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St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church - The Actors' Chapel

St. Malachy's   The Actors' Chapel 1 Churches Historic Site Midtown West Theater District Times Square

Opened in 1902 as a Catholic parish church, St. Malachy's earned its fame from fame itself. In 1920, the surrounding Theater District and the church began to welcome crowds of people involved in the entertainment business. That year, the Actor's Chapel was constructed underneath the church. A cycle had begun; as the famous sought out St. Malachy's, St. Malachy's became famous and attracted more famed congregants. Recognizing the unconventional schedules of its congregation, the church started to offer mass at four in the morning.

When an earlier incarnations of Madison Square Garden left the area in 1968, this part of town became dangerous; the church fell to a low point that lasted nearly ten years. It was Father George W. Moore who led an outreach plan that helped bring St. Malachy's back to the surface, ready to serve the needs of its congregants. Now, the church places special focus on the comfort of their aging community. Although St. Malachy's is a Catholic church, all are invited to join and worship among the eclectic assembly.

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St. Malachy's   The Actors' Chapel 1 Churches Historic Site Midtown West Theater District Times Square
St. Malachy's   The Actors' Chapel 2 Churches Historic Site Midtown West Theater District Times Square
St. Malachy's   The Actors' Chapel 3 Churches Historic Site Midtown West Theater District Times Square
St. Malachy's   The Actors' Chapel 4 Churches Historic Site Midtown West Theater District Times Square
St. Malachy's   The Actors' Chapel 5 Churches Historic Site Midtown West Theater District Times Square
St. Malachy's   The Actors' Chapel 6 Churches Historic Site Midtown West Theater District Times Square

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The Actor's Temple 1 Synagogues Videos Theaters Founded Before 1930 Historic Site undefined

The Actors' Temple

Ezrath Israel was originally established as a Jewish Community Center in 1917 by the West Side Hebrew Relief Association, a group of Orthodox Jewish shop owners. The area was known for its busy steamship ports, however, the entertainment business eventually became one of the biggest industries in this part of town. As show business grew, so did the number of congregants, and it became the place of worship for many prominent actors and performers, including Sophie Tucker and Shelley Winters. The Actors' Temple continued to thrive until shortly after WWII when people in the industry began journeying across the country to Hollywood. The synagogue then found its membership slowly decreasing. By 2005, there were only twelve members left in the congregation. A year later, when Jill Hausman became the rabbi, she found herself resuscitating what had once been a proud shul. Rabbi Hausman was pleased to report to us that in the eight years that she has been there, membership has increased to about 150, a marked improvement. Still, she has hope that the Actors' Temple will continue to grow. "We are a well-kept secret, " she says, "but we don't need to be. " To help maintain the synagogue, the sanctuary is shared with an Off Broadway theater company that performs on their "stage, " just a few feet in front of their sacred arc and collection of eleven torahs. Today, Rabbi Hausman welcomes all denominations of Judaism, even those who are "on the fringes of society. " She is a warm, sweet, bright woman who not only has her door open to everyone, but her heart as well. She emphasizes the importance of love and acceptance in her sermons and is adamant that the Actors' Temple is a "no-guilt synagogue. " People should come if they feel compelled to pray – Rabbi Hausman's only goal is to have them leave with a desire to return.

Lost Gem
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin 1 Churches Historic Site undefined

The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

Alongside numerous restaurants and bars, The Church of St. Mary adds a European influence to the Times Square area. With vaulted ceilings and glorious stained glass windows, the church offers a level of contemplative splendor to an otherwise busy area. When I stepped inside for a few moments on my walk across 46th, I was in absolute awe. I could not wait to watch the reaction of other members of the Manhattan Sideways team when I brought them by a few days later. The 45th Street church was founded in 1868 and built on ground donated by John Jacob Astor, with the understanding that the church would remain “free” - meaning visitors did not have to pay pew rents. Radical in its time, this Episcopal Church could open its services to people from all walks of life while remaining dependent on contributions from wealthy parishioners. In 1893, after one of these contributors, Sara L. Cooke, left the church a large amount of money in her will, the church leaders decided to move to a larger location one block north on West 46th. Built in the French Gothic style, this building was the first church made with an iron skeleton rather than stonework. While walking through this breathtaking piece of architecture, I checked in with one of the Manhattan Sideways photographers, who was looking a little shaken. She told me that the sheer size and beauty had simply taken her breath away. St. Mary’s keeps her doors open everyday so that passersby can share in this experience.

More places on 49th Street

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Oceana 1 American Seafood Breakfast undefined

Oceana

Opened in 1992 and originally located on the Upper East Side, Oceana moved to 49th Street in 2009. The Livanos family sowed the seeds for the glorious Oceana long ago when they ran a diner and realized their ambitions to develop it into something more. Having worked hard to make their dreams a reality, Oceana continues to pride itself on the freshness of its food and makes a point to have direct relationships with the fish mongers and farmers. Although some have called Oceana the Mecca of seafood, the restaurant's menu is notably diverse. The executive chef, Ben Pollinger, takes to the broad reaches of American cuisine and mixes elements of different dishes together, often in an unexpected way. The Manhattan Sideways team eagerly sampled a few of the marvelous dishes, including the Copper River Sockeye Salmon Crudo, featuring pickled ramps, parsley oil, and Amagansett sea salt, and the Sea Scallops Ceviche that is topped with peaches, ginger, and cinnamon basil. I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible vegetarian dish that the chef also prepared - Summer Squash & Cranberry Bean Salad, consisting of zucchini, gold bar and pattypan squash, pignoli, purslane and drizzled in lemon vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious. The last member of the Oceana team that we were introduced to was their wine director, Pedro Goncalves. Pedro, who began working at Oceana in 2001, makes a concerted effort to develop drink pairings to accompany the delectable food menu. Standing near the white marble bar, he proudly told us that Oceana has 1100 wine listings and 600 spirits. He went on to report that with forty-seven different gins, Oceana has one of the largest selections of in the city. "There is something to fit every personality, " Pedro said.

More Churches nearby

Lost Gem
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin 1 Churches Historic Site undefined

The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

Alongside numerous restaurants and bars, The Church of St. Mary adds a European influence to the Times Square area. With vaulted ceilings and glorious stained glass windows, the church offers a level of contemplative splendor to an otherwise busy area. When I stepped inside for a few moments on my walk across 46th, I was in absolute awe. I could not wait to watch the reaction of other members of the Manhattan Sideways team when I brought them by a few days later. The 45th Street church was founded in 1868 and built on ground donated by John Jacob Astor, with the understanding that the church would remain “free” - meaning visitors did not have to pay pew rents. Radical in its time, this Episcopal Church could open its services to people from all walks of life while remaining dependent on contributions from wealthy parishioners. In 1893, after one of these contributors, Sara L. Cooke, left the church a large amount of money in her will, the church leaders decided to move to a larger location one block north on West 46th. Built in the French Gothic style, this building was the first church made with an iron skeleton rather than stonework. While walking through this breathtaking piece of architecture, I checked in with one of the Manhattan Sideways photographers, who was looking a little shaken. She told me that the sheer size and beauty had simply taken her breath away. St. Mary’s keeps her doors open everyday so that passersby can share in this experience.

Lost Gem
St. George Greek Orthodox Church 1 Churches Historic Site undefined

St. George Greek Orthodox Church

St. George moved to West 54th Street during the Great Depression, after splitting from the main line of the Greek Orthodox Church. The building St. George inhabits has an even longer history. When the congregation moved in, it had already been in use for the better part of a half-century, first as an offshoot of the Narragansett Club, a Democratic organization connected with Machine-controlled Tammany Hall. Later, in the early twentieth century, it housed the Irish-dominated New Amsterdam Council of the Knights of Columbus, as well as a cycling club. When the church moved in, it found itself cohabiting with the Epirus Hellenic Center, an organization dedicated to the promotion of Greek art and culture. Today, No. 307 comfortably houses St. George alone. Its outwardly modest exterior is slender, dwarfed on either side by much taller buildings, with the only decoration being a stained glass window depicting the church's patron saint. This belies the ornate decor of the chapel inside. Iconography is prominent, both on the walls and at the altar. We were warmly greeted by the head pastor, Father Jim Kordaris who arrived at St. George in 2004, at a time when its aging congregants were struggling to put Hell's Kitchen's bad years behind them and come up with funds for repairs for the increasingly decrepit interior. At this point in time, they were able to do little more than "hold on" and keep the place from closing. Father Jim was pleased to tell us that although it took almost five years to make any headway, the church is now moving in a positive direction, with new members and exciting plans for the future. It quickly became apparent to us that this shift was in large part due to his leadership and presence. Father Jim, however, stressed the collective nature of the church's recent revival and growth, insisting that it was "beyond any one person. " His faith in St. George's vibrant community foretells great things for the church in the years to come.