Turtle Bay, Manhattan
Turtle Bay is a neighborhood in New York City, on the east side of Midtown Manhattan. It extends from roughly 43rd Street to 53rd Street, and eastward from Lexington Avenue to the East River's western branch (facing Roosevelt Island).[4][5][6][7][8] The neighborhood is the site of the headquarters of the United Nations and the Chrysler Building. The Tudor City apartment complex is next to the southeast corner of Turtle Bay.[9]
For other uses, see Turtle Bay.
Turtle Bay
1.04 km2 (0.403 sq mi)
24,856
24,000/km2 (62,000/sq mi)
77.1%
13.0%
5.8%
2.1%
0.4%
$135,360
212, 332, 646, and 917
Turtle Bay is named after a former cove of the East River. The neighborhood was originally settled as a Dutch farm in the 17th century, and was subsequently developed with tenements, power plants, and slaughterhouses in the 19th century. These industrial structures were largely demolished in the 1940s and 1950s to make way for the United Nations headquarters. Today, Turtle Bay contains multiple missions and consulates to the nearby United Nations headquarters.
Turtle Bay is part of Manhattan Community District 6, and its primary ZIP Codes are 10017 and 10022.[1] It is patrolled by the 17th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.
History[edit]
Colonial days[edit]
Turtle Bay, a cove of the East River, was between what is now 45th and 48th Streets and was fed by a stream that ran from the present-day intersection of Second Avenue and 48th Street. It was probably named after the turtles found in the area. Historical records from the 17th century described an abundance of turtles nearby, with local residents partaking in a "turtle feast".[10]: 5
The Turtle Bay neighborhood was originally a 40-acre (16 ha) land grant given to two Englishmen by the Dutch colonial governor of New Amsterdam in 1639 and named "Turtle Bay Farm". The farm extended roughly from what is now 40th to 49th Streets and from Third Avenue to the river.[10]: 5 By 1712, "Turtle Bay" was frequently used in property documents for the area.[10]: 5
Demographics[edit]
For census purposes, the New York City government classifies Turtle Bay as part of a larger neighborhood tabulation area called Turtle Bay-East Midtown.[26] Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Turtle Bay-East Midtown was 51,231, a change of 1,494 (2.9%) from the 49,737 counted in 2000. Covering an area of 410.95 acres (166.31 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 124.7 inhabitants per acre (79,800/sq mi; 30,800/km2).[27] The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 77.1% (39,475) White, 2.1% (1,071) African American, 0% (23) Native American, 13% (6,655) Asian, 0% (21) Pacific Islander, 0.4% (184) from other races, and 1.6% (845) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8% (2,957) of the population.[3]
The entirety of Community District 6, which comprises Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town, had 53,120 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 84.8 years.[28]: 2, 20 This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.[29]: 53 (PDF p. 84) [30] Most inhabitants are adults: a plurality (45%) are between the ages of 25–44, while 22% are between 45–64, and 13% are 65 or older. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 7% and 12% respectively.[28]: 2
As of 2017, the median household income in Community District 6 was $112,383,[31] though the median income in Turtle Bay individually was $135,360[2] In 2018, an estimated 10% of Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town residents lived in poverty, compared to 14% in all of Manhattan and 20% in all of New York City. One in twenty-five residents (4%) were unemployed, compared to 7% in Manhattan and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 42% in Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 45% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018, Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town are considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.[28]: 7
Architectural landmarks[edit]
Several sites in Turtle Bay have been designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) as official city landmarks and/or are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[53][54][55]: 345 These include several institutional headquarters. In the southern section of Turtle Bay, between 42nd and 43rd Streets east of Second Avenue, the Ford Foundation Building and its lobby interior are designated as city landmarks.[55]: 340 [56] One block north is the former Beaux-Arts Institute of Design (now the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations) at 304 East 44th Street is designated as a New York City landmark.[55]: 345 [57] The headquarters of the Japan Society at 333 East 47th Street has also been designated as a city landmark.[55]: 344 [58]
Several apartments and houses in Turtle Bay have also been designated as landmarks. The Beaux-Arts Apartments, a pair of artists' residential apartments across the street from each other at 307 and 310 East 44th Street, are city landmarks.[55]: 343 [59] The Panhellenic Tower apartment hotel near First Avenue and 49th Street is also a city landmark.[55]: 345 [60] A portion of the Tudor City Historic District, a city and NRHP district, extends into Turtle Bay.[55]: 340, 343 [61][54] Individual houses designated as city landmarks include the Paul Rudolph Penthouse and Apartments at 23 Beekman Place;[55]: 345 [62] the Lescaze House at 211 East 48th Street,[55]: 349 [63] also listed on the NRHP;[54] the Morris B. Sanders Studio & Apartment at 219 East 49th Street;[55]: 348 [64] the Rockefeller Guest House at 242 East 52nd Street;[55]: 348 [65] and 312 and 314 East 53rd Street.[55]: 347 The Turtle Bay Gardens Historic District, a city and NRHP district, consists of twenty rowhouses on 48th and 49th Streets between Second and Third Avenues.[10][66]
There are some other historical sites in Turtle Bay as well. The first-floor interior of the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza hotel is also a city landmark, though not any other portions of the interior or exterior.[67] Amster Yard, a courtyard at 211-215 East 49th Street designed by James Amster, is also a city landmark.[68]
Fire safety[edit]
Turtle Bay is served by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)'s Engine Company 8/Ladder Company 2/Battalion 8, located at 165 East 51st Street.[72][73]
Health[edit]
As of 2018, preterm births and births to teenage mothers in Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town are lower than the city average. In Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town, there were 78 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 1.5 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide), though the teenage birth rate was based on a small sample size.[28]: 11 Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town have a low population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 3%, less than the citywide rate of 12%, though this was based on a small sample size.[28]: 14
The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town is 0.0102 milligrams per cubic metre (1.02×10−8 oz/cu ft), more than the city average.[28]: 9 Twelve percent of Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town residents are smokers, which is less than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.[28]: 13 In Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town, 10% of residents are obese, 5% are diabetic, and 18% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively.[28]: 16 In addition, 7% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.[28]: 12
Ninety-one percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 90% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%.[28]: 13 For every supermarket in Turtle Bay and Stuyvesant Town, there are 7 bodegas.[28]: 10
Beth Israel Medical Center is located in Stuyvesant Town. In addition, the Bellevue Hospital Center and NYU Langone Medical Center are located in Kips Bay.[74][75]
Turtle Bay is located in two primary ZIP Codes. The area south of 49th Street is part of 10017 and the area north of 49th Street is part of 10022.[76] The United States Postal Service operates two post offices near Turtle Bay:
Manhattan Community District 6, which includes Turtle Bay, has the lowest ratio of public park space per capita of all community districts in the borough and also ranks second to last among all community districts in New York City with regards to the percentage of district land that is parkland.[87][88] Parks in Turtle Bay include: