South of Union Square logo
South of Union Square
Story
Essential New York: Lower Midtown

Explore Lower Midtown.

Observe skyscrapers vying for height 🏙️ and glimpse the grandeur of historic hotels, theatres, and public buildings. Join the hustle and bustle of NoMad and wander the quiet, quaint blocks of Gramercy Park🌳.

ByUrban Archive logoUrban Archive
Start
15 stops•2.9km•36 min
1
Empire State Building
Empire State Building icon

Empire State Building

The airship mast on top of New York's most iconic skyscraper secured its position as the world's tallest building at the time of completion.
1
2
Herald Square
Herald Square icon

Herald Square

Herald Square is named for a newspaper known for sensational coverage of scandal and crime.
2
3
Macy's Herald Square
Macy's Herald Square icon

Macy's Herald Square

Macy’s claims to be the first department store in New York City to put on a holiday window display.
3
4
Pennsylvania Station (1910)
Pennsylvania Station (1910) icon

Pennsylvania Station (1910)

The original Penn Station was built in 1912 and required the demolition of 500 buildings and the digging of tunnels under the East and Hudson Rivers. Its 1963 demolition became a rallying cry for the nascent preservation movement in America.
4
5
James A. Farley Building
James A. Farley Building icon

James A. Farley Building

The main United States Postal Service Building bears the inscription: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
5
6
Gilsey House
Gilsey House icon

Gilsey House

Opened as a hotel in 1872, Gilsey House's crowning architectural feature is its extraordinary three-story mansard roof!
6
7
Fifth Avenue Theatre
Fifth Avenue Theatre icon

Fifth Avenue Theatre

Famed WPA photographer Berenice Abbott captured the ornate interior and facade of this 19th century theatre a few months before it was demolished in 1939.
7
8
Madison Square Park
Madison Square Park icon

Madison Square Park

Madison Square Park is a seven-acre urban park. Since 2004, it has hosted the—often monumental— works of more than 30 artists.
8
9
Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building icon

Flatiron Building

Nicknamed "Flatiron" for its shape, the Fuller Building was first derided as a misshapen symbol of commercial greed and later extolled as an exhilarating symbol of modernity.
9
10
Flatiron Sightseeing Bus
Flatiron Sightseeing Bus icon

Flatiron Sightseeing Bus

A precursor to the modern sightseeing bus. Look how happy they are!
10
11
Metropolitan Life Tower
Metropolitan Life Tower icon

Metropolitan Life Tower

Before the tower's completion, a large light was placed on the top to display the results of the presidential election of 1908, visible for miles around.
11
12
Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State
Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State icon

Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State

Completed in 1899, 25% of the cost of this courthouse building was spent on sculpture!
12
13
Baruch College
Baruch College icon

Baruch College

Baruch College began as part of the 1847-founded Free Academy, which aimed to provide education to New Yorkers who could not afford to enroll in the city's private colleges.
13
14
69th Regiment Armory
69th Regiment Armory icon

69th Regiment Armory

This space is best known for hosting the International Exhibition of Modern Art in 1913; the “Armory Show” was the first presentation of Modern art in the United States.
14
15
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park icon

Gramercy Park

This is one of two private parks in New York City. Only residents of the buildings surrounding the park who pay an annual fee of $350 are given a key.
15
Privacy PolicyTerms of Service