Cortlandt Alley, a short and very narrow passage running south of Canal Street, is one of New York's most widely seen streets, having been the scene of innumerable film shoots. It may not be well known that the alley has a Chinese name: Tán Mǐnshēng dào 譚閩生道 "Hon. Thomas Tam Way". The name was added in late 2009.
Thomas Tam (1946–2008, whose Chinese name means "born in Fújiàn") was a CUNY trustee and community activist. He held a degree in film-making as well as public health and was the director of many short films. So it is fitting that Cortlandt Alley, a film veteran in its own right, should have had his name added.