The District 2 Pre-K and 3-K Center has opened at 403 East 65th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The new standalone, city-run early childhood education facility will add more than 130 Pre-K and 3-K seats beginning this September, quadrupling 3-K capacity and doubling Pre-K capacity within the 10065 ZIP code. The project was first announced in 2022 and completed in July 2025.
Located in Manhattan’s District 2, the center marks the first city-operated early childhood facility of its kind in the neighborhood. According to City officials, the facility did not open under the prior mayoral administration despite local demand for additional early childhood seats. The facility will now serve families seeking 3-K and Pre-K placements for the upcoming academic year, with applications open through February 27, 2026.
405 E 65th Steet, via Google Maps.
Transit nearby 403 East 65th Street Includes the Q train at the 72nd Street station and the F train at Lexington Avenue–63rd Street, as well as nearby 4, 5, and 6 subway service at 68th Street–Hunter College.
“Today’s opening will create more than 100 new seats for children as soon as this fall, and marks the beginning of our work to deliver universal child care by first delivering accessible child care,” said Mayor Zohra Mamdani. “In the wealthiest city in the world, no parent should be forced to choose between raising their child and keeping their job.”
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Why can’t they building lots of affordable housing on top of the school?
In this neighborhood?
Given the decline in enrollment, is this school really needed?
Affordable housing on East 65th, someone suggested. Don’t make me laugh. Or cry.