Alphabet City Activism: A Look at 9th Street

155 Avenue C, aka C-Squat
Part of the pattern of disinvestment in the 1970s and 1980s, 155 Avenue C's owner walked away from the building. The building then remained City-owned and officially vacant, though it was used as a club that was evicted from time to time. After a fire in 1989, squatters moved in and worked to make it habitable. It became known as C-Squat and was famous for its legendary punk rock shows and basement half-pipe. C-Squat is one of the 12 remaining East Village squats that underwent a legalization process that started in 2002. Its tenants are now legal owners of their units as part of this limited-equity housing cooperative.
The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) opened in C-Squat's storefront in 2012. MoRUS chronicles the East Village community’s history of grassroots action. It celebrates the local activists who transformed abandoned spaces and vacant lots into vibrant community spaces and gardens. Many of these innovative, sustainable concepts and designs have since spread out to the rest of the city and beyond.

This Jane’s Walk uses a sliver of Alphabet City to tell a story of activism and community in the East Village. We’ll start at 155 Avenue C, the home of MoRUS, check out the corner of 9th & C, and then head towards Tompkins Square Park.