BID Summary

Facts on the Business Improvement Districts influencing/influenced by Columbus Circle, Times Square, and Atlantic Yards.

Development in Columbus Circle surged after demolition of the Coliseum in 1987 attracting new retail and causing historic preservationists to intervene.  While many buildings were preserved, others were redesigned, changing the look of the neighborhood.

Columbus Circle BIDs

Columbus Circle is served by nearby BIDs.

Source: http://gis.nyc.gov/

Columbus Circle: 1905 to present

Development around the Columbus Circle has often been controversial with a variety of architects, moguls, developers, and politicians making their mark -- Columbus Circle has evolved as a convergence of public use, corporate interests and innovative aesthetics.  Identifying more recent impetus for transition and how the existing community influenced the change will be a component of my research.


Sources:
Chicago Tribune
The Castles and Clashes of Columbus Circle
Columbus Monument, Library of Congress Maine Monument Unveiling, Library of Congress 240 Central Park South, Wikimedia New York Coliseum, Library of Congress "Lollipop" Museum, Slate Magazine Trump International Hotel Tower, wikiarquitectura.com Time Warner/Shops at Columbus Circle, World News Network Columbus Circle sketch, Metropolis Magazine Museum of Art & Design, Manhattan Style
Author's own photos

Columbus Circle: Traffic Circles & Roundabouts

Columbus Circle at Night
Source: New York Time Lapse.com

Columbus Circle was the very first traffic circle built in the United States in 1905 designed by American architect William Phelps Eno.  As a traditional traffic circle, Columbus Circle's design predates smaller modern roundabouts that function without traffic lights. The Columbus Circle intersection has transitioned from difficult and crowded to a local destination.  The fountains, artwork, and benches attract tourists, local lunching workers, and nearby residents for resting, picture-taking, and people-watching.  The site has even been featured in movies.

Columbus Circle

An innovative traffic mechanism, a monument to world exploration, and a majestic welcome to Central Park, the Columbus Circle is a historic landmark and nexus of New York's grandest avenues: Broadway, Central Park West, Central Park South, and Eighth Avenue.  Anchored by the iconic form of Christopher Columbus since 1892, Columbus Circle has evolved from 1905 to present day to include corporate buildings, green space, luxury hotels, and retail.



View of Columbus Circle I - May 2010

Source: http://andrewprokos.com/photos/cityscapes-skylines/view-of-columbus-circle-1/


   

Columbus Circle, Broadway & Central Park West, New York City c 1912

Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Photo copyrighted by Irving Underhill. No. B18329.