New York City Council's 2nd district
Encyclopedia
New York City Council's 2nd district covers the East Village
, Alphabet City
, Peter Cooper Village, Rose Hill
, Kips Bay
, Gramercy Park
and parts of the Lower East Side
. It is currently represented by Rosie Méndez
.
The district falls within 8th
, 12th
, and 14th
congressional districts, the New York State Senate
's 25th and 29th districts, and the New York State Assembly
's 64th, 66th, 74th and 75th districts. Its constituents are represented on Manhattan Community Boards 2
, 3
, 5
, and 6
.
In 2006, the district had an estimated population of 157,410, with a median household income of $64,247. 78.47% of residents held rented accommodation. 58.2% of district residents were white
, 19.2% were Hispanic, 7.3% were African American
, and 13.3% were Asian
or Pacific Islander
. 2% identified as 'other'. The district's demographics are widely diverse, ranging from white-majority areas in the north of the district (around Kips Bay
and Gramercy Park
) to predominantly Hispanic areas in Loisaida
.
The district is a safe Democratic
district. Between 1974 and 1991, the district was represented by Miriam Friedlander
, who was narrowly defeated in the Democratic Party primary by Antonio Pagán
, the first openly gay politician to represent the district. Pagán's conservative stances and support for Mayor Rudy Giuliani
alienated large segments of his liberal-leaning constituency. In 1997, Pagán launched an unsuccessful campaign for Manhattan Borough President; he was succeeded on City Council by Margarita López
. In 2005, Rosie Méndez succeeded Margarita López. She was re-elected in 2009 with 83.9% of the vote, against 16.1% for Republican challenger Bryan Cooper.
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
, Alphabet City
Alphabet City, Manhattan
Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the Lower East Side and East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is also known as Loisaida, a Spanglish adaptation of 'Lower East Side'. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter...
, Peter Cooper Village, Rose Hill
Rose Hill
-People:* Rose Hill , British actress* Rose Hill , British wheelchair athlete-England:* Rose Hill, Derby, inner city suburb in Derby* Rose Hill, Oxfordshire, city council estate near Oxford...
, Kips Bay
Kips Bay
Kips Bay is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Because there are no official boundaries for New York City neighborhoods, the limits of Kip's Bay are somewhat vague, but it is often considered to be the area between East 23rd Street and East 34th Street extending from...
, Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
and parts of the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. It is currently represented by Rosie Méndez
Rosie Mendez
Rosie Mendez is an American Democratic Party politician in New York. She is a member of the New York City Council from Manhattan, representing the 2nd council district, which includes the Lower East Side, Alphabet City and the East Village...
.
The district falls within 8th
New York's 8th congressional district
New York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...
, 12th
New York's 12th congressional district
New York's 12th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. It includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan...
, and 14th
New York's 14th congressional district
New York's 14th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. It includes most of the East Side of Manhattan, all of Roosevelt Island and the neighborhoods of Astoria, Long Island City, and Sunnyside in Queens...
congressional districts, the New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
's 25th and 29th districts, and the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
's 64th, 66th, 74th and 75th districts. Its constituents are represented on Manhattan Community Boards 2
Manhattan Community Board 2
The Manhattan Community Board 2 is a local government unit of New York City, encompassing the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, West Village, NoHo, SoHo, Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy in the borough of Manhattan. It is delimited by Bowery on the east, Canal Street on the south, the...
, 3
Manhattan Community Board 3
The Manhattan Community Board 3 is a local government unit in the New York City borough of Manhattan, encompassing the neighborhoods of Alphabet City, East Village, Lower East Side, Chinatown and Two Bridges...
, 5
Manhattan Community Board 5
Manhattan Community Board 5 is a local government unit of New York City, New York in the United States. It encompasses Midtown, Times Square, most of the Theatre District, the Diamond District, the Garment District, Herald Square, Koreatown, NoMad, Murray Hill and the Flatiron District, all in the...
, and 6
Manhattan Community Board 6
Manhattan Community Board 6 is a local government unit of New York City, New York, United States. Its area of responsibility encompasses the East Side of Manhattan from 14th Street to 59th Street. This includes the neighborhoods of Gramercy Park, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Waterside...
.
In 2006, the district had an estimated population of 157,410, with a median household income of $64,247. 78.47% of residents held rented accommodation. 58.2% of district residents were white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, 19.2% were Hispanic, 7.3% were African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, and 13.3% were Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
or Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
. 2% identified as 'other'. The district's demographics are widely diverse, ranging from white-majority areas in the north of the district (around Kips Bay
Kips Bay
Kips Bay is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Because there are no official boundaries for New York City neighborhoods, the limits of Kip's Bay are somewhat vague, but it is often considered to be the area between East 23rd Street and East 34th Street extending from...
and Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
) to predominantly Hispanic areas in Loisaida
Loisaida
Loisaida is a term derived from the Latino pronunciation of "Lower East Side", a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The term was originally coined by poet/activist Bittman "Bimbo" Rivas in his 1974 poem "Loisaida"...
.
The district is a safe Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
district. Between 1974 and 1991, the district was represented by Miriam Friedlander
Miriam Friedlander
Miriam Friedlander was a Bronx born American politician who represented the city council district in New York City's Lower East Side and Chinatown from 1974 to 1991. In the primary election of the Democratic Party she defeated Sheldon Silver....
, who was narrowly defeated in the Democratic Party primary by Antonio Pagán
Antonio Pagán
Antonio Pagán was an American politician, who held roles in the municipal government of New York City. He served on New York City Council for six years, and was subsequently appointed the city's commissioner of employment by mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1998.Pagán, a native of Manhattan who spent much...
, the first openly gay politician to represent the district. Pagán's conservative stances and support for Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
alienated large segments of his liberal-leaning constituency. In 1997, Pagán launched an unsuccessful campaign for Manhattan Borough President; he was succeeded on City Council by Margarita López
Margarita Lopez
Margarita López is an openly lesbian former New York City Council Member who represented New York City Council's 2nd district from 1998 to 2005. The 2nd district comprises the Lower East Side, Alphabet City, and the East Village. López was elected to the Council in 1997. Born in Puerto Rico, she...
. In 2005, Rosie Méndez succeeded Margarita López. She was re-elected in 2009 with 83.9% of the vote, against 16.1% for Republican challenger Bryan Cooper.