In this issue
Major Upgrades Show Confidence in 34th Street
 Here’s more evidence attesting to the amazing vitality of 34th Street, and to the confidence that property and business owners have in its future. A recent article in Real Estate Weekly detailed the culmination of a 18-month project by Malkin Properties LLC, a major player in the 34th Street District, to upgrade 1350 Broadway, the landmark office tower just north of Herald Square. The top-to-bottom upgrade included a new lobby, new entrances, new elevators, and complete overhauls of electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and security systems. The REW article quoted Fred C. Posniak, Senior V.P. at Malkin Properties LLC, as saying: “…1350 also offers a prime Herald Square location with outstanding transportation connections for our prestigious tenant roster.”
 Malkin Properties LLC’s efforts were immediately rewarded when HSBC Bank, which had occupied 7,780 sq. ft. of the building’s office space for 10 years, signed a 10-year renewal. With the recent opening of a 14,000 sq. ft. Duane Reade showcase store at the property, and the addition of a new 4,000 sq. ft. branch of the Sovereign/Salamander Bank, occupancy is assured into the future. Malkin Properties has performed similar upgrades on three other prestigious 34th Street District buildings, including the most prominent edifice in the city, the Empire State Building. The company’s properties are supervised by Malkin Holdings, LLC.
The facelift on 34th Street has not been confined to office space. Earlier this year, the owners of 14 Penn Plaza installed all-new storefronts, and just east of that address, at 213-223 W. 34th Street, a project to construct a gleaming, multi-story, 60,000-sq. ft. retail building is scheduled to begin this year. Shoe giant DSW has already signed on to be the main tenant there. We at the 34th Street Partnership believe that this investment is a wise one that will help 34th Street maintain its status as NYC’s premier apparel shopping district.
Theater in the Park: STARBOX
 Just as the dog days approach, art.party.theater.company, the organization that brought us “Bryant in the Park” last August, is back with another stimulating public art project. This year, APTC invites all park visitors to participate in STARBOX, an installation-performance at the park’s Fountain Terrace. Here’s the deal: a mysterious box has been placed on the Fountain Terrace. The public is invited to look into the box. There they will see a well-known star (a different one each week, but we’re not telling who).
This installation, created by Mary Birnbaum and Jess Burkle, involves 20 performers milling around the box, creating an atmosphere of pure showbiz. The first performance was last Friday, and there are three more to go: July 30, August 6, and August 13, each from 6:30-8:30pm. The installation has already appeared in Berlin, Paris and L.A. to rave reviews, so this is NYC’s chance to see a real star and observe what it’s like to be in the cocoon. An event like this is Twitter-bait, for sure, and you can follow it at @artpartytheater. One thing we ask: don’t tell anyone who the celeb is.
Broadway in Bryant Park Drawing Big Crowds
 Broadway in Bryant Park has long been one of the park’s most beloved programs, but the explosive growth in attendance at the series in recent years is truly remarkable. This season, BIBP, which presents singing performances by the casts of the biggest hit musicals from Broadway and off-Broadway, is consistently drawing crowds of over 5,000 people to Bryant Park’s lawn. “It’s really amazing,” says Alice Cashman, BP’s Associate Director of Events. “You used to be able to come at 12:30pm (the starting time) and get a seat. Now, people start arriving at 11:00am for rehearsal. By show time, most of the lawn and the gravel areas are filled.”
 Some people are lucky enough to get their photos taken with the performers, and many flood the sponsor tents after the shows to score freebies and brochures, and to sign up for free Broadway ticket giveaways and shopping sprees. Those sponsors are, by the way, Bank of America, JCPenney, and LiteFM, and we thank them for helping bring such a great event to the park. There are only three more chances to catch Broadway in Bryant Park this season, so make your plans now. The remaining performances are July 29, August 5, and August 12. The music begins at 12:30pm, but as we mentioned, the lawn begins filling up long before then.
A Look Back
 Bryant Park has a long, dynamic history and has had several distinct incarnations. Here’s a photo from 1926, taken from what is now the Upper Terrace, looking toward the western end of the park. Notice the street cars on 42nd Street. Notice also the long-departed, but hardly lamented, Sixth Avenue ‘El’, which began operation in 1878 and cast a shadow (literally as well as figuratively) on Bryant Park that made it an unpleasant place to visit. By the 1930’s, Architecture Magazine described the park as “one of the most disreputable…in the city.” Luckily, merchants and property owners on Sixth Avenue campaigned to have the ‘El’ removed, and it was replaced by the IND Sixth Avenue subway line in the late 1930’s.
You can also see that the layout of the park was completely different then. The stark Victorian design included no gardens, no movable chairs, and, perhaps most dramatically, no majestic London plane trees. Those weren’t planted until September of 1934. Also in the 1930’s, legendary public works “czar” Robert Moses undertook a radical redesign of Bryant Park. The resulting park was not without its own defects, but we’ll save that story for another time. One more thing: this photo offers an unobstructed view of the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street. Contrast this with the current state of affairs: that intersection, anchored by 1095 Avenue of the Americas (the former Verizon Building, fully refurbished), the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, HBO, and Bryant Park, is now one of the premier corners in NYC.
The Bottom Line
 Programming density is what makes Bryant Park stand apart, and we are smack-dab in the middle of high season. Last week, visitors to the park had the chose of between 22 special events to attend, including a film screening, author and poet appearances, children’s events, Broadway in Bryant Park, and more. There were also daily amenities, including the Reading Room, ping pong, chess, Pétanque, Le Carrousel, ‘wichcraft, Bryant Park Grill, Bryant Park Café, and the Southwest Porch. If that was not enough, there were also two yoga classes, two tai chi classes, a knitting class, and an appearance by one of our exotic birds.
34th Street District
Daily Amenities
Foosball
Daily, 11:00am-7:00pm, Greeley Square
Weekly Activities
Hoop Dancing
Mondays, 6:00-7:00pm, Broadway Boulevard between 34th and 35th Streets
Zumba
Thursdays, 6:00-7:00pm, Broadway Boulevard between 34th and 35th Streets
Bryant Park
Daily Amenities
The Reading Room
Daily, 11:00am-7:00pm – Weather permitting
Le Carrousel
Daily, 11:00am-8:00pm – Weather permitting
The Southwest Porch
Monday-Saturday, 12:00pm-9:00pm
Sunday, 12:00pm-6:00pm
Weekly Activities
Bryant Park Yoga
Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00am, Upper Terrace
Thursdays, 6:00-7:00pm, Lawn
Bryant Park Tai Chi
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30-8:30am, Fountain Terrace
Bryant Park Knits
Tuesdays, 1:30-3:00pm, Upper Terrace across from BP Grill
Meet the Birds
Tuesdays, 11:30am-2:00pm
Bryant Park Games
Chess and Backgammon
Monday-Saturday, 11:00am-7:00pm
Pétanque
Monday-Friday, 11:00am-6:00pm Free Lessons
Ping Pong at The Tables
Daily, 11:00am-7:00pm
Upcoming Events
Piano in Bryant Park: Armen Donelian
Monday-Wednesday & Friday, July 26-28 & 30, 12:30pm-2:30pm, Upper Terrace
Thursday, July 29, 2:00-4:00pm
Broadway in Bryant Park – The Lion King/Addams Family/Wicked/Next to Normal
Thursday, July 29, 12:30-1:30pm, Lawn
Word for Word Writers – Humor Writing
Thursday, July 29, 6:30-8:00pm, Reading Room
Theater in the Park - STARBOX: Presented by art.party.theater.company
Friday, July 30, 6:30-8:30pm, Fountain Terrace
Word for Word Kids – YoYo Fun!
Saturday, July 31, 12:00-1:00pm, Reading Room
Le Carrousel Kids – Flaubert Frog in Bryant Park
Saturday, July 31, 1:00-2:00pm, Le Carrousel
Word for Word Theater – A Grimm Reality
Saturday, July 31, 6:30-7:30pm, Reading Room
Chess Tournament for Kids
Sunday, August 1, 11:00am-2:00pm, Chess Area
Pétanque Tournament
Sunday, August 1, 10:00am-4:00pm, Throughout the park
Le Carrousel Magique – David Oliver
Sunday, August 1, 1:00-2:00pm, Le Carrousel
Hudson River Park at Tenth Avenue and 14th Street
Weekly Activities
SharQui Belly Dancing Classes
Tuesdays, 6:00-7:00pm – Weather permitting
Yoga Classes
Wednesday, 7:00-8:00pm – Weather permitting
Triangle at Ninth Avenue and 14th Street
Weekly Activities
Capoeira Classes
Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30pm – Weather permitting
Sunset Salsa
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00pm – Weather permitting
Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick, Brooklyn
Weekly Activities
Yoga Classes
Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00am – Weather permitting
Boot Camp Fitness Classes
Thursdays, 10:00-11:00am – Weather permitting |
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