Among the most visible aspects of this metamorphosis are the establishment of "Green Light for Midtown" -- the reduced-vehicle pedestrian plaza up and down Broadway -- and the recent arrival of top retail establishments, including several at W&H Properties: Billabong at 112 West 34th Street, Duane Reade and Santander Bank at 1350 Broadway, and Chipotle Mexican Grill at 501 Seventh Avenue, among others.

Perhaps the most significant change, however, is the new composition of the area's office tenants. It used to be that neighborhood buildings were composed of garment manufacturers occupying small showrooms. Today, in contrast, the area is home to many design and buying offices for top national fashion companies, as well as traditional office users from many industry sectors.

Some of the biggest names in fashion, who recognized the need to have a brand presence in the creative center of the U.S., recently opened offices in the area. Among these are Wal-Mart (design office), T.J. Maxx and Target (buying offices) and Kohl's, which first established a New York design office at 1359 Broadway in 2007, and is now more than doubling the office's size by relocating to two full floors at 1400 Broadway. "Having a New York presence has been instrumental in growing our exclusive and private brand strategy," said Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, president and CEO, according to a company press release.

The influx of these top fashion companies has led to transactions with other prestigious fashion tenants, including recent new leases with Fruit of the Loom and Williamson Dickies at 1400 Broadway.

New office tenants are also transforming the area's tenant make-up. In the past two years, W&H has completed dozens of new leases with prominent office tenants throughout our properties in the neighborhood, including leases with: Northrop Grumman subsidiary AMSEC, global marketing company ReachLocal, and private investment company The Alkemia Group at 112 West 34th Street; Aetna and Océ USA Holdings at 1333 Broadway; Executive Sounding Board and marketing firm E-Dialog at 1350 Broadway; Actimize and National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) at 1359 Broadway; and Federal Express at 501 Seventh Avenue.

Meanwhile, the streetscape throughout the neighborhood is continuing to be transformed. Following the success of the pedestrian malls along Broadway, the New York City Department of Transportation in April unveiled a plan to transform 34th Street with a new "Transitway," a program that would provide enhanced transit service and pedestrian space from river to river along 34th Street.

Final plans are still in review, but the DOT objective is to reduce travel time along 34th Street for pedestrians and transit. Stay tuned for additional information about this project and other exciting enhancements to the neighborhood surrounding the W&H buildings near Herald Square!