Quantcast

NYC historic neighborhoods: Why Greenwich Village, Park Slope, more districts are so special

In a city that is constantly changing, historic districts keep the memory of New York City’s past alive.

Tasked with achieving such a goal is the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, which handles the lengthy and thorough process of designating historic districts and landmarks throughout the five boroughs.

While we’re all pretty familiar with historic landmarks – the Woolworth Building, Central Park and the Empire State Building lobby to name a few – you may not know that the city also designates specific streets and sometimes entire neighborhoods as historic districts.

So what does it take to become a historic district?

According to the LPC, they are “areas of the city that possess architectural and historical significance and a distinct ‘sense of place.’”

In total, New York City boasts 139 historic districts and district extensions (when a historic district is expanded).

We couldn’t possibly highlight all of them, so here is a look at some of the most iconic and interesting historic districts representing all five boroughs.