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488 Madison Avenue

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87-594: 488 Madison Avenue , also known as the Look Building , is a 25-story office building in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . It is along Madison Avenue 's western sidewalk between 51st and 52nd Streets , near St. Patrick's Cathedral . 488 Madison Avenue was designed by Emery Roth & Sons in the International Style , and it was constructed and developed by Uris Brothers . The building

174-610: A Lithuanian immigrant and former ornamental iron worker. The senior Uris, with his brothers, operated a large iron foundry that produced ornamental iron and included the New York City Subway among its clients. Percy graduated with a business degree from Columbia Business School in 1920, and went into partnership in 1925 after Harold graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Cornell . The brothers first focused on residential development, including emergency housing during World War II . They were successful during

261-469: A Citizens' Advisory Committee for the project disavowed it. Architectural Forum said it was "third-rate architecture". Uris ignored the criticism and proceeded with their plans. Mayor Joseph Clark said the building did not conform to the Penn Center plan and insisted that Uris submit the building plans for review by the city Art Commission. The Art Commission had authority over buildings in some parts of

348-433: A college education or higher. The percentage of Midtown Manhattan students excelling in math rose from 61% in 2000 to 80% in 2011 and reading achievement increased from 66% to 68% during the same time period. Midtown Manhattan's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In Midtown Manhattan, 19% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , less than

435-529: A lease for several floors. 488 Madison Avenue remained the headquarters of Look until the magazine stopped publishing in 1971, although it continued to be known as the Look Building for several years. The building has been owned by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and The Feil Organization since the 1970s. The Look Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and

522-507: A low population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 11%, slightly less than the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in Midtown Manhattan is 0.0113 milligrams per cubic metre (1.13 × 10  oz/cu ft), more than the city average. Eleven percent of Midtown Manhattan residents are smokers , which

609-419: A lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 81.2% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 8 murders, 23 rapes, 653 robberies, 502 felony assaults, 660 burglaries, 2,375 grand larcenies, and 68 grand larcenies auto in 2022. The main part of midtown Manhattan, between 34th and 59th Streets from Lexington Avenue to Eighth Avenue, is served by five fire stations of

696-587: A major force in Midtown Manhattan's economy, and indeed the city's, as the total value of all New York City property was estimated at US$ 914.8 billion for the 2015 fiscal year . Manhattan has perennially been home to some of the nation's, as well as one of the world's, most marketable real estate, including the Time Warner Center , which had the highest-listed market value in the city in 2006 at US$ 1.1 billion, to be subsequently surpassed in October 2014 by

783-567: A number of private languages and music centers (e.g. Berlitz , American Language Communication Center, New York Language Center, Swan Music School, and the New York Youth Symphony ). The La Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi Italian international school moved to West Midtown in 2016. The New York Public Library (NYPL) operates the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (also the Main Branch),

870-438: A policy of creating the greatest amount of space for the lowest cost." The materials in the lobby have been replaced, but its layout remains largely unchanged from the building's opening. The lobby floor is clad in white and black granite, and the walls are clad in limestone and contain terrazzo decorative elements. The original coved ceiling was replaced with a lower ceiling of a similar style. There are stainless steel doors on

957-633: A profound effect on shaping the Park Avenue skyline above 45th Street". Under Park Avenue in New York City, north of 45th Street, is the Park Avenue Tunnel which carried the New York Central and New York, New Haven, & Hartford tracks through Manhattan to Grand Central Terminal . Buildings on Park Avenue near the terminal, in an area known as Terminal City , were successfully built over

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1044-959: A program aimed at creating "a 24/7, live-work, mixed-use neighborhood" in Midtown South though the conversion of commercial and office space to residential, as part of an effort to create 20,000 new residences citywide in a decade. According to The Broadway League , shows on Broadway sold approximately US$ 1.54 billion worth of tickets in both the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons. Both seasons featured theater attendance of approximately 12.3 million each. Companies that used to have their headquarters in Midtown Manhattan include American Airlines , American Comics Group , American Overseas Airlines , Central Park Media , Eastern Air Lines , GoodTimes Entertainment , LJN , NewKidCo , Pan American World Airways , Philip Morris Companies (now Altria Group ), Trans Caribbean Airways , and Trans World Airlines . In 1997, Aer Lingus announced that it

1131-451: A public company. The offering of stock provide the financial capital for even larger projects. From 1945 to 1971, Uris Buildings and its predecessor build over 13,000,000 sq ft (1,200,000 m ) of office space in Manhattan . By 1969, it was the largest publicly owned investment builder, with the brothers retaining 60% ownership. Percy handled most financial aspects of

1218-657: A reference branch at 476 Fifth Avenue. The four-story building, constructed in 1911, is known worldwide for its architecture and has several million items in its collections. There are also five circulating branches in Midtown: Two campuses of the City University of New York (CUNY)—the doctorate-granting CUNY Graduate Center and the Stella and Charles Guttman Community College —are located in Midtown, while Baruch College , also of

1305-467: Is 41% in Midtown Manhattan, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 45% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Midtown Manhattan is considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . Midtown Manhattan is patrolled by two precincts of the NYPD . Midtown North is patrolled by the 18th Precinct, located at 306 West 54th Street, while Midtown South

1392-443: Is a marquee sign with the number "488". A row of cast stone panels runs above the base on all sides. On either side of the main entrance, and on 51st and 52nd Streets, are aluminum storefronts. The remainder of the facade is mostly made of white brick with aluminum windows wrapping in a continuous ribbon around each floor. The windows are arranged into three horizontal rows of panes and do not contain any columns behind them. The design

1479-643: Is also growing in Midtown Manhattan based upon the city's strength in academic scientific research and public and commercial financial support. By mid-2014, Accelerator, a biotech investment firm, had raised more than US$ 30 million from investors , including Eli Lilly and Company , Pfizer , and Johnson & Johnson , for initial funding to create biotechnology startups at the Alexandria Center for Life Science, which encompasses more than 700,000 square feet (65,000 m ) on East 29th Street and promotes collaboration among scientists and entrepreneurs at

1566-690: Is commonly defined to be 59th Street ; its southern boundary is less clear, and variously taken to be 34th Street , 23rd Street , or even 14th Street . Midtown spans the entire island of Manhattan along an east–west axis, bounded by the East River on its east and the Hudson River to its west. The Encyclopedia of New York City defines Midtown as extending from 34th Street to 59th Street and from 3rd Avenue to 8th Avenue. In addition to its central business district , Midtown Manhattan encompasses many neighborhoods, including Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea on

1653-546: Is considered to be the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere , servicing around 650,000 people per day. The Port Authority Bus Terminal , located at Eighth Avenue and 41st Street at the western edge of Midtown, is the city's main intercity bus terminal and the world's busiest bus station, serving 250,000 passengers on 7,000 buses each workday. The building opened in 1950 and had been designed to accommodate 60,000 daily passengers. A 2021 plan announced by

1740-701: Is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 86% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Midtown Manhattan, there are 11 bodegas . The nearest major hospitals are Mount Sinai West in Hell's Kitchen ; Beth Israel Medical Center in Stuyvesant Town ; the Bellevue Hospital Center and NYU Langone Medical Center in Kips Bay ; and NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital in

1827-496: Is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are adults: a plurality (45%) are between the ages of 25 and 44, while 22% are between 45 and 64, and 13% are 65 or older. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 7% and 12% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community Districts 4 and 5 (including Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen )

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1914-470: Is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 297 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole. The 18th Precinct has a lower crime rate than it did in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 82.1% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 1 murder, 22 rapes, 154 robberies, 185 felony assaults, 205 burglaries, 2,065 grand larcenies, and 116 grand larcenies auto in 2022. The 14th Precinct also has

2001-407: Is less than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Midtown Manhattan, 10% of residents are obese , 5% are diabetic , and 18% have high blood pressure —compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 9% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Ninety-one percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which

2088-496: Is located at 421 8th Avenue. The post office stopped 24-hour service in 2009 due to decreasing mail traffic. Midtown Manhattan generally has a higher rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018 . A majority of residents age 25 and older (78%) have a college education or higher, while 6% have less than a high school education and 17% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 64% of Manhattan residents and 43% of city residents have

2175-918: Is located in Midtown Manhattan. Haier operates its United States offices in the Haier Building at 1356 Broadway, formerly the headquarters of the Greenwich Savings Bank . Haier held the opening ceremony on March 4, 2002. Sumitomo Corporation operates its New York Office, the headquarters of the corporation's United States operations, at 600 Third Avenue, 10016 in the Murray Hill neighborhood. El Al 's North American headquarters are in Midtown. The Air France USA regional headquarters are in 125 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Hachette Book Group USA has its headquarters in 237 Park Avenue . In 1994 Alitalia considered moving its USA headquarters from Midtown to Lower Manhattan , but decided to keep

2262-1273: Is one of the world's leading financial centers. Midtown Manhattan is the one of the world's largest central business district , with 400 million square feet (37.2 million m ) of office space in 2018. Midtown contains the headquarters of major companies, including 4Kids Entertainment (formerly), Barnes & Noble , Bloomberg L.P. , Ernst & Young , Calvin Klein , Cantor Fitzgerald , CBS Corporation , Citigroup , Colgate-Palmolive , Cushman & Wakefield , DC Comics , Deloitte , Duane Reade , Estée Lauder Companies , Foot Locker , Frederator Studios , JPMorgan Chase , Hess Corporation , Kroll Inc. , L-3 Communications , Marsh & McLennan Companies , Marvel Entertainment , MetLife , MidOcean Partners , Morgan Stanley , Nasdaq, Inc. , NBCUniversal , The New York Times Company , NexCen Brands , Paramount Global , Pfizer , Polo Ralph Lauren , Saks Incorporated ( Saks Fifth Avenue ), The Sharper Image , Simon & Schuster , Six Flags , TBWA Worldwide , Thomson Reuters , Warner Bros. Discovery , Time Warner Cable , The Travelers Companies , and Univision Communications . The New York Institute of Finance

2349-482: Is part of 10001. Other areas between 14th and 34th Streets are covered by ZIP Codes 10003, 10009, 10010, and 10011, though these are generally not considered to be part of Midtown proper. There are also thirty-three ZIP Codes assigned to individual buildings or building complexes. The United States Postal Service operates six post offices in Midtown: The James A. Farley Station , the city's main post office,

2436-430: Is patrolled by the 14th Precinct, located at 357 West 35th Street. The precincts ranked 69th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. The high per-capita crime rate can be attributed to the low population of the area, as well as the high number of crimes committed against tourists. As of 2018 , with a non-fatal assault rate of 25 per 100,000 people, Midtown Manhattan's rate of violent crimes per capita

2523-409: Is the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere . Midtown Manhattan is the largest central business district in the world, and has been ranked as the densest central business district in the world in terms of employees, at 606,108 per square mile (234,020/km ). Midtown also ranks among the world's most expensive locations for real estate; Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan has commanded

2610-409: The 1916 Zoning Resolution . Each of the building's stories contain an average floor area of 19,500 square feet (1,810 m), a feature intended to maximize usable office space. 488 Madison Avenue was constructed from 1948 to 1950 as a speculative real estate development , without a main tenant. By late 1949, the building was completely leased, and it was named after Look magazine, which had signed

2697-629: The Ladies' Mile , along Fifth Avenue from 14th to 23rd Street; and the Tenderloin , from 23rd to 42nd Street and from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue . Important streets and thoroughfares The border of Midtown Manhattan is nebulous and further confused by the fact that the term "Midtown Manhattan" can be used to refer either to a district or a group of neighborhoods and districts in Manhattan: Midtown Manhattan, along with Lower Manhattan ,

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2784-568: The New York City Department of Buildings . At the time, there was high demand for office space in Midtown Manhattan; the new structure was one of eight ongoing projects in Manhattan that added a collective 3.628 million square feet (337,100 m) of office space. Uris Brothers publicly announced plans for 488 Madison Avenue in February 1949 as Cathedral College was being demolished. When

2871-563: The New York City Fire Department (FDNY): The greater Midtown area between 14th Street and 59th Street contains seven additional fire stations. As of 2018 , preterm births and births to teenage mothers in Midtown Manhattan are lower than the city average. In Midtown Manhattan, there were 67 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 4 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Midtown Manhattan has

2958-679: The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated it as an official landmark in 2010. 488 Madison Avenue is in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . The L-shaped land lot is bounded by Madison Avenue to the east, 52nd Street to the north, and 51st Street to the south. The land lot covers approximately 21,600 square feet (2,010 m), with a frontage of 75 feet (23 m) on 52nd Street, 200 feet (61 m) on Madison Avenue, and 140 feet (43 m) on 51st Street. The Olympic Tower , Cartier Building , and 647 Fifth Avenue are on

3045-553: The Upper East Side . Midtown Manhattan is located within six primary ZIP Codes . West of Fifth Avenue, Midtown is located in 10018 between 34th and 41st Streets, 10036 between 41st and 48th Streets, and 10019 between 48th and 59th Streets. East of Fifth Avenue, Midtown is located in 10016 between 34th and 40th Streets, 10017 between 40th and 49th Streets, and 10022 between 49th and 59th Streets. The area southwest of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, sometimes considered to be in Midtown,

3132-635: The Waldorf Astoria New York , which became the most expensive hotel ever sold after being purchased by the Anbang Insurance Group, based in China, for US$ 1.95 billion . In the same year, six of the top ten most expensive zip codes in the United States by median housing price were located in Manhattan, underscoring the borough's dominant position in the real estate market. When 450 Park Avenue

3219-433: The 10th through 12th floors. The magazine, founded in 1937, was rapidly expanding at the time, with a circulation of three million in 1948. The building housed several other tenants in the publishing industry, including Seventeen magazine and Pocket Books . The building was subsequently named after Look magazine in early 1950, even though it had been planned as a speculative development . Esquire magazine, which took

3306-699: The 1920s and early 30s building numerous buildings in that time frame, but struggled during the Great Depression . They resumed apartment construction in 1937 with 2 Sutton Place and 930 Fifth Avenue in 1939. Few other prominent New York City builders of the 1920s boom were still active after the war. They stopped building apartments in 1950, pulling out due to dissatisfaction with rent controls that were imposed during war but never discontinued. After that, they concentrated on commercial real estate development projects. They owned their developments personally until they incorporated in 1960 forming Uris Buildings,

3393-664: The City University of New York, is located in Midtown South. Mercy College is situated at Herald Square . Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Terminal are the two major railroad stations located in Midtown Manhattan. Penn Station serves Amtrak , NJ Transit , and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), while Grand Central serves the Metro-North Railroad and also serves the LIRR at Grand Central Madison . Penn Station

3480-539: The Katz Advertising Agency on the 20th floor. Emery Roth & Sons leased some space in their own design, as did Raymond Loewy , who devised designs for the Scenicruiser bus model for Greyhound Lines at the building. The Music Publishers Holding Company, a parent company of labels such as Harms, Inc. , New World Music , Remick Music , and Witmark & Sons , also had space in the building. One visitor to

3567-611: The Port Authority would spend $ 10 billion to expand capacity and modernize the facility. The New York City Subway and MTA Regional Bus Operations each operate several routes that go through Midtown. Additionally, the PATH train to New Jersey terminates at 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown. Traffic congestion is common, especially for crosstown traffic. In 2011, a new system of traffic light control, known as "Midtown in Motion"

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3654-614: The United Nations, and consulates-general accredited to the United States, in Midtown Manhattan. In addition, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Republic of China ( Taiwan ) is in Midtown Manhattan. Uris Brothers Uris Buildings Corporation was a New York City commercial real estate development company created by Harold and Percy Uris in 1960 from a predecessor private partnership. They retained 60% ownership in

3741-433: The United States achieved completion in Midtown Manhattan, at a selling price of US$ 238 million, for a 24,000 square feet (2,200 m ) penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park at 220 Central Park South . The COVID-19 pandemic and hybrid work models have prompted consideration of commercial-to-residential conversion within the neighborhood's real estate sector. In August 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced

3828-643: The West Side, and Murray Hill , Kips Bay , Turtle Bay , and Gramercy Park on the East Side. It is sometimes broken into "Midtown East" and "Midtown West", or north and south as in the New York City Police Department 's Midtown North and Midtown South precincts. Neighborhoods in the Midtown area include the following: Midtown is the original district in the United States to bear the name and included historical but now defunct neighborhoods such as

3915-564: The basement and first floor, as well as a florist, tailor, women's accessories, and fabric sales agency. The airline Linee Aeree Italiane took an office on the ground floor, and the New York Trust Company leased a bank branch on the first floor and basement. On the upper stories, a pair of life-insurance associations took the seventh through ninth floor, the Chemical Construction Company on the 15th and 16th floors, and

4002-496: The brick was cleaned and partially replaced, and the slate windowsills were replaced. In addition, Fox & Fowle renovated the interior. Following the end of the restoration, in late 1998, the Municipal Art Society hosted an exhibit on the building's restoration. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 2005, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated

4089-496: The brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District , is a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Sixth Avenue also has the headquarters of three of the four major U.S. television networks . Midtown is part of Manhattan Community District 5 . It is patrolled by the 14th and 18th precincts of the New York City Police Department . Geographically, the northern boundary of Midtown Manhattan

4176-498: The building among Emery Roth & Sons' "best postwar work". Stern wrote that the building was influential in International Style Modernism because of its horizontal strip windows. According to Stern, the Look Building was the first major design to be constructed by Emery Roth & Sons after its namesake, founder Emery Roth , had died. 488 Madison Avenue contains 23 stories, with two additional mechanical stories at

4263-478: The building as a city landmark on July 27, 2010. The Feil Organization announced a renovation of the lobby in 2012 to designs by Goldstein, Hill & West Architects . The work was completed early the following year. By the mid-2010s, the building's tenants included law firms and advertising agencies. In addition, the Feil Organization leased space to some online menswear shops in 2018. The building's tenants in

4350-527: The building unless forced and recommended changes to make the building more attractive. This building was under authority of the Art Commission due to its location near the scenic Benjamin Franklin Parkway . The Art Commission, who did not want to replicate the architecture of Three Penn Center, reached agreement with Uris that steel would not be ordered until the commission approved the plans. In spite of

4437-460: The building was announced, Architectural Forum said of the design, "Advocates of the strip window can chalk up another recruit to their ranks". By that April, before construction had begun, tenants had already leased nine stories. The first steel arrived at the site on June 1, 1949. The construction of the steelwork was difficult because the facade's corners were curved, which required specially made steel parts. According to The New York Times ,

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4524-542: The business, such as buying and selling property, negotiation of loans, financing, rental pricing, and profit calculation. Management of construction activity was primarily the realm of Harold. Uris frequently used Emery Roth & Sons as architect . Projects outside of New York included the Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC that was built with five stories underground in order to have the desired space while conforming to

4611-401: The center and with nearby academic, medical, and research institutions. The New York City Economic Development Corporation 's Early Stage Life Sciences Funding Initiative and venture capital partners, including Celgene , General Electric Ventures, and Eli Lilly, committed a minimum of US$ 100 million to help launch 15 to 20 ventures in life sciences and biotechnology. Real estate is

4698-651: The city's primary central business district . Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building , the Chrysler Building , the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project , the headquarters of the United Nations , Grand Central Terminal , and Rockefeller Center , as well as several prominent tourist destinations, including Broadway , Times Square , and Koreatown . Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan

4785-416: The city, but not Penn Center. Uris stalled and eventually said the structural steel had already been ordered so no changes were possible. Three years later, while Three Penn Center was under construction, Uris released plans for Two Penn Center, its second building in the project. This building was considered as bad as the first building. The Board of Design realized Uris would not improve the aesthetics of

4872-411: The citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 92% of high school students in Midtown Manhattan graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. There are no public elementary or middle schools in Midtown. The New York City Department of Education operates the following public high schools in Midtown, serving grades 9–12: Private schools include The Beekman School , Rebecca School , and

4959-471: The company had six stories in the building. Look magazine ultimately went defunct in October 1971. The leasehold for the building, excluding the land, was conveyed by Charles Benenson to John D. MacArthur in November 1973, although ownership of the land was not affected. Around that time, ownership passed to a joint venture between John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and The Feil Organization . By

5046-594: The company's fifth-floor music studio was Bob Dylan , who created some demo tracks in the early 1960s. The Look Building was purchased by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in April 1953 and leased back to Uris that August. In 1963, Cowles Magazines expanded its space in the building by 78,000 square feet (7,200 m). Prior to the expansion, Cowles was already 488 Madison Avenue's largest tenant, with 125,000 square feet (11,600 m). At one point,

5133-443: The contractor hired three crews of seven riveters to construct the frame. However, Marv Rothenstein stated that the work was completed by seven teams of four riveters each. In any case, by August 7, the steel had been constructed to the nineteenth floor. The steel frame was topped out at the end of that month, exactly twelve weeks after steel construction. The New York Times called it "a post-war record for steel erection". Afterward,

5220-538: The corporation. One of the last buildings the brothers built together was the Uris Building housing the Uris Theater . Soon after Percy's death in 1971, Harold sold the corporation to National Kinney Corporation for $ 115 million, but the assets were soon foreclosed in the real estate market collapse of New York's 1973–75 recession . Percy started the business in 1920 with his father Harris H. Uris (c. 1867–1945),

5307-450: The design. The average office floor is designed with 19,500 square feet (1,810 m) of office space, more than ninety percent of the lot area. Richard Roth of Emery Roth and Sons believed that, in general, there were relatively few "good tenants" who were willing to occupy smaller floor areas. Accordingly, he sought to maximize usable office space in the company's buildings. Harold Uris of Uris Brothers believed similarly, saying, "We had

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5394-487: The district's height restrictions. In Philadelphia , Uris built the first modern building in the city's central business district redevelopment known as Penn Center in 1953–1954. The company was reported to be valued at over $ 600 million in 1972. Uris Brothers developments were not architecturally imaginative or sophisticated. The company was focused on creating large profitable spaces at low cost. Famous real estate investor Harry Helmsley credits Uris with "having

5481-458: The early 2020s included clothing stores Bonobos , Indochino , and Untuckit , as well as the Municipal Art Society and Shawmut Design and Construction . The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York is scheduled to relocate its main offices into the building in 2025. Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan , serving as

5568-494: The elevators, which date from the original design. Percy Uris sought to arrange the elevators so no patron would have to wait more than 35 seconds for a cab, and he also aimed to reduce pedestrian traffic congestion in the lobby. The old Cathedral College at Madison Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets, was sold in October 1948 to the Uris Brothers for $ 2.6 million. The following month, plans for 488 Madison Avenue were filed with

5655-531: The facade was erected at a rate of four windows a week. By November 1949, all of the office space had been rented for long periods. The first tenants moved to the building in early 1950, and Uris Brothers took a mortgage loan of $ 7.5 million from the Prudential Life Insurance Company in May 1950. Among the largest tenants was Cowles Magazines, the parent company of Look magazine, which initially took

5742-469: The following year. The college moved from the site in 1942. The surrounding stretch of Madison Avenue was largely residential until World War II, when commercial structures were constructed on the avenue. 488 Madison Avenue, originally the Look Building, was designed by Emery Roth & Sons in the International Style and constructed by Uris Brothers between 1948 and 1950. The two firms were extremely closely associated and collaborated on many projects in

5829-411: The late 1980s. The base is two stories tall and consists of a wall of glass panels, some of which are tinted black. The main entrance is on Madison Avenue, at the center of that side, which slopes down toward 52nd Street. The main entrance contains a revolving door between two swinging glass doors. These doors are recessed inside a passage paved with granite in light and dark gray shades. Above the entrance

5916-477: The late 20th century, the Institutional Investor magazine and Abbeville Press had also become tenants of 488 Madison Avenue. Despite Look magazine's closure, 488 Madison Avenue continued to be referred to as the Look Building. The south side of the penthouse contained letters that spelled "Look Building" until at least 1980. Horowitz Immerman Architects renovated the base in the late 1980s, replacing

6003-444: The mid-20th century, and Emery Roth & Sons were particularly responsible for designing many of the modernist structures on Madison Avenue after World War II. The contractors included steel supplier Harris Structural Steel Corporation and electrical engineer Henry Oehrig. Some elements of the current design date from 1997, when Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates renovated the exterior. Architectural writer Robert A. M. Stern called

6090-510: The neighborhood was 64.1% (18,351) White , 4.6% (1,310) African American , 0.1% (34) Native American , 20.8% (5,942) Asian , 0% (8) Pacific Islander , 0.3% (92) from other races , and 2% (569) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.1% (2,324) of the population. The entirety of Community District 5, which comprises Midtown Manhattan, had 53,120 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 84.8 years. This

6177-701: The offices where they were at the last minute. Global Infrastructure Partners has an office in Midtown Manhattan. Silicon Alley , the common metonym for New York City's high tech sector, is based in Midtown South , specifically the Flatiron District . Prominent Silicon Alley companies in Midtown include AppNexus , Blue Apron , Gilt , Betterment , Oscar , SoFi , Rent the Runway , Warby Parker , and WeWork . The technology sector has been expanding across Midtown Manhattan since 2010. The biotechnology sector

6264-406: The original facade with a more modern design of steel and black glass. During the mid-1990s, Feil hired Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates to renovate the building. The owners decided to restore the facade instead of rebuilding it because a facade restoration was cheaper, rather than because of aesthetic considerations. During this restoration, the steel windows were replaced with aluminum-framed panes,

6351-536: The same block to the west, and 11 East 51st Street abuts 488 Madison Avenue along 51st Street. Other nearby buildings include St. Patrick's Cathedral to the south, Villard Houses and the Lotte New York Palace Hotel to the southeast, the CBS Studio Building to the northeast, and Omni Berkshire Place and 12 East 53rd Street to the north. In the 19th century, the site of 488 Madison Avenue

6438-539: The third and fourth floors, sought to prevent the building from being named after Look in June 1950. Esquire argued the building's renaming would make it appear as though Esquire's publications were associated with Look. The lawsuit did not result in any significant action, as 488 Madison retained the "Look Building" name for decades. The other early tenants included the Schrafft's chain of restaurants, which took up parts of

6525-404: The top. The building's facade contains setbacks to comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution . On the southern facade, there are setbacks at the eighth and 11th floors. There are additional setbacks on all three sides at the 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, and 23rd stories. 488 Madison Avenue measures 308 feet (94 m) tall from ground level to roof. The design of the base dates to a renovation in

6612-460: The tracks, which run in a double-deck subterranean steel structure, in the early 20th century. Uris was the first to build in this manner post-war when it was much more challenging due to desire for much higher buildings, and much denser rail traffic which could not be interrupted during construction. In 1955, Uris demolished an apartment building at 300 Park and replaced it with the glass and aluminum sheathed Colgate-Palmolive Building. The building

6699-523: The tracks. In 1953, drawings for the Three Penn Center building, designed by Emery Roth & Sons, were released. The design was viewed critically and called an "unremarkable twenty-story slab". Then Yale School of Architecture professor Louis Kahn said an architectural student would receive a failing grade for such a project. Arthur C. Kaufmann, CEO of Gimbels in Philadelphia and member of

6786-509: The world's highest retail rents and is the most expensive shopping street in the world. Midtown Manhattan is the country's largest commercial, entertainment , and media center, and is also a growing financial and fintech center. Many of New York City's skyscrapers , including its tallest hotels and apartment towers , are located in Midtown Manhattan. The neighborhood hosts commuters and residents working in its offices, hotels, and retail establishments, tourists and students. Times Square,

6873-403: Was $ 101,981, though the median income in Midtown individually was $ 120,854. In 2018, an estimated 11% of Midtown Manhattan residents lived in poverty, compared to 14% in all of Manhattan and 20% in all of New York City. One in twenty residents (5%) were unemployed, compared to 7% in Manhattan and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent,

6960-503: Was announced, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion. Approximately 750,000 vehicles enter Midtown Manhattan on a fall business day. According to the 2011 Traffic Data Report for New York State, 777,527 vehicles a day went through select toll facilities into Manhattan. The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division , First Department, is located at the Appellate Division Courthouse at 25th Street and Madison Avenue

7047-602: Was completed in 1900 by architect James Brown Lord , who used a third of the construction budget to decorate the building with statues and murals. The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration operates its New York office on the 22nd floor at 135 West 50th Street . Several countries, including Algeria , Argentina , The Bahamas , China , Costa Rica , Germany , Ireland , Israel , Jamaica , Japan , Luxembourg , Mexico , Morocco , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , South Africa , South Korea , United Kingdom , and Ukraine , have Permanent Missions accredited to

7134-458: Was financially successful because analysis by structural engineer James Ruderman determined that some below-grade structural columns of the old building, which threaded through the track structure to bedrock 50 feet (15 m) down, could be reused significantly reducing cost. The success of the project led Uris to purchase air rights over the tracks at 320 and 350 Park. Other developers soon followed and several more buildings were then built over

7221-479: Was intended to place an emphasis on the horizontal axis, as well as give a "light and cheerful" effect to the occupants by having continuous windows. According to Percy Uris of Uris Brothers, "if a building has good lines, its simplicity will add to its beauty". Curves at the building's corners connect each facade. The curved corners contain a radius of 3.5 feet (1.1 m). Marv Rothenstein, an employee of Uris Brothers, stated that curved motifs were used frequently in

7308-516: Was moving its North American headquarters from Midtown to Melville , New York , in Suffolk County on Long Island . Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of Midtown Manhattan was 28,630, a change of 2,823 (9.9%) from the 25,807 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 692.81 acres (280.37 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 41.3 inhabitants per acre (26,400/sq mi; 10,200/km ). The racial makeup of

7395-459: Was originally named for its primary tenant, the American magazine Look . The building largely contains a facade of white brick, interspersed with horizontal strips of aluminum windows. The lowest two stories contain a main entrance on Madison Avenue as well as several glass-and-metal storefronts. The three sides are connected by curved walls. The exterior includes several setbacks to comply with

7482-612: Was owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York , which used the site for the Roman Catholic Asylum. The Archdiocese of New York built a boys' trade school on the site in 1893. The school was housed in a four-story red brick building with turrets, as well as a main entrance with three doors. The asylum sold off much of its land in 1902, and the trade school building became the Cathedral College, which opened

7569-408: Was sold on July 2, 2007, for US$ 510 million, about US$ 1,589 per square foot (US$ 17,104/m ), it broke the barely month-old record for an American office building of US$ 1,476 per square foot (US$ 15,887/m ) based on the sale of 660 Madison Avenue . In 2014, Manhattan was home to six of the top ten zip codes in the United States by median housing price. In 2019, the most expensive home sale ever in

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