54th Street (Manhattan)
Encyclopedia
54th Street is a two-mile-long, one-way
street
traveling west to east across Midtown Manhattan
.
West Side Highway
Eleventh Avenue (Manhattan)
Tenth Avenue (Manhattan)
Ninth Avenue (Manhattan)
Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)
Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)
Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)
Madison Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Third Avenue (Manhattan)
Second Avenue (Manhattan)
First Avenue (Manhattan)
One-way traffic
One-way traffic is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction.-General signs:...
street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
traveling west to east across Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
.
West Side HighwayWest Side HighwayThe West Side Highway is a mostly surface section of New York State Route 9A that runs from West 72nd Street along the Hudson River to the southern tip of Manhattan. It replaced the West Side Elevated Highway, built between 1929 and 1951, which was shut down in 1973 due to neglect and lack of...
- The route begins at the West Side Highway (New York Route 9A). Opposite the intersection is the New York Passenger Ship TerminalNew York Passenger Ship TerminalThe New York Passenger Ship Terminal is a terminal for ocean-going passenger ships on Manhattan's west side....
and the Hudson RiverHudson RiverThe Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. This is the only two-way portion of the street; the remainder is one-way eastbound - De Witt Clinton Park (the west side neighborhood of ClintonHell's Kitchen, ManhattanHell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
derives its name from the park (south)
Eleventh Avenue (Manhattan)Eleventh Avenue (Manhattan)Eleventh Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the far West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, not far from the Hudson River. It carries downtown traffic only, south of West 44th Street, and two-way traffic north of it....
- Clinton Towers Apartments, 39-floor apartment building completed in 1974 (north)
- Colbert Report studios (formerly where Daily Show was taped)
- AT&T Switching Center at 811 Tenth Avenue, 21-story, 113 m/370 ft switching station completed in 1964 (south)
Tenth Avenue (Manhattan)Tenth Avenue (Manhattan)Tenth Avenue, known as Amsterdam Avenue north of 59th Street, is a north-south thoroughfare on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It carries uptown traffic as far as West 110th Street, also known as Cathedral Parkway for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine...
- Sony Music StudiosSony Music StudiosSony Music Studios was a well-known former music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The music and broadcasting complex was located at 460 W. 54th St., at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan...
, 460 West 54th (south) - The Hit FactoryThe Hit FactoryThe Hit Factory was a recording studio in New York City famous for its clientele. It was officially closed for business April 1, 2005 whereas other Hit Factory studio locations remained open, such as in Miami, Florida.-History:...
, 421 West 54th (north)
Ninth Avenue (Manhattan)Ninth Avenue (Manhattan)Ninth Avenue / Columbus Avenue is a southbound thoroughfare on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs downtown along its full length...
- New York City Transit Rapid Transit Division's Rail Command Control Center, on former site of 54th Street Bus Depot and Ninth Avenue Railroad barn at 354 West 54th (south)
- Midtown Community Court Building (south)
- Manhattan North precinct of New York City Police (south)
Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)Eighth Avenue is a north-south avenue on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic. Eighth Avenue begins in the West Village neighborhood at Abingdon Square and runs north for 44 blocks through Chelsea, the Garment District, Hell's Kitchen's east end, Midtown and the...
- The section between Eighth and Broadway is signed Señor WencesSeñor WencesWenceslao Moreno , better known as Señor Wences, was a Spanish ventriloquist. His popularity grew with his frequent appearances on CBS-TV's Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:...
Way for the ventriloquist who had appeared on the nearby Ed Sullivan Show and who lived in the Ameritania Hotel. - The Marc, 260 West 54th, 42-floor, 142 m / 464 ft apartment tower on top of municipal garage (south)
- Studio 54Studio 54Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
(south) - Ameritania Hotel (south) (south)
Broadway (Manhattan)
- The corner of Broadway and 54th is signed "Big Apple Corner" in honor of writer John J. Fitz GeraldJohn J. Fitz GeraldJohn Joseph Fitz Gerald was a turf racing writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, from 1912 to 1940 , serving as turf editor for the last 15 years...
who lived there and popularized the phrase Big AppleBig Apple"The Big Apple" is a nickname for New York City. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph...
. - 1700 Broadway, 42-story, 162 m / 533 ft office tower that is headquarters of King World ProductionsKing World ProductionsKing World Productions, Inc. was a production company and a syndicator of television programming in the United States until its eventual 2007 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution...
Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)Seventh Avenue, known as Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard north of Central Park, is a thoroughfare on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is southbound below Central Park and a two-way street north of the park....
- 1325 Avenue of the Americas (north) (actually closer to Seventh Avenue) 35-story 153 m / 502 ft office tower that was portrayed as Elaine's workplace on SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
It is connected to the Hilton Hotel. (south) - The London NYC, 54-floor 180 m / 590 ft office tower that is tallest building on West 54th (north)
- Ziegfeld TheatreZiegfeld TheatreThe Ziegfeld Theatre was a Broadway theater located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1927 and, despite public protests, was razed in 1966....
(north) - New York Hilton Hotel, 49-floor, 148 m 487 ft (148.4 m) hotel completed in 1963. Designed by LapidusLapidusLapidus is a surname rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, specifically from "Lapidoth", which was borne, in the Bible, by the husband of Deborah, and hence probably derived from lapidot, the Hebrew word for torches, yet is not exclusive to one religion or nationality...
it was originally supposed to resemble the Miami Beach's curved Fontainebleau HotelFontainebleau HotelThe Fontainebleau Miami Beach or the Fontainebleau Hotel is one of the most historically and architecturally significant hotels on Miami Beach. Opened in 1954 and designed by Morris Lapidus, it was considered the most luxurious hotel on Miami Beach, and is thought to be the most significant...
but was later changed to resembled the nearby New York Sheraton which Lapidus had also designed. (south) - Burlington HouseBurlington HouseBurlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government...
, 1330 Avenue of the Americas, 50-story, 191 m / 625 ft office tower (north)
Avenue of the Americas
- Financial Times Building 41-story, 151 m / 496 ft office tower completed in 1965 (south)
- The Warwick Hotel, 36-story, 111 m / 363 ft hotel completed in 1927 (north)
- Tower VerreTower VerreTower Verre, also known as the MoMA Expansion Tower and 53 West 53rd Street, is a supertall skyscraper proposed by the real estate company Hines to rise in Midtown Manhattan, New York City adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art....
proposed 75-story, 352 m / 1,154 ft tower at 53 West 53rd Street (south) - Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
(south) - Museum Tower 52-story 179 m 588 ft (179.2 m) Cesar PelliCésar PelliCésar Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
tower completed in 1985 - Millionaires Row at 13 West 54th where Nelson RockefellerNelson RockefellerNelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
died (north) - 4 West 54th Street, Mansion and Residence of John D. RockefellerJohn D. RockefellerJohn Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
- University ClubUniversity ClubThe University Club of New York is a private social club located at 1 West 54th Street at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York, NY. It received its charter in 1865, but the origins date back to the autumn of 1861 when a group of college friends, principally Yale alumni, founded the club hoping to...
(north)
Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the center of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. The section of Fifth Avenue that crosses Midtown Manhattan, especially that between 49th Street and 60th Street, is lined with prestigious shops and is consistently ranked among...
- 520 Madison Avenue 43-story, 176 m / 577 ft office tower with sloping lower walls and a section of the Berlin WallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
in its adjoinng park (south)
Madison Avenue (Manhattan)Madison Avenue (Manhattan)Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square to the Madison Avenue Bridge at 138th Street. In doing so, it passes through Midtown, the Upper East Side , Spanish Harlem, and...
- Dillon, Read & Company Building, 36-story 141 m /464 ft building completed in 1982
- 527 Madison, 26-story 107 m 351 ft (107 m) building completed in 1986
- Hotel ElyseeHotel ElyseeThe Hotel Elysee is a New York City hotel, situated on 60 East 54th Street between Madison and Park avenues. The Swiss-born Max Haering originally conceived the Elysée in 1926 as a European-style hotel for the carriage trade.-Guests:...
(south)
Park Avenue (Manhattan)Park Avenue (Manhattan)Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
- 399 Park Avenue399 Park Avenue399 Park Avenue is a 41-story office building that is the world headquarters of Citigroup in New York City, United States.Citigroup's chairman and chief executive officer operate from the building's second floor...
, headquarter of CitigroupCitigroupCitigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
(south) - Lever HouseLever HouseLever House, designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and located at 390 Park Avenue in New York City, is the quintessential and seminal glass-box skyscraper built in the International style according to the design principles of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Completed in 1952, it was...
(south)
Third Avenue (Manhattan)Third Avenue (Manhattan)Third Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from Cooper Square north for over 120 blocks. Third Avenue continues into The Bronx across the Harlem River over the Third Avenue Bridge north of East 129th Street to East Fordham Road at...
- Lipstick BuildingLipstick BuildingThe Lipstick Building is a 453 foot tall skyscraper located at 885 Third Avenue, between East 53rd Street and 54th Street, across from the Citigroup Center in Manhattan, New York City, United States. It was completed in 1986 and has 34 floors. The building was designed by John Burgee Architects...
(south) - 909 Third Avenue, 32 floor tower built above the FDR Station (a post office) (north)
- 40.758279°N 73.96786°W
Second Avenue (Manhattan)Second Avenue (Manhattan)Second Avenue is an avenue on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan extending from Houston Street at its south end to the Harlem River Drive at 128th Street at its north end. A one-way street, vehicular traffic runs only downtown. A bicycle lane in the left hand portion from 55th...
- Neighborhood PlayhouseNeighborhood PlayhouseThe Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
, 340 E54th - East 54th Recreation Center
- Mondrian Condominiums, 43-story 134 m 439 ft (133.8 m) apartment complex completed in 1992
First Avenue (Manhattan)First Avenue (Manhattan)First Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from Houston Street northbound for over 125 blocks before terminating at the Willis Avenue Bridge into The Bronx at the Harlem River near East 127th Street. South of Houston Street, the...
- Rivertower Apartments 39 floor apartments (south)
- Saint James' Tower, 30 floor apartments
External link s
- 54th Street: A New York Songline - virtual walking tour