55th Street (Manhattan)

55th Street

Maintained by	Government of New York City
Length	2.0 mi (3.2 km)
Location	New York
East end	Cul-de-sac east of Sutton Place South
West end	NY 9A (West Side Highway)

40.7635°N 73.9793°W / 40.7635; -73.9793

55th Street is a two-mile-long, one-way street traveling east to west across Midtown Manhattan.

Landmarks, east to west

Sutton Place South

• The route officially begins at Sutton Place South which is on a hill overlooking FDR Drive.
• Plaza 400 Apartments, 40-story, 119 m/392 ft apartment building completed in 1967 (north)^[1]

First Avenue

• Terrence Cardinal Cook Building (south)
• Church of St. John the Evangelist (south)
• Bristol Apartments, 33-story apartment building completed in 1973^[2]

Second Avenue

• Brevard Apartments, 30-story apartments completed in 1981^[3]
• Marymount Manhattan College Dormitory, 48-story, 144 m / 473 ft mixed apartment house and dormitory completed in 2001^[4] (north)

Third Avenue

• 919 Third Avenue, 47-story 188 m / 615 ft building completed in 1971 (north)
• P. J. Clarke's, antique tavern known for holding its own and remaining intact despite attempts to destroy it for 919 Third. (north)^[5]

Lexington Avenue

• Central Synagogue
• 124 East 55th Street
• 116 East 55th Street – now Levin Institute
• DLT Entertainment headquarters
• Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office

Park Avenue

• Park Avenue Place, 38-story, 472 ft (144 m) office tower completed in 2004^[6] (south)
• Park Avenue Tower, 36-story, 561 ft (171 m) office tower completed in 1987 with a distinctive pyramid roof (north)^[6]
• Heron Tower, 314 ft (96 m), 25-story building completed in 1986^[7]
• Martin Erdmann House – now New York Friars Club^[8]

Madison Avenue

• 550 Madison Avenue, 37-story, 647 ft (197 m) building completed in 1984 originally to be the headquarters of AT&T and later Sony USA (north)
• Finland House, 38-story, 427 ft (130 m) office tower completed in 1970 ^[9] (north)
• The St. Regis Hotel

Image of W 55th Street Sign at the intersection of W 55th and 5th Ave

Fifth Avenue

• The Peninsula New York, 21-story, 250 ft (76 m) hotel completed in 1905^[10] (south)
• Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (north)
• MGM Building, 35-story, 416 ft (127 m) office tower completed in 1966 (south)^[11]
• Rockefeller Apartments (south)
• 46 West 55th Street (south), a landmarked house

Sixth Avenue

The London Hotel seen from 54th St

• Robert Indiana Love (sculpture) (south)
• Capitol-EMI Building 34-story, 470 ft (140 m) building (north)^[12]
• 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 50 story, 625 ft (191 m) building completed in 1969^[13] (south)
• 125 West 55th Street (north)
• New York City Center, theatre at 131 West 55th Street (north)
• 55th Street Playhouse, theatre at 154 West 55th Street
• CitySpire Center (north), 75-story, 814 ft (248 m) tower (tallest on street), north^[14]
• The London NYC 54-floor, 590 ft (180 m) tower completed in 1990 (south)^[15]
• Hotel Wellington (north)

Seventh Avenue

• Park Central Hotel, 25-story, 357 ft (109 m) tower completed in 1926 most famous for mafia execution in the barber shop^[16] (north)
• Dream Hotel (south)
• Mutual of New York Building, 27-story, 375 ft (114 m) building completed in 1950 whose sign inspired the song Mony, Mony^[17]

Broadway

• Random House Tower, 52-story, 684 ft (208 m) tower (north)
• Former original location of Soup Nazi from Seinfeld

Eighth Avenue

• The Starwood Apts. at 321 West 55th Street was built in 1907. Over the years, it has been the residence of theatrical figures such as Tony Award winners Jane Alexander (former head of the National Endowment for the Arts) and Michael Stewart, librettist of Hello, Dolly!

Ninth Avenue

• Alvin Ailey Dance Hall (north)
• Julia Miles Theatre (Off Broadway venue) (south)
• Independent High School (north)

Tenth Avenue

Harbor View Terrace, public housing

• Clinton Towers Apartments 39-story apartment completed in 1974

Eleventh Avenue

Twelfth Avenue/West Side Highway

The road crosses a pedestrian island separating 12th Avenue from the West Side Highway (one of the few places where 12th and the West Side Highway are not the same). The route concludes at the West Side Highway (New York Route 9A). Opposite the intersection is the Hudson River Park and Hudson River.

References

Notes

1. "Plaza 400 Apartments, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
2. "Bristol Apartments, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
3. "Brevard Apartments, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
4. "Marymount University Dormitory, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
5. Dunlap, David W. (February 15, 2002). "New Team, Old Look for Saloon; P. J. Clarke's Changes Owners, Who Plan to Retain Atmosphere". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
6. "Park Avenue Place, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
7. "Heron Tower, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
8. Lipsyte, Robert (May 30, 2004). "Comedy Central". The New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
9. "Finland House, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
10. "Peninsula Hotel, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
11. "MGM Building, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
12. "Capitol-EMI Building, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
13. "Burlington House, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
14. "CitySpire Center, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
15. "The London NYC, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
16. "Park Central Hotel, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
17. "Mutual of New York Building, New York City /". US /: Emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved 2013-01-21.

External links

• 55th Street: A New York Songline - virtual walking tour