New York City is famous for many things, and one of our favorites; the cobblestone streets. At one time all of NYC’s streets were paved in cobblestone. In the future however, it’s possible that only those protected in historic neighborhoods will remain, as the others eventually disappear due to the expense of upkeep.

Cities 101: Cobblestone Streets In NYC Are Expensive and Dissapearing

 

Rectangle shaped cobblestones were originally brought to New York in the 1830s as ship ballast from Europe. Today, according to Kate Ascher, in her book The Works; Anatomy of a City, some 36 lane miles of cobblestones remain in New York City. Some streets, like Wooster, Greene, Mercer, and Bond in SoHo are in a protected historic district; others–such as Perry and Bank streets–are not. Four times as expensive as asphalt, cobblestones in “unprotected districts will only occasionally be replaced in kind. Often holes in these streets are filled in with asphalt or a mix of other kinds of stones.

Snapshot: Cobblestone Streets Of New York | Broken Sidewalk

The photo below is typical of many streets in NYC. Most are the rough, generally unmaintained variety that has simply been left in place…..

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Thankfully, there will be miles of cobblestone streets that remain in the city and will continue to either appeal or repel depending on whether you are tourist or native. Its all a part of the NYC experience.