UNION SQUARE

A Midtown Manhattan Neighborhood

Union Square is Manhattan’s Midtown neighborhood that’s center stage and steps away to notable neighbors–to the north is the Flatiron District; northwest is Chelsea; to the east, Gramercy Park; and to the south, lies Greenwich Village.

Union Square Park, (Broadway to 4th Avenue, East 14th to East 17th Streets) opened in 1839 and has served as the site for New York City and national celebrations and festivals for over 170 years. Manhattan’s first Labor Day parade was here in 1882; countless workers’ rallies in the 1900s and the first Earth Day in 1970.

Manhattanites flock to Union Square Park to the Greenmarket Farmers Market that began in 1976 and has grown into the largest outdoor urban farmers market network in the country with locations throughout Manhattan.

Strolling through the Market in Union Square Park is like visiting a European village filled with activity. Fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood and artists displaying their wares within a beautiful park containing statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Gandhi, along with plenty of green and seating areas. In the late 1990s, the Park was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior.

The Union Square neighborhood went through a period of misuse in the 70s and 80s, but city leaders envisioned the potential in this urban space and today it contains upscale apartments, lofts and boutique shops as well as retail giants. This area of New York offers plenty of shopping options–from Whole Foods, Filene’s Basement, Barnes & Noble and Best Buy to upscale shops and spas, Union Square has countless shopping and relaxation options.

One of the largest private commissions of public art (over one hundred feet high) is the Metronome at 14th Street that’s an interpretation of a giant clock. Its 15 digital numbers, puffs of smoke that emit intermittently throughout the day, 24-carat gold-covered bricks and large hand was the result of artists Jones and Ginzel . Although met with less-than-desirable critiques from the media and public at large, the artists’ intention was to represent the relentless pulse and energy of Manhattan.

Union Square is now an updated version of its glory days in the early 1800s when upscale town homes and cultural activities defined its thriving borders.

Some of Manhattan’s best eateries are here and nearby. There’s the Striphouse at 13 East 12th Street, considered by many as New York’s best steak house with a distinctive red interior, decorated with photographs of femme fatales from 1900’s Vienna. Gotham Bar and Grill at 12 East 12th Street is steps away in Greenwich Village. Opened in the mid-1980s, its received accolades from the New York Times and New York Magazine and is consistently rated as a favorite New York City restaurant in Zagat Surveys.

One of Manhattan’s most well-known sushi restaurants, 15 East atm15th Street is a half block from Union Square and Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe at 21 East 16th Street serves up American cuisine with “Italian soul.” This Manhattan treasure has earned Zagat Survey’s #1 ranking as New York’s Most Popular Restaurant for eight consecutive years.

Also nearby is Gramercy Park, a privately-owned park that contains “Block Beautiful,” a street containing what the name implies–over-the-top luxury living; townhouses, mansions and luxury dwellings are here, one being a 42-room mansion. The famous Gramercy Park Hotel, a “Haute Bohemian” luxury boutique hotel on 2 Lexington Avenue is a legendary landmark where artists and adventurers have called home or stayed temporarily. Humphrey Bogart married his first wife at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Condos can sell for $20M plus in the area.

Zeckendorf Towers at 1 Irving Place in Gramercy Park has 670 condos within a stunning building that has four towers. The building is easily recognized from its screens, in the shape of pyramids, that grace each of the towers and light up at night. Its base houses office, retail and on-site garage parking.

Union Square Flats (one block from Union Square) is at 56 East 13th Street in nearby Greenwich Village, and is a renovated 1906 building that has eight floors of condos and loft spaces.

A new luxury condo building is at 8 Union Square South–14 stories with 20 residences, is within strolling distance to the Park, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Gramercy Tavern and off-Broadway entertainment.

At 20th Street and Park Avenue South, is a renovated French limestone building that gives residents easy access to Union Square Park, Greenwich Village and lies in the heart of the nearby Flatiron District. Elegant and modern, it houses 123 condos–from studios to two-bedrooms–both sales and rentals. 

Overlooking Union Square Park is 15 Union Square West–a modern “21st century artistic metamorphosis of Tiffany & Company’s 19th century headquarters,” with a facade of black zinc and glass and 36 condos with five-star amenities.

Union Square is a thriving and captivating crossroads that gives residents access to everything New York.