Worldwide Plaza

Worldwide Plaza stands on ground that once hosted a very different kind of spectacle. Before this complex of towers and brick townhouses existed, the site was home to the third Madison Square Garden. This legendary arena served as the city's premier venue for sports and entertainment for decades, and it was here in 1962 that Marilyn Monroe famously sang her breathy, iconic rendition of Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy. Following the demolition of the arena in 1968, the massive lot sat vacant and underutilized for years, serving as a bleak parking lot in a neighborhood long associated with urban decay.