Organization Details

East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery is home to more than a dozen arts groups, 10 cultural facilities, and 17 different performance and rehearsal venues. Due to FAB's activism and the support of local elected officials, in October 2005, the City sold 8 properties to the block's arts tenants for $1 each and designated it a Cultural District - the first in Manhattan and one of only two in the City.

East 4th Street occupies a unique position in the City's history, representing a century of focused artistic activity and social activism. The block has long been home to poor and immigrant interests, housing the first Yiddish theater, the Labor Lyceum, and ethnic social clubs. In the late 1960s, plans to raze the area were halted by neighborhood protest. Buildings cleared through eminent domain sat unused until La MaMa secured a 30-day lease from the City, and the new Off Off Broadway movement took off. Gradually other small groups moved in, and the block developed, into a nationally recognized incubator for new work and diverse artistic voices.

FAB's members have outstanding records for racial and ethnic diversity, free and low-cost programs, and training for emerging artists and youth. Each year, our members' programs serve more than 1,200 artists and attract an audience of more than 200,000. Once completed, the cultural district will transform 100,000 square feet of space into active cultural use - a powerful legacy in a City where affordable space for artists is an increasingly rare commodity.

Address

61 E. 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-4670

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