On Tuesday night, after 90 minutes of debating with the CB3 community board, LeRoy McCarthy – who in October 2013 tried to have a street in Brooklyn renamed in honor of The Notorious B.I.G – did not receive approval from the board to rename the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington to “Beastie Boy Square.” The reasoning for this decision was that the group – which photographed the intersection for the cover of their classic 1989 album cover – did not fit the guidelines required for co-naming, which includes community involvement and volunteering.

Nonetheless, New York City has a history of renaming streets, parks and playgrounds after famous musicians. Today we share some places located around NYC which has paid honored to some of the artists who helped shaped the identity of the city.

1. Wu-Tang Clan District

In May 2019, the intersection of Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street in Staten Island’s Park Hill neighborhood was officially named the Wu Tang Clan District by the New York City Council. Members of the Wu-Tang Clan attended the event. City Councilmember Debi Rose said in a statement, “The Wu-Tang Clan turned their experiences growing up in Park Hill into something that now resonates with people all over the world, with young people who live in urban settings, young people whose neighborhoods are underserved, and young people who face economic and social challenges.”

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