Union Square East Looking Uptown, A Long Time Ago

Go to http://www.walkscore.com and type in our address to see that we are ranked 100 out of 100 as a perfect walking neighborhood. You’ll see a Google map showing all the things that make our location a perfect urban location.

See it all here. 

Union Square-14th Street has demonstrated incredible resilience during the unprecedented past year. There are strong signs the district will not only continue its
upward trajectory but also thrive as one of the City’s best neighborhoods to live, work, and invest in. In this report, outline the neighborhood’s key advantages and highlight the positive indicators of continued economic growth and success.

Among Union Square’s many advantages is its function as a true “15-minute neighborhood,” with its wealth of local amenities and resources accessible within walking distance or a short bike ride. The availability of public space, in particular, has emerged as an even greater asset this year as Union Square Park and nearby streets and plazas have been key for safe recreation, social activity, and commerce.

New developments across Union Square-14th Street are picking up momentum, introducing a range of transformative projects to the district’s skyline and public realm. Among the exciting projects underway, which include a civic center, two modern residential towers, and a boutique hotel, several projects have recently reached key milestones:
∫ Completion of the landmark restoration of Tammany Hall has introduced a new architectural icon at 44 Union
Square, including office and retail opportunities.
∫ Zero Irving’s Tech Training Center is on track to complete in Spring 2021. The project aims to bring 550 permanent jobs to the area.
∫ The City implemented a dedicated busway, improving access along 14th Street with the rollout of M14 Select Bus Service. In the months following its installation, ridership on the route increased 14% and travel times decreased 24%.
∫ USP unveiled the Union Square-14th Street District Vision Plan, an ambitious proposal that envisions a 33% increase in public space, and significant improvements to district accessibility and the overall pedestrian environment.

Investment in Union Square’s future remains strong, with over $850 million committed to projects across the commercial, residential, and health sectors, totaling over 1 million square feet of new development. Since January 2020, there have been over $500 million in residential sales around Union Square and there are more than 200 residential units in development. We look forward to welcoming our new neighbors to the district soon.

Since January 2020, 33 businesses have opened or plan to open in Union Square, including a mix of eateries, retailers, beauty, and professional services. These include 25 brand new to the district, five that relocated to a new or renovated space within the district, and three that have announced plans to open soon. Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome these new additions, including Rookie and the Urbanspace Food Hallin 2021, and Target in 2023.

With nearly 73,000 residents and 142,000 employees within a 1/2 radius, Union Square remains one of NYC’s most desirable places to live and work.
∫ Its 2:1 employee to residential population makes Union Square a true mixed-use neighborhood, supported by a diverse array of commercial businesses, retail,
and restaurants.
∫ 38.5% of Union Square’s residences are owner-occupied, a number far above Manhattan’s 24%

RESIDENTIAL OVERVIEW
Union Square Manhattan NYC
Total Population 72,928
Housing Units 42,603
Median Asking Rent $4,304
Median Home Value $1,336,014
% Owner Occupied 38.5%
Median Household Income $142,526
Median Age 35
Average Household Size 1.6

Opening: A Steve Madden shoe boutique north of Union Square on Broadway, a new high-end Japanese restaurant at 13th and 3rd, and Tong Thai Brasserie right across University on 13th.

Closing: That great magazine shop at the corner of 6th Ave. and 11th Street, which is very sad.

Here is the corner of 13th and 5th, looking at the NE corner which now, of course, is The New School. This photo dates to the 1930s. Interesting how many changes have come to this corner over time.

 

Here’s the pretty big news about upcoming traffic redesign and new pedestrian areas in and around Union Square:

A plan to reshuffle traffic around Union Square and add a new pedestrian plaza nearby has been given the final green light after months of contentious debate.

Community Board 5 voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Department of Transportation’s plan for the square despite continuing cries from a group of vocal residents who say the changes will only make traffic in the congested neighborhood worse.

The revised plan, which the DOT will begin implementing in the coming months, will restrict traffic to one-way westbound on E. 17th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South.

Broadway will be narrowed to one lane from 17th to 23rd streets, and a new pedestrian plaza will be added to the east side of Broadway between 17th and 18th streets. The exact design of the plaza, including whether or not it will have tables and chairs like Herald Square and Times Square, is still up for debate.

To improve traffic on Park Avenue South, southbound cars will be prohibited from turning left at 18th Street, while northbound cars will be banned from turning left onto 19th and 23rd streets, among other restrictions.

Numerous dedicated turning lanes will also be added, in addition to new protected bike lanes and revised parking schemes.

The DOT’s Ryan Russo said the department hopes the plan will make the stretch more pedestrian-friendly, less chaotic and cut accidents in half.

Nonetheless, a handful of residents continued to complain that they’ve been left out of the decision process and haven’t been given enough time to consider the changes.

“I think this plan is being rushed to the extreme and rammed down neighbors’ throats,” lawyer Milton Meyers, 63, a 20-year resident of 18th Street and Irving Place, told the standing room-only crowd at the CB5 meeting Thursday.

Artist Silvia Kolbowski, who has collected more than 300 neighborhood signatures opposing the plan, accused the DOT of caring less about improving safety than pushing through another pedestrian plaza as part of a larger city plan.

“If the issue was safety at the crossings, then surely this plan is overblown,” said Kolbowski, 56, who has lived on East 18th Street at Park Avenue South for a decade. The plan, she said, will create “nothing but chaos.”

While such opinions were overwhelming when the idea was first presented back in April, opposition has faded as the DOT has made revisions, including dropping an initial plan to completely shut down Broadway to traffic between E. 17th to 18th streets at certain times of the day.

Numerous organizations, including representatives from New York University, the Union Square Green Market, the Union Square Partnership, and Transportation Alternatives have now joined in support of the plan.

“This neighborhood has a chance to have some significant safety improvements that other neighborhoods are clamoring for,” dance instructor, Detta Ahl, 31, who lives in Morningside Heights but frequently cycles in the area, told the audience.

The plan was ultimately adopted on a ‘pilot’ basis, with a provision that the DOT return in three and six months after implementation to report on the results.