This AIA NY tour examines the transformation of East 42nd Street from an industrial backwater to a vital Midtown corridor. There was a time when this seven block long stretch of East 42nd Street from the East River to Grand Central Terminal was seen as the undesirable back door of Midtown Manhattan. Slaughterhouses lined the banks of the East River, and an assortment of manufacturing and industrial uses continued west along the artery. With the establishment of three large scale projects in the 1930s—Tudor City, the Daily News, and the Chrysler Building—stepping stones were created for further development. By 1954 two clearly established anchors were in place: the United Nations on the East River and Grand Central at Park Avenue. The Ford Foundation then followed in 1967. With recent new development, including the towering One Vanderbilt office tower and the cavernous construction of Grand Central Madison, the history of this famous street continues to unfold.
2 LU / 2 HSW

Saturday June 28, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
42nd Street Entrance to the Ford Foundation between First and Second Avenues
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