You’ve probably seen it. Even if you don’t know the address by heart, if you’ve spent any time in Midtown Manhattan, that distinctive elliptical shape and the glowing crown of the building are hard to miss. We are talking about 731 Lexington Ave New York NY 10022, a massive mixed-use skyscraper that basically acts as the heartbeat of the East Side. It’s better known to most locals as Bloomberg Tower. It’s huge. It’s shiny. And honestly, it’s one of the few post-2000 buildings in the city that actually managed to change the flavor of its neighborhood without feeling like a cold, glass box.
Most people see it as just an office building. That’s a mistake. It is a weird, complex ecosystem. It’s got a massive circular courtyard that feels like a private glass canyon, some of the most expensive condos in the world, and a retail base that has seen the ebb and flow of Manhattan's commercial real estate market for two decades.
The Architectural Gamble of Pelli Clarke Pelli
When Vornado Realty Trust decided to develop this site—which, fun fact, used to be the home of the iconic Alexander’s department store—they didn't go for a standard rectangle. They brought in César Pelli. He was the guy behind the Petronas Towers. The design for 731 Lexington Ave New York NY 10022 had to be smart because the lot is actually an entire city block.
Think about that.
An entire Manhattan block between 58th and 59th Streets.
Pelli’s solution was the "Beacon Court." It’s this stunning, steel-and-glass oval courtyard that cuts right through the center of the building. If you’re walking from Lexington to Third, you can actually cut through it. It’s public-ish, but it feels incredibly exclusive. It’s one of those "if you know, you know" spots in the city. The wind howls through there sometimes, but looking up at those curved glass walls makes you realize just how much engineering went into making a skyscraper feel airy.
The building stands 806 feet tall. That’s 54 stories of sheer ambition. But the way it’s split is what makes it a case study for urban planning. The bottom half is the headquarters for Bloomberg L.P., and the top half? That’s One Beacon Court. Those are the residences. It’s a literal hierarchy of power: information and data at the bottom, and the people who own the data living in the clouds at the top.
What’s Inside 731 Lexington Ave New York NY 10022?
If you ever get past the security desk at the Bloomberg offices, you’ll see why this place is legendary in the business world. Michael Bloomberg is famous for the "bullpen" style. No private offices. Even the billionaires sit at desks with everyone else. The pantry at 731 Lexington is basically a five-star buffet that never ends. It’s designed to keep employees in the building, fueled by free snacks and high-end coffee, staring at their double-monitor Bloomberg Terminals.
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The tech inside is staggering. We’re talking about miles of fiber optics. The building was designed to be a data fortress. If the grid goes wonky, Bloomberg has enough backup power to keep the global financial markets moving from this single coordinate.
Then you have the residential side. One Beacon Court.
The entrance is tucked away. It’s discreet. People like Beyoncé, NBC’s Brian Williams, and various hedge fund titans have called this place home. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of Central Park that looks like a high-definition painting. Because the building is situated slightly east of the main Midtown cluster, the views of the park are unobstructed in a way that’s becoming rare with the rise of Billionaires' Row on 57th Street.
The Retail Shift: From Le Cirque to Home Depot
The commercial history of 731 Lexington Ave New York NY 10022 tells the story of New York’s changing economy. For years, the anchor was Le Cirque. It was the place. If you wanted to see the power elite eating lobster salad, you went there. It was opulent, it was loud, and it was very "Old New York."
But things change.
Le Cirque is gone. In its place, and occupying much of the surrounding retail footprint, we’ve seen a shift toward "high-end utility." You’ve got the Container Store and, more recently, a massive Home Depot. Some people hated that. They thought a big-box hardware store devalued the prestige of a Pelli-designed tower.
They were wrong.
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In 2026, convenience is the ultimate luxury. Even the people living in $20 million penthouses upstairs need lightbulbs and custom shelving. The fact that 731 Lexington can house a global media empire, a billionaire’s residence, and a place to buy a power drill all in the same structure is exactly why it stays relevant. It’s a vertical city. It’s efficient.
Real Estate Value and the 10022 Zip Code
Let’s talk numbers, but keep it grounded. The 10022 zip code is consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest in the United States. It covers a chunk of the Upper East Side and Midtown East. Property taxes here are astronomical, but the services and proximity to the corporate headquarters of the world justify it for the firms that stay.
Vornado, the REIT that owns the commercial portion, has had to navigate the post-pandemic "return to office" world carefully. While other buildings struggled with 40% vacancy, 731 Lexington Ave New York NY 10022 stayed remarkably stable. Why? Because Bloomberg is a tenant that actually uses its space. They aren't a "work from home" culture. They are a "be at your desk at 7:00 AM" culture. That anchor tenancy makes the building a "Trophy Asset"—a term real estate nerds use for buildings that are basically recession-proof.
The residential units at One Beacon Court (the condos) still command prices that make your eyes water. We are talking $3,000 to $5,000 per square foot depending on the renovation and the height. It’s not just about the four walls. It’s about the 24-hour doorman, the valet parking (a massive rarity in Manhattan), and the fitness center that looks over the Queensboro Bridge.
The Impact on the Neighborhood
Before this tower went up, this specific patch of Lexington Avenue was a bit of a dead zone after the old department store closed. Now, it’s a transit-rich hub. You’ve got the N, R, W, 4, 5, and 6 trains right there at 59th Street.
It changed the pedestrian flow.
The Beacon Court courtyard creates a wind-tunnel effect, sure, but it also creates a sense of scale. When you stand in the center of that oval and look up, you feel the weight of New York. It’s one of those places that makes you feel small in a good way. It reminds you that you’re in the center of the world.
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Surprising Facts About 731 Lexington
- The Lighting: The "crown" of the building isn't just for show. It’s a sophisticated LED system that can change colors for holidays or special events, though it usually sticks to a classy white glow that pierces through the low-hanging clouds on rainy nights.
- The Elevators: They are some of the fastest in the city. You can get from the lobby to the top residential floors in about 45 seconds. Your ears will definitely pop.
- The Construction: Because it was built on the site of a former department store, the foundation work was a nightmare. They had to reinforce the site significantly to handle the sheer weight of the steel required for the "hang" of the office floors.
- The Art: The building has rotated various high-end art installations in the courtyard, making it a temporary gallery for anyone walking to the subway.
How to Experience 731 Lexington Avenue Yourself
You don't need to be a billionaire to appreciate the architecture. Honestly, the best way to see it is to just walk in.
Go to the Beacon Court entrance on 58th Street. Walk through to 59th. Stop in the middle. Look up. It’s one of the best free architectural views in Manhattan. Afterward, you can grab a coffee at one of the nearby shops and watch the mix of Bloomberg employees in sharp suits and tourists wandering toward Central Park.
If you are looking for a place to eat, the surrounding blocks are a mix of "lunch special" spots and high-end dining. Just a block away is the flagship Bloomingdale's, which creates a nice symmetry—the old retail giant of the neighborhood facing off against the new glass giant of the 21st century.
Actionable Insights for Visitors and Professionals
If you’re heading to 731 Lexington Ave New York NY 10022 for a meeting or just to explore, keep these things in mind. First, security is tight. Don't expect to wander into the Bloomberg lobby without an appointment; they have some of the most rigorous check-in procedures in the city. If you’re a photographer, the best light hits the Beacon Court glass around 2:00 PM when the sun reflects off the neighboring buildings into the oval.
For those interested in the real estate side, keep an eye on Vornado’s quarterly reports. They often use 731 Lex as a bellwether for the health of the Manhattan office market. When this building is full, Midtown is healthy.
Next time you are in the area, don't just walk past. Take three minutes to stand in the courtyard. It’s a rare moment of architectural stillness in a city that never stops moving. Whether you’re there for the data, the condos, or just a shortcut to the 6 train, 731 Lexington remains an absolute titan of the New York grid.
To get the most out of your visit to this part of Midtown, start at the 59th Street subway station and walk east. Take the time to compare the classic pre-war architecture of the surrounding blocks with the sharp, futuristic curves of the Bloomberg Tower. It’s a masterclass in how New York layers its history, one decade on top of another, never quite letting go of the past while aggressively building the future.
Check the LED crown at night from a few blocks away on Third Avenue; it’s one of the cleanest silhouettes in the entire 10022 skyline. It’s a reminder that even in a city of thousands of buildings, a few truly stand out.