Theater District, Manhattan

The Theater District is a famous area in Midtown Manhattan where you can find most of the Broadway theatres. It is also called the Theatre District and is officially zoned as the "Theater Subdistrict". This neighborhood is full of excitement, with many theaters, movie theaters, restaurants, hotels, and other fun places to visit.

The Theater District is located between West 40th Street and West 54th Street, and from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. It also includes the busy and bright Times Square. A special part of Broadway that runs through this area is known as The Great White Way because of the bright lights on the buildings.

Besides theaters, the Theater District has many other interesting spots. You can find recording studios, offices for music labels, places where actors and performers work, television studios, tasty restaurants, and big movie theaters. Famous spots here include Duffy Square, Shubert Alley, the Brill Building, and Madame Tussauds New York, where you can see lifelike wax figures of famous people.

Boundaries

The Theater District is in Midtown Manhattan and has many Broadway theaters. It goes from West 40th Street to West 54th Street, and from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. The area also includes Times Square.

There is another theater area called Theatre Row, on 42nd Street from Ninth Avenue to Eleventh Avenue. This area has many smaller theaters that are not on Broadway.

History

Origins and early history

In 1836, the mayor of New York City, Cornelius Lawrence, opened 42nd Street to help the city grow. He told people to move north because it was cleaner there. The Theater District grew when the Metropolitan Opera House moved to the area in 1883. This brought more theaters and restaurants. A famous theater owner, Oscar Hammerstein I, opened his Victoria Theatre on 42nd Street in 1899. When transportation got better with trolleys and the New York City Subway in 1904, more people could visit.

The part of Broadway through the Theater District is called "The Great White Way." In the 1880s, parts of Broadway were lit with electric lights, making them very bright. By the 1890s, the stretch from 23rd to 34th Street was so bright that people called it "The Great White Way." As more theaters opened further up, the name stayed.

Preservation

Joe Papp's "Save the Theatres" campaign

In 1982, a man named Joseph Papp started a campaign called "Save the Theatres" to protect old theaters. He organized events, made posters, and got actors to talk about it. He tried to get the government to make the Theater District a special historic area, but this didn’t happen.

Later, Papp helped make the Theater District an official historic area in New York City. This meant each theater could only be changed with special permission, helping keep them looking the same for many years.

Landmark status for individual theaters

In the 1980s, many theaters became official city landmarks. This meant they couldn’t be changed without permission. This helped protect them from being torn down or changed too much. Over time, more theaters got this protection.

Theater Subdistrict zoning

In 2001, rules were changed to help protect the Theater District. These rules let theaters sell extra space to buildings nearby, which helps keep old theaters standing. There is also a special group that helps give money to keep theaters running and looking their best.

Points of interest

In the Theater District, you can see two special statues. One is a statue of Francis P. Duffy, made by Charles Keck, and it is located in Duffy Square in Times Square. The other statue is of George M. Cohan, made by Georg Jo. Lober with architect Otto Langman, and it is also in Duffy Square in Times Square.