What to do in Midtown: A walk along Midtown Manhattan’s beautiful Art Deco architecture
There’s so much to do in New York City that it’s hard to know where to start. If you find yourself with a day to spare in Midtown Manhattan and you’re looking to do some sightseeing and get some steps in, I’ve designed a walk that’ll take you through many of the main attractions.
This walk will take you through every landmarked Art Deco building in Midtown, as well as some other iconic sites along the way, like Times Square and the New York Public Library. You’ll also get to pass through Grand Central Terminal to the other side of 43rd street. Don’t forget to check out Grand Central Market when you get there!
The walk is split into two parts, each taking roughly 35 minutes, though you should expect it to last a lot longer as you take your time to look around and enjoy your surroundings.
Although the walk was mapped along landmarked Art Deco buildings, make sure to keep an eye out for even more striking buildings from other eras or in other architectural styles.
Part 1: From the McGraw Hill Building to the Waldorf Astoria
Here are some of the landmarks along this part of the walk.
The old McGraw-Hill Building
This 1931 office building in Hell’s Kitchen was built in a mixture of the International Style, Art Deco, and Art Moderne styles.
The Brill Building
This 1931 building is famous for housing music industry offices and studios where some of the most popular American songs were written.
Radio City Music Hall
Originally intended for the Metropolitan Opera house, this building was instead completed in 1932 as part of the Rockefeller center and now acts as a concert venue.
Rockefeller Center
Another New York City landmark, Rockefeller center is a complex of 19 buildings, mostly in the Art Deco style.
This iconic Midtown building is also famous for its ice-skating rink, and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The NBC satirical sitcom 30 Rock was named after 30 Rockefeller Center, also known as the Comcast Building, where the NBC studios are located.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Directly across from Rockefeller center is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America. It is the seat of the Archbishop of New York as well as a parish church.
608 5th Ave
Also known as the Goelet Building or Swiss Center Building, 608 5th Ave was completed in 1932 as a residential building, but is now used as an office and commercial building.
The Waldorf Astoria, where this first half of the walk ends, is right next to the General Electric Building where you can start the second half of the walk.
Part 2: From the General Electric Building to the Fred F. French Building
The General Electric Building
Also known as 570 Lexington Avenue, this 1931 building hosted the offices of General Electric, until it was donated to Columbia University. It is now used as an office space by several universities and businesses.
The Lexington Hotel NYC
The Lexington Hotel opened in 1929, and now belongs to Marriott’s “Autograph Collection” of fifty hotels that have historic qualities to them.
The MetLife Building
Completed in the 1960’s, the MetLife Building, or 200 Park, is one of the largest commercial office spaces in the world, and one of the tallest buildings in the United States. It sits right next to Grand Central Terminal, on top of two levels of railroad tracks.
The Chrysler Building
Completed in 1930, the Chrysler Building is a beautiful Art Deco skyscraper on 42nd Street and Lexington Ave. It is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework, with 77 floors. It continues to be used as an office building since its completion.
The Chanin Building
Named after its developer, Irwin S. Chanin, this 56-story office skyscraper was completed in 1929.
257 Madison Ave
Also known as the Johns-Manville Building, this is a 43-story office building completed in 1931, and designed in a mixture of the Art Deco and International styles.
500 5th Ave
This 60-story office building was constructed from 1929 to 1931.
The Fred F. French Building
Built in 1927, this 38-story building is designed in the Art Deco style, with Middle Eastern influences.
