Revisiting Aronofsky’s ‘Pi’ and Its Scenes on the Lower East Side
This image has been archived or removed.
Pi, East Broadway subway station
Today is “Pi Day.” March 14 = 3.14…
So, in honor of this super significant annual milestone, it’s fitting to look at the movie inspired by the number. Darren Aronofsky’s directorial debut, 1998’s Pi.
Pi is a fucked up psychological thriller that centers on protagonist Max Cohen. The numbers-obsessed recluse discovers a 216-digit string which contains the familiar mathematical constant. It’s supposedly the key to unlocking the stock market, the secrets of the Torah, and life itself. As a result, everyone is after him. That’s the gist of the story without ruining the plot.
But his home base is actually right here on the Lower East Side. In fact, one scene has Cohen taking the IND from Rockefeller Center to the East Broadway stop. Once at the station, he rides up the infamous escalator that was only recently replaced (after two years). Apparently these subway shots (and others) were illegally filmed at night, since Aronofsky did not want to pay for the proper permits.
There are also some great glimpses of midtown and Coney Island.
This gallery has been removed.
Recent Stories
Another Look at the Remodeled DeSalvio Playground in Little Italy
Two years of construction, and a decade of advocating, finally let up. About a month ago, Little Italy locals scored early access to a reinvigorated DeSalvio Playground on Spring Street ahead of the “official” opening. The upgraded park at Spring and Mulberry Streets includes a curved seating area with benches, basketball court (with two hoops), jungle gym […]
Report: Teen Boosts Taxi from LES and Attempts Drive to Six Flags
If you’re gonna steal the car, don’t pull over for R-and-R. Police say that 19-year-old Jonathan Gualpa boosted a taxicab parked on the Lower East Side early Tuesday morning and attempted to drive it down to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. The vehicle was reportedly still running at 5:45am when the teen hijacker drove […]
Neighborhood Group Sues the City to Stop New Towers in Two Bridges
Three months after first leveling the threats, the Lower East Side Organized Neighbors (LESON) has filed a lawsuit to stop four new towers (as part of three developments) from sprouting on the Two Bridges waterfront. The community organization partnered with the Asian American Legal Defense Fund to take the fight to the city. LESON has […]
Man Hit in the Head with Baseball Bat, Robbed on Broome Street
Some crime to report on the new doorstep of Essex Crossing. A man on the eastern fringe of Broome Street was clocked in the head with a baseball bat, and then robbed of his computer, police said. The victim was apparently on his way to a date Monday afternoon when he was struck on the […]
Martin Keehn Boutique Celebrates New Home on Ludlow Street
Menswear designer Martin Keehn began selling on the Lower East Side nine years ago. The boutique occupied a unique fractional address across from Seward Park – 27 1/2 Essex Street – until last summer. The eponymous store made the move around the corner to 53 Ludlow Street back in August. (This was the former home […]
