Mixed-use development Manhattan West officially opens today, revealing restaurants, open space, and more
Photo Credit: Jakob Dahlin
Following more than 30 years of planning, Brookfield Properties’ eight-acre mixed-use development Manhattan West officially opens today. Located on the blocks between 32nd and 33rd Streets and Ninth and Tenth Avenues, the $4.5 billion project serves as a much-needed link on the far west side, bordered by the new Moynihan Train Hall to the east, Hudson Yards to the West, and the High Line to the south. Manhattan West’s master plan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and consists of six buildings–four office, one residential, and one boutique hotel. There’s also a 2.5-acre public plaza designed by James Corner Field Operations, as well as a Whole Foods, immersive retail, and tons of restaurants including two from Danny Meyer.
Looking west towards Manhattan West with Hudson Yards in the background. © SOM | Miller Hare Limited
Brookfield Properties has been planning for a development at the site and assembling parcels of land for nearly four decades. Ground finally broke in 2013. To bring their vision to fruition, a 2.6-acre platform had to be engineered and built above the tracks leading to Penn Station, transforming a once completely underutilized swath of land.
The project also “forms the crucial missing link in a chain of pedestrian pathways that tie the West Side together,” according to a press release from SOM. Part of this is a new elevated pathway that will extend the High Line to the northern end of the site and create a link to Penn Station and the Moynihan Train Hall.
Photo of One Manhattan West by Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM
In total, Manhattan West encompasses seven million square feet of retail, office, residential, and hospitality space spread across six buildings. One and Two Manhattan West are 1,000-foot glass office towers designed and engineered by SOM. They are located at either corner of 9th Avenue and “work in tandem to form a gateway to Manhattan West,” said SOM Director Kim Van Holsbeke. “Their curving profiles offer an elegant addition to the city’s skyline and announce the creation of a thriving new neighborhood.” One opened in 2019 and Two will open in 2023.
Another office building is Five Manhattan West, a 1969 16-story Brutalist office building that received a renovated and new, pleated glass facade via Rex architects. It stretches the entire western edge of the site and has a southern breezeway that connects to 10th Avenue. The final office building is the Lofts, a 1913 brick office building along 33rd Street that was retrofitted as modern, flexible workspace.
Some of the tenants occupying the nearly six million square feet of commercial space include Skadden, Accenture, Ernst & Young, the NHL, McKool Smith, Cravath, Amazon, IHS Markit, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Swaine & Moore, R/GA, and Peloton.
Photo of the Pendry Hotel by Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM
The new Pendry Hotel on 33rd Street was also designed by SOM and opened earlier this month. The 23-story building stands out for its undulating glass-and-granite facade, a contemporary take on the bay window. The hotel has 164 guest rooms and suites and is the luxury chain’s first NYC location.
The 62-story residential rental tower is known as the Eugene. It was designed in collaboration with SLCE Architects and has 844 units(675 market, 169 income-targeted). The Eugene opened in 2019 and 98 percent leased.
Photo of the plaza’s Magnolia Court © Jakob Dahlin
All of the buildings are linked by a 2.5-acre public plaza designed by James Corner Field Operation, the same firm responsible for the High Line. It features hundreds of movable chairs, tables, benches, and planters.
Citrovia © 6sqft
The stretch of the plaza between One and Two Manhattan West is currently under scaffolding (construction is still wrapping up at Two) and was transformed into Citrovia, an interactive, outdoor art exhibit made up of thousands of whimsical, hand-painted lemons and groves.
Arts Brookfield, the developer’s cultural arm, will plan year-round, free, public programming in the plaza, including live performances, art installations, fitness classes, seasonal activations, and more.
Another entertainment component is Midnight Theater, a contemporary variety theater that will showcase talent from the worlds of magic, music, comedy, Broadway, and more. The theater has seats for 160 guests and offers a dine-in experience via its restaurant Hidden Leaf, which serves “a lively riff on Asian classics.”
As for the other dining options, Manhattan West will offer a total of 25 innovative culinary concepts lining the plaza. Two come from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Ci Siamo is an Italian restaurant that centers around live-fire cooking. It has a large amount of outdoor seating on second- and third-level terraces. There will also be an outpost of Daily Provisions, his all-day cafe and bakery. Inside the Pendry Hotel, Zou Zou’s is a beautiful Eastern Mediterranean restaurant from Quality Branded.
More culinary spots are located within Five Manhattan West’s Citizens New York food hall, designed by the Rockwell Group. It includes two restaurant concepts from parent company sbe–the famed west-coast Japanese/sushi restaurant and Spanish restaurant Casa Dani by three-star Michelin Chef Dani Garcia. Quick-service options within Citizens include Umami Burger, Krispy Rice, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, Sa’Moto, El Pollo Verde, and Plant Nation.
Photo of the plaza © Jakob Dahlin
Finally, the retail tenants were curated within the wellness realm. As outlined in a press release, they include:
- Black Fox Coffee
- City National Bank
- Life Wine & Spirits
- Peachy, popular skincare and anti-wrinkle treatment studio
- Peloton Store, retail location for stationary bikes, tread, and apparel
- Peloton Studios, flagship multi-studio location for Peloton digital and in-person group classes
- Public Rec, men’s and women’s fashion retailer known for athleisure
- OPR Eyewear Flagship
- Reset by Therabody, inaugural Manhattan location offering wellness experiences and immersive bodywork and treatments
- Rothmans, family-owned and operated men’s clothing store
- Whole Foods
The NHL Shop is another retailer and will “also act as an event and entertainment space to celebrate the game of hockey, with activations and public events in the plaza including a seasonal ice rink.”
“Manhattan West is the realization of Brookfield Properties’ long-standing vision to develop a neighborhood that weaves together the urban fabric of the city’s West Side and offer visitors a destination brimming with discovery,” said Sabrina Kanner, Executive Vice President, Development, Design & Construction, Brookfield Properties. “At the center of what we do is design spaces and experiences for people, from our 2.5-acre pedestrian plaza to year-round free, public programming to a diverse array of culinary concepts and immersive retail shops. We are incredibly proud to introduce Manhattan West and continue to contribute to the boundless vibrancy of this great city.”
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