Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Plazas

Eyes on the Street: Pedestrians Get Room to Breathe at Astor Place

The new “Alamo Plaza” awaits the return of the “The Cube” and the installation of new planted trees. Photo: David Meyer

The redesign of Astor Place and Cooper Square, first unveiled in 2008, is nearly complete. The new layout greatly expands pedestrian space in an area with lots of foot traffic.

While some construction work is still in progress around the subway entrance between Lafayette Street and Fourth Avenue, the rest of the sidewalk expansions are all but finished -- missing only final landscaping touches.

The capstone will be the reinstallation of Alamo, the sculpture famously known as "The Cube," which previously stood on a traffic island between Astor Place and 8th Street. When it returns in August, the sculpture won't be surrounded by traffic on all sides, instead sitting squarely in "Alamo Plaza" thanks to the pedestrianization of one block of Astor Place.

South of Cooper Union, the sidewalk by Cooper Triangle is much wider and the roadbed much narrower. Outside the offices of the Village Voice there's an expanded pedestrian zone called "Village Plaza." Tree beds in the area await plantings, and the park in Cooper Triangle has yet to reopen.

Like most capital projects built by the Department of Design and Construction, these changes have taken a long time to complete. The project was first floated in 2008. The community board voted for it in January of 2011. The groundbreaking happened two and half years later. Earlier this year, when Streetsblog inquired about the still-unfinished project, DDC said the "delays [are] due to utility interference and additional work from our client agency," referring to NYC DOT.

The city's online database of projects says the Astor Place project will wrap up Aug. 5.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Outrage’: Pols — And Even DOT Boss — Protest Trump’s Block on 34th St. Busway

A huge rally in Midtown to urge President Trump to get his meathooks off our transit included DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who is poised to capitulate.

October 20, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Uncharted Territory Edition

"No Kings" means hands off our busway. Plus the news.

October 20, 2025

More Tantrums: City Halts 34th Street Busway After Threat from Trump DOT

The feds threatened to cut city and state funding if New York doesn't halt all work on the 34th Street busway so the FHWA can review the project.

October 17, 2025

READY, AIM, ‘MISFIRE’: NYPD’s Bike Speed-Limit Effort Only Adds Confusion in Central Park

Two slowly ambling pedestrians were clocked at 19 miles per hour. So what's the point of this, exactly?

October 17, 2025

Friday Video: Drool Over This London School Street

That's cricket! Check out how London transformed a roadway around a big stadium into a play street.

October 17, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Queen James Edition

State Attorney General Letitia James gave our national security desk reporters Dave Colon and David Meyer the ultimate hat tip. Plus other news.

October 17, 2025
See all posts