Manhattan Plaza resident Melinda Tanner is one of the original tenants of the building. She moved to the complex in the 1970s. She speaks of the ways that the neighborhood has changed. "Across the street used to be a porno theatre, nobody would ever come down here, which is why these towers were built in the first place. When the complex first opened, they had a very hard time getting people to move here."

A city within the city, the Manhattan Plaza complex also holds small businesses including a popular pie shop, restaurants, a florist, and a scuba diving shop.

ecause Manhattan Plaza is considered a NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community), a vaccination center was set up in the common area of the complex. All residents ages 65 and over were offered a vaccine and didn't have to wait in line.

Manhattan Plaza offers free rehearsal spaces to resident artists through a weekly sign up system.

"Similar complexes to Manhattan Plaza should be replicated throughout the country. Because of my housing, I am able to pursue a career in theatre and the performing arts," notes resident Opalanietet Pierce who moved to the complex in 2012.

Actor Becky Baker shares a magazine spread on her kitchen table, 2020.

Manhattan Plaza community terrace, 2020.

The first annual Juneteenth Basketball game was held in the community basketball courts on June 19th 2020. Kids who are raised in Manhattan Plaza have a unique upbrining. "It's like growing up in an artist colony and being raised by a community of people.

Manhattan Plaza's 10th Avenue lobby, 2020.

MANHATTAN PLAZA: NEW YORK’S SOCIALIST HOUSING EXPERIMENT (2020-2021)

Manhattan Plaza, a 46-story residential complex located within blocks of New York City's theatre district, houses predominantly performing artists in theatre, film, and television. Constructed as a socialist experiment in the mid-1970s when nobody wanted to live in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, in its short history, Manhattan Plaza has been the home of notable performers including Alicia Keys, Angela Lansbury, Tennessee Williams, Giancarlo Esposito, and Larry David. Residents of Manhattan Plaza pay a quarter of their salaries in rent. For this reason, many artists can pursue careers in the precarious arts field.

Getting into Manhattan Plaza is hard. Hopefuls must be added to a waitlist that opens every 8 years and be able to prove performing arts credits. Many other places around the United States are experimenting with housing complexes similar to Manhattan Plaza. This project investigates Manhattan Plaza throughout the coronavirus pandemic from 2019 through 2021.

Text and Reviews:

This project was commissioned and showcased in Rattlestick Theatre’s “Block by Block” and CUNY Graduate Center’s “From My Window.”