See The New $16.7M Pedestrian Oasis Next To Grand Central Terminal

MIDTOWN, NY — A new, $16.7 million pedestrian plaza in Midtown East opened Thursday, bringing new trees and plants, a new Citi Bike station, and new bistro tables and chairs to what used to be a chaotic, traffic-filled street.

The idea for the new plaza where Park Avenue and 42nd Street intersect in front of Grand Central Terminal, called Pershing Square Plaza, started back in 2013 as a way to make the area safer for pedestrians.

The second of two phases of construction concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.

"The brand new Pershing Square is a beautiful public plaza that today welcomes a new section on the eastern side of Park Avenue,” Councilmember Keith Powers said.

"The publicly accessible area will now provide space for New Yorkers to dine and spend time outside all while admiring the iconic Grand Central Station rising before them."

Now, the pedestrian-only plaza features a cafe, 31 bistro-style tables and chairs, nearly 500 new plants and trees, along with newly granite-paved walkways and a raised patio.

The plaza also has new and improved safety and accessibility features, like security bollards to block cars, wayfinding signage, wheelchair-friendly ramps, and more.

Some infrastructure upgrades in the plaza might not be so obvious to the naked eye, but are useful nonetheless, including a little trench hugging the raised patio that directs stormwater to a new rain garden, and 21 new fire hydrants.

Underneath the street, three catch basins were upgraded, as well as 350 feet of storm sewers and 4,000 feet of water main pipes.

"Creating a new multi-purpose public space in the heart of Midtown near Grand Central Terminal," Rep. Jerry Nadler said, "is a significant milestone to expanding green and open space here in Manhattan!"

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