East 42nd Street

East 42nd Street
Robert Parma · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	East 42nd Street
Location	Manhattan, New York City
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Hudson River
Direction b	East
Terminus b	FDR Drive
Notable	Grand Central Terminal, Chrysler Building, United Nations Headquarters, Bryant Park, New York Public Library

East 42nd Street is a major crosstown artery in Midtown Manhattan linking the Hudson River waterfront to the East River waterfront. The street traverses neighborhoods including Chelsea, Hudson Yards, Midtown Manhattan, Turtle Bay, and Kips Bay, and connects landmark institutions such as Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, and the United Nations Headquarters. Historically a focal point for commerce, transportation, and architecture, the corridor has been shaped by civic planning initiatives involving figures like Robert Moses and institutions including the New York City Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

History

East 42nd Street originated during Manhattan’s early 19th-century street grid development under the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 and became prominent as Midtown expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The opening of Grand Central Terminal in 1913 catalyzed growth by attracting railroads such as the New York Central Railroad and by encouraging construction of skyscrapers exemplified by the Chrysler Building and office buildings occupied by firms like J.P. Morgan and AT&T. Urban planning projects during the 1930s–1960s, influenced by Robert Moses and agencies like the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, altered traffic patterns and encouraged vehicular infrastructure including ramps to the FDR Drive and approaches to the Lincoln Tunnel. Postwar zoning changes and the advent of the United Nations campus in the late 1940s reshaped land use, while preservation efforts by groups such as the Landmarks Preservation Commission and advocacy by entities like the Municipal Art Society of New York responded to demolition pressures in the 1960s–1980s.

Route and Geography

Running roughly east–west across Manhattan’s numbered street grid, the street begins near the Hudson River neighborhood around 11th Avenue and proceeds eastward across thoroughfares including 12th Avenue, 11th Avenue, 10th Avenue, 9th Avenue, 8th Avenue, 7th Avenue, 6th Avenue, 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Park Avenue. It intersects major north–south arteries such as Broadway and Lexington Avenue en route to the FDR Drive at the East River. The corridor crosses cultural nodes like Bryant Park between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue and the New York Public Library Main Branch near Fifth Avenue, situating it within business districts anchored by corporate headquarters like Chrysler Corporation and international institutions including the United Nations. Topographically, the street traverses the relatively flat Manhattan island and interfaces with infrastructure corridors including rail approaches, subway tunnels under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and vehicular ramps managed by the New York City Department of Transportation.

Notable Buildings and Landmarks

Prominent structures on or adjacent to the avenue include Grand Central Terminal, an intercity and commuter rail hub historically linked to the New York Central Railroad and famed architect Reed and Stem with firm partner Warren and Wetmore; the Chrysler Building, an Art Deco skyscraper associated with architect William Van Alen and the Chrysler Corporation; the United Nations Headquarters, designed with input from figures including Le Corbusier and Wallace K. Harrison and housing delegations from member states such as United States and United Kingdom; and the New York Public Library Main Branch, co-designed by Carrère and Hastings. Cultural and public spaces include Bryant Park, home to events organized by groups like the Bryant Park Corporation and seasonal programming such as winter markets. Office towers and hotels include properties historically associated with firms like Pan Am and modern real estate entities such as Vornado Realty Trust and Tishman Realty and Construction Company. Nearby academic and cultural institutions include Columbia University affiliates and performance venues linked to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts cluster further uptown.

Transportation and Infrastructure

East 42nd Street is anchored by multimodal connections: Grand Central Terminal provides regional rail via Metro-North Railroad and links to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line at the Grand Central–42nd Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) station, while nearby subway services include the BMT Broadway Line and the IND Sixth Avenue Line at transfer points like Bryant Park–42nd Street. Bus routes operated by the MTA Regional Bus Operations traverse the corridor; bicycle lanes and pedestrian plazas have been developed through initiatives by the New York City Department of Transportation and advocacy by Transportation Alternatives. Vehicular infrastructure connects to the FDR Drive to the east and feeder routes to the Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel to the west via nearby avenues, with traffic engineering influenced by studies from the Regional Plan Association and municipal traffic planning staffs. Utilities and subsurface infrastructure follow rights-of-way coordinated with agencies including Consolidated Edison and the Department of Environmental Protection (New York City).

Cultural References and In Popular Culture

The corridor appears in literature, film, and music: it serves as a setting in novels by authors like E.B. White and Don DeLillo, features in films such as King Kong (1933 film), The Avengers (2012 film), and numerous productions shot in Midtown, and is invoked in songs by artists connected to Tin Pan Alley and Broadway. Television series set in New York, including Mad Men and Law & Order, use Midtown locales and landmark exteriors like Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building for establishing shots. The United Nations presence on the corridor also figures in international news coverage by outlets such as The New York Times and BBC News, and diplomatic events at the complex have been depicted in documentaries produced by PBS and BBC programs.

Category:Streets in Manhattan