With pretty much every industry orchestrating its global activity from New York City, it’s normal that some of the largest media and publishing companies have also set up their main offices in the city that never sleeps. Boasting an international influence, the New York City media scene includes some of the most important newspapers, largest publishing houses, biggest record and music companies, and most prolific television studios in the world.
Of the 10 largest papers in the U.S., four are based in New York City, namely The New York Times, the Daily News, the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal. The epicenter of American book publishing is also NYC. With industry giants like Penguin Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Scholastic and Random House, as well as smaller publishing firms operating here, it’s safe to say the city is a mecca for book lovers, hosting a multitude of readings and signings, and housing numerous notable writers.
Just as any other industry, media/publishing companies have clustered in specific parts of the city, and we’re going to talk a bit about the 5 most popular such neighborhoods. If you’re in the media or publishing business and are looking to rent office space in a NYC area that suits your needs, then you might want to check these out.
Greenwich Village
Located on the west side of Manhattan, Greenwich Village used to be known as the Bohemian Capital, where people explored unconventional lifestyles throughout the 19th century. It is the origin of the Beat Generation, an avantgarde literary movement that resulted as a reaction to the status quo imposed by the Cold War era, having as forefathers Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. Nowadays, its reputation as an artist and activist haven is long gone due to the area’s gentrification, and development is highly restricted. Despite its transformation, it has remained one of the most desirable areas to live and work in Midtown South.
A unique feature of the neighborhood is the layout, which does not share the grid pattern of other parts of Manhattan, and this adds tremendously to its charming nature. The neighborhood posts some of the highest rents in the city, being mostly residential, however, its office inventory, which comprises mostly smaller spaces, is ideal for creative industries. Boutique media company Carol Mann Agency has found its home in the beautiful property at 55 Fifth Avenue, also known as the Brookdale Center, a Beaux Arts building designed by Maynicke & Franke, completed in 1912, which is also home to Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law.
Herald Square
Bearing the name of the now-defunct New York Herald newspaper, which used to have its headquarters here in a building that got torn down in 1921, the Herald Square neighborhood is also part of Midtown South and consists of the area surrounding the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue and 34th Street.
A multitude of retail and dining venues occupy a big part of the neighborhood, so available commercial office space for lease is not easy to find. Large blocks especially are a rarity in the area, as the inventory in Herald Square shares many similarities with the Garment District nearby. However, loft-style office spaces can still be found, mostly attracting startups and companies in creative industries, including Universal McCann and Reprise Digital at 100 West 33rd Street.
Madison Square
Highly appealing to big insurance and financial entities, the Park Avenue/Madison Square submarket features some 20 million square feet of office space, which house plenty of companies in the creative industry, too, attracted mainly by the beautiful buildings completed during the prewar era. Among the submarket’s prestigious tenants are St. Martin’s Press in the Flatiron Building and Rizzoli Publications at 300 Park Avenue South. Dailymotion, SoundCloud and theSkimm are housed in the building located at 50 W 23rd Street, previously known as the Jewelcor Building, a 350,000-square-foot property completed in 1925.
The iconic Flatiron Building had as sole office tenant Macmillan Publishers, the parent company of St. Martin’s Press. The company relocated this spring to 120 Broadway in FiDi, and the entire office component of the 1902-built property is currently undergoing significant renovations to bring it up to modern standards.
Union Square
The historic intersection that connects Fourth Avenue and Broadway and the surrounding neighborhood is bounded by 14th Street, 17th Street, Union Square West and Union Square East, and is one of the major transportation hubs in the city. Its energetic appeal and office buildings with open designs, both large and small, are attractive to companies of all sizes and industries. Media, publishing and music entities have also set operations in Union Square‘s bustling area.
Among them are Avrett Free Ginsberg at 71 5th Avenue, the Society of Publication Designers at 27 Union Square West, art studio Warshaw Blumenthal at 215 Park Avenue South, Soho Press and 21st Century Artists at 853 Broadway, Facebook and Believe Media at 225 Park Avenue South and Young and Rubicam and London-based WPP at 230 Park Avenue South.
World Trade Center
The World Trade Center submarket of Downtown Manhattan doesn’t really need an introduction. Following a long and extensive redevelopment process, the area now features trophy-level buildings that are highly amenitized to meet current standards, as well as a complex transportation system. Well-established companies have leased space in the towers that total some 24 million square feet of stock, accounting for about a quarter of Lower Manhattan’s total offering. Institutional investors have expanded their portfolios in the submarket, as well, and tenants range from financial to creative companies.
Notable tenants in this coveted business district are the Associated Press, PR Newswire Association, and Time Inc. at Brookfield Place, Cambridge University Press and Business Insider at One Liberty Plaza, Conde Nast at One World Trade Center, Macmillan–which recently relocated here from Madison Square–and HarperCollins Publishers at 195 Broadway.
Are you thinking of setting up your business in a convenient location in Manhattan, and are looking to lease space in a modern building offering state-of-the-art amenities? Then reach out to us and we will show you worthwhile space situated right in the heart of New York City. To learn about available office space, call Metro Manhattan Office Space at (212) 444-2241 or email us at [email protected]
