Midtown, Manhattan - Definition and Overview

View of Midtown from Empire State Building.

Midtown is a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City that has such world-famous commercial buildings as Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and the Empire State Building.

The exact size of the Midtown area is disputed. Most agree that the core commercial area extends from 40th Street up to the southern edge of Central Park on 59th Street and from Third Avenue in the east to Ninth Avenue in the west, but some take a broader view and classify Midtown as the whole area of Manhattan between 23rd and 59th Streets and between the Hudson and East Rivers.

Whatever its boundaries, Midtown Manhattan is undisputably the busiest single commercial district in the United States. The great majority of the city's skyscrapers, including most of its hotels and many apartment towers, lie within Midtown. More than 3 million commuters work in its offices, hotels, and retail establishments; the area also hosts many tourists, visiting residents, and students. Some areas, especially Times Square and Fifth Avenue, have massive clusters of retail establishments.

The Midtown Manhattan skyline viewed from across the Hudson River

Other important sights in Midtown:

• Museum of Modern Art
• St. Patrick's Cathedral
• Grand Central Terminal
• New York Public Library
• Chrysler Building
• United Nations Headquarters
• Carnegie Hall
• Times Square
• Shops like F.A.O. Schwarz on Fifth Avenue

Important streets and thoroughfares in Midtown:

• Madison Avenue
• Broadway
• Park Avenue
• 42nd Street