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Information Booth in the Fashion District.
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With all the major renovations in progress at 501 Seventh Avenue and 1359 Broadway, it's easy to overlook the significant changes that have also been taking place in the neighborhood - and these changes are exciting indeed.
The fashion district used to be known primarily for manufacturing, which now represents only 13 percent of employment in the area, according to a 2003 study conducted by the Fashion Center Business Improvement District. And major revitalization is under way, reports the New York Times. As a recent Times article notes, "Buildings that were once half empty and run-down are being fixed up and turned into high-end showrooms," and the area is attracting "tenants in creative fields that thrive in light-filled loft spaces."
Tenant rosters at 501 Seventh Avenue and 1359 Broadway exemplify the new makeup of neighborhood businesses. 501 Seventh Avenue is filled with high-profile fashion tenants, such as The Warnaco Group,
Beach Patrol, Raj Manufacturing, and LSV Worldwide, but several non-fashion-related organizations also have offices in the building. The nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) is just one example.
1359 Broadway houses several IT service firms, including I-Deal and Keane, Inc, and such nonprofits as the Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, but with Li & Fung and Capital Mercury Apparel as tenants, the fashion industry is strongly represented.
Many of the positive changes in the district can be attributed to the work of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, established in 1993. The Center's programs include public safety, street maintenance, streetscape improvements and information services.
"The neighborhood used to be somewhat pedestrian," says Scott Pudalov, executive vice president of CBRE, the managing and leasing agent for 501 Seventh Avenue. "Today it's an upscale, safe, and aesthetically-pleasing place to be. And the convenience of local transportation hasn't escaped anyone's notice. With Penn Station and the Port Authority bus terminal close by, commuters can choose between PATH, New Jersey Transit, Amtrak and a huge range of bus and subway lines. It's no surprise that more and more companies want to have offices here."
