I started my exploration of Gramercy Park having walked many of its borders in other walks. It seems that the borders between the Flatiron District, Union Square, Rose Hill and NoMAD have become blurred. All these beautiful buildings with their protective lions, mythical creatures and mysterious faces watching and protecting them have a home on all of them.
The elegant brownstones that line the park
Gramercy Park is probably one of the nicest neighborhoods in Manhattan with its historic brownstones, beautiful park and excellent restaurants and shops. The neighborhood is steeped in history and it had been enjoyable to walk around the buildings and read their history.
As I walked around the Farmers Market, looking over the very over-priced fruits, vegetables and bakery products, I noticed more of the medallions that line the border of Union Square Park. The first one I admired without the sunlight distracting me was the medallion of the layout of the park from the 1800’s.
This is the original layout of the park in 1876 plaque
The collection of medallions around the park’s fringes
The Union Square collection of plaques
The collection of plaques in Union Square Park
The plaques around Union Square Park
The plaques around Union Square Park
I walked around the park and marveled at it on a very hot afternoon. Like most parks in former edgy neighborhoods, it fascinates me how a bunch of twenty year old’s and families sun themselves and socialize where thirty years earlier you would be harassed by homeless, drug dealers and methadone addicts. You still might see them on the fringes of the park but not like in the early 1980’s.
The park now has a business partnership and I believe a Friends group as well. There are so many activities going on in the park, that I am sure people don’t notice all the chess hustlers and counterculture types on the 14th Street perimeter.
Looking at the southern part of the park facing 14th Street and the southern entrance to Broadway
From Park Avenue South/Union Square East is the extension of the street that lines the eastern end of the park. At the corner of East 15th Street and Union Square East is 101 East 15th Street the old Union Square Savings Bank building.
101 East 15th Street-The Union Square Savings Bank Building/Daryl Roth Theater
The side of the Union Square Savings Bank building
The bank itself was founded in 1848 and moved to this location in 1895. This building was designed by architect Henry Bacon in the neo classical design in 1905 and the building was finished in 1906. The bank closed in 1992 (Wiki).
I walked to the small triangle of Union Square Park that sits between East 15th and 14th Streets and came across a sculpture that I had never seen before on all my walks back from NYU. Maybe I just missed it when it was dark out. It was a depiction of an urban legend of the NYC sewers.
Artist Alexander Klingspor is Swedish born artist who works both in the United States and Sweden. He apprenticed under American artist Mark English. He is known for his paintings and sculptures (Wiki).
I then started my walk up Park Avenue South which is actually the western border of Gramercy Park. I have always been impressed by the W Hotel on the corner of 16th Street and Park Avenue South at 201 Park Avenue South.
This luxury hotel has an impressive history of being one of the innovators of luxury in the Marriott chain. The W Hotel concept was known for its edginess in design and the creativity in its restaurants. Things must be progressing as their customer gets older because their General Manager spoke to our Leadership class before I graduated from NYU and said they are softening the music (finally!) and changing the designs in the rooms. Maybe there will finally be a place to put your clothes.
The historic plaque on the building
This historic building was designed by the architects D’oench & Yost in the Modern French mode and built in 1911. Like most historic office buildings below 23rd Street, the are being refitted as hotels and condos as the desire for high ceilings and soaring lobbies have become desirable. This building had been designed for the Germanic Life Insurance Company Wiki).
I continued up Park Avenue South to East 20th Street to see another familiar building on the border of the neighborhood, 250 Park Avenue South. This building seems to be on the border of many Manhattan neighborhoods.
250 Park Avenue South was designed by architects Rouse & Goldstone in 1911 in the Neo-Classical design. You have to look at the building from a distance to appreciate all the interesting embellishments on the sides and top of the building.
The building was designed by William Dilthey and built in 1898. The building’s style, scale and materials contribute to the special architectural and historic characteristics of the Ladies Mile District (Corcoran Group).
As you walk up Park Avenue South, the first building that makes an impression is 251 Park Avenue South. This elegant office building with its large display windows and clean lines shows of the store inside. The office building was built in 1910 and has large windows both on the ground level and towards the top of building.
One building that does standout from the others on Park Avenue South is the Calvery Church at 277 Park Avenue. The church was established in 1832 and moved to its current location in 1842. The current church was designed in the Gothic Revival style by James Renwick Jr., who designed St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Another interesting building, I looked up and admired while walking up Park Avenue South was 281 Park Avenue South, the former Church Mission House. The building was designed by architects Robert W. Gibson and Edward J. Neville in the Medieval style and was built between 1892 and 1894. It was built for the Episcopal Church’s Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (Wiki). It now houses the photography museum The Fotografista Museum.
281 Park Avenue South-The Fotografiska Museum (The Church Mission House)
Another impressive building, I passed before East 23rd Street is 105 East 22nd Street the former United Charities Building. This is the final building in what was once known as “Charity Row” (Wiki). The building was designed by architect R. H. Robertson and the firm of Rowe & Baker. It was built by John Stewart Kennedy in 1893 for the ‘Charity Organization Society’ (Wiki).
I started walking down East 20th Street from Lexington Avenue. I crossed East 23rd Street which is the edge of the neighborhood shared with Gramercy Park, Rose Hill and Peter Cooper Village further down the block. This busy thoroughfare is lined with a lot stores, restaurants and many interesting buildings that leads to the East River.
I stopped for lunch at a Dim Sum restaurant named Awe Sum Dim Sum at 160 East 23rd Street and it was just excellent. I took my friend, Maricel, here for lunch when it first opened and we ate through most of the menu (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com).
The restaurant has the most amazing appetizers to choose from that are all made in house and served fresh to you either at your table inside or one of the many tables outside (while the weather holds out). On my trip with Maricel, we ate our way through the Fried Dumplings, the Chicken Siu Mai, the Spring Rolls, the Baked BBQ Pork Buns, the Scallion Pancakes and the Soup Dumplings. On my trip today, I ordered the Soup Dumplings, Crispy Shrimp Rolls and the Siu Mai with pork and shrimp.
The Soup Dumplings here are the best
So are the Spring Rolls when they are fresh out of the fryer
On one of the trips I had the Pan Fried Pork Buns, Spring Rolls and Roast Pork Buns.
With the cost for each running between $4.00-$6.00, I could eat my way through the menu. The nice part is what a nice contemporary designed restaurant the place is to dine in. Everyone is kept ‘socially distanced’ so it is a nice place to eat.
The inside of Awe Sum Dim Sum
After a nice relaxing lunch, I was ready to continue down East 23rd Street. Criss crossing the street again, I noticed the beauty of 219-223 East 23rd Street. The building has all sorts of griffins and faces glaring out. When you stand across the street, you can admire the beauty of all the carvings on the building along the archways above and the faces staring at you from the tops of windows.
Another building that stands out is 304-310 East 23rd Street. This former factory building was built in 1900 and now is the “The Foundry”, a converted condo complex. The amazing detail on the building stands out and you have to admire the stonework and details in the carvings along the building.
Reaching the end of East 23rd Street, you will see the planned middle class complex of Peter Cooper Village, which has gone market rate and is now getting very upscale and seems to have a younger resident walking around then the usual middle aged residents who used to be on the list to get one of these very desirable apartments.
The entrance to Peter Cooper Village at First Avenue
Across from Peter Cooper Village is the Asser Avery Recreational Center and Playground 392 Asser Avery Place with the famous baths and pools that have been part of the neighborhood for generations.
The Asser Levy Recreation Center and Park at 392 Asser Levy Place
When the baths opened in 1908, the facility was called the East 23rd Street Bathhouse. It was by architects Arnold W. Brunner and William Martin Aiken. Based on the ancient Roman Baths, the architecture was inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement, a turn of the century effort to create civic architecture in the United States that would rival the monuments of the great European capitals (NYCParks.org). The playground next to it opened in 1993.
The architecture by Arnold Brunner and William Martin Aiken resembled a Roman Bath
The fountain at the bathhouses.
The historic plaque.
The Baths and Park was named for Asser Levy, a Jewish trailblazer in colonial times when Mr. Levy and 23 Jews fled from Brazil in 1654 to seek refuge in New Amsterdam. He challenged Governor Peter Stuyvesant when he tried to evict the Jews from the colony. He was the first Jew to serve in the militia and own property in the colony (NYCParks.org).
The border to the east of the neighborhood is combination of the East River Esplanade, FDR Drive and First Avenue. Since First Avenue and FDR Drive are surrounded by a combination of college campus and hospital space, it makes walking around the neighborhood tricky.
When you walk across East 23rd Street to FDR Drive, you have to cross over FDR Drive at East 25th Street behind the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System Hospital complex and the CUNY/Hunter College campus and then cross over the bridge to the Waterside Plaza complex.
The Waterside Plaza complex and the Greenway walkway
This series of apartment buildings faces the East River and FDR Drive that leads to the East River Greenway walkway and the Waterside Plaza walkway both surround the complex. The views are breathtaking on a sunny afternoon of the East River and Long Island City.
The East River Greenway and the view of Long Island City.
East River Greenway looking at East 23rd Street
I turned around from the river (which is technically not part of the neighborhood) and walked down First Avenue. First Avenue is an unusual border for the neighborhood in that on one side is the gated communities of Peter Cooper Village from East 23rd to East 20th Streets and Stuyvesant Town which is from East 20th to East 14th Streets and on the border of Avenue C at the very eastern border. These once middle-income housing that once catered to teachers, fire fighters and police have gone market rate in the last twenty years, and you can see the changes in the chain businesses that now line their side of First Avenue.
Peter Cooper Village on the corner of East 14th Street and First Avenue
Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village was one of the biggest post WWII private developments created in Manhattan. It consists of 110 red brick buildings that spreads over 80 acres of land below East 23rd Street. The complex was developed by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company based on the earlier success of the Parkchester complex in the Bronx. The first buildings opened in 1947. The complex used to be catering to middle class/middle income rent controlled apartments but since 2006 has gone more market rate (Wiki).
I found that you are not allowed to walk around the complex without permission so I just walked around the borders of the complex that had open roads. Please just don’t ‘walk around the complex’ without permission or know someone in the complex. Still I was able to walk through some of the well landscaped corners of the complex. They do a nice job maintaining the complexes.
On the other side of First Avenue just below East 20th Street starts Stuyvesant Town
The gardens in between the buildings in Stuyvesant Town in the Summer of 2024
On the other side of the street, there are small brick and brownstone buildings housing businesses that cater to the complex with a combination of chain and independent stores. I thought the whole Avenue could use a bit of a makeover. So much of the neighborhood was under scaffolding. Walking down First Avenue I noticed a lot of newer businesses on the complexes side of the street with more upscale restaurants and bars. Now that this is market rate housing and there have been renovations in the complex, a wealthier clientele has moved into the two complexes.
On the business side of First Avenue, it’s a combination of small restaurants such as pizzerias, delis and bodegas and services catering to the residents in both complexes. Here and there are some very reasonable places to eat. From 23rd Street to about 16th Street are businesses that cater not just to the housing complexes across the street but to the office buildings around the corner at East 14th Street.
The independent businesses lining First Avenue and East 21st Street
The independent businesses along First Avenue and 19th Street
Turning onto this part of 14th Street just above Alphabet City, I found I was far away from the old Ladies Shopping District and the beautiful architecture that once housed those stores. That is closer to Fifth Avenue and Broadway. On one side of East 14th Street are new buildings catering to office workers. The northern side of East 14th Street is a series of old brick and brownstone buildings that house small restaurants and bars.
The East 14th Street shopping district is made up of small businesses
Looking up Second Avenue at East 14th Street
As you enter the heart of East 14th Street as I rounded the corner, I saw a tiny fire fighter outside Engine 5 at 340 East 14th Street.
Engine 5 was founded as a Volunteer Fire Company in 1865. This firehouse was designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Son in 1881 and is still used today (DaytonianinManhattan.com).
Little Fire Fighter at Engine 5
Looking down East 14th Street shopping and dining district
There is a real diversity of businesses down this stretch of East 14th Street from First to Third Avenues.
Coyote Ugly Bar, famous of the film, at 233 East 14th Street
The bar was made famous by the movie of the same name back in 2000.
The trailer for the movie “Coyote Ugly”
Here I noticed a lot of newer buildings that have changed the dynamic of the neighborhood housing small businesses, city agencies and some of the buildings that have become part of the NYU campus. 14th Street is now a hodge lodge of different businesses such as restaurants and stores and a lot of fast-food places catering to the college students and the office workers.
This six story walk up apartment building was built in 1900 and is one of the last holdovers in this neighborhood. You have to look up at all the faces staring at you to appreciate it (Streeteasy.com).
The entrance to 328 East 14th Street
The faces staring at you from the entrance of 328 East 14th Street
As you get closer to Union Square Park, you see more of the classic architecture and upscale housing. In an ever-changing Manhattan, this area like every other section of island is being knocked down and rebuilt. The closer to the parks you get, the more upscale things get.
At 124 East 14th at the base the NYU campus at part Palladium Hall is Urbanspace Union Square. There is a selection of upscale restaurants catering not just to NYU students but to the business community as well. This just opened in August 2024 so I had not noticed it when I was recently attending NYU.
I took a quick walk through the food court and looked over the over-priced menus of the restaurants. I could not believe the prices of these places and how it catered to college students but the place was packed. I also saw two young plain clothed policemen looking over the food court and that was a little unnerving but a sign of the times.
The food court in the afternoon
Some of the upscale restaurants at the Urbanspace Food Court
When I arrived back at my starting point in Union Square Park, it was nice to sit on the benches and listen to the street performers practicing their music. The park has been such a relief from the heat and a place to cool down is probably the reason why the wealthy called this home before the Civil War. There is a lot of calm in the park in this very busy crossroads to uptown.
Looking down East 14th Street from Irving Place
Arriving back at Union Square Park in the Summer 2024
Union Square Park in the late summer is quite spectacular
Union Square Park is just spectacular during the Summer and it is nice to just relax on the lawn or sit on the benches and read a book. It is nice to just calm down and relax and enjoy the day. The Gramercy Park area is unique in architecture, parks, restaurants and shops and there will be more to explore in the future.
Please read my other blogs on Gramercy Park:
Day Three Hundred and Twenty Walking the Borders of Gramercy Park:
I have been coming to Coney Island since 1970 and I have to say that it is still has a grittiness to it even while other parts of Brooklyn have been under hyper gentrification. There may be lots of building going on around the amusement area but still there is a feeling of edginess to it around each corner and as you leave Surf Avenue to walk the side streets.
Arriving in Coney Island in the morning for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
I had to leave the house early to take the bus and then the subway to Coney Island. The internet said that the Women’s Contest started at 10:30am and I wanted to get in the viewing area before that. Thank God, the City was quiet and both the bus and subway were right there when I needed them. Talk about timing.
I lucked out for the hot dog eating contest. I thought it was going to be cloudy all day and it ended up being a very sunny and pleasant morning when I got there. The crowds had not been that big when I arrived so I got a good spot near the stage that was perfect for taking pictures. The only problem was the women’s contest did not start until 11:00am. The entertainment was very good and kept the crowd engaged.
The band kept everyone pumped before the contest began:
I got close to the stage and being tall I was still able to get great pictures and view the contest up close. Trust me when I say that people take this contest very seriously and there is a lot of pomp and circumstance to all of this. Last year’s female winner, Miki Sudo, the woman from Japan and the 2021 winner all looked very determined to win this year. These woman had looks on their faces (and I mean all of them as I was close enough to all of them when they announced their names) that they were there to win!
Nathan’s was the place to be on the 4th of July
The MC for Nathan’s, George Shea, has been doing this for a long time and I could tell took this contest just as seriously as the contestants. He was just as engaged with the crowd as he was with the contestants and made sure between the entertainers as well as the contestants had a good time.
The MC for the afternoon George Shea
The MC had started out by saying that Joey Chestnut would not be coming this year because of endorsement he made with an all natural vegetarian hot dog and he did not want a conflict. I read later that you as a contestant must pledge their support to Nathan’s Hot Dogs, which I believe is true. It also opened the contest to a new winner which made the Men’s Division so much more exciting.
After the speeches, announcements and entertainment were over, it was time to eat and they started the Women’s Division first. Most of these women were pretty thin and well-built in their category and most were competitive eaters. Some had won numerous contests that I could never win let alone contemplate ever participating in. What it could do to your health would worry me but that did not take the fun out of the contest.
We started the contest with the National Anthem and these two annoying hot dog mascots who were always in the way of our shots.
Then the Bugaboos came out to perform and work he crowds before the women made their entrance
Then the women came out and their names were announced like prize fighters coming into battle. Some of these women were serious eating champions of things like Mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake. I was impressed as I could never do that.
The women’s Division before the start of the contest
There was a lot of anticipation between the returning champion, Miki Sudo, the Japanese competitor and the 2021 champion. This was serious competition. The top three competitors were going to go at it.
The returning champion thrilled to have won the title again
Reining Champion, Miki Sudo, ate a record 51 hot dogs to keep the Women’s Division title
Winner Miki Sudo giving the crowd a welcoming speech on their support
The women showing great sportsmanship at the end of the contest holding their trophies and the pink belts
Then it was time for the Lemonade Chugging Contest. There was one guy who was the raining champion and he was about 400 pounds. I do not know how anyone could beat him.
The men and women of the Lemonade Chugging contest
Then they were off and running. After it was over one poor guy got so sick they had to delay the men’s competition just to clean up. So they brought back the entertainment and we were delayed by twenty minutes. Once they were cleaned up and reset, they brought out the Men’s competitors like the ladies. Who won what eating contests in the past and the ranks they fell in the world competitions were announced as they entered the stage area.
I have never heard of most of these competitions but these guys won dumpling, mac and cheese, hot peppers and chicken wings like pros. They were also announced like prize fighters and again almost all these guys were in excellent shape.
It was almost a photo finish how it went back and forth in this contest but only one winner prevailed and that was Patrick Bertoletti with 58 hot dogs. The other guys put up the battle but he just steamrolled ahead of the competition.
The winner Patrick Bertoletti holding the flag
The proud winner after the interview holding the ‘Mustard Belt’
After the competition was over, Nathan’s was mobbed with people ready to eat their own hot dogs and I did not feel like dealing with that crowd, so I waited until the crowds died down. I went to walk around the amusement park area and see what was going on there. The place was mobbed with people after the contest and people still arriving to Coney Island by subway.
The crowds on the Midway by Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
People still walked around with their foam Nathan’s hats on around Coney Island
I waited on lunch and took a tour around the amusement area which was mobbed after the contest. Deno’s had lines I had not seen before and families waited patiently to get on the Wonder Wheel and into the Haunted Mansion.
This was just a small glimpse of the growing lines at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park at 3059 West 12th Street
What amazed me was the amount of tourists versus the locals that I saw and heard in the crowds. It is nice to see the tourists rediscover Coney Island again. Even walking along the Midway with the new Luna Park in the distance, it still has that rough feel about it. I sometimes wish they would do more with Surf Avenue as it really does look unattractive. Nothing like the pictures from 1910 when the amusement area was at its peak in Coney Island innovation.
I then made my way to Luna Park, which was a little quieter than Deno’s. I keep thinking is because Deno’s has more adult rides where Luna Park is more geared to kids and families. The space they have in both parks limits both the types of rides they offer and how far they can expand.
We discovered that when my graduate school paper in Customer Relations from NYU on Luna Park discussed these challenges and those of the ‘Harvest Fest’ Halloween event and the first ‘Frost Fest’ during Christmas time. Our group visited the park to experience what Luna Park had to offer:
After taking a walk through both parks and dodging the crowds, I took a walk on the Boardwalk and headed to the aquarium before lunch. I love the characters on the Boardwalk. People were doing everything from barbecuing and selling food to singing, playing disco and salsa music and dancing to showing off their giant snakes (ugh). Everyone was having such a good time on the 4th of July and it showed.
There is nothing like the Coney Island boardwalk
The beach was busy but not as packed as I thought it would be on the 4th of July. I remember seeing pictures of the beach in the 40’s after WWII and there was no place to move. There are some old movies of what Coney Island was like in the 1940’s and 50’s where you could not move on the beach. Even at the turn of the last century with work rules changing, ocean bathing became a new nation phenomenon even in 1904 (how bathing suits have changed!):
Dancing the “Cake Walk” on the beaches of Coney Island
The Coney Island beach started it all. Sun bathing got its start on this beach
Not as busy as I would have thought but the day had not started yet
I headed over to the New York Aquarium for the afternoon. I wanted to see the seal show and walk around the shark tanks again. The aquarium like the rest of the boardwalk was really busy but this was filled with families escaping the heat of the beach and the boardwalk with airconditioned buildings and nautical displays.
The New York Aquarium at 602 Surf Avenue has gotten much better since Hurricane Sandy. The aquarium has upgraded itself since the flood
The New York Aquarium is one of the reasons why I joined the Wildlife Conservatory again. I love the seal shows and walking around the ‘Spineless’ exhibition and watching the jellyfish move around. This aquarium is so different in feel than the Jenkinson Aquarium on my recent visit to Point Pleasant. Just a different set up and way to approach the animals. The first part of the aquarium you enter is the coral reef displays.
The coral reef exhibition at the aquarium shows what a healthy reef should look like in the ocean
The fish passing by in the reef
I got there as the seal show was starting. The seals in the show were both born at the aquarium so they only know life in captivity. Sometimes I think they do have a bit of a New York attitude.
The Seal Show at the New York Aquarium
The show was mobbed with people watching the seals do all sorts of tricks but I could see very disciplined animals just having fun with the crowd. It also gives them a bigger tank to move around in.
The seals know when to ham it up
The seals that live at the aquarium were born here and are native New Yorkers
The seal and his trainer welcoming the crowd
Good communication
The seals perform like pros and react beautifully with their human trainers. There seems to be a real bond here
I think it is an excellent way for humans to understand other mammals
This is one of the best parts of the aquarium to experience on a nice day. The breezes are fantastic, the seals are so talented and the staff take such good care of not just mammals but the performance area, making it comfortable for everyone. You have to see the show at least once.
The view of the aquarium and beach from the top of the theater
Then it was time to visit the Shark Tank exhibition which is the newest part of the aquarium and the most impressive display of wildlife.
The Shark exhibition
I love walking through the Shark halls as you feel like you are in an underwater adventure. The first time I had experienced this was when I was on Sentosa Island in Singapore at their aquarium and that feeling of exploring the deep by walking through it. You can see the sharks swimming on top of you. I am glad they created the same sort of tanks that you can walk through to experience the deep from the bottom looking up.
Experiencing life under water
The thrill of seeing a shark on top of you at a safe distance is a great experience. There is underwater magic going on here.
The underwater magic of the sea
When I arrived at the main tank, that is when I could see the sharks and stingrays up close along with all the colorful fish.
Seeing one of the baby sharks up close
The sharks interacting with the other fish in the tank
The school of sharks in front of us
I walked around the aquarium looking at the penguins home, the coral reef tanks and the ‘Spineless’ tanks with all the unusual jellyfish swimming around.
The jellyfish are so elegant swimming around
They are the most beautiful creature up close but don’t get near those tentacles in real life.
The penguins were milling around themselves in their home as they waited for their feeding. They standed direct and the group of them looked like they knew what time it was for them.
The Penguin home at the aquarium
What I thought was interesting and caught my attention was the nautical artwork the was displayed all over the grounds. The works created by ‘Washed Ashore’, were made of plastic products found in the ocean. It really does show the consciousness we should show to our bodies of water and what we throw into them.
The Angus the Longhorn Fish sculpture sign
The Angus the Longhorn Fish sculpture
Choppers the Tiger Shark sign
The Choppers the Tiger Shark sculpture
The Nora the Salmon sculpture sign
The Nora the Salmon sculpture
These were some of the many sculptures that were dotted around the aquarium. I thought they brought light to how much plastic there is currently in the ocean. I took one tour around the aquarium and then it was back to Nathan’s for a late lunch. I thought at this point the lines would be slowing down. It was still busy even by 3:00pm.
Surf Avenue in the mid afternoon and things are changing fast here
The lines never stopped at Nathan’s at Surf Avenue. The contest ended at 1:00pm but lines on both sides of the restaurant were out the door and when I got in line there were literally thirty people behind me. They were fully staffed and that line went quickly. I was ordered and eating my lunch within ten minutes. The staff worked really hard that day and they got all the customers through the lines very quickly.
The lines at Nathan’s at 1310 Surf Avenue in Coney Island on the 4th of July seemed endless
I love going to Nathan’s. I have been eating here since my first trip here with my cousins in 1974. I still remember what I ordered then, a slice of pizza and a Coke. Since then it has been a hot dog, a medium fries and a Coke.
My Nathan’s meal when visiting Coney Island
I love the crispness of the garlicky hot dog and the crispness of the fries. The fries here are legendary and I remember them winning awards in the 1970’s.
The best lunch on the 4th of July
No wonder people eat these hot dogs by the dozen
The fries are amazing
Williams Candy next door has been a Coney Island institution for years and their windows are filled with all sorts of candy apples and marshmallow treats on a stick.
The crowds kept coming at Nathan’s
What I like about Williams Candy is the assortment and the smells of cotton candy, popcorn and ice cream when you walk in the door.
I was eyeing the candy coated marshmallows but when I realized that the other marshmallows were dipped in the candy coating and then rolled in the sprinkles, I chose the red, white and blue one.
The Marshmallow on a stick at Williams Candy
I can’t tell you how good this is when you bite into it. Between all the sprinkles packed on top and the crunchy candy coating was sugar heaven.
You can’t miss this sugary treat. What a great patriotic dessert!
I now had to work all this off so I went to tour the boardwalk and decided to walk down to Seagate at the end of it. It was an interesting walk. Everything was going on that afternoon. Families were out barbecuing, disco dancing, line dancing and dancing to salsa music. There was a lot of energy on that Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk was jammed that day
With all the talk on the revival of Coney Island, I passed the old parachute jump and it still looks it is going to need a lot of work in the future.
The parachute jump
The funny thing about Coney Island is that it is an island of contrasts. On one hand there is a lot of building going on in the central part of the island with luxury housing being built around the baseball field (where Steeplechase Park once existed) and then you have some of the most dangerous public housing in the City just two blocks west of that. Then at the very end is Seagate, a gated community that seems to keep to itself on the other side of the fence.
I walked to the end of the Boardwalk and back watching families barbecue, dance and having a good time. By the time I got back to the amusement section of the island both the aquarium and the museum were both closed, Nathan’s was still packed and this section of the Boardwalk got busier as people were leaving the beach and wanting to get dinner.
All that walking was making me hungry again as it was getting closer to dinner time. Both Gargiulo’s Italian Restaurant and Totonno’s Pizzeria were both closed for the day and the rest of the restaurants on the Boardwalk were either packed or everything was deep fried and I did not want that after my meal at Nathan’s for lunch so I decided to head back to Manhattan.
I did not know if there would be fireworks on the beach that evening but with the clouds rolling in and the threat of rain, I did not want to get caught in it. The subways were mobbed and the bulk of the people were illegally walking through the emergency doors. I swear nothing changes. No one was watching what people were doing.
When I got back to Manhattan, I did not want to run around looking for a place for a quick dinner. I remembered that there were a few Chinese restaurants by the Port Authority and I stopped at Awesum Dim Sum at 612 Eighth Avenue for quick dinner before I left for home. The restaurant was surprisingly busy for food you don’t equate with the 4th of July.
I love the selection of Dim Sum at the restaurant and ordered a small dinner for myself before I left the City. I had to have the Bacon Wrapped Fried Shrimp, which I was craving, the Scallion Pancakes and the Cream filled buns for dessert. Everything was cooked to order, fresh and was excellent (see TripAdvisor review).
Dinner that night at Awesum Dim Sum, Bacon Wrapped Fried Shrimp, Scallion Pancakes and the Cream Filled Buns
It was a nice change from barbecue foods and since I already had a hot dog for lunch, I thought this would make a great dinner. It was just enough and made the perfect meal. Then I was on my way home. Their Fried Shrimp with Bacon is excellent. The shrimp mixture has a nice sweetness to with the contrasts of the smokiness of the bacon.
The Fried Shrimp with Bacon
The Scallion Pancakes were crisp and had a nice taste especially with the dipping sauce.
The Scallion Pancakes
The Cream Buns were the perfect way to end the meal. They were crisp and sweet on the outside because of the rice dough and rich and creamy on the inside. I thought it was a nice change and a great way to end the day.
The Cream Filled Buns
It really was a nice 4th of July and I really enjoyed my day in Coney Island. I have to admit that the neighborhood is rough when you leave the beach area but like the rest of the City, you just need to watch were you walk and stick to the Boardwalk area, you should be fine. The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is something everyone should experience once.
I had to plan my trip back to Coney Island like D-Day to see the contest again. I had been on the Island recently for the Mermaid Parade and could not believe how fast the 4th of July weekend arrived.
I was so tired from being in the City the day before trying to finish walking Chelsea, going to one of my fellow volunteers Memorial Services at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and then a Jazz Night at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. That on top of posting grades for class, I was pooped from all the running around.
I got off to a late start that morning still tired from running around Brooklyn the night before. By the time I caught the bus at 8:00am and got into the City just before 9:00am, I knew I was behind schedule.
I had planned on having breakfast on 23rd Street at a place I liked but there was not enough time. So I stopped at Villa Pizza inside the Port Authority for a breakfast Stromboli.
Villa Pizza inside the Port Authority
The assortment of Breakfast Stromboli
The breakfast items at a pizzeria
For a chain pizzeria inside a bus terminal, breakfast here was not bad. I had always seen the Breakfast Strombolis in the case and wondered what they tasted like.
My breakfast the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Stromboli with a freshly squeezed orange juice
The Bacon, Egg and Cheese Stromboli
The Breakfast Stromboli
The selection of both breakfast and lunch dishes at Villa Pizza inside
After breakfast was finished I took the Q back down to Coney Island. The subway was packed with people heading to the shore. People got off at all the beach spots and when I got into Stilwell Avenue, Nathan’s was already packed with people trying to get to the stage area. I ended up standing outside the press stage with an ‘Exit’ sign blocking my views of the screen (that’s why there is an exit sign in all of my pictures and videos).
Arriving at Nathan’s as the band was performing
Nathan’s has been in this spot since the 1920’s
The band that had entertained last year
The brass band playing before the contest
The band really got the audience fired up and with some local dance groups performing and then the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ performed, it was time for the contest to begin.
First was the Ladies competition
Miki Suto was defending her crown
She won her record 11th belt
After a series of entertainment, the Men’s Eating Contest started. The crowd went wild when they announced Joey Chestnut’s name. The place went wild.
The crowd was ten times what it was when I got there
The excitement built before the contest
The crowd was all for Joey Chestnut
Then the man of the hour got on stage
The excitement building before the contest
The crowd going crazy during the contest
The crowd was going crazy during the competition
The contest that I could from behind the bleachers
The man of the hour Joey Chestnut won the contest with 70.5 hot dogs. Last year’s winner came in second with 53. Both the Men’s and Women’s winners did not come close to their records. It was not like last year but it still was an exciting contest.
The celebration after the contest was over for the 4th of July
After the contest was over and the winners took their pictures, I wondered around Coney Island and explored the Boardwalk and amusement areas.
There is such an energy in Coney Island on the 4th of July
Walking through Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
Walking through Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
The famous Wonder Wheel
The Spook A Rama, my first ride on Coney Island as a kid
The Boardwalk on the 4th of July afternoon
Looking down the Boardwalk from the Aquarium
The beach by the Aquarium
I decided to go to the NY Aquarium before lunch. Every restaurant was a line so I figured to come here first.
I made I in time to see the Sea Lion Show
The Sea Lion Show
The second group of sea lions
The end of the sea lion show
After the Sea Lion Show, I toured the Shark Tanks and walked around the exhibition.
The Shark exhibition
The Shark exhibition
The underwater tanks
After a nice walk around the Aquarium, I was getting hungry and decided on a late lunch at Nathan’s. I figured that the lines would be down at this point and when I got there, it was only a ten minute wait to order.
Arriving back at Nathan’s Famous for lunch
My favorite lunch at Nathan’s, a plain hot dog, medium fries and a Coke
The taste has not changed in fifty years
Yum!
Lunch at Nathan’s is always an experience. You have to share the tables outside when it is busy and you never know who you will be sitting next to for lunch. Some woman parked herself at the table and asked if she could eat with me. I guess I looked safe.
After lunch, I took one last tour around the Boardwalk and Surf Avenue and realized I want to put my feet in the water.
Off went the shoes as I walked along the beach
Even though the beach was crowded with families, it was not the crowds that I saw in old pictures when thousands of people would pack the shore on a summer weekend or holiday. Still to walk these iconic beaches on the 4th of July is quite the experience.
The Coney Island beach on July 4th
I made my way back to the subway and walked along Surf Avenue. It is amazing to see the changes to this area in the last 100 years.
Passing Nathan’s again across from the subway
The sign for the hot dog eating contest at Nathan’s
The Mermaid Parade sign from two weeks ago
It really is a fun experience and you have to add the Hot Dog Eating contest to the bucket of things to experience when you are in New York City.
I started my walk on the streets of the Lower Flatiron District in between my volunteer time at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. I had been working in the pantry for both the morning and afternoon shifts and we finished the morning shift an hour early. I decided to walk down to the neighborhood on break and then walk as many blocks as I could that afternoon. I was able to walk from West 19th to West 17th and then walk back to Holy Apostles in time for lunch and then the next shift.
Each block offered its own surprises. A lot of new restaurants have opened in the area, and I have to say the prices were quite high on most of them. I am sure that the rents are getting higher in this very trendy area. There has also been a transition from commercial to residential in these gorgeous Beaux-Arts and Geo-Classical buildings.
These were buildings that were built to last as the headquarters for businesses that have long since passed. Even some before the Great Depression. Their legacy remains as you admire the details and embellishments of the buildings that line the streets here. Urban Renewal in the 1960’s was the fate of this neighborhood that has thankfully been rediscovered by a population that finally realizes that they ‘don’t build them like this anymore.’
Walking down West 19th Street, like most of the neighborhood was a mixture of architectural types with marble features and embellishments. The Siegel-Cooper Department store dominated most of the block from West 19th to West 18th and the beautiful details on the building were most impressive on the sides of the building as is the front of the building on Sixth Avenue.
The Seigel-Cooper Department store facing Sixth Avenue.
The details of the building were just as impressive when you turned the corner on the next two blocks and were able to admire the rest of the building. This can be seen on both sides of the store on West 19th and West 18th Streets.
The old Siegel-Cooper Department store while walking down West 19th Street.
The Siegel-Cooper Department store was a Chicago based store that was founded in 1877 by Henry Siegel, Frank H. Cooper and Isaac Keim. They opened the New York City store in 1896 on the Ladies Mile Shopping District. The store was designed by the architectural firm of DeLemons & Cordes in the Beaux-Arts design. When it opened, it was the largest department store in the world until Macy’s opened in 1902 (Wiki).
The Siegal Cooper insignia on the top and sides of the building.
The window details in the front of the store.
The windows on the front and sides of the buildings are so elegant.
Henry Siegel over-extended himself and sold the company in 1902 to an investor and the store declared bankruptcy in 1915 and closed in 1917. After the store closed, it was used as a military hospital and then as a warehouse. Today after years of being used as a warehouse, it now has several retailers located in the store space (Wiki).
Another building that stood out on West 19th Street was 11 West 19th Street. It was built in 1904 as an office building in the Beaux Arts design. It has since been converted to apartments.
D. Price and Company was once a fancy women’s store at the turn of the last century which ceased business in the 1920’s upon Mr. Price’s death and the store moved out as the shopping district changed by the 1930’s (DaytonianinManhattan.com).
The lion design was very prominent on many of these buildings.
The signage was very prominent on the buildings and I even saw where McCrorey’s had their business.
McCrorey’s was a discount store that had leased part of the Price Building to gain entry to the neighborhood. It closed in the early 1930’s as the neighborhood changed (Wiki).
The I passed 3 West 18th Street which was another charming building.
3 West 18th Street was built as a commercial building back in 1900 and is still in use for that purpose. The outside of the building has a Neo-Classical look about it.
The details of 3 West 18th Street
When I was walking down West 17th Street to Fifth Avenue, I looked up and saw a series of what I thought was dogs staring down on me from above and I saw the characters from 26 West 17th Street. This is the one building on the block that really stood out.
This interesting building was built in 1907 and is still being used for commercial purposes. When you look closer they were not dogs but lions staring back at you.
The details on the outside of 26 West 17th Street
The intricate detail work of the embellishments of 26 West 17th Street. The lions have a very inquisitive look about them.
I then passed the exquisitely designed 33-35 West 17th Street. This office building was constructed in 1907 and is still being used for commercial use today.
I had to race back to the Soup Kitchen for my second shift in the Pantry so I had to wait until two days later when I was in the City to visit the MoMA for an exhibition to finish the neighborhood. Before I headed down to the Flatiron district, I revisited the Upper West Side and covered neighborhoods that I had not been to in four years. Many buildings had been under scaffolding and others I had just missed when walking through the first time.
Then it was back down to West 16th Street and was floored by the detailed by the campus of The Church of Francis Xavier at 36 West 16th Street. The Church is one of the most beautiful I have seen in the City.
The Church of Francis Xavier at 36 West 16th Street
The church was designed by architect Patrick Charles Keely in the Roman Basilica style and the exterior of the church designed in the Neo-baroque style. The church has been in continual use since 1882 and was dedicated by the Archbishop Michael Corrigan that December (Wiki). The high school complex is attached and just down the road from the original church.
The Church of Frances Xavier High School at 30 West 16th Street
The history of the high school dates back to the early 1800’s. What was to become Fordham University opened in 1841 and was placed under the direction of the Jesuits in 1846. It was a member of that community, Fr. John Larkin, S.J., who in 1847 traveled to Lower Manhattan to found Xavier. The Regents of the University of the State of New York chartered Xavier in 1861 Francis Xavier HS website).
In 1886, the military department was established under the direction of the National Guard, beginning a lasting military heritage that continues to thrive today. 1897 saw the class systems reorganized to complete the break between college and high school departments. In 1912, the college was closed, and full emphasis was placed on secondary education. The enrollment was 338 at that time. With the National Defense Act of 1916, the Congress of the United States created a Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) program and authorized the establishment of Junior ROTC units at secondary schools that would offer a course of military training for a minimum of three academic years. In 1935 Xavier’s military program became a JROTC unit (Francis Xavier HS website).
In 1968, Xavier was raised to the status of a military institute, offering four years of military science and training. Graduates were then eligible for two years credit towards Senior ROTC advancement and one honor cadet could be nominated for each of the major service academies. The JROTC program became optional for students in 1971 (Francis Xavier HS website).
When I was walking on the other side of the street from the high school, I noticed this unique urban garden that this homeowner created and I was struck about the choice of plants and the colors and the vibrance of the plantings. It really pepped up the block.
The urban garden in front of 33 West 16th Street was unique and colorful.
When I walked down West 15th Street, it was later in the afternoon and I could see shadows forming in the corners of the buildings. The back of the Francis Xavier Church and School was the Xavier Mission, which was busy with people lining up to receive food packages. The blocks below West 17th Street until you get to West 14th Street are more residential. The church complex pretty much takes up most of the blocks along West 15th and 16th Streets.
The back part of the school and church complex and the residential area of West 15th Street
Weird street art along West 15th Street
I was not sure whether this street artist was commenting on greed, making fun of those who have money or mocking the wealthy but I thought this was interesting.
There was one standout along West 15th and it was the toy store, Kidding Around, which has been a neighborhood staple since 1993. The store was founded in 1989 on Bleeker Street and has been part of the neighborhood for over thirty years. The store’s philosophy has been “We are a local family-owned toy store founded on the idea that good toys inspire creativity and educate while encouraging family interaction and fun!” (Kidding Around website).
This interesting little toy store is stocked from floor to ceiling with interactive and educational toys in a whimsical environment. The displays and the signage just add to the fun. Both kids and adults alike when I was walking around were having a good time.
The Dolls and Board Games section of the store.
The Science and Book section of the store.
I finished my walk of the Lower Flatiron District just as it was getting dark. The sun was still peeking out but the early evening was upon me. This is a neighborhood in transition with a lot of renovation and building going on and there will be more changes in the future as these projects finish. It may not be the ‘fashionable’ shopping district of the early 1800’s but it is holding its own.
These beautiful old buildings are finding life again as condos and apartments bringing a new energy to a neighborhood that is growing to be a ‘university’ community with the New School, NYU and CUNY moving into the area. There is a certain vibe and energy happening here.
Read my blog on Walking the Borders and Avenues of the Lower Flatiron District:
The one thing I suggest getting is the Sprinkle Cookie Cake Batter Vodka Martini infused Ice Cream sandwich. Words can’t describe how good this dessert is and after a long day it will give you a nice buzz.
The Sprinkle Cookie Cake Batter Vodka Martini Ice Cream sandwich I highly recommend
I finally got back in Manhattan to do my walk of the City and finish the Theater District after almost four years. Wow! Between school, work and especially COVID and the closing of the City and of the theaters until late 2021, this area of Manhattan had been a dead zone for everything. The theaters were all closed due to COVID, the restaurants were closed because the theaters were all closed and there was no business. The hotels were almost all closed on loop and the office buildings had no workers coming in because of ‘stay at home’ rules’ at that time.
This entire district was filled with three different type of people: The NYPD protecting the area, the few residents that lived in the upper part of the neighborhood and on the borders with Hell’s Kitchen to the west and especially the homeless, that camped out everywhere and graffiti that took over the buildings. It looked like the mid-1970’s had returned to Manhattan. Thank God that is now in the past and everything has opened back up again.
Broadway and West 53rd Street at night in 2024. Life has returned.
I had to avoid this area when the City reopened in June of 2020 because it was basically cordoned off by the police and since there was nothing open at the time, I could not give it a fair analysis. So I moved onto Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Chelsea, the Garment District, Hells Kitchen, NoMAD and Rose Hill just south and west of this neighborhood. I had just finished the Flatiron District before I would attempt this again. Trust me when I say that the Theater District/Times Square area is always in a state of transition.
They are literally always knocking it down and rebuilding it. What had been falling apart in the 1970’s and early 1980’s was now the glittering part of Manhattan. Still edgy at its core but much nicer than it had once been.
The Theater District at Seventh Avenue and West 53rd Street at night in 2024.
Even though the weather was cold, it was nice to finally walk around the City again. Since school had started at both colleges right after Labor Day, the semester had been a rough one. It still produced straight ‘A’s’ and three enormously successful projects, I wanted to get back to exploring Manhattan again. Walking the streets of the theater district opened my eyes to the changes this neighborhood had and was still going through.
I started the walk on a cold gloomy day in Mid-February and the streets were really empty. It was still getting dark early so time was of the essence every day of the walk. I had to revisit West 53rd Street to West 50th Street twice because the pictures never came out the way I wanted them to.
Hello Deli on West 53rd Street was my stopping point for dinner.
Hello Deli at 215 West 53rd Street was featured on ‘The David Letterman Show’ for years.
Every part of the Theater district is marked with either scaffolding or a hole where a new building is going up. There is such a hodge-podge of architecture in this section of the City. Historic buildings are hugged up against modern structures and small tenement buildings are right next to large modern hotels. Here and there you have to look but there is a real character to the Theater District.
I started my tour with something to eat. I stopped at Hello Deli at 215 West 53rd Street for an early dinner. I had not realized that this was the deli that David Letterman had made famous when he was on the Late Show. I looked at the reviews online and remembered the owner from so many years ago. The food is really good and very reasonable for Midtown (see my review on TripAdvisor).
I decided on a breakfast sandwich (they serve breakfast all day) called “The Doughy”, which was two scrambled eggs with bacon and American Cheese topped with a freshly fried hash brown on a toasted roll. On a cool late winter afternoon it hit the spot.
“The Doughy” at Hello Deli
“The Doughy” is wonderful.
The inside of Hello Deli.
The selection at Hello Deli is extensive with sandwiches, snacks and drinks.
The nice part about Hello Deli is that there are tables outside when the weather is warm or you can just eat inside and people watch all the passersby in Times Square. It is always busy in this neighborhood.
I continued down West 53rd Street, passing the juxtapose of buildings on either side of the street. The first thing I started to notice was all the street art along the Avenues. Corporate America loves to decorate the streets. All over the neighborhood are statues, murals, artwork and embellishments on the buildings that you really have to take notice of when walking in the Theater district. The only reason you should have your cellphone out is to take pictures of all these wonderful things to see. Also spend a lot of time looking up at all the buildings from around the turn of the last century that now dot the neighborhood. You could miss a lot.
Jim Rennert’s ‘WTF’ is on the corner of West 53rd and Broadway.
The ‘WTF’ plaque
The plaque for one of my many sculptures that Jim Rennert has in the neighborhood.
Jim Rennert is an American born artist known for his large bronze sculptures depicting the everyday man. Mostly self-taught, his works are seen all over the country and really do make a statement.
In between Sixth and Seventh Avenues is a small street called ‘6 1/2 Avenue” that runs through the corridors of several buildings creating an urban walk between all the new construction that had been created between all the buildings. This is now used for cafes, lighting displays, small restaurants seating areas and for art displays.
This is the outdoor seating area for La Grande Boucherie restaurant at 145 West 53rd Street
The reviews for this restaurant are amazing but so are the prices. A thirty dollar hamburger and fourteen dollars for soup? Not on my short list for right now but the food looks spectacular. I have to stick with the local restaurants for now. Right across from the restaurant as you continue down 6 1/2 Avenue, this wonderful light display illuminates the pathway while walking down.
I ended this part of the walk on Fifth Avenue, the border between the Theater District/Times Square and Manhattan East, which is part of Midtown. This classic area of Manhattan is filled with classic historic buildings, modern architecture and sleek new construction. The Theater District is becoming an extension of this area as the Hudson Yards is slowly becoming part of Midtown. The midsection of Manhattan is quickly changing even before the pandemic.
St. Thomas Church on the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 53rd Street
St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue at 1 West 53rd Street
I reached the corner of West 53rd and Fifth Avenue to the beauty of St. Thomas Church.
St. Thomas Church was designed by the distinguished architectural firm of Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson and completed in 1913, Saint Thomas Church is built in the French High Gothic style, with stone ornamentation of the later Flamboyant period in the windows, small arches of the triforium, and stonework surrounding the statuary in the reredos. The flat wall behind the altar is characteristic of English cathedrals, and the magnificent reredos, one of the largest in the world, is strongly suggestive of the single, massive windows that terminate the naves of many English churches designed in the Perpendicular style (St. Thomas Church Website).
I stopped on the corner of West 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue for late lunch at Halal Guys Cart. This is where the empire started. There are now franchise stores of Halal Guys at started in 2015 all from this little cart right across the street from the MoMA. I have been coming here for over twenty years and the food has always been excellent.
The Halal Guys cart under the scaffolding on West 52nd Street and Sixth Avenue
As you can see, I love the food here. It is my ‘go-to’ place on a cool night for a hot meal. This is more my price point with this project, plus I like to eat in the small plaza across from the MoMA when the weather is nice. I love the Combo sandwich (Gyro and Chicken with vegetables) and this is my staple except when I am really hungry and go for the Mixed Platter. This is the original cart that started the whole chain and it still is popular with tourists and business people alike.
The menu at Halal Guys Cart is really popular with everyone and the lines can get long at lunch time and early dinner. The Mixed Sandwich is the best!
The Mixed Combo sandwich with Gyro and Chicken lunch (Yum)
Across the street from the Halal Guys at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 52nd Street is a very unusual blue stature that caught my attention. This is one of the corporate art works at that line Sixth Avenue and makes quite the statement. Sixth Avenue from West 59th to West 42nd Street around Bryant Park has become quite the ‘Open Air’ art museum. You just have to look around for the works tucked here and there by the buildings and in their lobbies. There is a lot to see. This piece is called “Jean Marc” and was created by artist Xavier Veilham.
Jean Marc statue at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 53rd Street
Sign for artist Xavier Veilhan
Artist Xavier Veilhan was born in France and was educated at the Ecole nationale superieure des arts in Paris and at the Institut des hautes etudes en arts plastiques. He works in photography, sculpture, film, painting and installation art.
I crossed the street and walked in the other direction past the very busy Museum of Modern Art and noted that I had not visited the museum in a while. There were some exhibitions that I wanted to see before they closed. I would visit the museum many times during my tour of the Theater/Times Square district.
The ‘Venus de Milo’ statue on Sixth Avenue and 53rd Street.
The Christmas decoration lights were still up on the Venus de Milo statues on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 53rd Street. The singe Venus de Milo statues in the fountain and the double on the corner of West 52nd Street were designed by American artist Jim Dine.
Jim Dine is a contemporary American visual artist who graduated from Ohio University with a BFA. These are three of Jim Dine’s sculptures collectively entitled “Looking Toward The Avenue” installed in 1989 in the small plaza on the east side of Sixth Avenue at west 53rd and 54th Streets in Manhattan. The verdigris bronze statues emerge from a water pool. These sculptures are based on Venus de Milo, a masterpiece from the 2nd century BC (Big Apple Secrets).
Further down on the corner of West 53rd Street and Broadway is the shining red symbol of “Hope”. Now this could mean hopefuls on Broadway making their duet, hopefuls coming to the City for the first time to follow their dreams or maybe to a City that has had many ups and downs that it needs this message. It stands like a beacon at the heart of the Theater District.
The Hope sculpture
The ‘Hope’ sculpture on the corner of Broadway and West 53rd Street.
The “Hope” sculpture was placed here in 2014 on ‘International Hope Day’ which also happened to be the artist’s 86th birthday, Robert Indiana. He created the sculpture in 2008 and offers encouragement in the future.
Robert Indiana is an American born artist who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting in Maine, and the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. He was known for his large pop art sculptures.
The dominant theater is Ed Sullivan Theater where the Late Show with Stephen Colbert is filmed. The neighborhood around it and its businesses were made famous by David Letterman, the former host.
It was getting dark and gloomy when I started walking West 52nd Street. It got colder and darker and the pictures I was taking didn’t come out the way I wanted so I stopped for the evening. I planned the next day earlier on a sunny day.
Looking down Sixth Avenue from West 52nd Street to see the corporate core of the neighborhood.
I decided to walk the neighborhood again starting first with West 53rd Street and a trip to inside of the Museum of Modern of Art. I had not been the museum in months and wanted to see some of the exhibitions from the holidays before they closed. The morning was a bit gloomy and I figured that walking around the museum would be a good idea until it cleared up and got warmer. The museum was filled with people who had the same idea.
The museum was really busy that morning with many tourists milling around the museum and visitors visiting a lot of these exhibitions that were about to close. I had wanted to see the new Picasso exhibit so I headed upstairs and walked around the exhibition.
Picasso in Fontainebleau was about to close.
The “Picasso at Fontainebleau” exhibition before it closed for good.
The highlight of my tour that afternoon was the ‘Picasso in Fontainebleau’ exhibition and the works from that period. I had seen many of these paintings before in retrospect’s of the artist’s work many times at this and many other museums, but I never tire of them. My favorites from the exhibit were the ‘Three Musician’s’ paintings which are great to see side by side.
After I left the MoMA, I rewalked all of West 53rd street and really noticed the beauty of the alley 6 1/2 Avenue when it runs between the office buildings between West 53rd and West 52nd Streets. This is the best place to eat lunch and people watch when you are in the neighborhood.
The sculpture with no name across from the MoMA.
The view of the skyline from the courtyard.
The view from the courtyard across from the MoMA during the day.
On a nice day, it is a great place to read a book or write just watch where the pigeons park themselves in the trees. I have gotten hit in the past. Same when sitting down, you have to look for a clean spot before you eat lunch.
The New York Sheraton
The Sheraton New York Times Square at 811 Seventh Avenue.
Passing the Sheraton New York again, I thought all the times I visited my best friend there. The hotel still had some of their holiday decorations in the front of the hotel. I continued the walk down West 52nd Street. This hotel was once the ‘bright star’ of the ITT hotel empire.
This classic hotel was built in 1962 as the Lowes Americana Hotel and was designed by architect Morris Lapidus. When the hotel opened up, it was the world’s tallest hotel and is still considered one of the 100 tallest hotels in the world. The hotel had been built to host convention business which it is still known for and its unique design was created due to zoning regulations along Seventh Avenue that created its unique look. The hotel was sold to Sheraton (which is now part of Marriott) in 1979 (Wiki).
Before I passed the historic Neil Simon Theater while walking down West 52nd Street when I admired piece of artwork above the door at 245 West 52nd Street with all the characters of the theater. I thought it was pretty unique. This was located on top of the doorway of the August Wilson Theater.
The artwork above the doorway to the side of the building at 245 West 52nd Street.
The doorway to the August Wilson Theater at night is just as interesting.
Next to the August Wilson Theater is the Neil Simon Theater which was still having their performance the day I passed it. After the evening performances around 10:00pm, this area is jammed with people waiting for the stars of the show to come out and sign autographs.
The Neil Simon Theater at 250 West 52nd Street near Broadway.
The Neil Simon Theater was designed by architect Herbert J. Knapp and opened in 1927 as the Alvin Theater (the acronym for the owners Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley). It was renamed the Neil Simon Theater after the famous playwright in 1983. The theater has an exterior of brick and terra cotta which is a New York landmark and the interior was designed in the Adam style after William Adam, a Scottish architect who created the neoclassical design (Wiki). The theater has been host to many famous shows and sits in the heart of the Theater District.
Passing the Sheraton New York Times Square again, I never realized how big this hotel was and how it dominated Seventh Avenue. It takes almost half of the city block between Seventh and Sixth Avenue.
Passing the New York Sheraton from Seventh Avenue and West 52nd Street.
Passing the Sheraton Hotel from the other direction shows how much real estate it takes up on Seventh Avenue. I passed the second set up twin Venus De Milo’s by artist Jim Dine on the West 52nd Street side of the building.
The Venus de Milo statues at West 52nd and Sixth Avenue.
The statues of the Venus de Milo at West 52nd Street were still decorated for the holidays but were not as beautiful as when the Christmas holiday season was in full form along Sixth Avenue. These interesting statues grace the outside of 1301 Sixth Avenue.
The statues at Christmas time in front of 1301 Sixth Avenue. Sixth Avenue is pretty spectacular at the holidays and should not be missed when touring around the City at Christmas time.
As I walked down West 52nd Street, I passed the Paley Museum which I had been a member of for years in the early 2000’s before YouTube became a place to watch old shows and commercials. Their video library was the only place to find them until everything started showing up on YouTube and made the library obsolete and one of the reasons why I was a member. That and it was a good place to escape the troubles of post 9/11 New York City. The museum still has a lot of programs going on during the week.
The Paley Museum started as the Museum of Broadcasting & Radio in 1975 with a donation from William Paley, the head of CBS. The museum was designed by renowned architect Philip Morris and has a classic appearance. The museum mission is to preserve television, radio and movie history and works are collected and shown in the various screening rooms in the museum. There is all sorts of educational programming and celebrity visits during the year. The museum was renamed The Paley Center for Media in 2007 now known as the Paley Museum (Wiki).
The Paley Museum
The Paley Museum (Center for Media) at 25 West 52nd Street
The former ‘21 Club’ is right next door to the museum. The “21 Club” was once one of the classic New York City restaurants with a long history and roots in Prohibition. The club opened in its current spot in 1930 with roots dating back to 1922. It was one of the most famous ‘speakeasies’ of Prohibition with elaborate secret passages and doors to hide the liqueur. The restaurant closed in March 2020 after 90 years of operation due to the pandemic and has not reopened. There is still uncertainty in the restaurants future (Wiki).
The 21 Club closed during the pandemic when they could not pivot to delivery or pick up and they never reopened the restaurant. It has now been sitting dormant for four years. It is surprising considering its history and location.
I had spent a Father’s Day there probably back in 2008 or 2009 with my dad. We got all dressed up and went to lunch here and then went to see a show. I still remember the wonderful soft shell crabs I ate that afternoon. I also remember the Men’s Room Attendant asking me if I was black (I had a really deep tan at the time). He was insistent that I was not White and that I must have a black parent. That always stuck with me.
As I made my way around Fifth Avenue and back down the other side of West 52nd Street, I passed the American Girl Doll store at 75 Rockefeller Plaza Floor One. I thought it was a free standing store. It was much easier to maneuver around this store than their old one which was on Fifth Avenue before 2008 meltdown. I think the rents on Fifth Avenue were getting to be too much for them.
The American Girl Store at 32 West 52nd Street took over the old School of Visual Arts building and stretches into it home at 75 Rockefeller Plaza on West 51st Street.
The inside of the American Girl Doll store on West 52nd Street. It is like a doll museum.
The American Girl Doll Cafe and Specialty doll area
The American Girl Doll store had a really nice selection of dolls and accessories and had a lot more space to walk around than the previous store on Fifth Avenue. These ‘lifestyle dolls’ have their own story and their own collections kept in their own in house boutiques. That’s what makes these dolls so special. That and their realistic take on playthings. In the late afternoon during the week though there was more staff there than there were customers.
The Cartier Store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 52nd Street.
As I rounded Fifth Avenue, I saw the beauty of the Cartier store, which is a former ‘Gilded Age’ mansion at the corner of 653 Fifth Avenue. The store was once home to Morton Freeman Plant, the son of railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant. The home was designed by architect Robert W. Gibson in 1905 in the ‘Neo-Renaissance style’. Mr. Plant felt later that the area was getting too ‘commercial’ and moved further uptown and Cartier bought the building in 1917 (Wiki).
On the way back down West 52nd Street, I passed by 6 1/2 Avenue and saw the interesting and very unique statue of a ballerina balancing on top of an elephant by artist Barry Flanagan.
Artist Barry Flanagan was an Irish-Welsh artist who studied at the Birmingham College of Arts & Crafts and St. Martin’s School of Art. He is best known for his larger sculptures of hares and other animals. These sculptures on West 51st and 50th Streets are prime examples of his works (Wiki).
Walking further down the street. I walked into Urban Space, one of the many food courts catering to the office worker and tourist crowds that visit Times Square. What I like about these food courts is that they house many branches of independent upscale restaurants from New York City and the surrounding areas that cater to a customer who enjoys innovative and sustainable dining.
The entrance to UrbanSpace at at 152 West 52nd Street
The wonderful assortment of restaurants to choose from in the food court.
I continued walking down West 52nd Street, ducking through here and there. what I really liked was the views of Midtown from both Broadway and Sixth Avenue. This is what everyone imagines when they think of New York City.
Broadway looking down from West 52nd Street.
My walk that afternoon continued down West 51st Street. I passed 6 1/2 Street again to see another Barry Flanagan statue, the ‘Hare on the Bell’ on the other side of the walkway. That was an interesting piece hidden under scaffolding. I really had to walk around it to admire how whimsical it was. I have to say that the artist has a sense of humor.
The ‘Hare on top of the Bell’ by artist Barry Flanagan at 6 1/2 Avenue.
The statue’s plaque beside the statue.
When I reached Sixth Avenue and West 51st Street, I entered the beginning of the Rockefeller Center complex with its beautiful Art Deco architecture and interesting details on the buildings plus a post-Christmas Skating Rink.
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall along Sixth Avenue
The Rockefeller Center complex contains 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres of Midtown Manhattan. The 14 original buildings were commissioned by the Rockefeller family that span the area between Fifth and Sixth Avenue that contain such famous landmarks as the Skating Rink, Radio City Music Hall and 30 Rock, the home of NBC. The artwork that adorns the buildings and plazas were designed by multiple artists (Wiki).
I have toured this complex so many times and never noticed all the beautiful carvings and artwork. This is what you can discover when you look up and take the time to admire these beautiful buildings.
The artwork all over Rockefeller Center is unique. This work is called “The Cornucopia of Plenty” by artist Lee Lawrie with colorist Leon V. Solon (Rockefeller Center website)
This polychrome-painted stone carving depicts a messenger soaring from the clouds, emptying an overflowing horn onto the earth. Lee Lawrie wrote that it symbolizes “the plentitude that would result from well-organized international trade”, a theme compatible to the activities of the building. The figure’s downward angle, her flowing golden hair and the dramatic spilling of contents from her cornucopia all skillfully convey a feeling of motion and energy (Rockefeller Center website).
The detailed stonework in Rockefeller Center
The outside of 640 Fifth Avenue
The Toots Shor Restaurant plaque
The Toots Shor’s Restaurant plaque at 51 West 51st Street
This plaque was tucked into construction work and could easily be missed of this once famous celebrity hangout that closed in 1971.
The details of Rockefeller are wonderful. The buildings in the complex have a creative whim to them. You really have to stop and look at the details of each of the buildings to see their true beauty. This building was designed by architect Raymond Hood and completed in 1935. The detailed artwork of Attilio Piccirilli sits above the entrance (Wiki/Rockefeller website).
The food court the Urban Hawker at 135 West 50th Street
The whole food court is filled with restaurants from all over Asia. So you can Thai Pad Thai or Singaporean Chicken Rice and a lot more to choose from. The selection of different foods was fantastic and offered a great selection. The food court has a great selections of foods and delights available in each stall and then you can take your meal to one of the many seating areas in the facility and relax and enjoy your meal.
The beauty of the embellishments of Rockefeller Center
The beauty of the complex offers so many gorgeous embellishments on the buildings.
These ornate metal-and-enamel plaques – each measuring an impressive 18 feet in diameter – were created in 1932 by the American mosaicist and painter Hildreth Meiere in collaboration with the master metal worker Oscar B. Bach. It was a felicitous pairing of artistic talents. Meiere, one the few women of the time working in the field of architectural decoration, was at the high point of her career. Bach, the redoubtable technician, was one of the few people able to realize her elaborate – even audacious – designs. Interestingly enough, Meiere’s medallions, which celebrate Dance, Drama and Song, were among the first artistic works completed for the center and they have served as enduring emblems of Radio City Music Hall (Tatti Art Conservation website).
Artist Hildreth Meiere is an American born artist from New York City. She studied at such prestigious schools as the Art Students League of New York and the San Francisco Art Institute. She was known as a muralist with a specialty in Art Deco designs (Wiki)
The detail on the Observation Deck entrance.
Rockefeller Center’s entrance to the Observation Deck at 50 West 50th Street adorned with the carving “Radio” by artist Leo Friedlander.
A native New Yorker, Leo Friedlander studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and Paris and was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1913. Radio is a companion piece to his Television, both themed after NBC, the building’s main tenant. The larger figure represents transmission, who sends the song of the figures on the east (broadcasting) to those on the west (acoustics). Mother Earth and her child represent the audience receiving the sounds of the radio. Size, mass, texture and repetition all work together here to lend strength to the architecture and interest to the carvings (Rockefeller Center History website).
Rockefeller Center at Twilight
Walking down West 50th Street toward the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink at twilight. Rockefeller Center is brilliant in the early evening when the lights come on and the music is playing.
Across from the skating rink and at the entrance of the building is the artwork “The Story of Mankind” by artists Lee Lawrie and Leon V. Solon. This beautiful art display towers over the entrance to the building.
The story of mankind
“The Story of Mankind”
The story of Mankind
The Story of Mankind is a massive carved limestone screen divided into fifteen small rectangular spaces that Lawrie termed “hieroglyphs”. It was created to symbolize the purpose of the International Building and to chronicle mankind’s progress, starting with the bottom center’s four figures depicting the races of mankind. The sailing ship image above them symbolizes international trade, while other symbols include a Norman tower as pre-industry, a lion as kingdoms of the world, and Mercury as worldwide communication. The clock and rays at the very top represent earth (Rockefeller Center History website)
When I got to the Skating Rink across the street, there was a large crowd and a lot of activity on the ice as the music was playing and everyone was having a good time. With all the white lights on the trees surrounding the rink and the music I would have sworn it was still Christmas.
The artwork on the building
The detail work on the building on Rockefeller Center “The Immigrant” by artist Giacomo Manzu.
‘The Immigrant’ is the companion work to the large panel titled Italia, this bas-relief is a poignant work depicting a weary barefoot mother and her naked child, the fundamental nature of poverty. She represents the Italian woman who, after the war and the loss of so many Italian men and homes, left Italy to seek new beginnings in America. Manzu is quoted as saying, “It is the immigrant’s search for two principal things—drinking and eating.” Here he captures universal human despair combined with a modicum of hope.
On this part of the building, I noticed the three golden lions that were above the doorway. I found out that these were the “Arms of England” artists Lee Lawrie with colorist Leon V. Solon. “Three gilded passant-gardant lions (passant means walking; gardant means looking out of the shield) reinforce the presence of the building’s primary tenant, the British monarchy. Lions were first used to decorate the shield of Richard I, who became King of England at age thirty-two and ruled from 1189 – 1199 (Rockefeller Center Art Website).
The skating rink was lit during twilight and this is when the magic begins in Rockefeller Center.
The Skating rink
It still looked like Christmas time at Rockefeller Center with the white lights on the trees, the skaters bundled up and the festive music playing on the load speaker.
The skaters were having such a good time.
The Skating Rink was really active that evening with skaters having a nice time.
Video of Skating in Rockefeller Center during the post holiday season with great music!:
The statue at Rockefeller Center makes quite the statement.
The statue of “Prometheus” at the head of the skating rink.
Of all the beautiful artwork that line the walls and courtyards of the complex, two stand out. Prometheus is a beautiful statue that stands proud above the ice-skating rink. This beautiful cast iron, gilded sculpture was made in 1934 by artist Paul Manship. The work is of the Greek legend of Titan Prometheus who brought fire to mankind by stealing it from the Chariot of the Sun (Wiki).
Mr. Manship was a well-known American artist who noted for his specialized work in mythological pieces in the classic style. He was educated at the St. Paul School of Art and at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
The other standout statue is of the God Atlas that guards the courtyard of the International Buildings. The sculpture was created by artist Lee Lawrie with the help of Rene Paul Chambellan. The statue was created in the Art Deco style to match with the architecture of the Center and depicts Atlas carrying the celestial vault on his shoulders.
Atlas at Rockefeller Center
Mr. Lawrie was known as a architectural sculptor whose work is integrated into the building design. His work in the Art Deco design fit perfectly into the new building. Mr. Lawrie was a graduate of the School of Fine Arts at Yale.
The impressive entrance to the main building right in front of the ice skating rink.
The entrance to Rockefeller Center in its glory..
The entrance to Rockefeller Center with the symbol of “Wisdom” at its entrance.
An Art Deco icon, ‘Wisdom’ famously looms over the entrance to the main building of Rockefeller Center and can be seen from Fifth Avenue. Created by Lee Lawrie, one of America’s foremost architectural sculptors, it is an impressive and imposing focal point. Wisdom is considered the creative power of the universe, and the figure’s commanding slant, intimidating expression and biblical quote help convey his strength, impact and control over man. It is flanked by two other important works by Lawrie: Sound and Light (Rockefeller Center History website).
As part of the shopping complex is the new flagship store of FAO Schwarz. It is not the store in the movie ‘Big’. The store went through bankruptcy a decade ago and an investment group bought the name and reopened the store in this location. The store still has a lot of its upscale and exclusivity in merchandise but is half the size of the previous store in the old General Motors Building up the road.
The entrance to the new FAO Schwarz at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue is one of the most iconic toy stores in the world. Founded in 1862 in Baltimore and moved to New York City in 1870, Frederick August Otto Schwarz opened his ‘toy bazaar’ in lower Manhattan. The Schwarz family owned and operated it for years featuring some of the most unique and special toys from all over the world. The store moved several times from Union Square to 23rd Street then to its iconic home at 745 Fifth Avenue (now Bergdorf-Goodman’s Men’s Store) and then to its famous home at 767 Fifth Avenue, which was made famous by the movie “Big” with Tom Hanks dancing on the famous piano.
The store has had many owners and moved from its iconic location to 30 Rockefeller Center. The store still its wonderful private label plush with “Patrick the Pup” plush and it’s great candy store, FAO Schweetz (where I was once the manager). The store is now opened by a private investment firm and still carries wonderful private label goods.
My old department FAO Schweez.
The candy department ‘FAO Schweetz’ located on the second floor.
The copy of the famous piano from the “Piano” scene from the movie big is located on the second floor and still attracts tourists from all over the world.
The famous ‘Piano’ at FAO Schwarz.
The piano from the movie ‘Big’ is located on the second floor of the store. There were two original pianos from the film, one was in the director of the film’s home and another had been sold off years ago. People have to remember that the movie “Big” was released in 1988 and shot over 25 years ago. The store in the movie was closed years ago.
The scene from “Big” with the piano.
The ‘Patrick the Pups’ a signature stuffed animal at FAO Schwarz.
The stuffed animal department is still amazing at the store as you enter and exit the front door. The store even on a quiet night is a tight squeeze and I would not want to be in the store on a busy holiday weekend. These “Patrick and Petunia Pups” are still a big seller and one of the softest stuffed animals you will find around. I love stopping at the store for old times sake even though this is not the store I worked at years ago. When I walked outside, Rockefeller Center was just being lit up at twilight.
Nightfall at Rockefeller Center
It became twilight at Rockefeller Center as I exited the store by the skating rink. All the lights came on around 6:00pm and it is just spectacular to walk around the Theater District at this time of night. Everyone is getting ready to go to the theater, the restaurants are packed and people are just getting out of work. The City comes alive in the evening when it just starts to get dark. There was a show that evening at Radio City Music Hall so people were starting to line up and wait.
The front of the office building at at night.
In the evenings, 1251 Sixth Avenue performs its magic of lights in their fountains facing Sixth Avenue
Walking past Broadway at 51st Street is a fantasy of lights. This is when Manhattan becomes quite brilliant and shows its personality. When I walk around the Theater District I think ‘this is what people think when they hear the words ‘New York’.
Sixth Avenue at night.
Sixth Avenue near Radio City Music Hall at night.
Fifth Avenue by Saks Fifth Avenue.
Fifth Avenue by Rockefeller Center in front of Saks Fifth Avenue.
Bryant Park at night
Bryant Park during the end of the winter months before the leaves get on the trees.
I finished up for the evening walking around Bryant Park. The park is still busy even in the cooler months with the skating rink still in use and the restaurant vendors and bar still in operation after the holidays. The plaza below sits between West 42nd and West 41st just behind the buildings on Sixth Avenues and has the most amazing statuary. It also has great food trucks in the warmer months and it is nice to eat here. This is the park just before it closes for the evening.
The plaza between Sixth and Seventh Avenues at West 42nd Street.
The edge of the Theater District/Times square along West 42nd Street and Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
Walking around the New York Public Library
The New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue between West 41st and West 42nd Street.
As I was finishing this part of the Theater District that evening, the City really came to life with this beautiful light show. This picture was taken when I passed the New York Public Library after it closed for the evening. All the statuary and windows are lit for the evening.
Fifth Avenue at darkness.
The view from the other side of the library at Fifth Avenue and West 41st Street is spectacular.
The light show at 6:00pm.
The views around the edge of the Theater District into the Broadway area are amazing.
When people complain about Manhattan, I just see the dazzling lights and remember how many people wish they were standing where I am standing. From where I was standing I felt like I was in the center of the world.
I returned the next day to continue my walk around the Theater District. For some reason the day before all the roads were blocked off and there were police all over the place. Maybe a VIP had come into the area but you could not walk around without garnering some attention so when I returned a few days later that was no longer the case.
I started the walk on the end part of West 51st Street and revisited some of the sites I had seen before.
I passed this unusual fountain and statues.
It is strange that I never noticed this fountain and statues of a dog and rabbit before that sits behind 1221 Sixth Avenue between West 49th and West 48th Streets.
This was a unique set of statues
Paparazzi Dogman and Paparazzi Rabbitgirl by artists Gillie and Marc.
Thanks toThe Avenue of the Americas Association we just installed the seven-foot tall Paparazzi Dogmanand Paparazzi Rabbitgirl in Sixth Avenue opposite the Rockefeller Center in New York to promote diversity, love and acceptance and they’ve been a hit! The exciting, unprecedented installation is being hosted as part of the Association’s “Love the Avenue” campaign at lovetheavenue.com, which has demonstrated the enhancement of Sixth Avenue and Midtown over the past several years (Artist’s bio).
The Paparazzi Dogman and the Paparazzi Rabbitman statues by artists Gillie and Marc.
British and Australian artists, Gillie and Marc have been called “the most successful and prolific creators of public art in New York’s History” by the New York Times. Creating some of the world’s most innovative public sculptures, Gillie and Marc are redefining what public art should be, spreading messages of love, equality, and conservation around the world. Their highly coveted sculptures and paintings can be seen in art galleries and public sites in over 250 cities (Artists bio).
The walk through fountain was quite unique
The fountain and plaza sits between West 49th and West 48th Streets behind 1251 Sixth Avenue. When you walk through the hole in the wall, you can see the water coming at you from the top and sides.
It was a beautiful day for a walk along Seventh Avenue in the Theater District. Even in the middle of a sunny day the lights add a sense of excitement to the area.
St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church, the Actor’s Church at 249 West 49th Street.
St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church, known as the Actor’s Church, was designed by architects John Hubert McGuire, Thomas J. Duff and Robert J. Reilly in the Gothic Revival design. The building was completed in 1920. Due to its proximity to the Theater District as it moved uptown in the 1920’s and 30’s, many actors, dancers and musicians started worship here (Wiki/St. Malachy website).
Lilly’s Restaurant in the Theater District.
Walking down West 49th Street, I was stopped by this statue of a woman outside a well known restaurant in the heart of the Theater District, ‘Lilly’s Victorian Establishment at 249 West 49th Street in the Theater District. It was the statue of Lilly Langtry that caught my attention. That and the interesting window display.
The statue of “Lilly Langtry” sits outside of Lillie’s Victorian Establishment.
Lillie Langtry was a highly successful British actress, a renowned beauty, and socialite of the late 19th century. She was notorious for her long list of prominent suitors, which included the future King of England, Edward VII. She was born on the Isle of Jersey, which lies off the southern coast of England, and was later known as the “Jersey Lillie” (Restaurant Bio).
Passing the restaurant and the statue of the famous actress, I found myself back at Rockefeller Center admiring more art along the walls of the buildings.
Embellishment on Rockefeller Center
Walking back through Rockefeller Center I saw the carving “The Joy of Life” by artist Attilio Piccirilli.
John D. Rockefeller, the developer of the Center, was a reserved man who advocated temperance, yet this carving portrays the “joy” of life as wine. The main character is Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and revelry, who taught mankind the cultivation of the grape and then winemaking. He is depicted lolling on the ground in the center of the scene, surrounded by a group, and appears narcissistic. Lighthearted and decorative, the colors are as important as the carving, with the gray figures set against a brilliant blue sky (Rockefeller Center History website).
The Longacre Theater on 48th street.
The Historic Longacre Theater is located at 220 West 48th Street.
The beautiful detail work on the Longacre Theater.
The theater was designed by architect Henry B. Herts, one of four currently operating Shubert playhouses that he designed. It boasts a French Neo-classical-style exterior and a Beaux Arts-style interior, but lacks some of the individuality and flair which characterized Herts’ other designs (Longacre website).
The Longacre, named for Longacre Square (now Times Square), was built by producer/manager H.H. Frazee (also known as the owner of the Boston Red Sox who sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees). After Frazee fell into financial difficulties, the theatre changed hands many times before being sold to Astor Theatre Incorporated, a Shubert subsidiary, in 1919 (Longacre website).
On the corner of West 49th and Broadway is the flagship Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, which makes wanting to go on a diet impossible. When you walk into this store, you are faced by the conveyor belt with doughnuts being dipped into the oil, shaken out and then having a thick layer of glaze on top of them.
The Krispy Kreme store is extremely popular in Times Square.
The Krispy Kreme store at 1601 Broadway and West 48th Street.
Just watching how the doughnuts get made will make your mouth water.
Just touring the store will make you hungry. The doughnuts are fried and glazed right in front of you and trust me, with all the tourists coming into this store, the doughnuts are never stale. A fresh Krispy Kreme doughnut is the best.
The final delicious product
The doughnut cases are filled with delicious treats. The amount of doughnuts sold when I was there was tremendous. The selection of these doughnuts is extensive including a very expensive “Big Apple” doughnut that comes in its own box. Clever idea for all the tourists.
Broadway from West 48th Street
The views while walking around Broadway in the West 40’s in the middle of this neighborhood is spectacular. This is where the City ‘never sleeps’.
Wu Liang Ye Chinese Cuisine at 36 West 48th Street across from Rockefeller Center
Wu Liang Wu on West 49th Street is a very underrated restaurants in the neighborhood. It is one of the older and well known Chinese restaurants in the Theater and Business district. I had not eaten there in years but I remember the food being very good. Recently though the restaurant’s entrance is always behind scaffolding.
Another big theme store in Times Square is the M & M store at 1600 Broadway is another store that attracts lots of tourists and locals alike. I never really got some of these Times Square stores as they were not authentic New York City and were just another place for tourists to hang out and get a tee shirt but the kids just love the store.
The theme stores in Times Square like the M & M store, Kristie Kreme and the Hershey store is a strong attraction to families from out of town. Even though they can be touristy at times, they are still fun and the strong attraction of maybe getting an M & M sample is highly appealing to me. I loved all the characters all over the store and the displays are very over the top. You can even personalize your own color of M & M’s. It is fun to wonder around the store when it not thronged with people.
The inside of the M & M store on Broadway.
The inside of the M & M store on Broadway.
Down the street from the M & M store is the Hershey store displaying racks and racks of delicious Hershey products. This part of Broadway can get you fat if you let it. What I liked about the Hershey store but could not indulge in it this trip was the Shake bar they have at the back of the store. The selection of milk shakes they had on the menu looked really good and in the front of the store is a candy bar where the staff was creating homemade treats.
The Inside of the Hershey store is like walking through Mr. Wonka’s factory. There is something for everyone on the shelves and walls of this store. There are all sorts of candies that Hershey manufactures including the “World’s Largest Candy bar”. You can have everything chocolate from a think Hershey’s milkshake to make your own smores to creating a giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Your mouth will water like the other theme food stores in the area.
The world of Hershey
The inside of the Hershey store
The selection of chocolates and candies at the store is extensive and expensive. You can find these things cheaper in the suburbs. What I liked about the store is ‘Make your Own Peanut Butter Cup” candy bar. Watching them be made is mouthwatering but over-whelming. Too much candy for me.
What looked really good was the Milkshake bar, with all the thick milkshakes in chocolate and vanilla leaving the store or consumed while people were walking around. Again for another trip but I made note of them for the future. Every once in a while, I think it is important to indulge in these items.
The World’s largest Hershey Bar almost tempted me.
When I rounded the corner from West 49th Street to West 48th Street, I came across the Engine 23/Battalion 9 firehouse. This firehouse got hit hard during 9/11 and I remember all the flowers outside the firehouse when I returned home from Guam in October 2001. This memorial is just outside the firehouse as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice these men made that day.
The Engine 23 Memorial
The Engine 23 Memorial with plaque
9/11 plaque for the Brothers of Battalion 9 and Engine Company 33
The Memorial to 9/11.
The pride of Midtown is Battalion 9, Engine 54 and Ladder 4. This house got hit heavily on 9/11 and this memorial was dedicated to them. The firemen here are very engaging with tourist and when not on a run, they are out talking to tourists and visitors to the area and take pictures with them. Just don’t distract them when they have to go on a call.
FDNY Engine 54/Ladder 4/Battalion 9 lost every firefighter they sent to the World Trade Center on September 11.
This beautiful Beaux Arts designed building was built in 1906 as an office building and houses many businesses in the Diamond Exchange section of Midtown. You have to ignore the signs at the bottom of the building and look up at the elegant details around the windows and roof. It is one of the few Beaux Arts buildings left in the Theater District.
Further down the road there is more public art by artist Jim Rennert. On top of WTF, the artist has three more statues in the area that will be on display through 2024, two of which are on the plaza between West 48th and West 47th Street. This one on West 47th Street is entitled “Timing”.
‘Timing’ is a representation of a person looking anxiously at their watch, relates to the various aspects of business life and the daily struggle between yourself and others. From being at the right place at the right time to having the right opportunity, the importance of timing is essential (Gothamtogo website).
Just down the block is the interesting and very beautiful Samuel Friedman Theater. Both times I passed by it was loaded with people coming in and going out. You really can’t appreciate the theater’s design from the front but when you cross the street and look over, you can see all the interesting embellishments and details around the top of the building.
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, originally the Biltmore Theatre, was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp in the Neo-Renaissance style of design and was constructed in 1925 for the Chanin brothers. Since 2008, the theater has been named for Samuel J. Friedman (1912–1974), a press agent.
The detail work on the Samuel Friedman Theater.
You have to look up to see the detail work on this theater. I love the elaborate designs of the building.
Samuel J. Friedman historical plaque outside the theater.
Another beautiful theater that you have to cross the street to see all the detailed decorations at the top of the building is the Richard Rogers Theater. The theater was built in 1925 and is one of the largest theaters in the district. It was designed by architect Herbert J. Knapp in the Neo-Renaissance style with white brick and terracotta. The theater was constructed for Irwin Chanin, a architect himself who then leased it to the Shubert organization (Wiki).
The Richard Rogers Theater.
The Richard Rogers Theater at 226 West 46th Street.
The magnificent embellishments of the Roger’s Theater. You really have to look up at the details of the theater to appreciate it.
The Lunt-Fontanne Theater at 220 West 46th Street has the same beauty. The last performances of “Sweeney Todd” were being performed when I walked through the district (it closed May 5th) and the signs were all over the theater.
The Lunt-Fontanne Theater opened in 1910 and was designed by the architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings, who had designed the New York Public Library on top of other prominent buildings in Manhattan in the Beaux-Arts style design. This facade is the only surviving facade of the theater and it was once the carriage entrance. It was named for the theatrical couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne (Wiki).
The Lunt-Fontanne Theater with all its detailed embellishments.
Details on the Lunt-Fontanne Theater
Details on the Lunt-Fontanne Theater’s carriage entrance on West 46th Street
As you reach the heart of Times Square at the crossroads of Broadway and Seventh Avenue you will see the impressive statue of George M. Cohen, the song and dance man. It is amazing how many people have forgotten who is and the contributions to the theater he brought with him. The statue is an just an after thought to most tourists snapping pictures in the neighborhood.
The George M. Cohan statue in Times Square
The George M. Cohan statue stands proud in Times Square.
The statue in Times Square of the composer was designed by artist Georg John Lober and was dedicated in 1959 in Father Duffy Square. Artist Georg John Lober was an American sculptor who studied at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design and the National Academy of Design and was part of the New York Municipal Arts Commission from 1943-1960.
The Marriot Marquis Hotel is considered by many in the real estate market the cornerstone of the Times Square rejuvenation of the area back in the 1980’s. The hotel was designed by John C. Portman, who was known for designing open air design and soaring lobbies known as the “Brutalist” design.
This unique office building in the middle of the Theater District and home to the Havana Central Restaurant on the bottom of the building was built in 1928 and has unique designs and carving along the floor sills and windows.
The details of the building.
Of the most elegant and detailed churches in the Theater District is the Free Church of Saint Mary the Virgin at 145 West 46th Street.
The Church
The front of the Free Church of Saint Mary’s the Virgin at 145 West 46th Street
The beautiful details of the Virgin Mary carved in the doorway
The church’s embellishments show such gracefulness. This statue of the Virgin Mary stands prominently at the entrance of the church.
The church was built in 1894 by architectural firm Napoleon LeBrun & Sons with Pierre LeBrun as the lead designer in the building. The church was built in the French Gothic design and has the most elegant statuary. The building has a unique refinement to it with its dedication to the Virgin Mary and many of the sculptural decorations J. Massey Rhind (Wiki).
The former School of Performing Arts
The former School of Performing Arts at 120 West 46th Street.
This very unusual building was built in 1894 by architect C.B.J. Snyder in the Romanesque Revival design, the superintendent of School Buildings for the New York City Board of Education and was used for the School of Performing Arts from 1948-1984 (NYC Landmark Preservation website).
The plaque for the School of Performing Arts
The school’s historical plaque out side the building.
Crossing the street is where you see the true beauty of this building.
The details on the building are interesting.
Down the street on the other side of the courtyard is the other statue by artist Jim Rennert, “Inner Dialogue”.
The other statue by Jim Rennet
The Jim Rennet’s other work “Inner Dialogue” is on West 46th Street.
‘Inner Dialogue’ is the small figure that stands in the palm of the hand of a larger life-size figure is metaphorically speaking to their own conscience, showcasing the familiar feeling of having a conversation with that small voice within (Gothamtogo website)
Right down street is 33 West 46th Street, one of the most unusual office buildings in the neighborhood. You really have to look up and admire the details of the building as they have a dark almost sinister look of demons and devils. It is a building that looks like it has a dark past.
You have to look up to appreciate the beauty of 33 West 46th Street. The details around the building are very morbid. The building was built in 1915 and has always served as an office building. The building was designed by architect Lorenz Weiher and the building was designed in the Neo-Gothic design (DaytoninManhattan.com).
The detail work of the building has a dark feel to it
The building 33 West 46th Street looks like it has a dark past.
More details of the building.
In the heart of the Theater District is the Booth Theater, which is always busy on show nights. I think a lot of people waiting in line miss all the beautiful and unusual details of the building when they are seeing a show. You have to walk around the building to admire all the details.
The Booth was designed by Henry Herts to be one of a pair of playhouses: the Booth and the Shubert Theatres abut each other along Shubert Alley in one seamless unit. Styled with “restrained classicism,” the Booth is the smaller, less extravagant of the two houses. The sgraffito that adorns the exterior of both theaters is the last known surviving example in New York of this once popular decorating technique. Lee Shubert built the Booth Theatre in partnership with the producer Winthrop Ames. Named for the actor Edwin Booth (1833-1893), brother to the infamous John Wilkes Booth, the venue was actually the second New York theatre to bear this name (Booth Theater/Shubert Organization website).
The beautiful inlaid details of the Booth Theater.
The ghosts of the theater stare out at you when you look up at the details of the theater.
As I exited past all the theaters, I again was greeted by the soaring Marriott Marquis Hotel again and thought about how it set the tone for the neighborhood that just keeps changing.
Passing the Marriott Marquis in its glory.
The Marriott Marquis in its glory.
Down the road from Times Square is the new Museum of Broadway that is very impressive. I passed this over dramatized window that greets visitors as they walk inside.
I had visited the Museum of Broadway a few months earlier when spending the night in the City with a friend. The museum is everything Broadway bound with all sorts of costumes, props and playbills from shows over the last hundred years with special displays from some of the most popular shows on Broadway. There is sound tracks to hear and displays to admire and if you love the theater, this museum you should make a special trip to when in Manhattan.
The entrance to the Museum of Broadway at 145 West 45th Street
The front of the Museum of Broadway
I visited the newly opened Museum of Broadway recently and what a nice surprise the museum is with a great depth in the collection. There was the history of the theater in New York City and how it progressed from small theaters downtown to the theater’s progression uptown to it home now in the core of Times Square.
The Make-Up Room on the way up the stairs.
The Call Board display.
The museum is very interesting in that when you enter the back of the museum you feel that you are going backstage at a theater and preparing for a show. You head up the stairs past make up rooms, wardrobe rooms and the star’s rooms. The you head out the door like you are going out on stage. You feel that rush of the stage. From the entrance to the exit, you will experience some of the most popular shows on Broadway and hum those tunes.
Then I passed the plaza between Sixth and Fifth Avenues and stopped in the plaza for a rest. On one side of the plaza was an unusual piece of art by artist Tony Smith and on the other was the 9/11 Memorial to the victims of March McLennan who died in the North Tower where the company had floors 93 through 100 when the first plane hit. This Memorial was dedicated to them.
The Marsh McLennan Memorial to employees who died in the 9/11 tragedy is located in the plaza behind 1166 Sixth Avenue.
The 9/11 Memorial to Marsh McLellan
9/11 Memorial to the employees who died in the World Trade Center is in the plaza behind 1166 Sixth Avenue outside the headquarters of the company. This is dedicated to the 358 employees who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001.
After admiring all the sculpture and statuary in the plaza, look across the street at 56 West 48th Street and the details along the windows and sills. You might find several faces staring back at you. This former office building was built in 1920 and is now luxury rental apartments.
The beauty of the details of the building that look back at you.
Inside the plaza between the buildings on one side was the 9/11 Memorial to the employees of Marsh McLennan, whose headquarters were in this building and whose employees died on 9/11 on the top floor of the World Trade Center that day. On the other side of the plaza is this interesting metal sculpture by artist Tony Smith entitled “Throwback”.
The sculpture “Throwback” by artist Tony Smith
The sculpture sits on the opposite end of the plaza from the 9/11 sculpture of the Marsh McCellan Company.
Artist Tony Smith is an American born artist whose background was in architecture. He had studied at Georgetown University but got his influence in art from the Arts Student League of New York. He started creating these large pieces of sculpture in the early 1960’s and was known for these large metal works (Wiki/Artist bio).
Down the block I saw another face staring back at me at 40 West 45th Street above the entrance of the Club Quarters Hotel.
The beauty of 40 West 45th Street
The beauty of 40 West 45th Street-The Club Quarters Hotel
The Club Quarters Hotel is the former Webster Hotel that was built in 1902. It was designed by the architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout and was designed in the Classical Revival style.
The detail work above the archway.
The beautiful carvings of of the archway of 40 West 45th Street.
As I crossed over Broadway, I looked up at the statuary of the I. Miller building. Funny how in all the years I had traveled down this street I never noticed the statues that lined the building. All along the West 45th Street side of the building are the statues of famous female entertainers of the 1920’s and 30’s.
The building is located at the corner of Broadway and West 46th Street and was designed by architect Louis H. Friedland with the sculptures designed by Alexander Stirling Calder. The building was built for the I. Miller Shoe Store since 1926 and continued on as a shoe store until the 1970’s.
The I. Miller Shoe Building
The I. Miller Shoe Building at 1552 Broadway and West 45th Street.
The I. Miller Shoe building at West has some elegant carvings of actors of the stage, screen and opera on the sides of the building. It is unfortunate that the front of the Broadway side of the building is covered with a sign but the beauty of these carvings can be seen from the West 45th Street northern side of the road.
At 119 West 45th Street is the Merrion Row Hotel and Public House, a luxury hotel. Our Beaux-Arts building, built in 1920, was one of Times Square’s first hotels. Frequented for decades by local actors and artists, as well as families in search of a truly New York experience, it has been reborn. A deep nod to the building’s rich history, Merrion Row remains a paragon of contemporary luxury (Merrion Row Hotel and Public House website).
The Hotel St. James from the movie “Big”
The Hotel St. James at 109 West 45th Street had a moment of glory in the movie “Big”.
As I walked down West 45th Street toward Sixth Avenue I passed the Hotel St. James. This was not such a nice hotel in the 1980’s and had been featured in the opening scenes in the movie “Big”. Today it is a much different hotel. The hotel was constructed in 1901 and has gone through many transformations until the new owners renovated the hotel and brought it back to its former glory.
This is a funny scene also in the movie “Big” that takes place in the hotel.
From the movie “Big”
As I walked down the street, I passed most of the theaters on this part of the block and there are some of the oldest, most beautiful theaters in the district. How much this area has changed since the 1970’s and 80’s. I remember how run down the area had gotten and how these theaters looked like they were falling apart. Now most of these theaters have had renovations and facelifts and this has brought them back to their former glory. This group of theaters is lead by the Lyceum Theater at 149 West 45th Street.
The beauty of the Lyceum Theater at 149 West 45th Street
The Lyceum Theater is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the Broadway area. It opened its doors in 1903 and was designed by the architectural firm of Herts & Tallant in the Beaux-Arts style. It was built for impresario Daniel Frohman (Wiki)
I love the deep embellishment of the faces staring down on you and all the curved carvings all around the pillars and windows. It is one of the most beautiful theaters in the Theater District.
The detail work of the Lyceum Theater
The true beauty of the theater is when you look up and admire this beautiful building.
The heart of the Theater district walking down West 45th Street before the evening shows open. This area has become very active with all the immigrants and asylum seekers staying the at the old Milford Plaza hotel down the road. There are people milling around this area at all hours of the day and night on top of people going to the theater.
The Imperial was opened in 1923 and was designed by Herbert Krapp in his trademark Adam-style. The recessed ceiling and ornamental panels that grace the walls are elaborately decorated with a number of motifs, including florals and geometrics. The rectangular auditorium is wider than it is deep, which allows most audience members to feel close to the stage and performers (Shubert website).
The St. James Theater is probably one of the most famous and most photographed theaters in the Theater District. It opened in 1927 as the Erlanger Theater as it was built for producer Abraham L. Erlanger. The theater was designed by the architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore and was designed in the Neo-Georgian style. You have to walk around the building to see the details in the design (Wiki/Shubert Theater website).
West 44th Street in the heart of Shubert Alley.
Shubert Alley in the middle of the afternoon before the opening of all the shows in the area.
Broadway from West 44th Street
I turned the corner to West 44th Street and admired the views from the street. The views from West 44th Street are what most people think New York City is when visiting. This really captures the heart and soul of the district. With the amount of well-known and popular restaurants, stores and theaters, this really is the hub the entire neighborhood. As you get closer to Fifth Avenue between Sixth and Fifth Avenues, are some of the oldest hotels in the district as well as many private clubs and Alumni clubs for the Ivy League schools including Harvard and Penn.
Virgil’s BBQ is one of the best places for barbecue in NYC
Virgil’s BBQ is amazing. While I was doing the walk of the neighborhood.
While I was taking my walk around the Theater District, I had suggested to my best friend that we should celebrate her birthday with lunch at Virgil’s BBQ. We have both spent many birthdays and celebrations here and the food and the service are always excellent. My favorite dish here is the Pulled Pork sandwich with Cole slaw and fresh pickles (avoid the Potato Salad. It was pretty standard). I love the sweet and smokey flavor of the meat and it is melt in your mouth good on the soft bun.
The pulled pork sandwich
The Pulled Pork sandwich and Barbecue Ribs some of the most delicious items on the menu.
She ordered the Barbecued Smoked Ribs along with a side order of Chicken wings and Mac & Cheese. We devoured everything and then ordered the Banana Pudding for the dessert. It was the nice way to spend the afternoon after a long day of walking in the neighborhood. The one thing I have to say about Virgil’s is that they don’t skip on portion sizes and the prices are extremely fair. The service is really friendly and very quick if you have a show to catch.
Virgil’s BBQ has been open since 1995 and has been catering to barbecue lovers since that time. The food is excellent.
I continued my walk down West 44th Street after lunch to work off all that food. Otherwise I would have gotten very sleepy. West 44th between Fifth and Sixth Avenue is where all the Ivy League college clubs are located along with several historical hotels. The Harvard, Penn, Princeton and League clubs are all located along this strip along with the New York Yacht Club. A very Preppy neighborhood.
The Chawal Hotel was developed in two phases first as the headquarters for the Lambs, a theatrical social club. The original wing of the hotel at 128-130 West 44th Street was designed by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & What between 1904 and 1905 in the Federal and Neo-Georgian design. Then the annex to the hotel as 132 West 44th Street was designed in 1915 by architect George Freeman (Wiki).
The Chawal Hotel Historic plaque.
The other historic hotel on this block is the AKA Hotel at 123 West 44th Street. This hotel also has an interesting history
The AKA Hotel was designed by architect George Keister and was built 1893 in the German Renaissance style. The hotel was originally built as an apartment hotel but has been receiving guests for over a hundred years. It opened as the Hotel Langwell and has also been the Hotel 1-2-3. It was the former Hotel Gerard (Wiki).
Crossing Broadway and walking along the street from Sixth to Fifth Avenue is lined with some of the most exclusive clubs, hotels and restaurants in the City. This is where many of the private clubs like the Harvard Club, Penn Club, the New York Yacht Club and a few older, well-known hotels are located. Its a collection of some of the oldest and most interesting architecture in Midtown Manhattan.
The first of these building is the famous Algonquin Hotel, the home of Dorothy Parkers famous “Round Table”.
The Algonquin Hotel is one of the oldest running hotels in New York City opening its doors to guests since 1902. The hotel was designed by architect Goldwin Starrett for the Puritan Realty Company. The hotel is a combination of Renaissance Revival style in the brick facade and Beaux-Arts in its terracotta details. Because of its proximity to Broadway, the hotel has always attracted a theater and literary crowd (Wiki).
The last time I had been at the hotel myself was about fifteen years ago when a friend was staying there and we had dessert in the hotel restaurant. I thought the food and service were both very good.
The Algonquin Hotel historic plaque.
The historic marker of the hotel.
The hotel has a very historic past of its ‘literary luminaries”.
The other hotel on the block that has its own historic past is The Iroquois Hotel at 49 West 44th Street.
The Iroquois Hotel was built in 1899 by designer and architect Harry Mulliken, The Iroquois has been a luxurious hospitality fixture on Midtown Manhattan’s 44th Street since 1902. Once the residence of prominent actors, celebrities, and artists, including James Dean, Leecy Woods, and The Clash (who wrote “Rock The Casbah” while staying at The Iroquois), our hotel continues its legacy of sophistication and timeless elegance in New York City to this day (Iroquois Hotel website).
The Harvard Club
The Harvard Club, one of the many Ivy League University clubs in Midtown Manhattan is located at 35 West 44th Street.
The Harvard Club was conceived in 1890 by a large group of Harvard alumni. Charles F. McKim (Harvard Class of 1867), of the renowned architectural firm, McKim, Mead & White, was chosen to design “Harvard House.” The club has been added onto over the years and most recently has added an outdoor addition.
The Harvard historic marker
The next club over is the New York Yacht Club at 37 West 44th Street. The New York Yacht Club Building, a six-storied Beaux-Arts landmark with a nautical-themed limestone facade, at 37 West 44th Street. Opened in 1901, the clubhouse was designed by Warren and Wetmore. The centerpiece of the clubhouse is the “Model Room”, which contains a notable collection of full and half hull models including a scale model history of all New York Yacht Club America’s Cup challenges (Wiki).
The Penn Club had been established in 1886 and had several locations over the years. The Yale Club had owned this building until 1915 and then moved out when they built a newer club near Grand Central Station. The Penn Club bought this building in 1989 and established the headquarters for the Penn Club here. This Beaux-Arts designed building was designed by the architectural firm of Tracy & Swartwout (Wiki).
The Penn Club historic plaque
The Penn Club historic plaque.
The last club to dominate this block with its impressive historical architecture is The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesman Club at 20 West 44th Street. This club was founded in 1785 and the aims of the General Society were to provide cultural, educational and social services to families of skilled craftsmen. The club was designed by the architectural firm of Lamb and Rich for the Berkeley School for Boys and acquired by the club in 1899. The expansion was designed by Ralph S. Townsend and blends monumental Beaux Arts classicism with Renaissance elements (Wiki).
The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesman Club 20 West 44th Street.
The General Society of Society of Mechanics and Tradesman of the City of New York building.
The historical plaque for The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen Club
Once you cross Broadway, you enter the core of the Theater District and Times Square and all the well-known restaurants that are located here. Ollie’s Chinese Restaurant which used to be next to Carmine’s for years is now on Eighth Avenue (and not as good as it used to be) and a couple more closed during COVID but the standbys of Virgil’s, Carmine’s and Sardi’s are still open to crowds of tourists. Each caters to a different type of guest but most offer good food but high prices because of their location.
Carmines Italian Restaurant at 200 West 44th Street
Carmine’s Italian Restaurant is a real experience as a place to dine in the Theater District. You have better go in with a group because the portion sizes are very large. I have been here with my brother where the two of us came in starved and we ate a platter of Caesar Salad, a platter of Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and then for dessert a plate of Cannoli’s between the two of us. The waiter could not believe we ate all that ourselves. The last time I had eaten there with my dad back in 2000, we had a platter of Mixed Green Salad and a platter of Chicken Francais and I remember the food being wonderful and the service very engaging. It is a pre-theater treat for a group.
Sardi’s Restaurant and Grill is one of the most famous restaurants left in the Theater District and probably one of the most overrated as well. The TripAdvisor and Yelp reviews are mixed on the food and service. It is a restaurant that continues on with a reputation in the past. Still the place is always busy.
Sardi’s historic markers outside the restaurant.
The only time I have eaten here was for my birthday back in 2006 and I had mixed reviews about it myself. I was ignored for most of the evening by the waitstaff who could not figure out who had my table. I had to wave someone down after a half hour of being ignored. Then the service was uneven. I can remember trying the Caesar Salad and the Cannelloni Au Gratin because they were the items on the menu that were so traditional to the restaurant.
I just remember the salad being a salad and the Cannelloni tasting like something that had been frozen and reheated for dinner. Like a Stouffers meal that you take out of the microwave. I can’t even remember the dessert I had. It was so long ago that that I didn’t write a TripAdvisor review about it. There are other great restaurants like Virgil’s to go to in the area or for traditional food, go to Carmine’s. At least the portion sizes are large.
The plaque on West 44th Street
Shubert Alley on West 44th Street is the heart of the Theater District. This plaque sits on the side of the one of the buildings in West 44th Street.
China River is one of favorite Chinese Restaurants uptown.
I have eaten at China River several times and have always enjoyed the food. Their Dim Sum selection is really good and their dishes are delicious. I have been here and ordered meals and just light snacks of Dim Sum. Their Pan-Fried Dumplings and Spring Rolls are especially delicious and their Wonton Soup is perfect on a cold night. Their Pan-fried Pork Buns are really good as well. It is always a treat to eat there.
When you turn onto West 43rd Street from Eighth Avenue, you can still see some signs of the old Times Square in the backs of many buildings.
Looking down the heart of West 44th Street in Theater District
The heart of the Theater District has changed over the years and just keeps changing. Once you pass the Westin Hotel at the corner of West 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue, you will experience the back of many buildings from West 42nd and West 43rd Street for most of the block until about Sixth Avenue. It is a lot of loading docks and backs of shipping areas. Still it has that classic Times Square feel about it.
As you round West 43rd Street, you are greeted by the New York Westin Hotel.
The Westin Hotel Times Square when it was built was one of the most innovative buildings in New York City and the cornerstone along with the renovation of the New Amsterdam Theater of the renovation of Times Square in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. This transformed a section of the City still overcoming the financial crisis.
The Westin was in 2002 the first “great hotel” which opened in Manhattan since 1993 and the first project that crystallized Architectural firm, based in Miami in the city of New York. The hotel construction in the downtown commercial area of Times Square, was supervised by the founders of Architecture, the Peruvian Bernardo Fort-Brescia and his wife Laurinda Spear American teachers in the School of Urban Design at Harvard (Wikiteria).
Across the street from the hotel is the historic Times Square Building
The Times Square building at 229 West 43rd Street is the former headquarters of The New York Times newspaper. It was the paper’s place of business from 1913 to 2007. The original building was designed by architect Mortimer J. Fox of the firm of Buchman & Fox with the additions in the 1920’s by Ludlow & Peabody and in the 1930’s by architect Albert Kahn. The building has several different design styles as French Gothic, French Renaissance and Italian Renaissance (Wiki).
The Times Square Building plaque-The Home of the New York Times until 2007.
As you walk further down the block, it starts the heart of the old Theater district.
The Stephen Sondheim Theater was the old Henry Miller Theater
The Henry Miller Theater is now known as the Stephen Sondheim Theater.
The original theater was built in 1918 by Henry Miller, an actor and producer. The theater today is a modern theater opened in 2009 as part of the Bank of America complex. All that remains of the old theater is facade. The original 950-seat theater was designed in the neoclassical style by Harry Creighton Ingalls of Ingalls & Hoffman, in conjunction with Paul R. Allen. Its facade is protected as a city landmark. The facade is made of red brick and marble. In 2010, it was renamed for playwright and composer Stephen Sondheim. (Wiki).
The Henry Miller Theater historical plaque
The historical sign just outside the theater. The outside of the theater is still undergoing a renovation.
The John Golden plaque to John Golden who organized Bread Basket drive for the Actor’s Fund of American on West 44th Street.
John Golden was a songwriter and lyricist who produced plays, movies and eventually opened his own theater. His contributions to both Broadway and Hollywood were numerous (Wiki).
Walking down West 43rd Street, you can see the embellishments on the buildings of what was once the edge of the old Midtown Manhattan. Tucked here and there all over the neighborhood there are buildings that stand out. When I passed 25 West 43rd Street the first time, CUNY Professors were striking and I could not get a good look at it. I was too busy supporting their effort. The second time I passed the building, I really looked at the beauty of the details and you have to look up to appreciate it.
The beauty of 25 West 43rd Street
The beautiful architecture of 25 West 43rd Street.
I couldn’t find much history on the building except for the fact is was built in the late 1920’s and it has always been an office building. It has some beautiful details to the architecture and take time to admire its stonework (and support their Professors).
Then I walked a few doors down and there was the firehouse that housed Engine 65, “The Pride of Midtown”. Engine 65’s quarters were designed by Francis l.V. Hoppin and Terence A. Koen and built by E. D. Colony and Son. It was started on July 12, 1897 and cost $23,449.00 to build. The front of the building is Indiana limestone and buff brick with terra cotta trimmings. The first floor and sidewalk vault is composed of steel I beams and brick arches with the apparatus flooring of cork brick. All ceilings are of stamped steel. The second and third floors and roof have wooden beams with flooring of wood and walls of brick (NYFD History.com).
The historic Engine Company 65 was the inspiration for my novel “Firehouse 101”.
Engine 65 holds a special meaning to me as a trip inside back in March 2002 inspired my novel, “Firehouse 101”, the story of hotelier Alex Livingston, who returns to New York City a year and a half after the 9/11 attacks and befriends a FDNY fire fighter who survived the attacks.
On that afternoon when visiting Midtown, my best friend who had worked in the Towers and survived the attacks by being at a doctor’s appointment in Midtown at the time, had had lunch with me in a Times Square restaurant. We had been walking past the firehouse when the door was open to see a 9/11 display while the guys were out on a run. I could see the look on her face as she looked at the memorial for the men who had been lost that day and she started to tear up. As the guys were returning from their run and the door was about to close, we quickly walked out of the firehouse with one of the guys saying from behind that we did not have to leave.
As the door slammed shut, we walked down the road to Fifth Avenue and she turned to me and said, “These guys don’t really understand what they did that day. They saved us.” That inspired me to write the novel. It was dedicated to all those people affected by 9/11 who could never really share their feelings and to those displaced New Yorkers not living in the City (like myself living in California at the time) who were affected and did not know how to react.
The historic plaque for Engine 65 and the dedicated service to Midtown.
One little hole in the wall restaurant that I must have passed many times but never noticed was City Cafe at 35 West 43rd Street right next to the firehouse. I stopped in one day and the place was so packed during lunch hour that I could not find a seat so I had to leave.
This restaurant may appear small but they have ample seating and a very extensive menu. When you get there at the height of the lunch rush, the pizzas are really fresh looking and they have a nice selection. Their lunch specials and sandwich selection are also quite large.
The City Cafe has reasonable meals and a nice selection.
The City Cafe is one of the very few reasonable restaurants left in the district. This is the one place in this part of Midtown where you will see educators, business people, truck and taxi drivers and construction workers all dining together at the communal tables in the back of the restaurant. It is a real cross section of the population at lunch time and makes for interesting conversations that you overhear.
Down the block at 7 West 43rd Street is one of the most beautiful buildings on the block that is always being blocked by scaffolding. It is the Century Club Association. Its funny though of all the clubs in the area I never see anyone going in or out of it.
The Century Association Club at 7 West 43rd Street.
The Century Association was formed in 1847 at a meeting of the Sketch Club, a group of artists and writers, and took its name from the number of men who were invited to join it. Like many youths, the Century made its home in a variety of odd places around the city until it finally settled down, on January 10, 1891, in its present Renaissance-style building, designed by the firm of McKim, Mead & White (all three architects were members). Despite some recent renovations and additions, the building and its contents to all appearances have changed relatively little since 1891; much of the present furniture was originally bought for the building, some of it designed specifically for the building by the architectural firm (Century Club website).
The entrance to the back part of NYU midtown.
The front of 20 West 43rd Street and the back of 11 West 42nd Street with its interesting carvings.
The symbols of the months are carved in the archway of the doorway of 20 West 43rd Street. The building known as the ‘Salmon Tower Building’ is a 31-story skyscraper located at 11 West 42nd Street and 20 West 43rd Street. It was designed by Albert J. Wilcox and finished in 1928. Ti has seen many famous tenants its many years but now the home of NYU Midtown.
Walking down the street, I passed the famous Royalton Hotel which is one of the many boutique hotels that have developed in this area over the years. The owners either took over old hotels that had fallen on bad times in the 1970’s and early 80’s or took old buildings in the area and converted their use. The Royalton Hotel had once been owned by the former operators of Studio 54.
The Royalton Hotel
The Royalton Hotel at 44 West 44th Street stretches from West 44th to West 43rd Street. This is the entrance at West 43rd Street.
The Royalton Hotel has an interesting history as well. The hotel, opened in 1898, was designed by architecture firm Rossiter & Wright and developed by civil engineer Edward G. Bailey. The 13-story building is made of brick, stone, terracotta, and iron. The hotel’s lobby, which connects 43rd and 44th Streets, contains a bar and restaurant. The upper stories originally featured 90 apartments, but these were replaced with 205 guestrooms when Philippe Starck and Gruzen Samton Steinglass Architects converted the Royalton to a boutique hotel in the 1980s (Wiki/Hotel website).
I finished on Broadway.
It took about a week to walk all the streets of the Theater/Times Square district, about a dozen revisits and having to go multiple sites to find all the research on the buildings, statuary and restaurants but there is so much to see and do in this ever changing district.
The area at night
On my last night of the walk at the end of the month, my best friend, Maricel and I stayed at the Renaissance Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park at 1717 Broadway for the evening. She gave me the smaller room with the most amazing room on the 64th floor. I was dazzled with the view both when I arrived during the day and at night. This is they way people should live everyday and is what tourists think when they hear the words “New York”.
The Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park at 1717 Broadway
Normally when I stay at a hotel, I do not staying this high up (too many bad memories as a child watching the movie “The Towering Inferno”) but when Maricel showed me the view from the room, all I wanted to do is sink in the bed and relax. This is exactly what I did when she left. I had rewalked the last three blocks for a second time so that I did not miss anything. West 44th and West 43rd Streets had so much history to them I had to take special notes.
When she left to go to her room, I stared out the window of the room and could not believe the view. This view was two whole walls of the room and had million dollar views of Midtown.
The view of Uptown
The view from the room during the day.
The view at night of the view looking downtown.
The sunrise the next morning.
I can’t tell you how well I slept that night. Not only was the hotel very quiet but the bed was so comfortable that I was asleep for eight hours. The room was so amazing I did not want to leave it. Between the views and the comfortable bed it was one of the best night’s sleep in a long time.
I met Maricel for breakfast in the morning and that matched the experience of room. The breakfast was an extensive buffet with an assortment of breakfast items.
The Breakfast Buffet Room on the forth floor of the hotel.
The Buffet
The Buffet line
The breakfast was excellent and the food was so fresh.
It was an excellent overnight stay and not only did I have a wonderful night’s sleep but a wonderful breakfast. We had a nice talk over breakfast and I described my walk in the neighborhood. The hotel was in the center of the neighborhood I was exploring and I was able to resume my walking tour of the area once I checked out.
I checked my luggage and continued the walk around the Theater District. I finished my walk later that evening and ended the walk at the end of West 43rd Street. It is a large neighborhood with lots of interesting architecture, beautiful art installations and excellent restaurants both inexpensive and some more luxurious. You can get any type of cuisine here.
At the end of the night, the views at night were quite spectacular.
West 43rd Street and Sixth Avenue at the end of the walk. Late nights is when the beauty of Manhattan shines.
The Theater District/Times Square area has so much to see and do.
Places to Eat (the places in this blog I have personally eaten at):
mywalkinmanhattan 