Manhattan’s Turtle Bay: Story of a Midtown Neighborhood

The mid-20th century ushered in a new era for the East Midtown neighborhood of Turtle Bay. The United Nations moved into its headquarters on the East River, and the Third Avenue El–last of Manhattan’s elevated rail lines–was dismantled, making way for one of New York City’s biggest building booms. The site of large farms in colonial times, Turtle Bay grew into a neighborhood of elegant brownstones in the mid 1800s, only to deteriorate with the arrival of factories and slaughterhouses later in the century. In the 1920s, charming town houses and luxury apartments sparked a renaissance, attracting influential and celebrated residents to this small town oasis in the heart of the city. Manhattan’s Turtle Bay tells the story of the past half-century, as the neighborhood recognized its role at the center of the world’s diplomatic stage and adjusted to life amid the gleaming high-rise towers all around.