How one of New York City’s dingiest neighborhoods became a new tech hub

Penn Plaza was once a bustling, if forgettable, stretch of prime Manhattan real estate. Now it has new life as a pedestrian-friendly district.

I am sitting in the middle of 33rd street in Manhattan. No, not on the sidewalk, but in the middle of what used to be a street. A young woman is reading a book next to me. A kid is eating ice cream in a cone. And I am searching my brain for images of what this once-forgettable corner of Manhattan used to look like.