Manhattan's Turtle Bay: Story of a Midtown Neighborhood

The mid-20th century ushered in a new era for the East Midtown neighborhood of Turtle Bay. The United Nations moved into its headquarters on the East River, and the Third Avenue El last of Manhattan s elevated rail lines was dismantled, making way for one of New York City s biggest building booms. The site of large farms in colonial times, Turtle Bay grew into a neighborhood of elegant Brownstones in the mid-1800s, only to deteriorate with the arrival of factories and slaughterhouses later in the century. In the 1920s, charming town houses and luxury apartments sparked a renaissance, attracting influential and celebrated residents to this small town oasis in the heart of the city. Manhattan s Turtle Bay tells the story of the past half-century, as the neighborhood recognized its role at the center of the world s diplomatic stage and adjusted to life amid the gleaming high-rise towers all around.