Heroes in a half-shell, Turtle Power!

Turtle Bay is a  neighbourhood on the east side of Midtown Manhattan, extending the 10 blocks north from 43rd to 53rd streets, and east from Lexington Avenue to the East River.

The area of Turtle Bay got its name in the 17^th Century, back when New York was still New Amsterdam.   The name doesn't particularly have anything to do with turtles either.  According to the Turtle Bay Association, it was more likely a play on the Dutch word "deutal" or bent blade, which refers to the shape of the Bay itself.  Though having said that, turtles did definitely occupy the waterways of the time, and were a tasty treat for early settlers to the area.

The Dutch colonial governor of the city at the time gave two Englishmen a grant for a 16-hectare block of pastoral land called “Turtle Bay Farm”, on which Turtle Creek (or DeVoor’s Mill Creek), emptied into the East River.  At the time, the Turtle Bay neighbourhood was all grass and hills.  In addition to the beautiful water views, the farm’s namesake bay offered valuable shelter from the blustery East River weather, and before long it became a popular spot for the shipbuilding industry.  

Turtle Bay in 1853
Courtesy of Wikipedia

More than 100 years later, after the grid system was initiated in Manhattan, the hilly landscape was flattened and subdivided for residential development.  Huge industrial enterprise followed – breweries, laundries, abattoirs, and the elevated train service.  

In the 1930s the neighbourhood had fallen into disrepair, and remained an eyesore for the next decade or so.   By 1948, eighteen acres of slaughterhouses had been cleared to make room for the United Nations building.  Derelict houses were demolished and rebuilt, trees were planted, and the residents returned.  

These days, Turtle Bay is a mix of apartments and businesses.  It is still the home of the UN Headquarters, plus a number of Foreign Missions and Consulates, and loads of restaurants and bars.