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Read the press release here.

Restaurant Row to Get Flashy Signs and Info Kiosks

By Mathew Katz | September 30, 2013 2:59pm
 One of these 12-foot-high kiosks will be placed at either end of Restaurant Row as part of the improvements.
One of these 12-foot-high kiosks will be placed at either end of Restaurant Row as part of the improvements.
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Times Square Alliance

HELL'S KITCHEN — Restaurant Row is about to have its name go up in lights.

The tourist-friendly strip of 31 restaurants along West 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues is getting a makeover, including two 12-foot-high glowing signs emblazoned with the block's name. 

The project, which also includes solar-powered lighting and bright kiosks, has been in the works since 2012. Work on the $150,000 project is set to begin within the next month, though a completion date has not been announced.

Community Board 4 supports the plans and is set to ask the city Department of Transportation to expedite the construction at a meeting on Wednesday.

The improvements, meant to give the historic block a unique look and feel, will create "illuminated gateways" on either end, in the hopes of attracting more customers, according to the Times Square Alliance, which is spearheading the project.

The kiosks also serve a practical function: along with showing off the block's name, they will each have a map listing each of Restaurant Row's eateries. The large Restaurant Row signs will be at either end of the block.

The block, first recognized by the city in 1973, includes Italian staple Barbetta, Broadway Joe Steakhouse and Don't Tell Mama piano bar.