Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza

Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza is a small triangular public space at the intersection of Broadway and Chambers Street in Tribeca, near the entrance to City Hall Park. The plaza was named in 2014 for Elizabeth H. Berger, the longtime president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, the business improvement district that has been instrumental in the revitalization of Lower Manhattan.

Berger led the Downtown Alliance from 2002 through her death in 2012, guiding the organization through the critical years of recovery following the September 11th attacks. Under her leadership, the Alliance invested heavily in streetscape improvements, public safety, and marketing that helped transform Lower Manhattan from a primarily commercial district into a thriving mixed-use neighborhood.

The plaza provides a small seating area and landscaped space at a busy intersection where Broadway meets the Civic Center district. Its location at the gateway between Tribeca's residential blocks and the government buildings of the Civic Center makes it a well-trafficked pedestrian crossing point.

The naming of this plaza for a female civic leader reflects a growing effort to honor women in New York City's public spaces, which have historically been named overwhelmingly for men. Berger's contributions to the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan earned her recognition as one of the most influential figures in the area's modern history.

Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza is a modest space with an outsized story, honoring a woman who helped shepherd Lower Manhattan through its darkest hour and into a period of unprecedented residential and cultural growth.