What’s Hess Triangle? A triangular piece of property that is 25.5 inches by 27.5 inches by 27.5 inches.
What? How can this two foot triangle exist as private property in NYC? Go to corner of Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street and you’ll see it
How did this small piece of property emerge from an eminent domain fight? In 1910, NYC was extending the Seventh Avenue Subway Line. A property owner named Hess owned a 5 story building in the path of the new subway extension.
What did the landowner do in 1910 to fight eminent domain? He went to court. Fought a 4 year legal battle. But, the city won its right to use eminent domain on a bad property survey.
The 2 foot triangle was left out of the survey and remained Hess’s private property. The city asked the family to donate the triangle… The family refused.
The Gothamist | The Story Behind Hess Triangle, Once The Littlest Piece Of Land In NYC