Article written: September 25, 2026
Is there a street named after Panama in New York? As of September 24, 2026, there is. Sections of Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood now officially carry the name “Little Panama Way.”
President José Raúl Mulino and First Lady Maricel Cohen de Mulino unveiled the new street signs during their visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Where Is Little Panama Way?
The co-naming covers Franklin Avenue between President Street and Eastern Parkway, according to Panamanian broadcaster Telemetro. The stretch sits in the heart of the area long known locally as “Little Panama” or “Panama Town.”
The New York City Council approved the designation earlier this summer. The measure was championed by Council Member Crystal Hudson, who represents the area, and Council Member Sandy Nurse, who was born in Panama.
Community group Panama 507 Roundtable pushed for the recognition. An earlier effort to co-name Franklin Avenue “Panama Way,” led by the Alliance of Panamanian Organizations around 2010, did not succeed.
Who Attended the Ceremony?
Alongside the Mulinos, the unveiling drew several New York elected officials:
- City Council Members Crystal Hudson and Sandy Nurse
- Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso
- State Senator Zellnor Myrie
- Assembly Member Nikki Lucas
- Staff from the Consulate General of Panama in New York
Mulino described the avenue as having been Panamanian territory “in the heart” for decades, despite being thousands of kilometers from the isthmus.
Why Did So Many Panamanians Settle in Brooklyn?
Brooklyn has long had one of the largest Panamanian communities in the United States. Migration to Crown Heights picked up in the 1950s and peaked through the 1970s, as Panamanians moved north in search of new opportunities.
Franklin Avenue became the community’s center, lined with Panamanian-owned businesses. Several remain today, even as the neighborhood has changed.
Roughly 50,000 Panamanians live in New York, according to figures cited by La Estrella de Panamá. The community’s best-known tradition is the annual Panamanian Day Parade, held each October in Brooklyn.
What Is the Proposed Panamanian Cultural District?
The street name may be only the first step. A proposal to create a 22-block Panamanian Cultural District in the area is moving through the New York State Legislature.
The district would promote Panamanian restaurants, businesses and cultural activities along the corridor. Its final boundaries and approval timeline have not yet been announced.
What Did Mulino Say to the Diaspora?
During the ceremony, Mulino praised the generations of Panamanians who built families and businesses in New York while keeping their traditions alive.
He also encouraged members of the diaspora to visit Panama with their families and to consider investment opportunities in the country.
A Corner of Panama, Far From Home
For decades, Franklin Avenue has been where Panamanians in New York gathered for a taste of home, a parade in October or news from the isthmus.
Now the street signs say what the neighborhood has known for more than half a century. Some pieces of Panama were built thousands of kilometers from the canal, one family and one storefront at a time.
