Editing 42nd Street (Manhattan) (section)

=== Early 20th century ===
42nd Street was developed relatively late compared to other crosstown thoroughfares such as [[14th Street (Manhattan)|14th Street]] and [[23rd Street (Manhattan)|23rd Street]], which had grown during the [[American Civil War]], and [[57th Street (Manhattan)|57th Street]], which became prominent in the 1890s. It was only after the beginning of the 20th century that the street saw entertainment venues being developed around [[Times Square]] and upscale office space around Grand Central Terminal.<ref name="Stern (1995) p. 452">{{harvnb|ps=.|Stern|Mellins|Fishman|1995|p=452}}</ref> In the first two decades of the 20th century, eleven venues for [[legitimate theater]] were built within one block of West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.<ref name="p1505606157">{{cite magazine |date=October 12, 1917 |title=Legitimate: New York's Playhouse List Nearing Half Century Mark |magazine=Variety |volume=48 |issue=7 |pages=14 |issn=0042-2738 |id={{ProQuest|1505606157}}}}</ref>

The corner of 42nd Street and [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], at the southeast corner of Times Square, is the eastern terminus of the [[Lincoln Highway]], the first road across the [[United States]], which was conceived and mapped in 1913.

An [[Elevated railway|elevated railroad]] line, running above East 42nd Street from [[Third Avenue (Manhattan)|Third Avenue]]  to the [[Grand Central station (IRT 42nd Street Branch)|Grand Central station]], was closed in 1923,<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 7, 1923|title=42d St. Elevated Stops; Service on Spur to Grand Central Discontinued Last Midnight.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1923/12/07/archives/42d-st-elevated-stops-service-on-spur-to-grand-central-discontinued.html|url-status=live|access-date=March 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302000821/https://www.nytimes.com/1923/12/07/archives/42d-st-elevated-stops-service-on-spur-to-grand-central-discontinued.html|archive-date=March 2, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> leading to the development of such structures as the [[Chanin Building]] and [[110 East 42nd Street]] west of [[Lexington Avenue]]. The street east of Lexington Avenue continued to be made up of mostly low-rise buildings; these blocks were adjacent to the elevated [[IRT Second Avenue Line]] and [[IRT Third Avenue Line]], and accordingly, initially considered unattractive for major development.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 25, 2003|title=Socony-Mobil Building|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2117.pdf|access-date=December 14, 2020|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|page=2|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827172358/http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2117.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> By the 1920s, ''The New York Times'' reported that several high-rise developments were "radically changing the old-time conditions" along East 42nd Street,<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 13, 1929|title=News Building; Tall East 42d Street Edifice Nearing Completion.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/10/13/archives/news-building-tall-east-42d-street-edifice-nearing-completion.html|access-date=May 24, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827172356/https://www.nytimes.com/1929/10/13/archives/news-building-tall-east-42d-street-edifice-nearing-completion.html|url-status=live}}</ref> including the Chanin, [[One Grand Central Place|Lincoln]], [[Chrysler Building|Chrysler]], and [[Daily News Building]]s, as well as [[Tudor City]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 3, 1929|title=Manhattan's Building Peak Shifts to Forty-Second St; Five Buildings Cost Over $61,000,000. A Pioneer Movement. Renting From the Plans.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/02/03/archives/manhattans-building-peak-shifts-to-fortysecond-st-five-buildings.html|access-date=May 24, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827172356/https://www.nytimes.com/1929/02/03/archives/manhattans-building-peak-shifts-to-fortysecond-st-five-buildings.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The block of 42nd Street between [[Second Avenue (Manhattan)|Second]] and [[First Avenue (Manhattan)|First]] Avenues was originally only {{Convert|40|ft}} wide, passing through a steep bluff known as Prospect Hill.<ref name="nyt-1949-12-22">{{Cite news |date=December 22, 1949 |title=U. N. Approach to Be Beautified By Redevelopment of 42d Street |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/12/22/archives/u-n-approach-to-be-beautified-by-redevelopment-of-42d-street-plans.html |access-date=April 6, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827172403/https://www.nytimes.com/1949/12/22/archives/u-n-approach-to-be-beautified-by-redevelopment-of-42d-street-plans.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="p1336513318">{{cite news |date=December 17, 1948 |title=Tudor City Plea To Save Park Area Rebuffed: Estimate Board Also Tells 42d Street Group It Must Make Way for U. N. Plan |page=42 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1336513318}}}}</ref> On either side of the street, {{convert|30|ft|m|-wide|adj=mid}} service roads ascended to Tudor City Place, which crossed over 42nd Street.<ref name="p1336513318" /> To improve access to the newly developed [[Headquarters of the United Nations|United Nations headquarters]], in 1948, the city government proposed widening that block of 42nd Street, eliminating the service roads, and constructing a viaduct to carry Tudor City Place over 42nd Street.<ref name="nyt-1949-12-22" /><ref name="p1327415594">{{cite news |last=Yerxa |first=Fendall |date=July 22, 1948 |title=Tudor City Protests City's Plans To Develop Approach to U.N. Site |page=1 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1327415594}}}}</ref> Despite opposition from Tudor City residents,<ref name="nyt-1948-07-23">{{Cite news |date=July 23, 1948 |title=Ramp for Hospital in U.N. Plan Likely |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/07/23/archives/ramp-for-hospital-in-un-plan-likely.html |access-date=April 6, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409124156/https://www.nytimes.com/1948/07/23/archives/ramp-for-hospital-in-un-plan-likely.html |url-status=live }}</ref> city officials said the street widening was necessary because 42nd Street already carried high amounts of vehicular traffic to and from the nearby [[FDR Drive]].<ref name="nyt-1949-12-22"/> The [[New York City Planning Commission]] approved the plans in September 1948,<ref name="nyt-1948-09-17">{{Cite news |date=September 17, 1948 |title=Approach to U.N. Mapped; City Planning Proposal Would Widen 42d Street to 100 Feet |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/09/17/archives/approach-to-un-mapped-city-planning-proposal-would-widen-42d-street.html |access-date=April 6, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406190517/https://www.nytimes.com/1948/09/17/archives/approach-to-un-mapped-city-planning-proposal-would-widen-42d-street.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="p1326785598">{{cite news |date=September 17, 1948 |title=Street Widening for U. N. Approved by City Board |page=8 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1326785598}}}}</ref> and the Board of Estimate approved $1.848 million for the project that December.<ref name="p1336513318" /><ref name="nyt-1948-12-17">{{Cite news |date=December 17, 1948 |title=City to Add Land for U.N. Approach; Board Votes to Take Over Strip for Widening of Street to Speed Development |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/12/17/archives/city-to-add-land-for-un-approach-board-votes-to-take-over-strip-for.html |access-date=April 6, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406190517/https://www.nytimes.com/1948/12/17/archives/city-to-add-land-for-un-approach-board-votes-to-take-over-strip-for.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The board provisionally authorized the street widening in June 1949, and Manhattan's borough president announced in December 1949 that work would commence shortly.<ref name="p13268250092">{{cite news |date=December 22, 1949 |title=Plan for Remodeling 42d St. As an Approach to U. N. Site |page=11 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1326825009}}}}</ref><ref name="nyt-1949-12-22"/> The neighboring stretch of 42nd Street was temporarily closed from February 1951 to October 1952 while the widening was underway.<ref name="nyt-1952-10-022">{{Cite news |date=October 2, 1952 |title=East 42d St. Block Reopens to Traffic |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/10/02/archives/east-42d-st-block-reopens-to-traffic.html |access-date=April 6, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409124158/https://www.nytimes.com/1952/10/02/archives/east-42d-st-block-reopens-to-traffic.html |url-status=live }}</ref>