Broadway In Midtown Gets New Pedestrian Plaza, Street Art

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A stretch of Broadway in the Garment District has been transformed through a new pedestrian plaza and "road tattoo," aiming to attract more visitors to a part of Midtown not always seen as welcoming.

The plaza stretches between 38th and 40th streets, creating new open space in a spot that had previously housed parked cars. It opened to the public Wednesday, having first been revealed in April along with other improvements along Broadway.

Adorning the plaza is a 225-foot-long painted mural by the artist Steed Taylor, who is based in the neighborhood. The blue-and-yellow work, titled "Magic Hour," depicts golden sunlight during the transition from day to night.

It was organized by the Garment District Alliance, which dubbed it a "road tattoo" for the way that streets serve as the "skins" of their communities.

Jonathan Hawkins, who manages streetscapes and district planning for the Alliance, said that pedestrian traffic in the Garment District has doubled compared to six months ago, during the depths of the pandemic.

"As workers and visitors return to New York City, we are thrilled to be able to offer a welcoming outdoor space for the public in the heart of the Garment District on Broadway," Hawkins said in a statement.

"Magic Hour" is part of a summer programming series by the Alliance, which also includes "Broadway Rhythm": weekly concerts held from 12-2 p.m. on the neighborhood's various plazas.

While the artwork will only remain in place through August, the new pedestrian plaza is permanent.

The city has described the plaza as part of Broadway Vision, an initiative that began in 2009 to make the thoroughfare more accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians.

Related coverage: New Plaza, 'Slow Streets' Coming To Broadway In Midtown: City

Fully pedestrianized block and shared street now open on Broadway between 38th and 40th Streets pic.twitter.com/vgdvM5hSCd
— Jonathan Hawkins (@jvhawkins) August 4, 2021