New York City officially named the corner of East 101st Street and Madison Avenue “John William Perry Way,” honoring an off-duty police officer who ran to the World Trade Center on 9/11 and never came home.
Story Snapshot
- City Council legislation established “John William Perry Way” in Manhattan before the public ceremony.
- The co-named corner sits at East 101st Street and Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side.
- Perry rushed from his retirement paperwork to help at the World Trade Center and died when the North Tower fell.
- The honor joins thousands of New York City co-named streets that mark local service and sacrifice.
What The City Did And Where It Happened
New York City leaders, family, and supporters unveiled “John William Perry Way” at East 101st Street and Madison Avenue. City lawmakers had already passed the renaming into local law, placing Perry’s name on the Upper East Side corner near the park routes he liked to run. Local coverage identified the exact intersection during the ceremony, confirming the public-facing location that will now carry his memory for neighbors and visitors alike.
The New York City Council’s formal action appears in its legislative record. The file lists “John William Perry Way, Borough of Manhattan,” and shows the measure enacted as local law in 2025, which allowed the sign installation to move forward this year. New York often batches these honors within larger co-naming bills. Recent council calendars and introductions show ongoing approval of many similar dedications across the five boroughs.
Who John William Perry Was And Why He Is Honored
On September 11, 2001, Police Officer John William Perry was at Police Headquarters to finish his retirement when the first jet struck the North Tower. He headed to help at the World Trade Center instead. He was killed when the North Tower collapsed, alongside many other first responders who ran toward danger that morning. Organizers and family members marked the twenty-fifth year since his death by revealing the new sign at the corner that now bears his name.
Reporters noted the site’s tie to Perry’s routine and to the city he served. The co-named corner stands close to Central Park, where Perry often trained. That detail helps the sign feel less like a distant tribute and more like a local marker with personal meaning. It signals a simple promise many New Yorkers share: remember the people who showed up when it counted, and keep their names visible in daily life.
How Street Co-Namings Work And What This One Says
New York City uses street co-namings to honor people who helped a neighborhood or the city. Community boards outline standards, such as strong service or clear ties to local life, and sponsors bring petitions before the Council. The Department of Records now tracks nearly 2,500 such co-named sites on an interactive map, showing how these honors have become a common civic tool. In that context, Perry’s sign fits a long pattern of remembering 9/11 heroes on city blocks.
Upper East Side street renamed for NYPD Officer John Perry, killed on 9/11 https://t.co/gQ5736DduW pic.twitter.com/5dIOfC6KEA
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) September 6, 2026
Families see co-namings as a lasting public memorial. City officials see them as a visible, low-cost way to show respect and respond to residents who ask to honor service and sacrifice. That mix is why so many corners now carry names from firehouses, schools, faith groups, and police commands. For a country often split by politics, a sign for a man who ran into danger is a rare point of shared gratitude, across party lines and across time.
Sources:
nypost.com, abc7ny.com, ground.news, council.nyc.gov
