Tribeca is a neighborhood in lower Manhattan whose name is an acronym for “Triangle Below Canal Street.” The name is applied to the area south of Canal Street, between Broadway and West Street, extending south to Vesey Street. This area was New York City’s first residential neighborhood in the late 1700’s. However, by the mid 1800’s the area transformed into a commercial center with large numbers of retail store and loft buildings constructed along Broadway in the 1850’s and 1860’s.
By the 1960’s, Tribeca’s industrial base was basically gone and the abundance of empty commercial space attracted many artists to the area in the 1970’s. Since the 1980’s, large scale conversion of the area has transformed Tribeca into an upscale residential area.
Tribeca is well-known for hosting the Tribeca Film Festival every spring. Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the festival in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music and culture. The Festival’s mission focuses on assisting filmmakers to reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promoting New York City as a major filmmaking center. The Tribeca film festival screens the hottest new films each year and hosts both filmmakers and movie stars. It includes screenings, concerts, special events, panel discussions, parties, and a street fair.
Tribeca is also famous for its quiet, picturesque streets, but it is also an ideal destination for an afternoon of shopping. High-end home furnishings, luxurious clothing, and even chic stuff for the little ones can be found in this trendy neighborhood. Stop by Tribeca Issey Miyake, Babesta, Room, and Steven Alan to keep your baby, house, and yourself looking great!
One of the things that everyone loves about New York City is the great food, and Tribeca is a foodie heaven. Try Tribeca Grill (owned by actor Robert DeNiro and his partners), where you can get a glimpse of a few celebrities along with your great Mediterranean cuisine. For good sushi, try Nobu. For steak, head over to Dylan Prime.
Tribeca On Screen
Visit Tribeca to see the famous Tribeca Grand Hotel. This luxury hotel was seen in Two Weeks Notice and serves as the home to Hugh Grant’s character, George Wade. When asked about living in a hotel, Wade says “I own the hotel, and live there. So you can pretty much say that my life is like Monopoly.”
If you need to shop for toiletries in the city, why not do it at a famous pharmacy? Visit the Duane Reade store where Miranda and Carrie shop for a Halloween costume in Sex and the City: The Movie. Although Duane Reade is your typical pharmacy, a major scene takes place here when Carrie spots an issue of Vogue where she posed in designer wedding gowns in preparation for her own wedding, which sadly never came to pass. This was also the very first Duane Reade drugstore, opened in 1960.
The NYC TV & Movie Tour will take you right to the real working firehouse, Hook and Ladder 8, which was used in the filming of Ghostbusters and served as “Spook Central,” the Ghostbusters’ headquarters. The firehouse is very proud to be featured in the film and has painted the Ghostbusters logo on the street in front. You’ll also recognize Hook and Ladder 8 from the film Hitch.
A trip to this trendy neighborhood is not to be missed on your next NYC visit. Join us aboard the New York TV & Movie Tour to see this hip neighborhood as it appeared on the big and small screens!
* In an effort to stay current, we are constantly updating our tours with new locations and cannot guarantee the presence of locations mentioned on our site. If you have a particular interest in locations from a specific TV show or movie, please let your tour guide know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.