The Cube

One of downtown’s most recognizable symbols, the Astor Place "cube" has presided over the traffic island at the intersection of Astor Place and Lafayette Street since 1967, when it was installed as a temporary public art installation. Locals loved the 15-foot, 1,800-pound steel cube—created by sculptor Tony Rosenthal—and petitioned for it to be made a permanent part of the neighborhood. Over the years, it's become a popular meeting spot (and a hangout spot for students on clement days). The cube's name, by the way, is Alamo, and unlike its Texas namesake, it can be pushed and rotated on its axis.