Mad Men Tour of Midtown Manhattan

6. Time-Life Building

New York, NY

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The term "mad men," coined in the 1950s, refers slyly to Madison Avenue itself, the focal point of the advertising industry at the time. However, after the third season the titular mad men of the show "Mad Men" move away from Madison Avenue, two long blocks west to Sixth Avenue. This is certainly appropriate, as the advertising industry did begin branching out at the time. You have probably noticed that the signs here on Sixth Avenue also read "Avenue of the Americas." This was a ceremonial name that beloved New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia gave the street in 1945 to honor Central and South America -- hence the metal signs hanging from the avenue's lampposts with flags of various nations in the Americas. However, New Yorkers always refer to this thoroughfare simply as "Sixth Avenue." This part of Sixth is home of this row of skyscrapers which are technically part of Rockefeller Center. The mid-century construction of these buildings were part of what helped Midtown become New York's prime business district, along with lower Manhattan. It also helps that these two sections of Manhattan Island are rich with Manhattan schist close to the surface. This incredibly strong bedrock supports the skyscrapers here in Midtown as well as the Financial District skyscrapers downtown. Even though Bert Cooper maintained that they should have rented cheaper space downtown, the nascent firm Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce chooses the 37th floor of the Time-Life Building for their offices starting in the fourth season. At the time, this building was fairly new -- it was finished in 1959. Its location is also undeniably convenient, and it is not far from the Madison Avenue heart of the ad industry. The "Mad Men" production team put their usual effort into authenticity. You can actually see into the offices from the street, and you might notice that the ceilings and fluorescent lights are much the same as you would see in the later seasons of "Mad Men," even though those episodes were filmed on soundstages thousands of miles away. The "Mad Men" characters also allude to the view of Radio City Music Hall from their offices during the fourth season -- and the legendary Radio City and its inimitable neon marquee is clearly right across the street. [Photo credit: Noah Axelrod]