Tribeca: Home of The Underground Railroad
As one of the most expensive zip codes in the country, Tribeca is known more for its trendy bars and restaurants than as a hotbed for conflict and rioting.
But in 1838, escaped slave Frederick Douglass stepped off of a steam boat at Chambers Street, a street known as one of the epicenters of The Underground Railroad.
Even though the neighborhood has gone through a dramatic evolution, spots still exist that offer a view into Tribeca’s very different past.
For example, 36 Lispenard at Church Street was the headquarters for The New York Vigilance Committee and the boarding house of David Ruggles, an activist who wrote and sold anti-slavery pamphlets.
