Pearl Duncan: Why Would Anyone Want to Rename Lower Manhattan's Park Row?

Pearl Duncan covered Newport-Bermuda Yacht Races, Miami-Montego Bay Yacht Races, Caribbean Ocean Racing Circuit (CORC) Races and others, for Sailing, Sail, and Yacht Racing/Cruising Magazines. Now she writes about historic New York and New Yorkers.

A representative for the electronics store, J&R Music and Computer Stores, says he is seeking to boost retail sales by asking the Community Board to rename Park Row, J&R Row. 

Frankly, the activity that will boost sales for J&R and any other retailer in Lower Manhattan is to continue to develop the area in a style that reminds New Yorkers, visitors and tourists alike of how vital the Park Row site is today, and how essential it was in the life of the city. 

There were so many changes and so much gentrification, the historical importance of the area is sometimes lost to those who are not aware of the area’s history.  What is needed today as Lower Manhattan revitalizes itself is not a push to rename the streets and locales, but more effort to highlight the attractions, so often overlooked, including the history and attractions related to merchants.

Park Row is a special name in New York, because the street was originally named Commons Street.  Commons Street was across from City Hall Park; it ran alongside the park, where J&R now has its stores today.  It was renamed Park Row in 1886, but originally Commons Street was part of the Commons, the park which is now City Hall Park.  The Commons became City Hall Park.  Early colonial maps showed this road as the High Road to Boston, because this road connected pre-Revolutionary New York to pre-American-Revolutionary-War Boston.  Park Row is at the center of American history....