THE MIDTOWN WALK

Every part of New York is constantly evolving. But nowhere in the city is that process more evident – or better publicized by the media – than in Midtown.

“Times Square Reinvented” is a tour traversing the heart of the Apple’s most storied entertainment district, characterized today by neon, nightlife, faux naughtiness and some carefully orchestrated neo-nostalgia. And what has reshaped this bustling quarter to make it one of the world’s must-see tourist destinations? Legislation!

So how did a sparsely settled nineteenth century neighborhood best known for its livery stables become the glitzy epicenter of show business and a showcase for dazzling new corporate towers? That’s a fascinating tale best understood during the course of a walk along the newly Disneyfied 42nd Street, past more than two dozen legitimate theaters (each with a rich history of its own), up the most impossibly congested stretch of Broadway and down several blessedly quiet cross-town blocks. 

Jazz landmarks? There are plenty to be seen, if you know where to look: Bop City and the Royal Roost…the musicians’ watering hole called Jim & Andy’s…the Brill Building, where so many 50s and 60s songwriters had their offices…the Roseland Ballroom…the Paramount, the Palace and the Palladium…the Metropole, the Copper Rail and the Hotsy Totsy. We’ll locate all of them, along with Town Hall, Carnegie Hall, an entire block full of instrument shops, both Birdlands, the original “Swing Street” corridor along West 52nd and the sites of several Mafia rub-outs. 

Interested in exploring the once-and-future Times Square area with us? Contact SwingStreets to arrange a custom tour.