What’s going on in East Midtown

By W. A. Muller

East Midtown Manhattan can't be summed up in a brief few words. It's a microcosm of New York City: active, eclectic, diverse and alive.

Whether you're visiting New York City, work in the area, or are a long-time resident, this community is a prime destination for choice and style. It is luxury shopping along East 57th Street and Madison and Park Avenues. It is Bloomingdale's and Dylan's Candy Bar… Harman and Extraordinary… T. Anthony and Audemars Piguet.

It is the Waldorf-Astoria, the Loews Regency, the Benjamin, and a number of upscale boutique hotels. It offers some of the city's finest dining, with Aquavit, Felidia, Le Cirque, and many more top restaurants. It is a cultural destination, with unique venues like the lounge at Opia, Florence Gould Hall, 59E59 Theaters, the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden, and Instituto Cervantes.

Savvy shoppers across the globe know they can find the best and most unique home décor in East Midtown's Decorative Arts District, an international destination for design and decorating, with scores of showrooms clustered in the world-renowned Decorative Arts District. This is also one of Manhattan's primary business hubs, home to many of New York's major financial, real estate, and legal firms, including Bloomberg, Cantor Fitzgerald, Paul Weiss, and Debevoise & Plimpton.

Significant architecture? Here you'll find the historic, including Central Synagogue, built in 1870 and the city's oldest synagogue in continuous use. You'll also find some of New York's newest and most significant skyscrapers, including 731 Lexington Avenue and 432 Park Avenue, which will soon become the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere. Also in East Midtown are many iconic buildings, including the Philip Johnson-designed Lipstick and Sony buildings.

East Midtown Manhattan has put an impressive imprint on the city's skyline, but this community is more than towering fifty-story office buildings. It is also the quiet tree-lined streets of Turtle Bay and the Upper East Side, where three-story brownstones house tony retailers and residents alike.

Since 2002, the East Midtown Partnership has worked to improve the quality of life and promote commercial activity in this community. The Partnership continues to offer new and exciting programming to East Midtown. Among its initiatives are the popular (and free) Passport card, offering special benefits at over 100 business; a mobile app, putting East Midtown at your fingertips; and vibrant programming designed to add fun to the community while promoting local businesses.

East Midtown is notable for the strong collaboration between its business and residential communities. Programming spearheaded by the Partnership is designed to bring the neighborhood together and spotlight retailers, property owners, residents, and community leaders who go to extra lengths to keep East Midtown clean, safe, and beautiful.

For more information:
eastmidtown.org