Why is it called Lincoln Center?

As Lincoln Center commemorated its 50th anniversary on Monday with an artistic and political extravaganza in the newly renovated Alice Tully Hall, the festivities were, of course, also a celebration of the Great Emancipator himself, Lincoln, who gave his name to the place.

Where did Lincoln Center get its name?

Lincoln Center was named after Lincoln Square. The reason for naming the area "Lincoln Square" is unknown, however. The name was bestowed on the area in 1906 by the New York City Board of Aldermen, but records give no reason for choosing that name.

Was Lincoln Center a slum?

In 1959, after the area was declared a slum by Robert Moses' Committee on Slum Clearance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower broke ground on the Lincoln Center Project, appeasing institutions like Fordham University, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York Philharmonic.

Why was Lincoln Center created?

Lincoln Center was created out of an urgent necessity, bringing together the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, the Julliard School and other august fine-arts companies as a way of providing a permanent home for American culture.

What was on the land before Lincoln Center?

Long before there was the New York City Ballet or Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center – before there was a Lincoln Center – there were the dance halls and jazz clubs of San Juan Hill. A hotbed of African-American culture, San Juan Hill gave birth to music and trends that quickly spread across the country.

We Tell New Yorkers Donald Trump Bought Lincoln Center

Did Robert Moses build Lincoln Center?

Meanwhile, Robert Moses was leading the massive Lincoln Square Urban Renewal Project. This convergence led to the imagination and construction of the world's first modern performing arts center. This is the story of how Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts was constructed.

What was torn down in Lincoln Center?

Displacement. San Juan Hill was mostly erased due to the 20th century sweep of "urban renewal" to create Lincoln Center, displacing thousands of families, and leaving a number of people never to know the neighborhood existed.

Where in NYC is West Side Story set?

West Side Story was originally set in the neighborhood of Lincoln Square, or San Juan Hill, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Until the 1950s, the neighborhood was predominantly African-American and Afro-Caribbean. Though it suffered from poverty and crime, it was also a cultural hotspot, especially for music.

What are they building in West Side Story?

Ballet, opera, music

David Geffen Hall, across the plaza, houses the New York Philharmonic. Lincoln Center became the hub for many of the arts on show in West Side Story.

Who owns the Lincoln Centre?

The center is operated by a consortium of twelve major arts organizations, each with its own administration and board of directors, listed here in alphabetical order: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Juilliard School, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts ...

What are the three buildings at Lincoln Center?

The buildings, situated around a plaza with a fountain, are the home of the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, and the Juilliard School.

Is Lincoln Center named after Lincoln Kirstein?

Kirstein was “a Lincoln collector who wanted very much to have the fountain on the plaza surround a sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, which he proposed, based on a model of a sculpture he had in his own collection,” Mr. Holzer said. The idea was never realized.

Is Lincoln Square safe NYC?

The neighborhood is still among the safest in the city due to the great work of Captain Zuber and his officers at the 20th Precinct, as well as our Public Safety Officers, who serve as the eyes and ears of the police department.

When was Lincoln Center NY built?

The 16.3-acre Lincoln Center campus was inaugurated in 1962; the remainder of the project was completed by 1969.

What language do the cops ask the Puerto Rican Sharks to speak?

Bernardo (the leader of the Sharks, played by Broadway's David Alvarez) calls the cops “hijos de putas,” to which a Shark replies, “I don't speak [Spanish].” (The word actually used is a slur used prominently throughout the film.)

Why is it called West Side Story?

Question: Where exactly on the "West Side" is the musical West Side Story set? The simple answer to this question is that the west side in West Side Story is the west side of Manhattan. "At the time. that was kind of a dangerous neighborhood full of gangs," said musical expert Steven Suskin.

What ethnicity are the Jets in West Side Story?

It shows the growing tensions between the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang, and the Jets, a gang made up of "American" boys. An incident between the Jets and Shark leader, Bernardo, escalates into an all out fight between the two gangs. Officers Schrank and Krupke arrive to break up the fight.

What neighborhood is in West Side Story?

West Side Story was originally set in the neighborhood of Lincoln Square, or San Juan Hill, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Until the 1950s, the neighborhood was predominantly African-American and Afro-Caribbean. Though it suffered from poverty and crime, it was also a cultural hotspot, especially for music.

Why is the city destroyed in West Side Story?

The opening dance sequence was shot in wake of San Juan Hill's destruction, as the heart of the neighborhood was demolished to make way for new apartments and a performing arts center. With the fall of San Juan Hill comes the rise of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Where are the Amsterdam Houses in NYC?

It covers a 9-acre expanse of the Upper West Side, and is bordered by West 61st and West 64th Streets, from Amsterdam Avenue to West End Avenue, with a 175-apartment addition that was completed in 1974 on West 65th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and West End Avenue.

How historically accurate is West Side Story?

No, West Side Story is not based on a true story, but the musical's setting and issues of race, social class, misogyny, and inequality are very much real. West Side Story was conceived by choreographer Jerome Robbins who wanted to adapt Romeo and Juliet into a musical.

Is Lincoln Center considered Broadway?

Broadway theatre, or Broadway, are the theatrical performances presented in the 41 professional theatres, each with 500 or more seats, located in the Theater District and the Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

Who funded Lincoln Center?

Lincoln Center's financial support comes from concert revenue, rental fees, and gifts from individuals, private foundations, and corporations. Lincoln Center's constituent groups present some 5,000 concerts and performances annually, and the Center serves as many as five million visitors and concertgoers.