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'Ninth Avenue' / 'Columbus Avenue' is a north-south thoroughfare on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs downtown (southbound) along its full length, and in both directions between 14th and 16th Streets. 'Ninth Avenue' originates just south of West 14th Street at Gansevoort Street in the West Village, and runs uptown (northbound) for 45 blocks until its intersection with West 59th Street, where it is re-signed (like the other West Side avenues) as 'Columbus Avenue'—named after Christopher Columbus—but continues without interruption through the Upper West Side for 61 blocks to West 110th Street, where it is re-signed as Morningside Drive, and runs north through Morningside Heights to 122nd Street.
Ninth Avenue reappears as two short avenues between 201st and 208th Streets, and then between 215th to 225th Streets.
In art it is notable as the setting of Saul Steinberg's "View of the World from 9th Avenue".

Contents

Points of Interest

Revival of 9th Avenue

Ninth Avenue Elevated

Points of Interest

★ The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is located at the intersection of 'Columbus Avenue' and Broadway (near 65th Street).

★ Hell's Kitchen

★ The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is located on Ninth Avenue and 55th Street.

Revival of 9th Avenue

Former president Bill Clinton initiated a project to revitalize the 9th Avenue corridor centered around the Hell's Kitchen area. (Source: http://www.9thavenuerenaissance.com/). Several street fairs are held every year, including the Ninth Avenue Food Festival [1] in May.

Ninth Avenue Elevated

The Ninth Avenue Elevated was extended up the avenue by 1891. The rebuilding project was extended all the way north to 116th St., creating Manhattan's first three-track elevated, although center-track express service did not begin until 1916. The 9th Ave El was over 100 feet above the street at "Suicide Curve", which made a 90-degree turn from 9th Ave onto 110th St. then another from 110th St. onto 8th Avenue. The line ran until it was closed in 1940 and dismantled, following the extension of the Eighth Avenue subway up Central Park West.