Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Herald Square
Did you know Herald Square is actually two squares, and, more accurately, two triangles? Times Square’s neighbor to the south, Herald Square doesn’t have the global name recognition of 42nd Street, but is one of Manhattan’s most iconic intersections, and home to one of the city’s legendary department stores. Here, we share some little-known facts about Herald Square.
It’s named after a newspaper, too.
Like Times Square, Herald Square gets its name from a prominent NYC publication. The New York Herald was a sensationalist newspaper headquartered at the intersection from the 1830s until 1966. It was also the parent newspaper to the International Herald Tribune.
The square is actually one of two triangles
Herald Square is located on a typical New York City “bow tie” configuration with two triangle parks at the intersection of Broadway and 6th Avenue. Herald Square technically extends only on the north side of the intersection, with Greeley Square
Greeley Square has a literary background as well
Horace Greeley was the founding editor of The New York Tribune, a rival paper that merged with the Herald in 1924.
Macy’s has been there for 115 years
Heralded as the world’s largest department store, Macy’s took up residence in Herald Square in 1902. The flagship store houses more than a million square feet of retail space, and takes up almost the entire city block.
There’s a hidden building that’s not part of Macy’s
One property owner—on the prominent corner of 34th and Broadway—refused to sell to Macy’s, so the department store simply built around it. Today, the corner building is covered with Macy’s advertising, but it’s not actually part of the store (see photo above).
It was a great real estate investment for Macy’s
The Macy’s Herald Square building has an estimated retail value of $3.3 billion, which helps stabilize the company’s bottom line even in the wake of shifts to cyberspace shopping.
Some of the city’s most delicious food is around the corner
Koreatown lives on the south side of the square, starting at 32nd Street and Broadway.
It’s Holiday Central
Herald Square is the anchor of New York City’s holiday cheer: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade culminates there, and some of the city’s best Christmastime holiday window displays are on view, a tradition begun by R.H. Macy in 1874. (For more of the best holiday windows, don’t miss our ultimate guide!)
It’s the official hub for NYC questions
The Official New York City Information Center is located inside Macy’s Herald Square. You can have any city-centric travel questions answered by an in-person specialist or kiosk, and even print maps and secure discounts to tickets and shopping.
Herald Square is more pedestrian-friendly than ever
The two blocks of Broadway between 33rd and 35th were closed to traffic in the last few years, doubling the space and making a complete pedestrian zone of Herald Square, with seating and umbrellas, food stalls, and chess tables.
Want to learn more about NYC landmarks? We have little-known facts about Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Bryant Park.
