Manny Cantor Center

A state-of-the-art community center on the Lower East Side for you!

The Manny Cantor Center is a new, forward-thinking renovation project that preserves our historic flagship building's exterior while completely rebuilding the interior-- ensuring a new home befitting the dreams of everyone in our downtown Manhattan community.

Located at 197 East Broadway, our flagship is 123 years old -- as old as the agency itself. By incorporating visionary design and impressive space planning, it will be transformed from a deteriorating, inefficient community service facility into the Lower East Side's quintessential urban community center, to serve your family for the next century and beyond!

The Manny Cantor Center will bring you together with people of all racial, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds to build community and create more opportunities for everyone.


Classes, Services, Programs & Events for Everyone

As your new state-of-the-art community center, the Manny Cantor Center will maximize space for programming -- which means you'll have more offerings to choose from!

• more early childhood classrooms
• a comprehensive health & wellness center - including a state-of-the-art fitness center, innovative group exercise classes in 2 exercise studios, personal training, locker rooms, and showers.
• beautiful community space to host arts & culture events, performances, lectures, adult classes and workshops, ethnic and cultural celebrations, and other special events.
• beautiful new space for all ages including Youth and Older Adults.

Plus enhanced facilities for these existing high quality programs:

• The Art School
• The Educational Alliance Preschool
• Baby & Toddler Classes
• A new Lower East Side-based camp in addition to New Country Day Camp 
• Edgies Teen Center
• College Prep
• Health & Fitness
• Art Galleries
• Whittaker Center
• Young Artists Program
• Head Start
• Early Head Start 

(During the renovation, which will be done in stages, many of the above programs will be relocated to other buildings. To find out a program's current location, click on its name above or in our Program Directory.)

Additional Benefits
The Manny Cantor Center will have three elevators and a kosher kitchen. Its outmoded systems will be entirely replaced with a modern and highly energy-efficient infrastructure with the aim of obtaining a LEED silver rating.

Timeline
The 22-month renovation will be done in late Fall 2013.

Executive Director
Joanna Samuels is the Executive Director of the Manny Cantor Center.

Join Our Community Campaign
Create your own personal legacy on our donor wall and announce your connection to the Educational Alliance’s esteemed history and exciting future. All individuals who donate $100 or more will be recognized on our community donor wall which will be prominently located in the Center’s light filled lobby staircase.

Project design by Platt Byard Dovell White Architects LLP.

Check back for updates!