Prostitution:

     "The Tenderloin was the most famous sex

district in New York City history," says

Timothy Gilfoyle author of City of Eros.

Sandwiched between the wealthy east and

working-class west "the Tenderloin peaked

from the 1870s to the years just before 1910".

     The Tenderloin, and its unique set of

purchasable activities, "developed 

specifically as a shadowy outgrowth of the

luxury hotel industry". Because of this

"money flowed into the area" and the

"wealthy businessmen from the provinces

were always looking for 'after-hours' 

recreational opportunities" (Gilfoyle). Although The Tenderloin was an elaborate and pricy area, it became more common as it moved westward, branching into gambling houses, brothels, dance halls, and concert saloon. 

      In 1900 The Tenderloin was witness to one of the worst riots in New York City history. Robert J. Thorpe, a police officer, attempted to arrest May Enoch mistaking her for a prostitute. Enoch's companion,  Arthur Harris, rushed to her aid upon hearing her screams. An altercation followed which resulted in the death of Officer Thorpe. Unusually high tensions, a result of cramped spaces and miserable residents, spurred a mob at Thorpe's wake that sparked the Tenderloin Race Riot. Hundreds of angry rioters raced through the streets targeting black people - tearing clothes, breaking limbs, and slashing faces to tatters. Rioters even boarded every 8th ave streetcar, dragging targets into the streets and mauling them.The riots lasted almost three days but, amazingly, there were no deaths. Over the following month countless charges were brought against city police officers but not a single one was punished.