Getting to Know Hudson Square
Welcome to our ultimate guide to Hudson Square! Discover the district’s rich history, vibrant art scene, and charming open spaces that define our neighborhood. Once known as the Printing District, Hudson Square has always been a hub for innovation and communication, attracting those on the cutting edge of creativity.
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James Brown House & Ear Inn Bar James Brown House & Ear Inn Bar The James Brown House, constructed in 1817 by James Brown, a black soldier who served under George Washington during the American Revolution, stands as a celebrated NYC Landmark. Brown later passed on the ownership of the building to two apothecaries in the mid-19th century. Fascinatingly, Brown’s legacy lives on as it’s believed his likeness is immortalized in Emanuel Leutze’s painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" (1854). The building is now home to the iconic Ear Inn, the oldest continuously operating bar in NYC.View
246 Spring Street246 Spring StreetThe Spring Street Presbyterian Church was founded in 1809, though the cornerstone was laid in 1810, and the church was not completed till May 6, 1811. The Church was well known for its abolitionist efforts, and had a multi-racial Sunday school – one of the first in the City. Racial equality was radically preached here, and was targeted along with other sites during the anti-abolitionist riots of July 1834. The church would survive for another 100 years, but by 1966, down to 49 members, the building was razed after suffering a tragic fire, and a parking lot was built over the site. Now home to the Dominick hotel.
315 Hudson: Henry Heide Candy Company315 Hudson: Henry Heide Candy CompanyOriginally built as a 9-story candy factory for the Henry Heide Candy Company. The most famous candy produced here was Jujyfruits (created in 1920). The original flavors included lilac, violet, rose, spearmint and lemon. Other candies produced include Jujubes, Drops, Cinnamon Bears, Cap’n Hot, Jelly Mints and Chuckles. The company remained on Hudson Street till the 1950’s, and the company was sold to Hershey in 1995.
Paradise Garage Paradise Garage From 1977 to 1987, Hudson Square was home to the iconic discotheque Paradise Garage. Also known as the “Gay-rage”, the 10,000 square foot landmark was a haven of LGBTQ+ culture and was a trailblazer in the nightclub scene. It was the first club to place the DJ as the center of attention, and it was only open to members and their guests. Legends such as Madonna, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, and countless others performed at the Paradise Garage, and art by famed names like Keith Haring adorned the physical structure. Paradise Garage may be no more, but its outsized impact on the future of nightclubs makes it impossible to forget.
Jonathan LarsonJonathan LarsonFrom September 6th through the 9th, 1990, famed theater composer, playwright, and Hudson Square resident Jonathan Larson workshopped his piece Boho Days at the Second Stage Theater. Critical feedback led to Boho Days becoming Tick, Tick… Boom!, which catapulted Larson toward his megahit rock musical Rent. Larson never got to see his theater dream succeed, as he tragically died in his squalid apartment at 508 Greenwich Street the night before Rent’s Off-Broadway premiere in 1996. He may have died young, but Larson’s legacy lives on as a theater trailblazer, and his work has influenced the likes of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who directed Andrew Garfield in an Academy Award-nominated film version of Tick, Tick… Boom! and filmed many scenes in Hudson Square.
Freedom’s JournalFreedom’s JournalHudson Square was home to the first black newspaper in the U.S. Founded in 1827, the Freedom’s Journal was led by John B. Russwurm, Samuel E. Cornish, and other prominent black writers, such as Rev. Peter Williams Jr. They established the publication from a small printing house on our very own Varick Street. From local news to international affairs, Freedom’s Journal created a model for future black journals and journalists, paving the way to uplift black voices and stories.
Aaron Burr and Richmond HillAaron Burr and Richmond HillOthe morning of July 11th, 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr awoke early and left Richmond Hill, his estate in modern Hudson Square, to be ferried to New Jersey for his famous duel with former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. Burr had purchased Richmond Hill from then-Vice President John Adams in 1794, who lived there during Washington’s first term as President. The deadly duel ended Burr’s political career, and Richmond Hill was sold to real estate magnate John Jacob Astor, America’s first multi-millionaire. Richmond Hill was moved a few blocks on logs to its final location at the southeast corner of modern Varick and Charlton Streets, and the area the estate took up now constitutes much of the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District.
Canal StreetCanal StreetBack in the early 1800s, the former Collect Pond served as New York’s main source of water, but was getting polluted. So, the Common Council of New York drained the pond, sending the drainage haphazardly streaming towards the Hudson. They then authorized a canal to be built in place of the drainage stream to continue this mission of draining the Collect Pond. However, it became just as polluted and disease-ridden as the pond itself, so in 1820, Canal Street was built over the land where the doomed canal had run.
Outdoor Spaces
Spring Street Park Spring Street Park Spring Street Park was reopened after a renovation in the fall of 2018. The BID maintains the space, which evokes our creating spirit and printing past with its graphic design. In 2021, we added additional seating to accommodate special programming (like free jazz in the park) in the adjacent streets as part of the City’s Open Streets and Open Culture programs.View
Freeman Plaza EastFreeman Plaza EastRenovated in 2021, Freeman Plaza East features lush plantings that act as a natural buffer, free Wi-Fi, and is an ART PARK with a Noguchi sculpture, painted piano, mural at the plaza entrance, and a mural on our shed in partnership with the Audubon Society. Freeman Plaza East is open Seasonally, Spring – Fall, Daily from 8am-dusk.View
Freeman Plaza WestFreeman Plaza WestOriginally opened in 2013, Freeman Plaza West underwent a renovation in 2018, and now features a custom painted ping-pong table, free Wi-Fi and a 900 SF turf lawn. Freeman Plaza West is open seasonally spring – fall, seven days a week, from 8am-dusk.View
Hudson StreetHudson StreetIn 2022, the HSBID unveiled a transformed Hudson Street. Our renovations bring to life a reimagined Hudson Street, with lush plantings, modern park-like spaces, and wider sidewalks for strolling. 100 trees were planted or retrofitted with the BID’s award-winning Hudson Square Standard (HSS) design treatment, which bolsters tree health and yields measurable environmental and public health benefits.View
Urban Plaza at the Dominick HotelUrban Plaza at the Dominick HotelAnother Hudson Square spot for lunchtime or a quick break from the day is the Urban Plaza. Adjacent to the Dominick Hotel and across the street from Trader Joe’s, the Urban Plaza has entrances on both Spring and Dominick Streets.View
Public Art
We’re Freeing Ourselves, 2021 by Shawna XWe’re Freeing Ourselves, 2021 by Shawna X"We’re Freeing Ourselves" is the first public art project to be hung on the back of a Gantry (the directional signage for cars) in NYC! The Hudson Square BID is proud to bring this kind of innovative, bold, and artistic placemaking to our neighborhood; creating art in unexpected places. We’re Freeing Ourselves was created by independent visual artist Shawna X, who was among seven artists invited by the Motion Picture Academy to reimagine the Oscar Trophy in 2020. In this artwork, Shawna X depicts the people of Hudson Square as larger-than-life figures amid bands of colors representing the landscape of the area.View
keep chopping, 2019 by Hellbentkeep chopping, 2019 by HellbentBrooklyn-based artist Hellbent delivers a stunning hand-painted mural on the façade of 131 Varick Street using his unique designs of interwoven color blocks and stenciled patterns drawn from classic fabric and wallpaper motifs.
Varick Street Verticals, 2019 by Katie MerzVarick Street Verticals, 2019 by Katie MerzKatie Merz, known for her use of personal pictograms and hieroglyphs drawn from stories, conversations and research, created a unique printed work for 181 Varick using playful pictograms that reflect both the history and the present moment of the neighborhood.
Approach, 2019 by Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael MossApproach, 2019 by Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael MossThe collaborative team of Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss are known for their site-specific installations that play with light and color. Their 90-foot multicolored sculpture, constructed of 5,000 pieces of translucent acrylic for Freeman Plaza East, creates a dynamic prism across the fence of this public park at the edge of the Holland Tunnel.
Lincoln’s Sparrow, 2023 by Peter DaveringtonLincoln’s Sparrow, 2023 by Peter DaveringtonPart of the Audubon Mural Project, a public art initiative of the National Audubon Society and Gitler & _____ Gallery, that draws attention to birds threatened by climate change. It’s located at Freeman Plaza East.
Cultural Institutions
Film Forum Film Forum Film Forum is the only autonomous non-profit cinema in NYC. Starting in 1970 with one screen and a few folding chairs, Film Forum has remained a hub for cinephiles and students of the cinema to discuss, connect, and share their love of film.View
Jackie Robinson MuseumJackie Robinson MuseumThe Jackie Robinson Museum is a museum and educational center in Manhattan that honors the legacy of Jackie Robinson. The museum is the City’s first to primarily focus on the Civil Rights movement. The museum’s collection includes more than four thousand artifacts, some from the Robinson family’s own collection, highlighted by Robinson’s original National Baseball Hall of Fame plaque. The museum, which also showcases Robinson’s civil rights work, is operated by the Jackie Robinson Foundation.View
The Greene SpaceThe Greene SpaceThe Greene Space channels the collective genius of New York City to create forward-looking live art, theater and journalism that sparks change. It’s a New York Public Radio venue where visitors can watch a variety of live broadcasts & tapings.View
