Bone Alley


Bone Alley was a city block of New York City bounded by Houston Street, Willett Street, Stanton Street, and Pitt Street. In 1897 the block contained sixty-three houses, three hundred and sixty-three families, and one thousand six hundred and fifty people. The death rate on the block of Bone Alley was 26.06%, while the death rate in the alley itself was 47.97%.
The locale was filthy. Located in New Israel, Bone Alley was known as the most crowded place on earth. A park was planned to replace it by the last years of the 19th century. Its population consisted of Italians, Poles, Germans, Hungarians, and Russians.
Bone Alley was razed to make room for Hamilton Fish Park, which was constructed from 1896 - 1898. It was located south of Houston Street, between Pitt Street and Sheriff Street. The park consisted of a playground with a gymnasium and a kindergarten. There was also an expanse of green lawns, benches, and
a rest house containing baths.