Civic Center, Centre Street Between Worth and Duane Streets; Pearl Street Between Centre Street and Park Row

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………..….. click to enlarge


Backing up a little from last night, we're looking at the New York County Courthouse on the left and the U.S. Courthouse on the right, from across Centre Street. Pearl Street runs between them. I've been curious about that building behind the County Courthouse since I began jury duty, so I worked up a little excitement about taking this walk on Pearl Street. Also Pearl Street has long interested me. I knew it was old and it started way downtown and took some strange twists and turns and ended up here. And that name. Somehow it seemed romantic. As you saw last night, the romance must be farther downtown.









Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….. click to enlarge


It's the Daniel P. Moynihan U.S. Courthouse, designed by Kohn, Pedersen Fox and completed in 1994. Herbert Muschamp, the New York Times's architecture critic, wrote a thoughtful review that year. He was disappointed, though he praises many of the elements.. He says the architects equate the timeless with the old whereas he wants them to represent the past without sacrificing the present. If you want to know what he means by that, you'll have to read it yourself.







Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………xxxx....xx………………….. click to enlarge


Here's the entrance. Note that the building is sideways to the street.




See map.