Saint Nicholas Arena / Lincoln Square Center
69 West 66th Street
The block of 66th Street east of Columbus Avenue was the home of Lincoln Square Center (a music venue) and St. Nicholas Arena. Charlie Parker played at both venues and in the 1950s rock pioneer Alan Freed hosted Rock 'n' Roll Jubillee Balls at St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas Arena opened in 1896 as an ice hockey and skating rink. The 4,000-seat arena began hosting boxing matches in 1906 (which became legal in 1911 with the passage of the Frawley Law). After the final main event on May 28, 1962, it was estimated that as many as 30,000 fights may have been staged there. The building was demolished in the 1980s to make space for an expansion of ABC's television studios.
West 66th Street east of Columbus Avenue