New York 1 is reporting in their "this day in New York City history" clip that on June 1, 1977, the revitalization of West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th began with the opening of Manhattan Plaza, a major two-towered residential complex that most famously offers subsidized housing for artists (Larry David used to live in the building, which now has waitlists so long they're not even accepting names).
If they mark June 1, 1977 has the spark to West 42nd St, how will they mark June 1, 2005.
On this day, the Douglas Fairbanks Theater (1983-2005), the John Houseman Theater (1986-2005), the Kraft Restaurant & The Tank were no longer tenants of West 42nd Street between 9th & 10th. They were cleared to make room for a 40-60 story residential tower with luxury apartments. They were cleared because it was their time. Their leases expired on May 31st.
Every generation makes its own progress, and perhaps the Related Company will bring something to that block that will life it to a higher level. Perhaps.
But let's remember for a moment that the Fairbanks and Houseman were not the relics of some anti-progress age. They were the revitalization the block desperately needed 20 years ago.
They were fully-functioning, beautiful, welcoming Off-Broadway Theaters when conventional wisdom said that Ninth Avenue was too far west to be successful. They were risky propositions on a block that the City wanted to forget.
That's why the City was willing to give a 99-year lease on the block to William Condren, who has now sold his remaining 70+ years to Related.
And, let's remember that Manhattan Plaza did NOT revitalize 42nd Street. 42nd was so bad at the time that Manhattan Plaza put all of its entrances on 43rd Street, hoping to convince prospective tenants that they were safe from the dangers of 42nd. In fact, Manhattan Plaza's contribution to 42nd Street was not a leap of faith...rather it was a character-less brick facade, the back end of a fortress meant to keep the block at bay, and killing the hope for dynamic street life on the north side of the street.
Even this effort to become a 43rd Street enterprise left Manhattan Plaza an undesirable location. Nobody would move there. In fact, the only way they could fill it by was appealing to the most desperate of New Yorkers: artists.
Twenty-eight years later, Manhattan Plaza is a coveted address. There are theaters between 11th & 12th, luxury apartments on 12th and, of course, Circle Line at the river. Times have changed.
But this day in New York history not only marks the creation of Manhattan Plaza; now, forever, it will mark the passing of two Off-Broadway theaters that anchored an entire block, which truly revitalized one tiny strip of the universe, called 42nd between Dyer & 10th.
Onward with the march of progress.
