Midtown West
The midtown area west of Sixth Avenue from 34th to 59th Street has given birth
to some of America's great cultural icons. The timeless yet world-weary
Times Square area has recently undergone a complete transformation, restoring
its ambience and appeal to that of its early 20th-century heyday under the
strict guidance of the 42nd Street Development Project, which calls for
preservation of the area's Art Nouveau roots and glittering facades. On
New 42nd Street, Art Deco movie houses and Broadway theaters have been refurbished
and reopened, top Hollywood marketers have built towering theme stores,
and trendy restaurants and state-of-the-art arcades draw an exuberant crowd
seven days a week. The "E Walk", a new hotel
complex consisting of five buildings in one, offers family entertainment
and retail stores.
Broadway theater is New York's number one tourist attraction, and this liberally defined address actually extends from 42nd to 53rd Streets between or near 7th and 8th Avenues. Many of the grand old theaters have been restored, and the area is well-lit and bustling with entertainment complexes, theme stores, and restaurants.
A popular midtown oasis is the well-kept Bryant Park, a sprawling green located behind the New York Public Library between 40th and 42nd Streets. Concrete chess tables, park benches, and scores of wrought-iron chairs line the tree-shaded walkways, making it a haven for weary pedestrians and lunching office workers. During the summer, the park plays host to live jazz and comedy concerts and free outdoor film screenings. Off-season, one can find huge tents housing fashion shows, circuses, and other events. Bryant Park also features an open-air cafe- and a gourmet restaurant, the Bryant Park Grill, which is housed in a stunning pavilion adjacent to the library.
The glamorous Rockefeller Plaza-located at 50th Street east of Sixth Avenue, also known as Avenue of the Americas-is famous for its winter ice skating rink, which transforms into a Beverly Hills-style outdoor cafe in the summer months. Rockefeller Center is a huge office and retail complex encompassing a several-block radius from the Plaza. Many Fortune 100 companies are headquartered here, and the upscale surroundings are popular for corporate housing and "walk to work" executives. The newly-built Sports Club/LA at Rockefeller Center is being publicized as an urban country club rather than a gym. One of New York's premier cultural destinations, The Museum of Modern Art at West 53rd off Sixth Avenue, offers a luxury after-hours series with guided tours, live piano music, and wine-tasting. The area is also known for some of Manhattan's most highly rated restaurants, catering to affluent tourists and the high-powered business crowd.
The most dramatically developing area in Midtown West is between 34th Street and 59th Street, between Eighth Avenue and the Hudson River. At the south end are Chelsea Heights, the Flower District, the Garment Center, and Tunjav - the area surrounding the Lincoln Tunnel and Javits Convention Center. These areas are popular for their good values, convenience to Penn Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and ferries to New Jersey and for the many loft conversions and new high-rises, some of which feature sunset views of the Hudson River and New Jersey. On 42nd Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, Theater Row, which housed eight off-Broadway theaters, is now being dismantled for redevelopment. An apartment tower and six larger theaters for plays and smaller musicals are being planned for this block.
The formerly daunting Hell's Kitchen, pleasantly renamed Clinton, is already a few decades removed from the seamy setting of West Side Story. A professionally, culturally, and ethnically diverse area, actors, students, and young families have long made this area their home. Ninth Avenue offers ethnic delis, bakeries, groceries, restaurants, and bars. The influx of big business has sparked much residential development, as law firms and ad agencies are setting up shop at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue, contributing to the upscale trend. The more affordable industrial space on the West Side is being sought after by such national companies as designer Kenneth Cole and home enhancement guru Martha Stewart, both of whom have contracted space on 11th Avenue, an area often referred to as Gasoline Rochelle are also located on the West Side Alley.
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Parson's School of Design, and the College of New Rochelle are also located on the west side.
See also transportation and schools for Midtown West.
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