2 Cooper Square

Cooper Square is a distinctive intersection in Lower Manhattan that connects the neighborhoods of the Bowery, NoHo, Greenwich Village, the East Village, and the Lower East Side. The square stretches from the intersection of the Bowery and East 4th Street to Astor Place, where it splits into Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue. Originally opened in 1850 as Stuyvesant Square, it was renamed in 1883 in honor of the industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper. A comprehensive redesign between 2014 and 2016 transformed the formerly traffic-clogged intersection into a pedestrian-friendly area by converting streets to one-way traffic and enlarging the central park.

The architectural highlight is the Cooper Union Foundation Building at the northern end of the square. The oldest surviving steel-framed building in America, it now houses the college that Cooper founded in 1853 to provide free education for all. The historic building was modernized inside in 1975 and restored on the outside in 1999. Directly across the street stands the modern New Academic Building, designed by Thom Mayne. You'll also find the small Cooper Triangle Park nearby, with a monument to Peter Cooper, as well as the elegant high-rise of the Cooper Square Hotel.