Source: Crain’s

Date Published: 10.15.2025

Link: Manhattan’s surprising new residential hot spot? 42nd Street

Once known primarily as a commercial corridor packed with office towers, Manhattan’s 42nd Street is now seeing a surge of office-to-residential conversions. Developers are transforming outdated office buildings into thousands of new apartments, reshaping the character of this Midtown stretch. These conversions, spurred by new zoning rules under the City of Yes initiative, reflect a citywide shift to reimagine underused office space as housing. Developers are betting that 42nd Street, once a symbol of Midtown’s business core, can evolve into a vibrant residential corridor with proximity to transit hubs.