Midtown West

Long considered to be the western reaches of a unified Midtown Manhattan, Midtown West is a large and varied neighborhood. It contains both Times Square, New York City’s busiest intersection, and an edgy, industrial section near the Hudson River, and is emerging on its own as a new and exciting place to live and visit. Development in Midtown West is continuing at a rapid pace, while smaller parts of the area are gaining recognition in their own right, especially Clinton. Because it is a new designation, the boundaries of Midtown West are still flexible and up for debate, but the general consensus seems to be 59th Street to the north, Sixth Avenue to the east, 34th Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west.

As with many other trendy and growing neighborhoods in New York City, Midtown West has a manufacturing past, but its eastern reaches have been and still are primarily commercial. The area around Times Square in particular drastically expanded in upon the building of the New York Times Headquarters in 1904 at what was then known as Longacre Square. Even with the influx of business throughout the 20th century that made Midtown Manhattan as a whole the country’s largest business district, the far western parts of Midtown were still low-rise in character and industrial. Although high-rise construction is now taking place, there is something to be said for Midtown West’s quiet streets and brick apartment buildings. In many ways, Midtown West is where Chelsea meets business and low rent, a very desirable combination. With access to Midtown Manhattan’s cultural, dining, and retail attractions, an increasingly diverse population, and a distinct character that blends many West Side neighborhoods together, Midtown West really does have something for everyone. Newcomers and locals alike can find luxury apartments at not-so-exorbitant prices in a wide variety of architectural styles, while taking advantage to so much of what New York City has to offer only a few blocks away.