Trinity Church

Before Times Square: Celebrating New Year’s in old New York

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1878). New-Year’S-Day In New Amsterdam. Courtesy of NYPL Digital Collections

December 30, 2020

Before Times Square: Celebrating New Year’s in old New York

By Lucie Levine

Every year on December 31, the eyes of the world turn to Times Square. New Yorkers and revelers worldwide have been ringing in the New Year from 42nd Street since 1904 when Adolf Ochs christened the opening of the New York Times building on what was then Longacre Square with a New Year's celebration complete with midnight fireworks. In 1907, Ochs began dropping a ball from the flagpole of the Times Tower, and a tradition for the ages was set in motion. But long before Ochs and his proclivity for pyrotechnics, New Yorkers had been ringing in the New Year with traditions both dignified and debauched. From the George Washington and the old Dutch custom of “Calling,” to the rancorous tooting of tin horns, one thing is clear, New York has always gone to town for the New Year.
Learn more

City Winery files lawsuit against Trinity Church following $650M deal with Disney

Via Wikimedia

February 28, 2019

City Winery files lawsuit against Trinity Church following $650M deal with Disney

By Devin Gannon

The Walt Disney Company announced last July it would move its offices from the Upper West Side to Hudson Square after buying the rights to develop a property owned by Trinity Church. For $650 million, Disney plans to develop 4 Hudson Square, which currently contains four buildings. One of those buildings was occupied by City Winery, an entertainment space whose flagship has been located at 143 Varick Street for over ten years. Now after being forced to relocate because of the deal with Disney, the venue's owner, Michael Dorf, is filing a lawsuit against its landlord Trinity Church seeking over $2 million in damages for “misleading” information.
More details here

Real Estate Trends

November 16, 2018

Behind the scenes at Trinity Church’s $112M historic restoration

By Lucie Levine

Hardhats aren’t your typical church-going attire, but they were necessary at Trinity Church when Vicar Rev. Philip Jackson led a behind-the-scenes tour of Trinity’s ongoing $112,000,000, two-year restoration. The project, officially known as a “rejuvenation” of the facilities, began on May 7, 2018, and is slated to be finished in the spring of 2020. Now six months underway, the meticulous work, headed by architect Jeff Murphy of Murphy Burnham and Buttrick, will preserve Trinity’s landmarked church building while "enhancing the overall worship experience," by making the church more accessible and welcoming. Weaving our way between scaffolding and rubble in one of New York’s most iconic naves, we saw the very foundation of Trinity Church’s past and got a glimpse of its future. From the finer points of organ-voicing to some of the first examples of American stained-glass, check out 10 of the most exciting behind-the-scenes secrets of the Trinity Church Restoration.
Check out the Church!

July 10, 2018

Disney will move from the UWS to Hudson Square in $650M deal with Trinity Church

By Devin Gannon

Photo via Wikimedia The Walt Disney Company announced Monday it will move its operations from the Upper West Side to Lower Manhattan, where the media giant is planning to build modern production space and offices. Disney purchased the rights to develop Trinity Church's property at 4 Hudson Square for $650 million under a 99-year agreement. The site covers a full city block, bordered by Hudson, Varick, Van Dam and Spring Streets. "This move represents an historic step forward toward our long-term vision for our New York operations," Robert Iger, CEO of Disney, said in a statement. "The Hudson Square district is rapidly becoming a dynamic, innovative hub for media, technology and other creative businesses."
Get the details of the Disney deal

Real Estate Trends

Wall Street’s historic Trinity Church will partially close during a two-year, $99M renovation

Rendering of the canopy at the graveyard via Trinity Wall Street

May 7, 2018

Wall Street’s historic Trinity Church will partially close during a two-year, $99M renovation

By Devin Gannon

The Trinity Church, whose history in New York City dates back 300 years, will partially close beginning Monday for a two-year, $98.6 million renovation of its nave, the main part of the church. As its first major revitalization in over 70 years, the landmarked church's project will restore parts of the original 1846 Gothic Revival style designed by Richard Upjohn. This includes rebuilding the chancel to its original size, increasing capacity by 140 seats and painting the interior walls and ceilings to reflect the original stone design. The reconstruction will move services and events at the Episcopal parish to nearby St. Paul's Chapel, but the Chapel of All Saints and the churchyard, where Alexander Hamilton is buried, will remain open throughout the project.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

January 2, 2018

The evolution of Hudson Square: From the Printing District to ‘affordable’ luxury

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Hudson Square is undergoing another transformation. The neighborhood was once known as the Printing District because of the printing companies attracted to the large concrete and steel factory buildings located close to their Wall Street clients. In the 1970s and ‘80s, technology and design companies replaced the printing industry, attracted by the architecture, location, transportation options, and affordable rents. But the area is once again evolving. This time it's experiencing a boom of what developers and realtors call “affordable luxury" condominiums (in the $1 - $2 million range) due to the largest privately-initiated rezoning efforts in the history of New York City. Not only is the neighborhood growing in height and residences but a large fund has been set aside to increase the neighborhood's commercial mix, greenery, and traffic flow.
READ MORE

What lies below: NYC’s forgotten and hidden graveyards

Zoom of the 1852 Dripps map of Manhattan, showing the proximity of downtown cemeteries, via David Rumsey Map Collection

December 21, 2017

What lies below: NYC’s forgotten and hidden graveyards

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Most New Yorkers spend some time underground every day as part of their daily commute, but some spend eternity beneath our streets, and in a few cases occupy some pretty surprising real estate. Manhattan cemeteries are tougher to get into than Minetta Tavern without a reservation on a Saturday night because as far back as 1823, New York forbade new burials south of Canal Street. In 1851 that prohibition was extended to new burials south of 86th Street, and the creation of new cemeteries anywhere on the island was banned. But thousands of people were buried in Manhattan before those restrictions went into effect. And while some gravesites remain carefully maintained and hallowed ground, such as the those at St. Mark’s in the Bowery Church on Stuyvesant Street, Trinity Church on Wall Street, and St Paul’s Church at Fulton and Broadway, others have been forgotten and overlaid with some pretty surprising new uses, including playgrounds, swimming pools, luxury condos, and even a hotel named for the current occupant of the White House.
READ MORE

History

October 18, 2017

Construction kicks off on Trinity Church’s Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed community center and office tower

By Dana Schulz

One year ago, Trinity Church Wall Street revealed plans for a $300 million mixed-use tower designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli that would link to the historic Neo-Gothic church by a footbridge over Trinity Place. Earlier plans for luxury condos were squashed by the community, so Trinity decided instead to build an office tower and community space that will "allow the church to continue to shape the area and advocate for the community in the future," as the Rector, Rev. Dr. William Lupfer, explained. And it looks like the future is now; according to CityRealty, the Department of Buildings approved plans for the 26-story building and construction is underway.
READ MORE

October 24, 2016

Trinity Church reveals plans for $300M Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed tower to rise behind historic church

By Dana Schulz

Trinity Church Wall Street was built in 1846 by Richard Upjohn and is considered one of the first and best examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the entire country. But behind its historic steeple, which made it the city's tallest building until 1890, will soon rise a modern, 26-story, mixed-use tower. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trinity has revealed its design for a Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed building, which will be linked to the church by a foot bridge over Trinity Place. The new 310,000-square-foot structure will house the Trinity Church Parish Center at its base, along with a cafe, gymnasium, flexible space for classrooms or art/music studios, and church offices. Above the Center, on floors 10 through 26, will be commercial office space
More details ahead

December 29, 2014

Real Estate Wire: The Times Supports the QueensWay; Port Authority May Sell One World Trade Center

By Dana Schulz

The QueensWay gets a major endorsement. [NYT] Trinity Church has filed demolition permits for 68-74 Trinity Place, where they plan to erect a 46-story residential building designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli. [CO] The Port Authority is considering selling off its real estate, including One World Trade Center, to fund the agency’s overhaul. [WSJ] Collegiate School, the […]

Real Estate Trends

Trinity Church Will Build First Residential Developments in Hudson Square

By Dana Schulz

Trinity Real Estate, the property arm of Trinity Church, oversees 5.5 million square feet of office space in buildings that it owns in the city, a $3 billion portfolio. But now the Episcopal church is looking to branch out into residential development for the first time since it received 215 acres of land in downtown Manhattan from Britain's Queen Anne over three centuries ago. Led by Jason Pizer, Trinity Real Estate will build four luxury residential towers in Hudson Square and a part-residential tower near Wall Street, amounting to over 1 million square feet of residential space.
More on Trinity's plans here

New Developments

Trinity Church

Pitch a Story

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Distinctive Post Form

Get in Touch

Send us a Tip

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Thinking about selling your home?

Sell a Home (Footer)

Before You Move On from this Page.

Your Daily Doseof NYC Life!

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!