Midtown West (Theater District)

Midtown Manhattan, NYC’s thriving commercial district, is filled to the brim with skyscrapers, headquarters for global institutions, hotels and more. The western section of Midtown (west of 5th Ave), known as Midtown West, borders Bryant Park and the main branch of the NYC Public Library, and contains Times Square as well as the cluster of world-famous theatres known as the Theater District. Times Square is perhaps NYC’s most well known tourist destination, famous for it’s overabundance of neon and digital signs, as well as hosting the annual New Year’s Eve party. Named after the New York Times built its headquarters there in the early 1900’s, Times Square evolved into a bustling hub filled with theaters, hotels, and performance venues. After the Great Depression, the neighborhood fell on hard times and remained run-down and dangerous until a redevelopment effort began in the 60’s. Since then, Midtown West and Times Square have been cleaned up and reemerged as an exciting, bustling commercial center housing some of the country’s major media headquarters. Extreme commercial and residential development in Times Square and the remainder of Midtown West, have also catapulted the neighborhood into a new era of shiny glass and technicolor glory. The city has preserved the old remaining theaters along Broadway as the historic Theatre District. The western edge of Midtown West is the separate and distinct neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen. Highlights: Times Square, Theatre District