Pre-Rent, there were a number of factors that made the Nederlander undesirable. It was surrounded by porn stores and SRO hotels. At that point, it was the only legit theatre south of 44th Street, which made it feel especially remote. Getting to that theatre in the '80s and early '90s made you feel like you were putting your life on the line.
Now, it is surrounded by a brand new office building, a boutique hotel, Red Lobster and Ruby Tuesday, with New York Sports Club, the Hilton and The New York Times down the street. The New Amsterdam dumps about half of its audience onto 41st Street, and there is a renovated well-lit subway entrance right on the corner. Even if it's not a gorgeous block, there is consistent street traffic, and the new NY Times building should prove a further catalyst to the area.
The Nederlander is a good sized theatre with 1,200 seats, and only one balcony, instead of the dreaded two of such houses as the Longacre, Belasco, Cort and Lyceum. With a thorough renovation and with the imprimatur of a show that ran 11 or 12 years there, it might no longer be as undesirable as it once was.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
Updated On: 12/31/07 at 12:29 AM