Union Square was once known for political rallies and the annual May Day rally. The park was overrun by druggies in the ’70s. Union Square has since been cleaned up – figuratively and literally – with new fences, new landscaping and new pavement from East 14th Street to East 17th Street. The peddlers are still out in force, though their products are now veggies, art and souvenirs instead of drugs.

While the square itself has gone through a transformation, many of the buildings ringing the park have retained their 19th century appearance. Here are some favorites:

• One Union Square West aka Lincoln Building; R. H. Robertson, architect; Romanesque Revival; built 1900; NYC Landmark 1988
• 5-9 Union Square West aka Spingler Building;
• 31 Union Square West aka Bank of Metropolis Building; Bruce Price, architect; neo-Renaissance; built 1903; NYC Landmark 1988
• 33 Union Square West aka Decker Building aka Union Building; John H. Edelmann, architect; Venetian/Islamic styles; built 1893; NYC Landmark 1988
• 41 Union Square West aka Hartford Building; Beaux Arts; built 1895
• 33 E 17th Street aka Century Building (now Barnes & Noble bookstore);
• W Union Square Hotel; formerly Germania Life Insurance Company Building
• 864 Broadway aka McIntyre Building; R. H. Robertson, architect; neo-Gothic; built 1892; in Ladies Mile Historic District

One landmark that didn’t survive is the S. Klein “On The Square” department store that sat empty for many years – now replaced by the Zeckendorf Towers.

Union Square Vital Statistics

• Location: E 14th to E 17th Streets, between Park Avenue South and Union Square West
• National Register of Historic Places: 1997

Union Square Recommended Reading

• Wikipedia entry
• City Realty listing: 31 Union Square West/Bank of the Metropolis
• Flickr: Lincoln Building
• NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report Union Building aka Decker Building
• The New York Times Streetscapes: 1892 McIntyre Building; Shake, Rattle and Roll (April 9, 2000)

Google Map