Jacob Riis Houses | |
|---|---|
 Riis Houses in 2008 | |
 Location in New York City | |
| Coordinates:40°43′26″N73°58′29″W / 40.723917°N 73.974659°W /40.723917; -73.974659 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Manhattan |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.018 sq mi (0.047 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,738[1] |
| • Density | 152,000/sq mi (58,700/km2) |
| ZIP codes | 10009 |
| Area codes | 212, 332, 646, and917 |
| Website | my |
TheJacob Riis Houses are apublic housing project managed by theNew York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in theAlphabet City neighborhood ofManhattan. The project is located betweenAvenue D andFDR Drive, spanning twosuperblocks from 6th Street to 13th Street. The project consists of thirteen buildings, between six and 14 stories each, containing 1,191 apartment units.[3]
The area to become the Riis Houses was destroyed throughurban renewal beginning in August 1943 but construction was delayed because ofWorld War II.[4][5] The Riis Houses were completed on January 17, 1949 and named for photographerJacob Riis, who exposed the living conditions of tenement dwellers on theLower East Side.[3] The housing project was designed by James Mackenzie, Sidney Strauss, andWalker & Gillette.[6]
The playground was designed to have four "outdoor rooms" for a variety of activities and was designed by Pomerance & Breines withM. Paul Friedberg & Associates as landscape architects.[7] It was financed through a grant from the Victor Astor Foundation and opened in 1966 withLadybird Johnson attending its opening.[8] Later that year, it received a First Honor Award for design excellence by theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development.[7] The design of the open space evolved from prior designs made by the same two firms at theCarver Houses andStraus Houses.[9] Four new playgrounds throughout the city were modeled from it in 1967.[10] In 2018, its playground was inspected by NYCHA and found to be hazardous.[11]
DuringHurricane Sandy in 2012, the development was hit by astorm surge that left it without electricity and other services.[12][13] In 2018, NYCHA received a grant for $71 million to fund necessary infrastructure repairs from Sandy anticipated to begin in 2022. Upgrades include: emergency generators, electrical distribution equipment, waterproofing of structures and finishes, upgrades to sewer/storm management systems, new roadways, pedestrian lighting, rehabilitation of building entrances and lobbies.[14]
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