Astor Place
Bernard Rosenthal, 1967

The official title of this piece is Alamo, but everyone just calls it “the cube.” The steel sculpture is massive and heavy, but was designed to turn on its corner if pushed by strong shoulders (although it’s a bit rusty now). It was one of the first outdoor abstract sculptures in the city and although it was intended to be temporary, the public response was so positive that it was made a permanent fixture. The heavy, black–painted metal blends well with the style of the East Village skaters and punks that hang out on its traffic island.