West end West Side Highway | ||
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East end York Avenue/Sutton Place | ||
57th Street is one of New York City's major thoroughfares, which runs as a two-way street east-west in the Midtown section of the borough of Manhattan, from the New York City Department of Sanitation's dock on the Hudson River at the West Side Highway to a small park overlooking the East River built on a platform suspended above the FDR Drive. Between Fifth and Eighth Avenue, it is two blocks south of Central Park. 57th Street is notable for prestigious art galleries, restaurants and up-market shops.
Contents
- Map of W 57th St New York NY USA
- History
- From west to east
- Billionaires Row
- Transportation
- Attractions
- Shopping
- References
Map of W 57th St, New York, NY, USA
History
The street was designated by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 that established the Manhattan street grid as one of 15 east-west streets that would be 100 feet (30 m) in width (while other streets were designated as 60 feet (18 m) in width).
From west to east
Over its two-mile (3 km) length, 57th Street passes through several distinct neighborhoods with differing mixes of commercial, retail, and residential uses.
The first block of 57th Street, at its western end at Twelfth Avenue near the Hudson River waterfront, is home to the VIA 57 West building, designed in the form of a triangular pyramid by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. From there to Tenth Avenue are low-rise industrial properties, several automobile dealerships, and small-scale residential buildings. Much of south side of the block between Eleventh and Tenth Avenues is occupied by the CBS Broadcast Center, which is the network's primary East Coast production facility. The street's name was used by CBS to title a newsmagazine program produced by the network in the late 80's, West 57th.
From Tenth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, larger residential buildings appear. Beginning at Eighth Avenue and continuing east through the core of Midtown Manhattan, the street is dominated by very large commercial and residential towers, such as at the Hearst Tower at the southwest corner of 57th Street and Eighth Avenue. This stretch of 57th Street is home to several large hotels such as Le Parker Meridien and well known restaurants such as the Russian Tea Room (both between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue), and the offices of several magazines including The Economist. The corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue is home to the city-owned performance venue Carnegie Hall.
The mid-block between Seventh and Sixth avenues is a terminus of a north-south pedestrian avenue named Sixth and a Half Avenue.
East of Sixth Avenue, the street is home to numerous high-end retail establishments including Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., and Bergdorf Goodman. The stores located at 57th Street's intersections with Fifth and Madison Avenues occupy some of the most expensive real estate in the world.
Commercial and retail buildings continue to dominate until Third Avenue, where the street rapidly returns to a preponderance of large residential buildings. As it continues from here through its final blocks leading to its terminus at Sutton Place, the street consists of a nearly unbroken stretch of increasingly upscale apartment buildings with doormen, awnings, and small commercial establishments such as drug stores, bank branches, and restaurants.
57th Street ends at a small city park overlooking the East River just east of Sutton Place.
Notable buildings include 300 East 57th Street by architect Emery Roth.
Billionaires' Row
Beginning with the construction of One57, a 1,004-foot (306 m) apartment building between Sixth and Seventh Avenues which was completed in 2014, a large number of very tall ultra-luxury residential buildings have been constructed or proposed on the section of 57th Street roughly corresponding to the southern edge of Central Park. Due to the often record-breaking prices that have been set for the apartments in these buildings, the press has dubbed this section of 57th Street as "Billionaires' Row". These projects have generated controversy concerning the economic conditions and zoning policies that have encouraged these buildings, as well as the impact these towers will have on the surrounding neighborhoods and the shadows they will cast on Central Park.
Transportation
The 57th Street station on the New York City Subway's IND Sixth Avenue Line is located at the intersection of 57th Street and Sixth Avenue and is served by the F train. The 57th Street – Seventh Avenue station on the BMT Broadway Line is located at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, served by the N Q R W trains.
The M57 and M31 crosstown bus routes share a corridor between 11th and 1st Avenues. The M57 extends up the West Side to the 72nd Street subway station, while the M31 extends up the East Side to 92nd Street and 1st Avenue via York Avenue.
Several express buses from Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island serve 57th Street as well.
Attractions
Shopping
The following high-end stores can be found between Sixth Avenue and Park Avenue: