What 34th Street Partnership does

34th Street Partnership is a not-for-profit Business Improvement District (BID) established in 1992 that manages a 31-block corridor in Midtown Manhattan between Bryant Park and Hudson Yards. The organization operates as a private management company providing sanitation, security, horticulture, capital improvements, and public programming across the district, funded primarily by mandatory assessments on commercial property owners within its boundaries, supplemented by concession fees, event site fees, advertising revenue (via a partnership with Intersection), film and photo permits, and brand sponsorships from major corporations including Target, H&M, Samsung, Macy's, and MasterCard. The Partnership receives no city, state, federal, or philanthropic funds.

The organization's core physical asset portfolio includes three flagship public spaces — Herald Square Park, Greeley Square Park, and the newly permanent Plaza33 (opened spring 2024 in partnership with Vornado Realty Trust and NYC DOT) — alongside more than 2,000 pieces of proprietary street furniture, 500+ planters, 300+ lightpoles, 35 benches, and 10 direction-finding kiosks. It holds registered design patents on the CityBench (US D655,937 S and US D655,928 S), whose design has been deployed in 1,000 units across all five NYC boroughs via a licensing partnership with NYC DOT. The Partnership maintains a 44-person in-house security team patrolling 16 hours daily and a horticulture department that replenishes 25,000 bulbs annually.

Its free public programming portfolio includes Midtown Music, Midtown Dance, Midtown Fit, Midtown Meetups, and the Golden Hour sunset music festival, curated with cultural partners such as Manhattan School of Music, Jalopy Theatre, The Jazz Gallery, and Sofar Sounds. Visitor services are operated through information carts, kiosks, a staffed Penn Station Visitor Services Center, and a taxi dispatch stand adjacent to Penn Station. The organization shares leadership philosophy and a headquarters at 1065 Avenue of the Americas with Bryant Park Corporation, and is governed by a board including property owners, business operators, residents, and ex-officio representatives from NYC government, LIRR, NJ Transit, and Community Board.

Name

34th Street Partnership

Legal name

34th Street Partnership

Website

https://34thstreet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

34th Street Partnership is a 1992 not-for-profit Business Improvement District that manages sanitation, security, horticulture, public programming, and three flagship parks across 31 blocks of Midtown Manhattan, funded by property assessments and event revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Improvement District Management

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

City Squares, Old Towns & Landmark Districts (THAJACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse (BPAIANAI), Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA), Station Retail, Food & Concessions (THAIALAK)

Keywords

• Business improvement district
• Public space management
• Urban management services
• Streetscape maintenance
• District marketing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Assessments: 34th Street Partnership is funded by assessments on property within its boundaries. This is the primary funding mechanism for the BID.
2. Concession Fees: Fees from Herald and Greeley Squares' concessions, including food kiosks operated by Wafels & Dinges and Perros y Vainas.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated by events in the squares, including site fees for commercial, profitable, promotional, or exclusive events.
4. Brand Partnerships and Sponsorships: Partnerships with leading brands and corporations to sponsor amenities and programs. Past partners include Target, H&M, Samsung, Macy's, Mini Cooper, Ben & Jerry's, Cracker Jack, Sports Illustrated, MasterCard, and many more.
5. Advertising: Street pole banner advertising through Intersection, the outdoor advertising company with exclusive rights to hang banners from district lightpoles. Also operates five bus shelter-sized advertising panels at Herald and Greeley Squares.
6. Film/Photo Shoot Permits: Fees charged for film, video, and photo shoots in Herald or Greeley Square Parks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

34th Street Partnership is a not-for-profit Business Improvement District that manages a 31-block area of Midtown Manhattan. It delivers sanitation, security, horticulture, capital improvements, and streetscape maintenance; programs and operates three public spaces (Herald Square Park, Greeley Square Park, Plaza33); and runs free public programming including Midtown Music, Midtown Fit, Midtown Dance, Midtown Meetups, and the Golden Hour music festival. Revenue is raised through property assessments, concession fees, event site fees, advertising, and corporate brand partnerships.

Product overview

34th Street Partnership is a not-for-profit Business Improvement District (BID) managing a 31-block area in Midtown Manhattan. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of public space management services and free community programs. Core offerings include maintenance of three public spaces (Herald Square Park, Greeley Square Park, and Plaza33), supported by streetscape elements (benches, bike racks, lightpoles). The program portfolio includes Midtown Music (live performances), Midtown Meetups (classes and tours), Midtown Dance (dance instruction), Midtown Fit (fitness classes), and Golden Hour (sunset concerts). Additional services encompass visitor information assistance, film/photo permits, event hosting, and BID programs including sanitation, security, retail services, and capital projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 34th Street District Management Comprehensive BID management of a 31-block area in Midtown Manhattan, delivering sanitation, security, horticulture, capital improvements, and streetscape maintenance funded through property assessments on commercial parcels within district boundaries.
• Herald Square Park Public park at Broadway between 34th and 35th Streets featuring the Bennett Clock, seasonal gardens, the Wafels & Dinges food kiosk, public seating, and visitor services; serves as a venue for free programming including Midtown Music and Midtown Fit.
• Greeley Square Park Public park between Broadway and Sixth Avenue at 32nd & 33rd Streets featuring the Horace Greeley statue, the Perros y Vainas food kiosk, free public restrooms, and horticulture; hosts the Golden Hour sunset music festival and other public programming.
• Plaza33 Public plaza at 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue adjacent to Madison Square Garden, featuring maple trees, seating, and free public events including music series and silent discos; began as a 2016 pilot with Vornado Realty Trust and NYC DOT and was made permanent in spring 2024.
• Midtown Music Free pop-up live music programming featuring singer-songwriters, indie acts, jazz, and brass bands held at Herald Square Park, Greeley Square Park, and Farley Steps.
• Midtown Fit Free outdoor fitness classes including Sweat33, Thursday Fitness, chair yoga, martial arts, and circus arts held in Herald and Greeley Square Plazas.
• Midtown Dance Free dance instruction in salsa, swing, bhangra, bachata, line dance, Afro, and K-Pop, hosted by Talia Castro-Pozo in district plazas.
• Midtown Meetups Free classes, tours, and social meetups covering origami, art classes, juggling, architectural tours, bagel tours, giant bubbles, and financial literacy.
• Golden Hour Free sunset music festival in Greeley Square Park featuring Americana, jazz, and emerging indie acts, curated with cultural partners The New Colossus Festival, Jalopy Theatre, The Jazz Gallery, Sofar Sounds, and Manhattan School of Music.
• Visitor Services Visitor assistance services including staffed information carts at Herald and Greeley Squares and Penn Station, ten direction-finding kiosks with neighborhood maps, Reading Room carts in Herald Square Park, and the Penn Station Visitor Services Center.
• Film and Photo Permits Permit services for film, video, and photo shoots in Herald and Greeley Square Parks; site fees vary by shoot type, duration, crew size, equipment complexity, location, and publicity potential.
• Event Hosting Event hosting services for private, cultural, and promotional or commercial activities in Herald Square and Greeley Square Parks, with site fees determined by event type, duration, crew/equipment complexity, location, and publicity potential.
• Streetscape Management Design, development, and maintenance of more than 2,000 pieces of street furniture—mostly of 34SP's own proprietary design—covering benches, bike racks, lightpoles, hanging baskets, planters, information kiosks, recycling cans, and signage across the district.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ million annual commuters through Penn Station
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, major and minor.

• Vornado Realty TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership on Plaza33 - a pilot program in 2016 with Vornado and NYC DOT on a temporary street closure. The road surface was painted with a geometric design, and the temporary plaza featured custom wooden bleachers and benches. Over three summers, Plaza33 hosted dozens of events and thousands of visitors. Plaza33 was made permanent and reopened in spring 2024.
• NYC DOTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Plaza33 pilot program and various streetscape projects including the CityBench program where NYC DOT installed 1,000 units in all five boroughs.
• Jalopy TheatrekeyGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner for Golden Hour sunset music festival. A multi-faceted arts space showcasing evolving folk and traditional music from NYC, the Americas, and the world. Programming supports artists, fosters multi-generational community, and provides enrichment and education about shared musical heritage.
• The Jazz GallerykeyGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner for Golden Hour. America's premier performance venue for artists who challenge convention, take creative risks, and lead their field as performers, composers, and thinkers. Artists and audiences come together from around the world to explore new creative ideas, collaborate, and celebrate jazz.
• The New Colossus FestivalkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner for Golden Hour. Features hundreds of emerging bands from around the world, partnering with independent music venues on the Lower East Side as an expo for artists en route to Austin's iconic SXSW festival. Produces summer pop-ups in venues throughout NYC during the 'off-season'.
• Sofar SoundskeyGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner for Golden Hour. A global community that connects artists and audiences through unique and intimate experiences. Brings people together to create space where music and arts matter in 400 cities around the world.
• Manhattan School of MusickeyGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner for Golden Hour and Midtown Music. Known for innovative curricula offering classical, jazz, and musical theatre training, with more than 960 talented undergraduate and graduate students from at least 45 countries and nearly all 50 United States. World-renowned artist-teacher faculty.
• IntersectionkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe outdoor advertising company holds exclusive rights to hang banners from district lightpoles. Also operates five bus shelter-sized advertising panels at Herald and Greeley Squares.
• TargetmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs. With millions of annual visitors and outstanding demographics, Target leveraged the neighborhood's assets to express their brand message.
• H&MmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs. H&M flagship store is located in the district.
• SamsungmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs. Utilized the district's assets to leverage and express their message.
• Macy'smajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner. Macy's Herald Square is the flagship store and corporate headquarters, the largest department store in the US. The store anchors the district and hosts the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• Mini CooperminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs.
• Ben & Jerry'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs.
• Cracker JackminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs.
• Sports IllustratedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs.
• MasterCardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast brand partner for 34th Street's exciting amenities and programs.
• Bryant Park CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner34th Street Partnership shares a management team and philosophy with Bryant Park Corporation, another not-for-profit BID. Learn more about the Bryant Park's sister BID, just one subway stop south of the park.
• NYC Police Department (Midtown South Precinct)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner34SP security team operator at central monitoring station is in direct communication with NYPD dispatchers. 34SP assists NYPD by identifying illegal activities, preventing felonies, making arrests, removing illegal street vendors, and eliminating quality-of-life offenses.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grand Central Partnership: One of NYC's largest and oldest BIDs, covering the Grand Central/42nd Street area. Directly comparable as a Midtown BID providing sanitation, security, streetscape maintenance, and economic development services funded by property assessments.
• Times Square Alliance: Nonprofit BID managing the Times Square district in Midtown Manhattan. Comparable in mission (urban management, sanitation, security, events, public space programming) and in operating a high-traffic commercial corridor with brand partnership revenue.
• Flatiron No. 23 Partnership: NYC BID managing the Flatiron District near Madison Square Park. Directly comparable operating model focused on public space improvement, sanitation, events, and retail promotion in a Manhattan commercial corridor.
• Garment District Alliance: BID covering the Garment District on Manhattan's West Side. Comparable operating model with property-assessment funding, public art installations, streetscape maintenance, and event programming in a Midtown commercial corridor.
• Union Square Partnership: BID managing the Union Square area in Manhattan. Comparable in providing sanitation, security, capital improvements, and public programming funded by member assessments in a busy mixed-use commercial district.
• Hudson Yards Hell's Kitchen Alliance: Newer BID on Manhattan's West Side focused on public space activation, sanitation, and programming around Hudson Yards. Comparable in providing BID-funded services to a high-density commercial and residential district.
• Bryant Park Corporation: Sister nonprofit BID that manages Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. Shares management team, philosophy, and headquarters with 34SP under Daniel Biederman — the most direct comparable given identical operating model and overlapping leadership.
• Downtown Alliance: Large BID managing Lower Manhattan's commercial district. Comparable operating model delivering sanitation, security, public programming, and economic development funded by member property assessments.

Emerging players

• DUMBO Improvement District: BID in Brooklyn managing the DUMBO neighborhood. Comparable nonprofit BID model with sanitation, public space activation, and event programming, though serving a different geography (Brooklyn waterfront) and stage of district maturity.

Regional players

• Meatpacking District BID: BID in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. Comparable in providing BID-funded services (sanitation, security, marketing) for a high-traffic commercial area with strong brand partnerships, but serves a distinct submarket from 34th Street.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/34thstnyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 34th Street Partnership