Carnegie Hall office space refers to the area around the famous concert venue on 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan According to folklore popularized by The New York Times, an unnamed traveler once asked a random passerby, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” Without missing a beat, the man answered, “Practice.” Interestingly, the architect who designed the building was also a world-class cellist. Andrew Carnegie, whom the venue is named for, once said of Carnegie Hall, “It is built to stand for ages, and it is probable that during those ages, this hall will intertwine itself with the history of our country.” Considering that in 2016, the concert hall celebrated its 125th anniversary, his words ring true.
Carnegie Hall is not only a concert venue but also a sub-neighborhood located in Central Park South. Renting Carnegie Hall office space means access to many potential customers passing through to attend an event at Carnegie Hall, proximity to the iconic Central Park, and easy access to other parts of Midtown Manhattan, the largest central business district in the world.
What our brokers say about Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is part of the Central Park South neighborhood. Central Park South covers three blocks exactly where its name suggests: just south of New York City’s Central Park. Today, Central Park South is considered the most pricey street in New York City, with a median sale price of almost $10 million, according to Business Insider. Central Park South houses part of Billionaire’s Row, which includes eight luxury skyscrapers that stand on the south end of Central Park.
“Billionaire’s Row . . . has become a symbol of the city’s increasingly stupendous riches,” Lauren Paley writes for Streeteasy. “The apartment purchases on Billionaire’s Row have shattered records for Manhattan, an impressive feat in an already expensive city.” In fact, just a few months ago, hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin bought a $238 million penthouse at 220 Central Park South, breaking the nation’s record for the most expensive home ever sold.
Most of the world’s greatest musicians have demonstrated their talents in Carnegie Hall’s Main Hall, and their portraits and memorabilia decorate the lobby of the building. The NBC Symphony Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington have all performed at Carnegie Hall. In addition, Carnegie Hall has also served as the location for several important lectures, such as Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute Siler Anniversary Lecture, and Mark Twain’s last public lecture.
Carnegie Hall’s mission is “to present extraordinary music and musicians on the three stages of this legendary hall, to bring the transformative power of music to the widest possible audience, to provide visionary education programs, and to foster the future of music through the cultivation of new works, artists, and audiences,” according to the Carnegie Hall Corporation website. Carnegie Hall is a national landmark with three venues: Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Zankel Hall, and Weill Recital Hall. Visitors can take a tour, see the artifacts at the museum, purchase a souvenir at the gift shop, and access some Carnegie Hall events online.
Just north of Carnegie Hall and the rest of Central Park South lies Midtown Manhattan’s Central Park, an urban oasis sandwiched between Upper East Side and Upper West Side. Central Park serves as the template for numerous parks all over the world and remains one of the city’s most iconic locations, right along with Times Square and the Empire State Building. Established in 1858, the park spans 843 acres and boasts 42 million visitors annually. Central Park contributes greatly to New York City’s economy because of its significant draw for tourists, numerous major events, private investments, and close by businesses. When locals discuss Central Park office buildings, they may consider them to be in the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, the Plaza District, Carnegie Hall, Park Avenue, or Central Park South. Sometimes buildings are assessed based on how many blocks they are from Central Park.
Carnegie Hall commercial space for lease | By the numbers
| Office Space for Lease | Price per square foot |
| Overall Average | $90.25 |
| Class A | $97.25 |
Lease data & trends
Carnegie Hall is part of the Midtown Manhattan office market, where office space varies considerably by size and style; therefore, the region offers plenty of appealing options for businesses in any industry and for companies that plan to grow. As of Q3, Midtown Manhattan housed just over 288 million square feet of office space, which is more than half of New York City’s total office space inventory. Developers were working on adding just more than 12 million more square feet of office space to Midtown as of Q3 of 2019.
In Midtown, office space leases for an average of just over $90.25 per square foot for all classes and $97.25 per square foot for Class A. Midtown Manhattan houses the headquarters for many prominent companies, such as The New York Times Company, Calvin Klein, Foot Locker, Barnes & Noble, The Sharper Image, Estee Lauder Companies, Time Warner, Polo Ralph Lauren, Viacom, and Six Flags.
Getting around: Transportation
Many workplaces in Central Park South lie within walking distance, and Central Park offers several paved and dirt paths for bicyclists. Travelers can get to Carnegie Hall via subway, bus or train. The closest subway stations to Carnegie Hall or 57th Street (served by the N, Q, R, and W), 55th Street & 7th Westside, Central Park South—6th Avenue, and Central Park South—Columbus Circle (served by the 1, 2, A, B, C, and D). Buses M104, M20, and M5 stop near Carnegie Hall.
Central Park Tours recommends LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, or Midtown Skyport for those who need to fly nationally or internationally.
Top commercial real estate listings in Carnegie Hall
Ready to secure office space near Carnegie Hall? Talk with one of SquareFoot’s brokers to learn more about office space that will meet and exceed your business requirements. Begin the Carnegie Hall office space search with these three excellent selections: 1700 Broadway, 1330 Avenue of the Americas, and 1368 Avenue of the Americas:
– 1700 Broadway: 1700 Broadway stands 42 floors high in the nearby Columbus Circle neighborhood. Built in 1968, 1700 Broadway offers 625,000 square feet of rentable Class A office space. It features a marble lobby, tower views in four directions, 24/hour parking garage, and state-of-the-art security. Current tenants of the property include CBS Broadcasting Inc., DC Comics, Gensler, and Cardiovascular Research Foundation. Currently, eight units ranging from 2,001 to 13,533 square feet are open and available to new renters.To find out more about pricing or to schedule a tour, contact SquareFoot. The 7th Avenue Subway Station (trains B, D, and E); the 50th Street Subway Station (trains 1 and 2); the 57th Street Subway Station (trains N, Q, and R); and the 49th Street Subway Station (trains N and R) make accessing 1700 Broadway quick and convenient. For lunch in the area, try out Gallaghers Steakhouse, Carnegie Deli, or Park Cafe.
– 1330 Avenue of the Americas: Technically located in the Plaza District, the Pearson Building houses Samsung, AT&T, Abeona Therapeutics, QuadReal Property Group, RXR 1330 Owner LLC, fuboTV, and Gallup. 1330 Avenue of the Americas stretches 40 stories high and provides 525,825 square feet. The Class A office building underwent a $30 million renovation in 2007 and features a newly designed plaza, a sophisticated lobby, 24/7 building access, a parking garage equipped with valet attendants, and on-site property management. Quite a few units are available for rent in the Pearson Building. Businesses looking for a smaller space might rent one of the building’s 18 units that range from 150 to 4,000 square feet in size. Businesses requiring more space have plenty of options here, too, with 45 units available ranging from 250 to 16,400 square feet in size.Contact SquareFoot for rental pricing information or for a tour of the property. With a Walk Score of 99 and close proximity to a variety of transportation options, it’s easy to get to 1330 Avenue of the Americas. Take the 1, B, D, E, F, M, N, Q, R, or W to get to the Pearson Building. For lunch in the area, try Fogo de chao, Benoit, or Bistro Milano.
– 1368 Avenue of the Americas: 1368 Avenue of the Americas is an office tower technically located in the nearby Plaza District, which is an ideal location for small to mid-sized financial services businesses. Built in 1971, 1368 Avenue of the Americas has 34 floors and 311,501 square feet of rentable space. Currently, 13 units in the building are open and available to new renters.Contact SquareFoot for information regarding pricing and other building details. 1368 Avenue of the Americas has several nearby parking garages for those who wish to get to work by car. In addition, the 1, B, D, E, F, M, N, Q, R, and W also stop in the general vicinity.
History
At first, Carnegie Hall was just called “Music Hall” and eventually renamed “Carnegie Hall” in 1893 when the Music Hall Company of New York talked Andrew Carnegie into allowing them to name the venue after him. Andrew Carnegie provided the funds necessary to build Carnegie Hall, which was originally built to be the Oratorio Society of New York and the New York Symphony Society’s venue. Isaac A. Hopper and Company constructed the building; although it did not officially open to the public until May 5, 1891, groups were using the building as early as April of that year.
Carnegie Hall remained in the Carnegie family until 1925, when it fell into the hands of Robert E. Simon, a real estate developer. His son Robert E. Simon, Jr., inherited the building and eventually attempted to sell it to the New York Philharmonic. The New York Philharmonic turned him down in favor of moving to Lincoln Center. Because the building had failed to sell, and people were afraid that two concert venues could not both prosper in NYC, at one point Carnegie Hall was almost demolished and replaced with an office tower. That didn’t happen, though, because special legislation allowed the City of New York to purchase Carnegie Hall for $5 million. In 1962, the building became a National Historic Landmark.
James Stewart Polshek spearheaded the building’s renovation project in both 1986 and 2003. His contributions included a 1980 Master Plan for the facility, an update to Stern Auditorium, and the establishment of both Weill Recital Hall and the Kaplan Rehearsal Space. In addition, he added the Rose Museum, Rohatyn Room and Shorin Club Room, and Zankel Hall. Though one might think people would be excited about the renovations, some people actually claimed the changes negatively impacted the acoustics of the building. However, after years of discussion, the cause of the problem was discovered to be a slab of cement found underneath the stage.
