreciate harbor life, native plants and the riverfront that was sidelined in Manhattan for so many years.

It's a new oasis in Lower Manhattan that took several years to build and that, in the middle of the pandemic, brought some joy and greenery back to the city.

I recommend walking the whole of Hudson River Park. The benches at Pier 26 facing the Hudson River are a great place to rest 🙂

4. Woolworth Building

Tribeca is home to the Woolworth Building (233 Broadway, between Barclay and Park Place streets), one of the oldest skyscrapers in New York, with gorgeous neo-Gothic lines.

It was the tallest building in the world until the Chrysler Building surpassed it in 1930.

Since I know you love these bits of trivia, here's one from the movie Enchanted (2007): Queen Narissa's (Susan Sarandon) attack on Princess Giselle takes place at the top of the Woolworth Building.

5. Tribeca Film Festival

Tribeca's revival on the cultural scene owes a lot to Robert De Niro and his TriBeCa Film Festival. Since he founded it in 2001, independent filmmakers, movie buffs and press from all over the world have come to the neighborhood year after year.

De Niro's idea was to jump-start the depressed economy of Lower Manhattan after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and it certainly worked.

Hopefully your visit to New York lines up with the Festival (you can check the dates here). While it's on, the neighborhood fills up with artists and a bohemian buzz.

By the way, Travis Bickle, Vito Corleone, Raging Bull or Jack Byrnes, whichever De Niro you prefer to remember, lives in Tribeca, so don't be surprised if you run into him face to face on some corner 😉

Celebrities in Tribeca

All that cultural activity has made the neighborhood a magnet for actors and actresses. Take a look at this list of famous people who have lived in Tribeca at some point:

• Billy Crystal
• Leonardo DiCaprio
• Heather Graham
• Scarlett Johansson
• Harvey Keitel
• Beyoncé Knowles
• David Letterman
• Gwyneth Paltrow
• M. Night Shyamalan
• Meryl Streep
• Uma Thurman
• Justin Timberlake
• Kate Winslet…

If you do spot one of them, keep in mind that California-style excess doesn't go over well in New York. Here neighbors treat famous people like anyone else, without making a fuss.

Address

Tribeca is bounded to the north by Canal Street and to the south by Chambers Street, to the west by the Hudson River and to the east by Broadway.

How to get there

Subway lines 1, 2. Stations between Canal Street and Chambers Street.