Lou Gehrig's First Home

You are standing near the site of an early residence of Lou Gehrig, a man who became one of the most celebrated figures in American sports history. The exact location of his birth has been a subject of historical debate, with plaques and records pointing to different tenements in this part of Manhattan. Regardless of the specific building, these streets were the setting for his childhood as the son of German immigrants. Money was often tight in the household, and his mother worked as a cook and cleaning lady to support the family while his father struggled with poor health. This modest beginning in a crowded city environment preceded his rise to fame as the Iron Horse of the New York Yankees.