Pedestrian Plaza Unveiled in the Heart of Midtown, Part of $2.7B Investment in the Penn District
Vornado Realty Trust and the NYC Department of Transportation collaborated to cut the ribbon on Plaza33, a new park in the heart of Midtown.
| 25 Jun 2024 | 01:59
Plaza33 features tables, chairs, and shade from trees to relax in the summer heat amid the bustle of Midtown. (
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Plaza33 features tables, chairs, and shade from trees to relax in the summer heat amid the bustle of Midtown. (
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Plaza33 got its own street sign on the corner of 33rd St. and 7th Ave. (
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A plaza adjacent to Manhattan’s transit hub just got a makeover thanks to Vornado Realty Trust and the NYC Department of Transportation, who collaborated to unveil Plaza33: a new pedestrian park on 33rd St. and 7th Ave. in the heart of Midtown.
The plaza is situated on the east side of Penn Station, transforming an otherwise unsavory streetscape into a beautiful park with trees, landscaping, circular benches, tables, and chairs. The public-private partnership between NYC DOT and Vornado originally launched Plaza33 as a seasonal project and celebrated its debut as a permanent Midtown infrastructure on June 24.
“Plaza33 is the beating heart of the new PENN DISTRICT, a destination where office workers can sit for lunch, where commuters can take a moment to pause, and where neighbors can come to connect,” said Vornado Chairman and CEO Steven Roth in a press release.
“New York has a lot of great park areas to sit and relax,” said a tourist from Wisconsin enjoying the sun at a table in Plaza33.
“We got lunch at Los Tacos 1 across the street, and it’s nice to come here because a lot of restaurants don’t have much seating in the city,” he said. “Our first stop was this area and Times Square.”
A woman sitting alone eating her lunch corroborated this sentiment.
“I’d rather sit outside and enjoy the weather, especially in the summer, than just eat at my desk,” she said.
The new park will soon offer entertainment programming that’s free and open to the public, including music, dance, and educational series. This comes in conjunction with 34th Street Partnership, a non-profit aimed to bolster the public realm of Manhattan’s premiere tourist destination. The plaza is one of the larger features of Vornado’s $2.7 billion investment in the Penn District. This funding is going towards making the area around Madison Square Garden and Penn Station more pedestrian-friendly and making transit more accessible to tourists and natives alike.
“Great public spaces are what make New York the best city in the world to live, work, and visit,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a press release.
Visit Plaza33 on 33rd St. and 7th Ave. to catch a break from the bustle of Midtown and enjoy some shade this summer.