City officials officially cut the ribbon on the newest version of Plaza33, the pedestrian mall in front of Penn Station that was once dominated by cars.
As recently as 2015, the block next to Penn Station was clogged with overcrowded cars and endless traffic. Today, it is a car-free oasis in bustling Manhattan, where New Yorkers and visitors can sit and relax, away from the exhaust fumes and noise of traffic.
On Monday, Vornado Realty Trust CEO Steven Roth, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Councilmember Tony Simone, Councilmember Erik Bottcher and other community leaders celebrated the official completion of Plaza33 after years of construction on the site.
“It’s incredible where we are now. Just a few years ago, the street was full of cars and trucks,” Levine said. “I remember the fight to transform this plaza and all the people saying that if we gave this street over to people, traffic would be clogged all over Midtown, and now here we are and it’s great.”
Vornado financed the $65 million expansion of the plaza in partnership with the city’s Department of Transportation.
The real estate company and the Department of Transportation made the pedestrian space permanent in 2016 after it opened as a temporary plaza the year before. The MTA’s construction on a new LIRR entrance to Penn Station within the space delayed concrete buildout of a permanent design until this year.
The new plaza occupies a little less than half of 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. The 15,000-square-foot space includes trees, public seating and tables, restaurant seating, and space for public events.
Cynthia Reyes, who works near the square, told Streetsblog she was thrilled about the grand opening.
“The work here is in a very busy area,” Reyes said.
“It is a relief that as someone who has limited time during breaks, it is easier for me and others to eat lunch and enjoy the space.”
