New 42nd Street
 United States  / New York  |  Arts/Culture

The theaters must serve as a magnet, providing affordable entertainment for New York City residents and visitors of all ages, races and classes, and they should resound with life both day and night. In order to reanimate the theaters and the street they occupy, imagination and tenacity must be brought to bear.

The New 42nd Street, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that oversees the redevelopment
of seven historic theaters on 42nd Street and operates these three projects. By the early 1980s, 42nd Street and Times Square had become a neglected stretch of urban decay. New York residents and visitors avoided the area, and growing public concern compelled New York State and City to join forces to eradicate the blight. In 1990, guided by a plan to redevelop the area through the revitalization of 42nd Street’s historic theaters, the State and City of New York established the nonprofit organization now known as The New 42nd Street. The Victory, Times Square, Selwyn, Lyric, Liberty, Empire and Apollo theaters were leased by the State and City of New York to The New 42nd Street for 99 years. Our aim is to maintain secure but lively daytime and evening activity in the Theaters, reinforce the area’s role, encourage the economic self-sufficiency of the complex while contributing to the performing arts in New York.

Historic theaters

Entertainment

Environment

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