57th Street (Manhattan) - From West To East

From West To East

Over its two mile length, 57th Street passes through several distinct neighborhoods with differing mixes of commercial, retail, and residential uses.

The first blocks of 57th Street, from its western end at 12th Avenue near the Hudson River waterfront to Tenth Avenue, are home to low-rise industrial properties, several automobile dealerships, and small-scale residential buildings. Much of south side of the block between 11th and 10th Avenues is occupied by the CBS Broadcast Center, which is the network's primary East Coast production facility. The street's name was used by CBS to title a newsmagazine program produced by the network in the late 80's, West 57th.

From 10th Avenue to Eighth Avenue, larger residential buildings appear. Beginning at Eighth Avenue and continuing east through the core of Midtown Manhattan, the street is dominated by very large commercial and residential towers, such as at the Hearst Tower at the southwest corner of 57th Street and Eighth Avenue. This stretch of 57th Street is home to several large hotels such as Le Parker Meridien and well known restaurants such as the Russian Tea Room (both between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue), and the offices of several magazines including The Economist. The corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue is home to the city-owned performance venue Carnegie Hall.

The mid-block between Seventh and Sixth avenues is a terminus of a north-south pedestrian avenue named Sixth and a Half Avenue.

East of Sixth Avenue, the street is home to numerous high-end retail establishments including Van Cleef and Arpels, Tiffany and Company, and Bergdorf Goodman. The stores located at 57th Street's intersections with Fifth and Madison Avenues occupy some of the most expensive real estate in the world.

Commercial and retail buildings continue to dominate until Third Avenue, where the street rapidly returns to a preponderance of large residential buildings. As it continues from here through its final blocks leading to its terminus at Sutton Place, the street consists of a nearly unbroken stretch of increasingly upscale apartment buildings with doormen, awnings, and small commercial establishments such as drug stores, bank branches, and restaurants.

57th Street ends at a small city park overlooking the East River just east of Sutton Place.

Notable buildings include 300 East 57th Street by architect Emery Roth. The Danish architect Bjarke Ingels is planning a large housing development in the form of a triangular pyramid at the west end of 57th street known simply as West 57.