It’s Women’s History Month — Here’s How to Observe Downtown

March is Women’s History Month, an annual observance celebrating and highlighting the many contributions women have made to contemporary society. There are a number of ways to mark this occasion in Lower Manhattan. You could shop at one of the many women-owned businesses in the neighborhood, including tobacco shop Barclay Rex (126 Pearl St.), floral design studio City Blossoms (62 Trinity Pl.), farm-to-table restaurant Malibu Farm (89 South St.) or coffee purveyor Bean & Bean (71 Broadway). 

It’s also worth digging through our archives to learn more about the contributions women have made throughout Lower Manhattan’s history. Consider, for instance, Emily Roebling, an oft-overlooked historical figure who oversaw the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge and was the first person to cross it when it opened in 1883. There’s also the story of Elizabeth Jennings, a 24-year-old Black woman who, after a group of white men forcefully removed her from a Third Avenue Company streetcar near Park Row in 1854, successfully sued the company, leading to the desegregation of public transportation in New York City. You can even learn about the history of women on Wall Street via our interview with historian Paulina Bren, author of “She-Wolves: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street.” 

Peruse our content and stay tuned for our upcoming series profiling women-owned businesses in the neighborhood, which will be running through March. 

photo: courtesy Malibu Farm