From Collect Pond to Chinatown: How a Buried Lake Shaped NYC’s Chinatown

What lies beneath Chinatown? In this illustrated talk, architect William Bialosky uncovers the remarkable story of Collect Pond, the freshwater lake that once shaped the physical, social, and economic life of Lower Manhattan. For two centuries, Collect Pond supplied New York City with fresh water. But nearby industries polluted its shores, and the city began burying the lake in 1802. The resulting unstable and undesirable ground made the land inexpensive, helping determine who could afford to live there. Over time, the former pond basin became Five Points and, later, part of one of America’s most vital immigrant neighborhoods, Chinatown. Bialosky traces this layered history from glacial ice and early Manhattan infrastructure to the formation of Five Points, the growth of Chinatown, and the excavations taking place today. Combining architecture, geology, and urban history, the talk reveals how the landscape beneath a neighborhood can shape its future for generations. Bialosky will also reflect on MOCA’s move from 70 Mulberry Street, the former Public School 23, to 215 Centre Street,... Read more .