Did you know one of the greatest piano concertos ever written debuted right here on the Upper West Side?

Sergey Rachmaninoff (one of the most legendary pianists and composers of all time and my personal favorite) lived in the neighborhood, and his iconic Third Piano Concerto premiered in a now-lost Upper West Side theater that few people remember today.

*The Century Apartments on 63rd Street and Central Park West. - Photo: Chris Baker*

*The New Theatre in 1909. - Photo: NYPL Digital Archives*

At the corner of 62nd Street and Central Park West once stood the Century Theatre, first known as the New Theatre. It opened in,1909, and was meant to be nothing less than New York’s new cultural crown jewel.

Built for three million dollars, it stood as one of the city’s most elegant landmarks, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece crafted by the celebrated architects Carrère and Hastings. Carrère and Hastings are known for numerous architectural works, one being the main branch of the New York Public Library here in Manhattan.

*Under construction in 1907. - Photo: MCNY*

*Under construction in 1908. - Photo: MCNY*

On November 28, 1909, the New Theatre hosted the world premiere of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, performed by Rachmaninoff himself, with Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Symphony Society. If I only had a time machine...

Many modern plays were performed as well as several Shakespearean works most notably The Winter's Tale.

*New Theatre interior, 1909. - Photo: MCNY*

The New Theatre was once called "New York's most spectacularly unsuccessful theater" in the WPA Guide to New York City.

The problem? The acoustics were bad, the shows were too highbrow, and back then this part of the Upper West Side felt like the outskirts of the city. So audiences just… didn’t come.

New managers took over in 1911, renaming it the Century Theatre. It became the Century Opera House in 1913, then switched back to the Century in 1915 under the renowned Florenz Ziegfeld.

*The Century Apartments - Photo: NYPL Digital Library*

After just a few seasons, financial trouble set In and in 1930, it was demolished. by 1931, the Art-Deco apartment tower known as The Century rose in its place.

*Hurricane Sandy aftermath 2012.- Photo: NY Post*

I actually love the design of the Century Apartments, so this one isn’t a total loss. More importantly, how incredible is it that Rachmaninoff not only debuted his most celebrated concerto here, but then chose to make Manhattan’s Upper West Side his home?

The Century Theatre

The Meatpacking District

Bridge Cafe