A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently filled with decorative elements.
107-673: The Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza is a 439-room hotel in the East Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City , United States. Designed by architect Kevin Roche of the firm Roche-Dinkeloo and opened in 1976, the hotel is located at 44th Street and First Avenue , near the headquarters of the United Nations . It occupies part of the ground floor and top 13 stories of One and Two United Nations Plaza ,
214-488: A facade made of glass. The ground story contains the lobby, which consists of a reception area, foyer, and ramp with mirrored surfaces and polygonal lamps. The ramp leads to the Ambassador Grill and Bar at the rear of the hotel; the grill is a popular meeting spot for United Nations diplomats. There are restaurants and meeting spaces on the second story and guest rooms on the 27th through 39th stories. In addition,
321-548: A skylight . The floor of the foyer contains squares of dark-green and white veined marble in a checkerboard pattern. The ceiling of the foyer contains chandeliers, each of which contain four rectangular tiers of light bulbs spaced at regular intervals. According to Roche, the foyer's columns incorporate classical design elements, although the columns' design may have also been inspired by ancient Egyptian or Art Deco sources. The walls are decorated with mirrors, transparent glass, and chrome and marble panels. Immediately across from
428-661: A $ 75 million construction loan on the structure, which ultimately cost $ 69.5 million to construct. Two United Nations Plaza opened in 1983. When the second tower opened, the rooms on the top 13 stories could be used either as short-term hotel rooms or as long-term residences; for instance, the studio apartments could be rented for $ 100 a night or $ 34,000 a year. The rooms were marketed to wealthy residents of foreign countries, as well as foreign corporations with staff in New York City. The United Nations Plaza Hotel remained popular among diplomats and heads of state. During meetings at
535-504: A 700-room hotel and three connected office buildings with 3 × 10 ^ sq ft (280,000 m) of space. The plan attracted much public opposition. U.S. congressman Ed Koch criticized the proposed development's bulk, while journalist Pete Hamill believed the development unfairly benefited "free-loading diplomats assigned to the UN" by allowing them to live next to their workplace. The New York City Planning Commission narrowly approved
642-427: A black-and-white checkerboard pattern. Next to the lobby was a Chemical Bank branch and an International News Corporation office. The original lobby, adjacent to the hotel's eastern bank of elevators, no longer exists. The modern lobby, which occupies the base of both buildings, opened in 1983 and consists of a foyer, reception hall, and ramp. A revolving door on 44th Street leads to the foyer, an octagonal hall with
749-433: A college education or higher. The percentage of Midtown Manhattan students excelling in math rose from 61% in 2000 to 80% in 2011 and reading achievement increased from 66% to 68% during the same time period. Midtown Manhattan's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In Midtown Manhattan, 19% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , less than
856-475: A cutback on its lowest 12 stories. Additionally, the second-story facade slopes outward, creating a canopy above the ground floor. The setbacks are placed above the office stories, which have a larger floor area. Two United Nations Plaza has a similar design to One UN Plaza. The building is located on 44th Street and has a chamfer on its southeastern corner, which leads to the hotel's lobby. The lowest 23 stories of Two United Nations Plaza contain office space. Above
963-544: A duplex apartment with two bedrooms. Tenants could pay rent annually to live in these apartments, or they could rent a studio for a nightly fee (essentially using it as a hotel room). The rooms had over 1,000 pieces of embroidery from 37 nations. By 1966, the headquarters of the United Nations was overcrowded, leading US and UN officials and the Ford Foundation to develop plans for new office space, hotels, and apartments nearby. Officials proposed four projects around
1070-564: A landmark. After Hilton Hotels & Resorts was contracted to manage the hotel in August 2017, the hotel was renamed Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza. When the hotel opened in 1976, Paul Goldberger wrote that the hotel "manages exactly what the designers of the much‐publicized new Ritz Carlton in Chicago have been suggesting was impossible, namely the creation of a serious luxury hotel of entirely modern design." Ada Louise Huxtable said
1177-515: A low population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 11%, slightly less than the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in Midtown Manhattan is 0.0113 milligrams per cubic metre (1.13 × 10 oz/cu ft), more than the city average. Eleven percent of Midtown Manhattan residents are smokers , which
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#17327732154631284-419: A lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 81.2% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 8 murders, 23 rapes, 653 robberies, 502 felony assaults, 660 burglaries, 2,375 grand larcenies, and 68 grand larcenies auto in 2022. The main part of midtown Manhattan, between 34th and 59th Streets from Lexington Avenue to Eighth Avenue, is served by five fire stations of
1391-600: A major force in Midtown Manhattan's economy, and indeed the city's, as the total value of all New York City property was estimated at US$ 914.8 billion for the 2015 fiscal year . Manhattan has perennially been home to some of the nation's, as well as one of the world's, most marketable real estate, including the Time Warner Center , which had the highest-listed market value in the city in 2006 at US$ 1.1 billion, to be subsequently surpassed in October 2014 by
1498-588: A number of private languages and music centers (e.g. Berlitz , American Language Communication Center, New York Language Center, Swan Music School, and the New York Youth Symphony ). The La Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi Italian international school moved to West Midtown in 2016. The New York Public Library (NYPL) operates the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (also the Main Branch),
1605-490: A pair of 39-story skyscrapers also designed by Roche-Dinkeloo. The UN Plaza Hotel is owned by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels and operated by Hilton Hotels & Resorts . Part of the hotel's interior is a New York City designated landmark . One and Two United Nations Plaza, which respectively opened in 1975 and 1983, are both mixed-use buildings with offices on their lowest stories. The exteriors of both buildings have an angular massing bent at several places, as well as
1712-966: A program aimed at creating "a 24/7, live-work, mixed-use neighborhood" in Midtown South though the conversion of commercial and office space to residential, as part of an effort to create 20,000 new residences citywide in a decade. According to The Broadway League , shows on Broadway sold approximately US$ 1.54 billion worth of tickets in both the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons. Both seasons featured theater attendance of approximately 12.3 million each. Companies that used to have their headquarters in Midtown Manhattan include American Airlines , American Comics Group , American Overseas Airlines , Central Park Media , Eastern Air Lines , GoodTimes Entertainment , LJN , NewKidCo , Pan American World Airways , Philip Morris Companies (now Altria Group ), Trans Caribbean Airways , and Trans World Airlines . In 1997, Aer Lingus announced that it
1819-414: A pyramidal shape. The ceiling is also illuminated by a skylight. The reception area also serves the apartments on the top stories of Two UN Plaza. To the right (east) of the foyer is a ramp, which leads to the original elevator lobby and the Ambassador Grill inside One UN Plaza. The floor of the hallway consists of white-veined tiles of green marble, which are partially covered by a carpet. On either side of
1926-410: A rectangular boundary – such as the space between the curve of an arch and a rectilinear bounding moulding, or the wallspace bounded by adjacent arches in an arcade and the stringcourse or moulding above them, or the space between the central medallion of a carpet and its rectangular corners, or the space between the circular face of a clock and the corners of the square revealed by its hood. Also included
2033-679: A reference branch at 476 Fifth Avenue. The four-story building, constructed in 1911, is known worldwide for its architecture and has several million items in its collections. There are also five circulating branches in Midtown: Two campuses of the City University of New York (CUNY)—the doctorate-granting CUNY Graduate Center and the Stella and Charles Guttman Community College —are located in Midtown, while Baruch College , also of
2140-539: A remarkable view of the East River". Two years later, Clara Hemphill wrote for Newsday that, while the mirrored public spaces were "not a study in quiet good taste", the UN Plaza was "a comfortable hotel with great views" because of how high it was. Conversely, hotel critic Grant Flowers described the lobby in 2001 as "the property's chief drawback", saying that it was "the definition of 1980s gaudy". The Journal of
2247-471: Is 41% in Midtown Manhattan, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 45% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Midtown Manhattan is considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . Midtown Manhattan is patrolled by two precincts of the NYPD . Midtown North is patrolled by the 18th Precinct, located at 306 West 54th Street, while Midtown South
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#17327732154632354-420: Is a 30 ft (9.1 m) gap between the towers on their upper stories. The two buildings wrap around the 20-story United States Mission to the United Nations on 45th Street and First Avenue. One United Nations Plaza is located at the corner of 44th Street and First Avenue. The office entrance is on First Avenue, while the hotel entrance is on 44th Street. A canopy shields the hotel's entrance and runs across
2461-400: Is accessed via a set of steps past the eastern bank of elevators. The walls and piers are set at 45-degree angles and contain dark mirrors. In a New York magazine article, Roche explained why he had added the mirrors: "You want the space to go on and on [...] but you also want to avoid the feeling of a cafeteria". The far end of the room contained a bar with a mirror. Originally, the restaurant
2568-492: Is also a growing financial and fintech center. Many of New York City's skyscrapers , including its tallest hotels and apartment towers , are located in Midtown Manhattan. The neighborhood hosts commuters and residents working in its offices, hotels, and retail establishments, tourists and students. Times Square, the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District , is a major center of
2675-651: Is also growing in Midtown Manhattan based upon the city's strength in academic scientific research and public and commercial financial support. By mid-2014, Accelerator, a biotech investment firm, had raised more than US$ 30 million from investors , including Eli Lilly and Company , Pfizer , and Johnson & Johnson , for initial funding to create biotechnology startups at the Alexandria Center for Life Science, which encompasses more than 700,000 square feet (65,000 m ) on East 29th Street and promotes collaboration among scientists and entrepreneurs at
2782-554: Is considered to be the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere , servicing around 650,000 people per day. The Port Authority Bus Terminal , located at Eighth Avenue and 41st Street at the western edge of Midtown, is the city's main intercity bus terminal and the world's busiest bus station, serving 250,000 passengers on 7,000 buses each workday. The building opened in 1950 and had been designed to accommodate 60,000 daily passengers. A 2021 plan announced by
2889-404: Is divided into rectangles measuring 4 ft 7 in (140 cm) wide and 2 ft 7.5 in (80.0 cm) high. These are arranged into semi-reflective glass panels and glass spandrels , the arrangement of which differs on the upper and lower stories. To comply with zoning regulations, the northern facade contains two setbacks sloped at a 45-degree angle, while the southeast corner has
2996-727: Is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 86% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Midtown Manhattan, there are 11 bodegas . The nearest major hospitals are Mount Sinai West in Hell's Kitchen ; Beth Israel Medical Center in Stuyvesant Town ; the Bellevue Hospital Center and NYU Langone Medical Center in Kips Bay ; and NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital in
3103-505: Is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are adults: a plurality (45%) are between the ages of 25 and 44, while 22% are between 45 and 64, and 13% are 65 or older. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 7% and 12% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community Districts 4 and 5 (including Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen )
3210-639: Is less clear, and variously taken to be 34th Street , 23rd Street , or even 14th Street . Midtown spans the entire island of Manhattan along an east–west axis, bounded by the East River on its east and the Hudson River to its west. The Encyclopedia of New York City defines Midtown as extending from 34th Street to 59th Street and from 3rd Avenue to 8th Avenue. In addition to its central business district , Midtown Manhattan encompasses many neighborhoods, including Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea on
3317-470: Is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 297 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole. The 18th Precinct has a lower crime rate than it did in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 82.1% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 1 murder, 22 rapes, 154 robberies, 185 felony assaults, 205 burglaries, 2,065 grand larcenies, and 116 grand larcenies auto in 2022. The 14th Precinct also has
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3424-407: Is less than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Midtown Manhattan, 10% of residents are obese , 5% are diabetic , and 18% have high blood pressure —compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 9% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Ninety-one percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which
3531-496: Is located at 421 8th Avenue. The post office stopped 24-hour service in 2009 due to decreasing mail traffic. Midtown Manhattan generally has a higher rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018 . A majority of residents age 25 and older (78%) have a college education or higher, while 6% have less than a high school education and 17% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 64% of Manhattan residents and 43% of city residents have
3638-941: Is located in Midtown Manhattan. Haier operates its United States offices in the Haier Building at 1356 Broadway, formerly the headquarters of the Greenwich Savings Bank . Haier held the opening ceremony on March 4, 2002. Sumitomo Corporation operates its New York Office, the headquarters of the corporation's United States operations, at 600 Third Avenue, 10016 in the Murray Hill neighborhood. El Al 's North American headquarters are in Midtown. The Air France USA regional headquarters are in 125 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Hachette Book Group USA has its headquarters in 237 Park Avenue . In 1994 Alitalia considered moving its USA headquarters from Midtown to Lower Manhattan , but decided to keep
3745-1277: Is one of the world's leading financial centers. Midtown Manhattan is the one of the world's largest central business district , with 400 million square feet (37.2 million m ) of office space in 2018. Midtown contains the headquarters of major companies, including 4Kids Entertainment (formerly), Barnes & Noble , Bloomberg L.P. , Ernst & Young , Calvin Klein , Cantor Fitzgerald , CBS Corporation , Citigroup , Colgate-Palmolive , Cushman & Wakefield , DC Comics , Deloitte , Duane Reade , Estée Lauder Companies , Foot Locker , Frederator Studios , JPMorgan Chase , Hess Corporation , Kroll Inc. , L-3 Communications , Marsh & McLennan Companies , Marvel Entertainment , MetLife , MidOcean Partners , Morgan Stanley , Nasdaq, Inc. , NBCUniversal , The New York Times Company , NexCen Brands , Paramount Global , Pfizer , Polo Ralph Lauren , Saks Incorporated ( Saks Fifth Avenue ), The Sharper Image , Simon & Schuster , Six Flags , TBWA Worldwide , Thomson Reuters , Warner Bros. Discovery , Time Warner Cable , The Travelers Companies , and Univision Communications . The New York Institute of Finance
3852-470: Is one which is perforated. The spandrel of doors is sometimes ornamented in the Decorated period , but seldom forms part of the composition of the doorway itself, being generally over the label. Spandrels can also occur in the construction of domes and are typical in grand architecture from the medieval period onwards. Where a dome needed to rest on a square or rectangular base, the dome was raised above
3959-490: Is part of 10001. Other areas between 14th and 34th Streets are covered by ZIP Codes 10003, 10009, 10010, and 10011, though these are generally not considered to be part of Midtown proper. There are also thirty-three ZIP Codes assigned to individual buildings or building complexes. The United States Postal Service operates six post offices in Midtown: The James A. Farley Station , the city's main post office,
4066-430: Is patrolled by the 14th Precinct, located at 357 West 35th Street. The precincts ranked 69th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. The high per-capita crime rate can be attributed to the low population of the area, as well as the high number of crimes committed against tourists. As of 2018 , with a non-fatal assault rate of 25 per 100,000 people, Midtown Manhattan's rate of violent crimes per capita
4173-409: Is the space under a flight of stairs , if it is not occupied by another flight of stairs. In a building with more than one floor, the term spandrel is also used to indicate the space between the top of the window in one story and the sill of the window in the story above. The term is typically employed when there is a sculpted panel or other decorative element in this space, or when the space between
4280-589: The Chrysler Building , the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project , the headquarters of the United Nations , Grand Central Terminal , and Rockefeller Center , as well as several prominent tourist destinations, including Broadway , Times Square , and Koreatown . Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan is the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere . Midtown Manhattan is the largest central business district in
4387-651: The Ladies' Mile , along Fifth Avenue from 14th to 23rd Street; and the Tenderloin , from 23rd to 42nd Street and from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue . Important streets and thoroughfares The border of Midtown Manhattan is nebulous and further confused by the fact that the term "Midtown Manhattan" can be used to refer either to a district or a group of neighborhoods and districts in Manhattan: Midtown Manhattan, along with Lower Manhattan ,
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4494-575: The New York City Fire Department (FDNY): The greater Midtown area between 14th Street and 59th Street contains seven additional fire stations. As of 2018 , preterm births and births to teenage mothers in Midtown Manhattan are lower than the city average. In Midtown Manhattan, there were 67 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 4 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Midtown Manhattan has
4601-643: The Times : "Several of the Gascon dishes alone make a trip to the Ambassador Grill worthwhile." In contrast to the mixed reviews of the cuisine, the Ambassador Grill was widely praised architecturally. Goldberger said the restaurant was "New York’s first good hotel dining room since the 1920s" and described it as the city's "most sensuous piece of modern design in a public place" since the Four Seasons Restaurant opened in 1958. According to Goldberger,
4708-560: The Upper East Side . Midtown Manhattan is located within six primary ZIP Codes . West of Fifth Avenue, Midtown is located in 10018 between 34th and 41st Streets, 10036 between 41st and 48th Streets, and 10019 between 48th and 59th Streets. East of Fifth Avenue, Midtown is located in 10016 between 34th and 40th Streets, 10017 between 40th and 49th Streets, and 10022 between 49th and 59th Streets. The area southwest of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, sometimes considered to be in Midtown,
4815-723: The Waldorf Astoria New York , which became the most expensive hotel ever sold after being purchased by the Anbang Insurance Group, based in China, for US$ 1.95 billion . In the same year, six of the top ten most expensive zip codes in the United States by median housing price were located in Manhattan, underscoring the borough's dominant position in the real estate market. When 450 Park Avenue
4922-421: The "scores of marble, mirrored surfaces and space galore". When the Ambassador Grill opened, New York Times food critic Mimi Sheraton reviewed the restaurant negatively, saying that "every appetizer came as overdressed as a drug store salad plate" and that the restaurant also offered "stale bread, banal cakes and erratic service". After foods from Gascony were added to the menu in 1986, Bryan Miller wrote for
5029-512: The Ambassador Grill and the lobby, and was covered by an Oriental-style canopy. This story also contains a sauna and a gymnasium. The pool, sauna, and gymnasium are accessed by a corridor that ran alongside the glass facade, with a mirrored wall on the other side. There is a tennis court on the 39th story, atop the roof of One UN Plaza. At the time of its opening, the UN Plaza was the only hotel in New York City with an indoor tennis court. The pool, tennis court, sauna, and gym were originally operated by
5136-403: The Ambassador Grill was a "far more intimate drinking place" in comparison to the "nobler" Four Seasons. Sheraton said the ceiling was "startling and somewhat wonderful" in spite of the quality of the food, while Miller said: "The subterranean dining room is striking with its interplay of dark walls, smoky glass panels and starry lighting." Robert A. M. Stern wrote in his book New York 1960 that
5243-485: The American Institute of Architects wrote that "the sense of firm conviction about design so evident in the towers' exteriors seems somewhat shaken once one comes in from outdoors", and Robert A. M. Stern called the lobby "garish". In 2024, a writer for The Telegraph praised the views from the room; the fact that the site was relatively quiet but still near multiple points of interest; the large units; and
5350-693: The City University of New York, is located in Midtown South. Mercy College is situated at Herald Square . Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Terminal are the two major railroad stations located in Midtown Manhattan. Penn Station serves Amtrak , NJ Transit , and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), while Grand Central serves the Metro-North Railroad and also serves the LIRR at Grand Central Madison . Penn Station
5457-624: The Giuliani administration estimated that the sale of the hotel would generate $ 6 million per year in tax revenue. Hong Kong hotelier Regal Hotels International agreed in May to buy the property for $ 102 million, and the sale was finalized that July. The city government earned $ 85 million from the sale, and the hotel was renamed the Regal UN Plaza. At the time of Regal's acquisition, the hotel had an occupancy rate of 76 percent, slightly less than
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#17327732154635564-645: The Hilton brand in 2017. The United Nations Hotel occupies the top 13 stories of One and Two United Nations Plaza , a pair of 39-story mixed-use buildings designed by Kevin Roche of Roche-Dinkeloo . The complex was constructed by the government of New York City . One United Nations Plaza, completed in 1975, is the older of the two buildings and was the first large hotel and office building in New York City. Two United Nations Plaza opened in 1983 as an office, residential, and hotel building. One and Two United Nations Plaza are also known respectively as DC1 and DC2. There
5671-626: The Port Authority would spend $ 10 billion to expand capacity and modernize the facility. The New York City Subway and MTA Regional Bus Operations each operate several routes that go through Midtown. Additionally, the PATH train to New Jersey terminates at 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown. Traffic congestion is common, especially for crosstown traffic. In 2011, a new system of traffic light control, known as "Midtown in Motion"
5778-565: The Turtle Bay Tennis and Swim Club. The Millennium Health and Racquet Club continued to operate the pool and tennis court in the early 21st century. An executive lounge, known as the Skyline Club, is on the 30th story of the western tower and is accessible for an extra fee. The hotel also contains a fitness center. The hotel originally comprised 288 rooms on the top 13 stories of One United Nations Plaza. The corridors leading to
5885-606: The UN headquarters, the hotel was so heavily guarded that a spokesperson said: "We have more security than guests." The hotel's staff often gave guests special treatment, fulfilling requests 24 hours a day. For example, after a delegate requested a rare liquor that was not available in the US, the staff arranged for a bottle of that liquor to be delivered from London. The staff maintained a "General Assembly Manual" in which they recorded diplomats' preferences, including diagrams of furniture layouts for delegates who visited multiple times. In 1990,
5992-550: The UN headquarters. Only one component, United Nations Plaza, was ultimately executed; the United Nations Development Corporation (UNDC) was formed in 1968 to develop the complex. United Nations Plaza was originally planned to be built on a superblock bounded by 43rd Street, 45th Street, First Avenue, and Second Avenue. Roche-Dinkeloo released revised plans in November 1969, which called for
6099-541: The United Nations . The modern hotel contains seven meeting rooms, which cover 7,500 square feet (700 m) and can fit up to three hundred guests. The hotel has hosted wedding receptions for ceremonies that have taken place in the Chapel at the United Nations , across 44th Street. There is a 40 ft-long (12 m) swimming pool on the 27th story of One UN Plaza, which is accessible to guests in both buildings. The pool contains mirrored walls and piers, similar to those in
6206-537: The United Nations Plaza Hotel's design features, such as its angled geometry and "luxurious and tasteful simplicity", collectively created a "rich, visual intricacy". Angela Taylor wrote for The New York Times that "the best things about the new United Nations Plaza Hotel are what it doesn't have", which included "canned music", a crowded ballroom, or paper tents for advertising. William Marlin of The Christian Science Monitor wrote that, despite
6313-526: The United Nations, and consulates-general accredited to the United States, in Midtown Manhattan. In addition, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Republic of China ( Taiwan ) is in Midtown Manhattan. Spandrel There are four or five accepted and cognate meanings of the term spandrel in architectural and art history , mostly relating to the space between a curved figure and
6420-433: The United States achieved completion in Midtown Manhattan, at a selling price of US$ 238 million, for a 24,000 square feet (2,200 m ) penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park at 220 Central Park South . The COVID-19 pandemic and hybrid work models have prompted consideration of commercial-to-residential conversion within the neighborhood's real estate sector. In August 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced
6527-666: The West Side, and Murray Hill , Kips Bay , Turtle Bay , and Gramercy Park on the East Side. It is sometimes broken into "Midtown East" and "Midtown West", or north and south as in the New York City Police Department 's Midtown North and Midtown South precincts. Neighborhoods in the Midtown area include the following: Midtown is the original district in the United States to bear the name and included historical but now defunct neighborhoods such as
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#17327732154636634-401: The center and with nearby academic, medical, and research institutions. The New York City Economic Development Corporation 's Early Stage Life Sciences Funding Initiative and venture capital partners, including Celgene , General Electric Ventures, and Eli Lilly, committed a minimum of US$ 100 million to help launch 15 to 20 ventures in life sciences and biotechnology. Real estate is
6741-654: The city's hotels were increasing. Although One United Nations Plaza was not subject to property taxes, the city government received a $ 500,000 payment in lieu of taxes from the UNDC every year. The hotel charged an 8 percent sales tax to all guests, even diplomats, who typically were exempt from paying sales tax. It largely served diplomats and businessmen during weekdays, and it was particularly crowded during United Nations General Assembly meetings. The United Nations Plaza Hotel offered discounts to attract guests during weekends. The hotel consistently recorded an annual profit during
6848-411: The citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 92% of high school students in Midtown Manhattan graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. There are no public elementary or middle schools in Midtown. The New York City Department of Education operates the following public high schools in Midtown, serving grades 9–12: Private schools include The Beekman School , Rebecca School , and
6955-555: The citywide occupancy rate. By the late 1990s, Regal Hotels was facing financial issues and sought to sell off its hotels in the United States. Millennium & Copthorne Hotels agreed to buy Regal's U.S. hotels, including the UN Plaza, in November 1999. Millennium renamed the hotel the Millennium UN Plaza in April 2001, after they finished renovating the guest rooms. The Millennium UN Plaza continued to serve diplomats; it
7062-501: The eighth century. Mae Festa, an interior designer working in Roche-Dinkeloo's office, had acquired the tapestries from various antique stores and flea markets worldwide. The rooms contained fabrics in muted colors such as rose-beige, gray-blue, and taupe. Despite the hotel's proximity to the UN headquarters, it only had one presidential suite, compared to 26 such suites at the Waldorf Astoria New York several blocks away. After
7169-543: The end of the hallway is a small seating area and the eastern bank of elevators (the latter of which were part of the original lobby). Originally, there was an octagonal mirror with floral decorations at the end of this hallway. The Ambassador Grill and Bar, now the Ambassador Grill and the Ambassador Lounge, are accessible both from the hotel's lobby and from 44th Street. The restaurant is sunken slightly below ground level and occupies an irregularly shaped space at
7276-422: The first building. One UN Plaza was completed in November 1975 at a cost of $ 30 million. Hyatt had been selected to operate a hotel in the new building, which was not yet operational but was planned to serve diplomats, politicians, and other people working at or visiting the UN headquarters. The United Nations Plaza Hotel's 150 staff members, who collectively spoke 27 languages, were trained for four months prior to
7383-403: The first two decades of its operation. In 1980, to accommodate increasing demand for office space near the UN headquarters, the UNDC started constructing Two United Nations Plaza on 44th Street. The top 13 stories of the new building contained 198 rooms, of which 115 were suites. It was one of several projects that added 3,500 hotel rooms in New York City during the mid-1980s. Chemical Bank placed
7490-452: The guestrooms were clad in green marble, interspersed with mirrored strips. The original rooms were generally small, except for the suites, many of which were duplexes that contained spiral staircases. Angela Taylor of The New York Times wrote that the lower levels of the suites had grand pianos, while the upper levels had two bedrooms each. The rooms contained various garments, fabrics, and tapestries, some of which had been created as early as
7597-435: The hallway are four octagonal columns of polished green marble on rectangular pedestals . Each column has mirrored panels on its sides, which are wrapped with horizontal bands, as well as a polygonal capital at its top. The columns divide the hallway into several bays , each of which contains a coved ceiling with mirrored panels. Each bay of the coved ceiling has a multi-tiered pyramidal chandelier with small light bulbs. At
7704-429: The hotel contains a swimming pool and an indoor tennis court. The United Nations Development Corporation (UNDC) developed the hotel, which was owned by the New York City government and operated by Hyatt . The hotel opened on June 8, 1976, with 288 rooms on the top 13 stories of One UN Plaza. The UN Plaza Hotel was further expanded in 1984 after the completion of Two UN Plaza. The hotel was popular among UN diplomats and
7811-536: The hotel in an attempt to reduce the city government's budget. The sale would include a partial stake in the underlying land, though neither building's office stories would be sold. Several city agencies and the Internal Revenue Service needed to approve the proposed sale. The Giuliani administration estimated that the city would earn $ 70 million to $ 90 million. The city government would have used $ 65 million of this amount to cover short-term debt, but
7918-416: The hotel was expanded in the early 1980s, it had 427 or 428 rooms. As of 2024, the hotel has 439 units, consisting of a presidential suite, 33 regular suites, and 405 standard guestrooms. Although Two United Nations Plaza contains 198 rooms on its highest 13 stories, some of Two UN Plaza's residential units were not part of the hotel. The units range from a 385 sq ft (35.8 m) studio apartment to
8025-596: The hotel was transferred to the Park Hyatt division and became the UN Plaza—A Park Hyatt Hotel. The same year, the hotel implemented additional programs and hired staff to attract foreign guests, and the proportion of European and Asian guests doubled. The hotel also hosted events such as fashion shows. During the early 1990s, the hotel's value declined to $ 30 million. The administration of mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani announced in May 1993 that it would sell
8132-524: The hotel's official opening. As part of the training process, several high-ranking staff members simulated "finicky guests" for a week before the hotel opened. The hotel hosted its first guests in early 1976, and it officially opened on June 8, 1976, as the United Nations Plaza Hotel. Due to a non-compete clause, Hyatt could not advertise the UN Plaza Hotel as being a Hyatt hotel, since the Hyatt brand
8239-482: The hotel's relatively low construction budget, "one can only be amazed at [the rooms'] quality and absorbing delight". In 1979, the New York City Club presented the United Nations Plaza Hotel with its Albert S. Bard Award for "excellence in building design". Commentary continued in later years. Ned Zeman of The Washington Post described the hotel in 1993 as "modern, but not obnoxiously so, and it has
8346-428: The hotel's sales and marketing director, General Assembly meetings "set the tone for future business throughout the following year". By 2005, Millennium was converting some of the hotel rooms to condominium residences. The Ambassador Grill in the hotel closed for several years in the late 2000s. Millennium announced in May 2012 that it would renovate the hotel in several phases. The first phase, which cost $ 30 million and
8453-418: The lobby entirely. The lobby's floors, and the wainscoting on the lowest part of the lobby's walls, were made of Italian verde antique marble. Above the wainscoting was a chrome railing with indirect lighting; its presence obviated the need for table lamps. The rest of the lobby contained fabric panels, which had a similar texture to velvet. The lobby led to a reception area, with a desk and a floor decorated in
8560-540: The main entrance, to the north of the foyer, was the Wisteria Lounge. This space served as a cafe and was decorated with trellises ; it was converted into a gift shop in 1995. To the left (west) of the foyer is a reception area, which is designed in a similar manner to the foyer. The main differences in the design are that the floor of the reception area has green-and-white triangles, and the reception area's chandeliers consist of six tiers of light bulbs, arranged in
8667-480: The main hallway in the restaurant had "extraordinary reflections" and that the restaurant itself was a "spectacular setting". Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan , serving as the city's primary central business district . Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building ,
8774-510: The neighborhood was 64.1% (18,351) White , 4.6% (1,310) African American , 0.1% (34) Native American , 20.8% (5,942) Asian , 0% (8) Pacific Islander , 0.3% (92) from other races , and 2% (569) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.1% (2,324) of the population. The entirety of Community District 5, which comprises Midtown Manhattan, had 53,120 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 84.8 years. This
8881-507: The northern end of the hotel. It was the only public restaurant designed by the Roche-Dinkeloo firm. The Ambassador Grill became a popular meeting spot for United Nations diplomats after it opened in 1975, and it retained this status throughout the years. The restaurant offered a wide range of foods to accommodate the different tastes of the hotel's clientele. According to the hotel's catering manager: "We try to design menus that everyone can eat—it's embarrassing to be singled out." The restaurant
8988-469: The office stories are sloped setbacks similar to those in One UN Plaza. Both buildings are connected at their lobbies, as well as on the 3rd and 11th floors. Paul Goldberger called One United Nations Plaza "one of the finest postwar skyscrapers in the city", while John Tauranac said the building "shimmers in the sun" as seen from a distance. William Marlin said the structure "assumes a key spot in
9095-720: The offices where they were at the last minute. Global Infrastructure Partners has an office in Midtown Manhattan. Silicon Alley , the common metonym for New York City's high tech sector, is based in Midtown South , specifically the Flatiron District . Prominent Silicon Alley companies in Midtown include AppNexus , Blue Apron , Gilt , Betterment , Oscar , SoFi , Rent the Runway , Warby Parker , and WeWork . The technology sector has been expanding across Midtown Manhattan since 2010. The biotechnology sector
9202-514: The plan in 1970. The government of New York City would own the buildings and lease them to the UNDC. In 1971, the UNDC and New York State Legislature agreed to a plan that only provided funding for the first planned building. Two years later, the Turner Construction Company began constructing the 39-story One United Nations Plaza. The State Legislature authorized a bond issue that provided up to $ 75 million in funding for
9309-400: The public interior spaces of the United Nations Plaza Hotel as an interior landmark. Millennium completed its renovation in November 2016 at a cost of $ 70 million. The LPC designated the Ambassador Grill and the majority of the hotel's lobby as New York City landmarks on January 15, 2017, describing the spaces as "important examples of Late Modern and Post-Modern design". At the time, the hotel
9416-556: The renovations would result in the destruction of the public interior spaces, as the hotel operator had indicated its plan to redesign the Ambassador Grill. This led preservation group Docomomo International to request that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) consider designating the hotel as an interior landmark. In September 2016, the LPC agreed to consider designating
9523-469: The roof of a greenhouse. The trellises above the seating area contain angled rows of light bulbs, giving the impression of infinite reflections. Tapestries were placed in acrylic boxes for decoration. The second story contained the Coffee Mill, a cafe that served European food. There were also three meeting rooms named after U Thant , Dag Hammarskjöld , and Trygve Lie , former secretaries-general of
9630-589: The sale had not been finalized by early 1995. The sale was complicated by the fact that a private landlord owned one building, while the city government owned the other building and the land under both structures. Because of difficulties over the hotel's ownership, the Giuliani administration ultimately withdrew its offer to sell the hotel in 1995. The Giuliani administration decided to place the building back on sale in February 1997. Occupancy rates in New York City hotels had increased because of an influx of tourism, and
9737-433: The tradition of the tall building". By contrast, Two United Nations Plaza received comparatively little commentary when it was completed. Goldberger wrote that the second building "converts the vocabulary of Modernism into something more eccentric and picturesque, almost sensual", and he believed the two buildings to be "welcoming" despite not relating to their surroundings. According to architectural writer Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen,
9844-442: The two buildings formed a "kaleidoscope, always changing, always moving [...] a destination and an active participant in the disco era of the late 1970s and the 1980s". When the hotel opened, its lobby was a small T-shaped space on 44th Street. The lobby extended westward to a driveway at the middle of the block, connecting 44th and 45th Streets. Dignitaries could use a private elevator off the hotel's driveway, allowing them to bypass
9951-501: The width of both buildings. One United Nations Plaza's lowest 26 stories contain offices, while the top 13 stories contain the hotel. One United Nations Plaza's 505 ft (154 m) height was dictated by the fact that, under New York City law, it could not be taller than the United Nations Secretariat Building . The building has an L-shaped plan and a facade composed of blue-green glass. The facade
10058-732: The windows is filled with opaque or translucent glass, in this case called "spandrel glass". In concrete or steel construction, an exterior beam extending from column to column usually carrying an exterior wall load is known as a "spandrel beam". In architectural ornamentation, the horizontal decorative elements that are hung over interior and exterior openings between the posts are called spandrels. They can be made of sawn out wood, ball-and- dowels , and spindles . Wooden ornamental spandrels are known as gingerbread spandrels. If they are in an arch form, they are called gingerbread arch spandrels. The spandrels over doorways in perpendicular work are generally richly decorated. At Magdalen College, Oxford ,
10165-401: The world's entertainment industry. Sixth Avenue also has the headquarters of three of the four major U.S. television networks . Midtown is part of Manhattan Community District 5 . It is patrolled by the 14th and 18th precincts of the New York City Police Department . Geographically, the northern boundary of Midtown Manhattan is commonly defined to be 59th Street ; its southern boundary
10272-465: The world, and has been ranked as the densest central business district in the world in terms of employees, at 606,108 per square mile (234,020/km ). Midtown also ranks among the world's most expensive locations for real estate; Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan has commanded the world's highest retail rents and is the most expensive shopping street in the world. Midtown Manhattan is the country's largest commercial, entertainment , and media center, and
10379-403: Was $ 101,981, though the median income in Midtown individually was $ 120,854. In 2018, an estimated 11% of Midtown Manhattan residents lived in poverty, compared to 14% in all of Manhattan and 20% in all of New York City. One in twenty residents (5%) were unemployed, compared to 7% in Manhattan and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent,
10486-515: Was announced, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion. Approximately 750,000 vehicles enter Midtown Manhattan on a fall business day. According to the 2011 Traffic Data Report for New York State, 777,527 vehicles a day went through select toll facilities into Manhattan. The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division , First Department, is located at the Appellate Division Courthouse at 25th Street and Madison Avenue
10593-602: Was completed in 1900 by architect James Brown Lord , who used a third of the construction budget to decorate the building with statues and murals. The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration operates its New York office on the 22nd floor at 135 West 50th Street . Several countries, including Algeria , Argentina , The Bahamas , China , Costa Rica , Germany , Ireland , Israel , Jamaica , Japan , Luxembourg , Mexico , Morocco , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , South Africa , South Korea , United Kingdom , and Ukraine , have Permanent Missions accredited to
10700-559: Was completed that September, entailed converting the rooms in Two UN Plaza into a luxury wing called the "West Tower". Millennium also planned to renovate the lobby and Ambassador Grill, covering or removing the mirrored walls there. The hotel was renamed the ONE UN New York Hotel in 2013, and Millennium announced plans to conduct a further renovation of the hotel in November 2015. Preservationists expressed concern that
10807-412: Was consistently profitable in the first two decades of its operation. The New York City government sold the hotel in 1997 to Regal Hotels International , and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels took over the hotel in 1999, renovating it two years later. The hotel was further renovated in the 2010s, during which the Ambassador Grill and the lobby were protected as landmarks. The UN Plaza Hotel became part of
10914-440: Was decorated red; this color was also used in staff uniforms, vases, and serving plates. The floor contains a twisting path with dark green and white marble tiles, which runs from the entrance to the dining areas. The room has a dropped ceiling , which is decorated with mirrors and glass trellises . The ceiling above the main pathway includes rectangular glass panels, held in place by metal slats; Ada Louise Huxtable compared it to
11021-577: Was especially crowded during September, when General Assembly meetings took place. The New York Times reported in 2003 that staff tended to dislike that week because heads of state tended to tip poorly and the staff were heavily monitored by the United States Secret Service and other security officials. About a quarter of the hotel's profit was directly related to business at the United Nations, and nightly room rates were typically raised during General Assembly meetings. According to
11128-523: Was moving its North American headquarters from Midtown to Melville , New York , in Suffolk County on Long Island . Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of Midtown Manhattan was 28,630, a change of 2,823 (9.9%) from the 25,807 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 692.81 acres (280.37 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 41.3 inhabitants per acre (26,400/sq mi; 10,200/km ). The racial makeup of
11235-498: Was reserved for the nearby Grand Hyatt New York . When the hotel opened, nightly rates ranged from $ 37 for a studio-sized room to $ 300 for a large suite. The United Nations Plaza Hotel, along with the Park Lane Hotel , was one of the few luxury hotels built in New York City during the 1970s. At the time, the number of hotel rooms in New York City had consistently declined since the mid-1960s, even though room-occupancy rates in
11342-408: Was sold on July 2, 2007, for US$ 510 million, about US$ 1,589 per square foot (US$ 17,104/m ), it broke the barely month-old record for an American office building of US$ 1,476 per square foot (US$ 15,887/m ) based on the sale of 660 Madison Avenue . In 2014, Manhattan was home to six of the top ten zip codes in the United States by median housing price. In 2019, the most expensive home sale ever in
11449-402: Was the youngest structure to be designated as a city landmark, having been completed between 34 and 42 years prior. The designation excluded the exteriors of the two buildings, as well as a seating area between the lobby's hallway and the Ambassador Grill. Representatives of Roche-Dinkeloo supported the landmark designation but questioned why the seating area had been excluded from consideration as
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