This sprawling cultural center is home to eleven of New York's most prestigious artistic bodies, including the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet and the Juilliard School. The center hosts five major theater and concert halls, a library and study area and performing arts stages. Back in 1955, the goal was to concentrate the city's cultural wealth into a single place. At the time, the insalubrious neighborhood provided an ideal natural setting for the West Side Story movie.