123-675: The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel is a 501 ft (153 m), 51-story hotel located near Times Square in Midtown Manhattan , New York City. It faces 7th Avenue , 52nd Street , and 53rd Street . It is one of the world's 100 tallest hotels, and one of the tallest hotels in New York City . The hotel was opened in 1962 as the Americana of New York. It was sold to Sheraton in 1979 and renamed Sheraton Centre Hotel & Towers and later Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. In 2005, it
246-485: A "kind of arrogance, an unnecessary arrogance very often, which was counterproductive". However, he referred to Philippe as "one of the truly great men this industry has ever produced". Alphonse Salamone similarly remarked that "Claude Philippe brought an ingredient to this industry that I don't think has been surpassed". Jorge Hansen of Hilton Hotels stated that Philippe was "probably the outstanding creative sales catering director of any hotel. He knew also when sat on
369-498: A "new golden age of gastronomy", attracting some of the wealthiest businessmen in the world at the time to feast on some "six to eight food courses and two wines with each course". Philippe "enjoyed acting like a cross between a benevolent dictator and a kindly father" at the dinners according to George Lang. The ninth dinner featured a menu of "heroic proportions", 17 inches (430 mm) high and 12 inches (300 mm) wide, with over eight pages. On 10 May 1965, Claude Philippe threw
492-549: A "one-man atom". A workaholic, and a sometimes controversial figure, in 1958 he was indicted on four counts of tax evasion, with the Federal prosecutor believing him to have collected $ 300,000 in gratuities in 1952-55 alone. He pleaded guilty to one count of the indictment, and was fined a maximum $ 10,000. Philippe was a womanizer and was extremely popular with women; when visiting the hotel, "nearly every society lady in New York of
615-483: A capacity of 380 seats. The main ballroom, known as the Imperial Ballroom, could fit 3,000 people at a banquet or 4,000 at a business dinner. It measured either 190 ft × 110 ft (58 m × 34 m) or 195 ft × 100 ft (59 m × 30 m). The room was extensively ornamented with bronze, gold-leaf, and marble decoration. The chandelier, which could be raised and lowered on
738-430: A casino, a nightclub and various luxury shops as part of the resort. The French government was interested enough in the project to assist Philippe by providing a desalination plant and a paved road leading to the potential resort. Philippe hired architects and designers who estimated that it would cost about $ 5.5 million to make the dream a reality. It was decided to break ground after an investment of $ 2.5 million, which
861-474: A ceiling with gold domes. In addition, a set of concrete arches supported a staircase that led to a lower lobby. This "floating staircase" was made of marble and bronze. The lobby also connected to a bank of elevators. The hotel contained "nearly an acre of kitchens", which could accommodate up to 11,000 diners at once. There were seven kitchens, which took up four basement levels. The dining rooms were capable of accommodating 6,800 guests. The dining areas included
984-441: A contract with Disney, officials from the city and state evicted the pornographic theaters and contracted with Madame Tussauds and AMC Theatres to move onto 42nd Street. This spurred the construction of new office towers, hotels, and tourist attractions in the area. Prudential and Klein dissolved their partnership for the four office-building sites at Times Square's southern end in 1996. The same year, Douglas Durst acquired
1107-580: A cost of $ 50 million. Loew's had been developing the Summit Hotel on Lexington Avenue , which was renamed from the Americana to avoid confusion with the newer project. Loew's was also simultaneously developing two motels and a luxury apartment building in Manhattan. Construction began in September 1960, and the builders brought an elephant to the site to pour champagne into the concrete foundation . E. C. Sherry
1230-473: A cultural hub full of theatres, music halls , and upscale hotels. Times Square quickly became New York's agora , a place to gather to await great tidings and to celebrate them, whether a World Series or a presidential election. Advertising also grew significantly in the 1920s, growing from $ 25 million to $ 85 million over the decade. For example, the Wrigley Spearmint Gum sign, possibly
1353-421: A financier on Wall Street. Philippe's investors believed that the re-budgeting and additional loan would complete at least half of the resort and allow it to open for business, but Philippe continued to make expensive changes in the project such as adding more windows to all of the suites. When it was evident that the project was once again in financial trouble, one of the investors in the property offered Philippe
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#17328516654741476-490: A full-height glass wall and was slightly angled from the street grid. The main entrance was also covered with a canopy that contained infrared lamps, which heated the entrance during winter. A two-story semicircular rotunda projects from the southern part of the Seventh Avenue elevation, near 52nd Street. This rotunda contained the hotel's restaurants. The sidewalk on all sides of the rotunda originally had striped paving. Under
1599-424: A height of 501 feet (153 m), the hotel was acclaimed for many years in its advertising and by the media as the tallest hotel in the world , based on the number and height of its inhabited floors. The base is three stories high and contains the hotel's public rooms. The main entrance, on Seventh Avenue, occupies the northern part of the hotel's Seventh Avenue elevation , near 53rd Street. It originally contained
1722-442: A loan for an additional $ 750,000, provided that the project would now result in a more modest resort. Philippe was highly insulted and told the investor offering the additional funding, "I have created a Cadillac. You want to put into it a Chevrolet engine." By the summer of 1970, funds to continue building were exhausted; work stopped on La Belle Creole and Philippe was forced to abandon his project. The resort eventually went into
1845-509: A low entertainment district. The first theater on the square, the Olympia , was built by cigar manufacturer and impresario Oscar Hammerstein I . According to Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 , "By the early 1890s this once sparsely settled stretch of Broadway was ablaze with electric light and thronged by crowds of middle- and upper-class theatre, restaurant and cafe patrons." In 1904, New York Times publisher Adolph S. Ochs moved
1968-447: A mass yoga event involving up to 15,000 people. Tim Tompkins, a co-founder of the event, said part of its appeal was "finding stillness and calm amid the city rush on the longest day of the year". Architect Mark Foster Gage proposed and designed the original Times Square Valentine's Day heart in 2009. Since then, designing the heart has become an annual competition. In February 2011, Times Square became smoke-free as New York extended
2091-507: A massive crowd celebrated Victory in Europe Day in Times Square; and on August 15, 1945, the largest crowd in the history of Times Square gathered to celebrate Victory over Japan Day , reaching an estimated two million. The victory itself was announced by a headline on the "zipper" news ticker at One Times Square , which read "OFFICIAL ***TRUMAN ANNOUNCES JAPANESE SURRENDER ***". From
2214-639: A million visitors to Times Square every year, in addition to a worldwide audience of one billion or more on various digital media platforms. Times Square, specifically the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street, is the eastern terminus of the Lincoln Highway , the first road across the United States for motorized vehicles. Times Square is sometimes referred to as "the Crossroads of the World" and "the heart of
2337-495: A minimum limit for lighting instead of the standard maximum limit. The density of illuminated signs in Times Square rivals that in Las Vegas . Officially, signs in Times Square are called "spectaculars", and the largest of them are called " jumbotrons ". This signage ordinance was implemented in accordance with guidelines set in a revitalization program that New York Governor Mario Cuomo implemented in 1993. Notable signage includes
2460-457: A number of films, and his third and last wife was Helga in the 1970s. He was romantically involved with numerous women, including Grace Kelly before her marriage and Barbara Walters . In 1977, Philippe was said to be writing his memoirs; it is not known if he intended them to be published. George Lang of the Waldorf believed that the hotel tried to cover up his misdemeanors, noting that he had
2583-462: A party for Chevalier off his usual site, this time in the Oscar's Delmonico wine caves. By 1972, however the dinners had begun to lose their appeal. New York Magazine noted that the dinners were still appreciated for their "enormous stocks of wine" but that it no longer seemed to "have the appeal of the other groups". They nonetheless continued. After Philippe's death, his wife, Helga, took over planning
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#17328516654742706-419: A pole atop the building, marking the start of the new year. It replaced a lavish fireworks display from the top of the building that was held from 1904 to 1906 but stopped by city officials because of the danger of fire. Beginning in 1908, and for more than eighty years thereafter, Times Square sign maker Artkraft Strauss was responsible for the ball-lowering. During World War II, a minute of silence, followed by
2829-486: A press conference in the Americana in 1968. In addition, the Americana also hosted the New York portion of the Emmy Awards in 1967 and again in 1968 . The Royal Box hosted performances by musical artists including Harry Belafonte, Nancy Ames , Thelma Houston , Duke Ellington , Ella Fitzgerald , and Peggy Lee ; it also hosted other performers such as comedian Woody Allen . On July 21, 1972, American Airlines leased
2952-539: A recording of church bells pealing, replaced the ball drop because of wartime blackout restrictions. Today, Countdown Entertainment and One Times Square handle the New Year's Eve event in conjunction with the Times Square Alliance. A new energy-efficient LED ball debuted for the arrival of 2008, which was the centennial of the Times Square ball drop. The 2008–09 ball is larger and has become a permanent installation as
3075-458: A reputation as a dangerous and seedy neighborhood in the following decades. Nevertheless, Times Square continued to be the site of the annual ball drop on New Year's Eve . The ball drop was placed on hiatus for New Year's Eve in 1942 and 1943 due to lighting restrictions during World War II , replaced by a moment of silence that was observed at midnight in Times Square, accompanied by the sound of chimes played from sound trucks. On May 8, 1945,
3198-580: A short time. In August 1960, the Tisch brothers acquired the Manhattan Storage Warehouse site on the eastern side of Seventh Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets. The same month, Loew's announced plans for the Americana. The project would contain 2,000 rooms and, at 50 stories tall, would be the tallest hotel in the world. Morris Lapidus was hired to design the new hotel, which was planned to open in May 1962 at
3321-450: A source of controversy in the summer of 2015 because of a large number of complaints about the topless women and panhandling characters. Although neither of these activities are illegal, opponents believed that the panhandlers' presence was detrimental to the quality of life in the area. There were calls from Police Commissioner Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio to remove the plaza, although Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer opposed
3444-587: A tiny hamlet, Great Kill, that became a center for carriage-making, as the upland to the south and east became known as Longacre. Before and after the American Revolution , the area belonged to John Morin Scott , a general of the New York militia , in which he served under George Washington . Scott's manor house was at what is currently 43rd Street, surrounded by countryside used for farming and breeding horses. In
3567-478: A trial until at least the end of the year. The same was done in Herald Square from 33rd to 35th Street. The results were to be closely monitored to determine if the project was successful and should be extended. Bloomberg also stated that he believed the street shutdown would make New York more livable by reducing pollution, cutting down on pedestrian-vehicle accidents, and helping traffic flow more smoothly through
3690-423: A white, blue, and gold color scheme, complementing the design of the lower stories. Lapidus also designed the carpets, which were installed across each room, extending into the closets. Each bedroom initially had its own thermostat, telephone, small refrigerator, and combination swivel/rocking chair, as well as a full-width window. In addition, rooms had their own radio, television, and Gideon Bible . Guests could use
3813-424: A winch, cost $ 50,000. The Imperial Ballroom's projection booth could retract into the ceiling when it was not being used. There was also a hydraulically-powered revolving stage, which covered 1,700 square feet (160 m) and could be lifted in four sections. A vehicle lift, which could fit two limousines simultaneously, connected the Imperial Ballroom with street level, allowing guests of honor to drive directly into
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3936-464: A year-round attraction, being used for celebrations on days such as Valentine's Day and Halloween . The New Year's Eve celebrations are usually overseen by thousands of police officers. Aluminum barriers are erected to accommodate spectators; for the 2020 celebration, attended by a million people, barriers were erected from 38th to 59th Street and from Sixth to Eighth Avenue. Typically, the celebrations create large amounts of waste. The waste includes
4059-839: Is a bowtie -shaped plaza five blocks long between 42nd and 47th Streets . Times Square is brightly lit by numerous digital billboards and advertisements as well as businesses offering 24/7 service . One of the world's busiest pedestrian areas, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world's entertainment industry . Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of them tourists, while over 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on its busiest days. The Times Square–42nd Street and 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal stations have consistently ranked as
4182-447: Is a busy intersection of art and commerce, where scores of advertisements – electric, neon and illuminated signs and "zipper" news crawls – vie for viewers' attention. Notable examples include: Major buildings on or near Times Square "Numbered" Times Square buildings Claude Philippe Claudius Charles Philippe , also known as Philippe of the Waldorf or The Host of the Waldorf , (10 December 1910—24 December 1978 )
4305-494: Is bounded by West 42nd Street , West 47th Street , 7th Avenue, and Broadway. Broadway runs diagonally, crossing through the horizontal and vertical street grid of Manhattan laid down by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , and that intersection creates the "bowtie" shape of Times Square. Times Square is the official name of the southern triangle, below 45th Street. The northern triangle is officially known as Duffy Square and
4428-406: Is clad in yellow brick and marble. On the longer elevations of the slab, each story originally contained horizontal strips of windows, installed in stainless-steel frames. The windows on different floors are separated by spandrel panels of yellow glazed brick. The shorter elevations of the slab are clad with white Vermont marble. The building also used precast concrete Mo-Sai panels. The facades of
4551-866: Is famed for the Times Square Ball drop on its roof every New Year's Eve. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association , headed by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher , chose the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway (at the southeast corner of Times Square) to be the Eastern Terminus of the Lincoln Highway . This was the first road across the United States, which originally ran 3,389 mi (5,454 km) coast to coast through 13 states to its western terminus in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Times Square grew dramatically after World War I . It became
4674-467: Is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop. About one million revelers crowd Times Square for the New Year's Eve celebrations, more than twice the usual number of visitors the area usually receives daily. However, for the millennium celebration on December 31, 1999, published reports stated approximately two million people overflowed Times Square, flowing from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue and back on Broadway and Seventh Avenue to 59th Street, making it
4797-607: The 1974 NFL draft and served as Democratic headquarters for the 1976 Democratic National Convention and 1980 Democratic National Convention . The Americana of New York and the City Squire were sold to a partnership of Sheraton Hotels and the Equitable Life Assurance Society on January 24, 1979. The Americana was renamed the Sheraton Centre Hotel & Towers . Sheraton bought out Equitable's share in
4920-645: The April in Paris Ball at the Waldorf Astoria in 1951, which he ran with Elsa Maxwell until his sacking from the hotel in 1959. The balls were major events in the US socialite calendar, and raised millions of dollars for American and French charities over the 28 years of its existence. His Lucullus Circle dinners also attracted some of the wealthiest businessmen of the day to feast on six to eight course meals. During his career at
5043-796: The Disney theme parks worldwide, with 128,794,000 visitors between March 2012 and February 2013, versus 126,479,000 for the Walt Disney World theme parks in Bay Lake, Florida , in 2012. Even excluding residents from the visitor count, Times Square is the world's second most visited tourist attraction, behind the Las Vegas Strip . The high level of pedestrian traffic has resulted in $ 4.8 billion in annual retail, entertainment, and hotel sales, with 22 cents out of every dollar spent by visitors in New York City being spent within Times Square. Times Square
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5166-651: The East End of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands . They bought a large parcel of undeveloped land in the French portion of Saint Martin around 1964, Philippe's dream had been to build a luxury resort called La Belle Creole which would be like a tiny portion of France in the Caribbean. Philippe's intended guests were the people he had been acquainted with through his hotel work. His plans were also for
5289-694: The Macklowe Hotel , Marriott Marquis , Crowne Plaza , and DoubleTree Suites. By 1986, New York City Planning Commission (CPC) was considering enacting regulations that would have forced new buildings along Times Square to include bright signage as well as deep setbacks . The CPC adopted a planning regulation in 1987, which required large new developments in Times Square to set aside about 5 percent of their space for "entertainment uses". The regulation also required new buildings on Times Square to include large, bright signs. The buildings at 1540 Broadway, 1585 Broadway, and 750 Seventh Avenue were completed at
5412-515: The State of New York took possession of six of the nine historic theaters on 42nd Street, and the New 42nd Street non-profit organization was appointed to oversee their restoration and maintenance. The theaters underwent renovation for Broadway shows, conversion for commercial purposes, or demolition. Opposition to the towers on Times Square, along with Prudential and Park Tower's inability to secure tenants for
5535-664: The Toshiba billboard directly under the NYE ball drop, the curved seven-story NASDAQ sign at the NASDAQ MarketSite at 4 Times Square on 43rd Street, and the curved Coca-Cola sign located underneath another large LED display owned and operated by Samsung . Both the Coca-Cola sign and Samsung LED displays were built by LED display manufacturer Daktronics . Times Square's first environmentally friendly billboard powered by wind and solar energy
5658-659: The Vince Lombardi Trophy . The area was under increased security and witnessed over 400,000 people during the period. In October 2022, casino operator Caesars Entertainment and commercial property developer SL Green submitted a joint proposal to open a casino at 1515 Broadway , along Times Square. The New York state government has yet to act on the proposal. On February 26, 2009, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that traffic lanes along Broadway from 42nd Street to 47th Street would be de-mapped starting Memorial Day 2009 and transformed into pedestrian plazas as
5781-416: The receivership of the French government, who eagerly sought a buyer. Potential new investors were interested in the property, Club Med and Marriott among them, but lost their interest upon learning of the financial tangle. Aristotle Onassis also thought about La Belle Creole, but changed his mind after his representative had inspected the property. The resort began to slip into deterioration and theft
5904-543: The remodeling claim that the neighborhood is safer and cleaner. Detractors have countered that the changes have homogenized or "Disneyfied" the character of Times Square and have unfairly targeted lower-income New Yorkers from nearby neighborhoods such as Hell's Kitchen . The changes were shaped in large part by the actions of The Walt Disney Company , which bought and restored the New Amsterdam Theatre after several attempts at redevelopment had failed. As part of
6027-646: The 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. However, it was also during this period that the area began to be besieged by crime and corruption, in the form of gambling and prostitution; one case that garnered huge attention was the arrest and subsequent execution of police officer Charles Becker . The general atmosphere of Times Square changed with the onset of the Great Depression in the early 1930s. City residents moved uptown to cheaper neighborhoods, and many popular theaters closed, replaced by saloons, brothels, "burlesque halls, vaudeville stages, and dime houses". The area acquired
6150-404: The 1950s insisted that she either knew or was served personally by the great Claudius Charles Philippe". He was married three times, first to food writer Poppy Cannon from 1941 to 1949, with whom he had a daughter, Claudia; Cannon went on to marry Walter White . His second wife from 1952 to about 1961 was Comédie-Française actress Mony Dalmès , who incidentally doubled for Marilyn Monroe in
6273-518: The 1960s to the early 1990s, the seediness of the area, especially due to its go-go bars , sex shops , peep shows , and adult theaters, became an infamous symbol of the city's decline. As early as 1960, 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues was described by The New York Times as "the 'worst' [block] in town". Later that decade, Times Square was depicted in Midnight Cowboy as gritty, depraved, and desperate. Conditions only worsened in
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#17328516654746396-675: The 1970s and 1980s, as did the crime in the rest of the city, with a 1981 article in Rolling Stone magazine calling 42nd Street in Times Square the "sleaziest block in America". In the mid-1980s, the area bounded by 40th and 50th Streets and Seventh and Ninth Avenues saw over 15,000 crime complaints per year. The block of 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues had 2,300 crimes per year in 1984, of which 20% were felonies. In this era, formerly elegant movie theaters began to show x-rated films , and peep shows hustlers were common. In 1984,
6519-509: The 2001–02 New Year's celebration. Approximately 500,000 revelers attended. Security was high following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, with more than 7,000 New York City police officers on duty in the Square, twice the number for an ordinary year. Times Square started hosting other major annual events in the 2000s. Since 2002, the summer solstice has been marked by "Mind over Madness",
6642-635: The 28 years of its existence. It was staged in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf for eight years before moving to the Hotel Astor in 1960, the Seventh Regiment Armory in 1961, and other venues. The ball was designed to cater for "very, very high-class people" according to Vaccaro. Raffle tickets cost US$ 100 per person and offered opulent prizes such as a US$ 5000 bracelet and other jewels, expensive furs, perfumes and even cars. It attracted many of
6765-495: The 3,000 pounds of biodegradable confetti dropped at midnight, a tradition of which started in 1992. The New York City Department of Sanitation estimated that by 8 a.m. on New Year's Day 2014, it had cleared over 50 short tons (45 long tons; 45 t) of trash from the New Year's celebration, using 190 workers from their crews and the Times Square Alliance. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City during 2020 reduced
6888-568: The 60-foot-long (18 m) Wooden Indian men's bar, which was themed to the Old West and contained themed wooden carvings. The La Ronde cocktail lounge, housed within the semicircular rotunda, contained mirrored columns as well as damask tapestries. Wood, copper, and leather furnishings were used extensively in the Golden Spur restaurant. The hotel also contained a nightclub called the Royal Box, which had
7011-594: The Americana of New York from Loews, as well as the City Squire Motor Inn across the street, and the Americana Hotels in Bal Harbour, Florida , and San Juan, Puerto Rico , for a period of thirty years. American merged the hotels with their existing Flagship Hotels chain (part of their wholly-owned Sky Chefs catering division), and marketed all the properties under the Americana Hotels brand. The Americana hosted
7134-532: The Americana opened, its managers claimed that the hotel had received 250 bookings, some as far as four years in advance, worth a cumulative $ 10 million. This was attributed to the proximity of the Broadway Theater District and of the shopping areas on Fifth and Madison Avenues , as well as the fact that many people were visiting the upcoming 1964 New York World's Fair . Shortly after the Americana opened, officials conducted an extensive inspection of
7257-605: The Americana when it was completed. It was the city's first hotel with more than 1,000 rooms since the Waldorf Astoria in 1931. Lilly Daché operated a beauty salon in the hotel when it opened. As at the Summit, the Americana required that many staff members be able to speak several languages. One of four employees in the hotel's front offices could speak more than one language. The hotel's concierge service included staff members who could speak Spanish, French, German, and Italian. When
7380-485: The Great White Way ". Times Square functions as a town square , but is not geometrically a square . It is closer in shape to a bowtie, with two triangles emanating roughly north and south from 45th Street, where Seventh Avenue intersects Broadway . Broadway similarly intersects other north–south avenues at Union Square , Madison Square , Herald Square , and Verdi Square , none of which are squares. The area
7503-542: The Midtown street grid. The pedestrian plaza project was originally opposed by local businesses, who thought that closing the street to cars would hurt business. The original seats put out for pedestrians were inexpensive multicolored plastic lawn chairs, a source of amusement to many New Yorkers; they lasted from the onset of the plaza transformation until August 14, 2009, when they were ceremoniously bundled together in an installation christened Now You See It, Now You Don't by
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#17328516654747626-634: The New York Hilton to the northeast; Flatotel New York City and Credit Lyonnais Building to the east; and Axa Equitable Center to the south. The site had previously been occupied by the Manhattan Storage and Warehouse Company, built in 1892 to designs by James E. Ware . The warehouse, designed in the Italianate style, had been demolished in 1957. The Americana of New York was designed by Morris Lapidus , Liebman & Associates in 1960–1962. It
7749-470: The New York state government, had proposed redeveloping the area around a portion of West 42nd Street in 1981. Four towers designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee were to be built around 42nd Street's intersections with Broadway and Seventh Avenue. These towers would have been redeveloped by George Klein of Park Tower Realty, though the Prudential Insurance Company of America joined
7872-484: The Princess Ballroom could fit 300 people. The exhibition hall spanned 30,000 square feet (2,800 m) at ground level. The hotel also had 38 private meeting rooms, each with a capacity of 25 to 500 people. The basement contained a parking garage with 350 spots. Also part of the hotel was a swimming pool on the 25th story. When the hotel was developed, it contained 2,000 rooms, including 90 large suites. Originally,
7995-452: The Waldorf Astoria it has been estimated that Philippe was responsible for his clients spending $ 150 million alone on banquets, which led him to be referred to as "one of the truly great men this industry has ever produced" by George Lang . The suave Philippe led a colorful life, with many lovers including Grace Kelly and Barbara Walters , and three wives. He was investigated for tax evasion in 1958 and admitted guilt one count, for which he
8118-463: The Waldorf's Oscar Tschirky . Upon Oscar's retirement in 1943, Philippe stepped into this position as Maître d'hôtel . He went on to become "one of New York's cuisine kingpins". In July 1948, Philippe hired Alexis Lichine to buy wines in Europe for the Waldorf Astoria; the two men would become close friends and business partners. In 1951 Philippe founded the April in Paris Ball at the Waldorf. It
8241-420: The accommodation blocks are generally intact, but the podium levels were reclad in the 1991 renovation, replacing the varied, light 1960s details with Postmodern squared granite. The hotel's superstructure is composed of three structural systems. Floors 1–5 are made of steel members encased in concrete, since these stories contained large public spaces; these steel beams were anchored in the bedrock underneath
8364-476: The area was so derelict and dilapidated, that the entire Times Square area paid the city only $ 6 million in property taxes (equivalent to $ 17.6 million in 2023). In the 1980s, a commercial building boom began in the western parts of Midtown as part of a long-term development plan developed under mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins . These included office buildings such as 1540 Broadway , 1585 Broadway , and 750 Seventh Avenue , as well as hotels such as
8487-426: The artist Jason Peters, and shortly afterward were replaced by sturdier metal furniture. Although the plaza had mixed results on traffic in the area, injuries to motorists and pedestrians decreased, fewer pedestrians were walking in the road, and the number of pedestrians in Times Square increased. On February 11, 2010, Bloomberg announced that the pedestrian plazas would become permanent. The city started rebuilding
8610-493: The ballroom. There were two large sliding panels, allowing the Imperial Ballroom to be divided into three smaller spaces. There were also three smaller ballrooms that fit up to 1,000 people; they were known as the Royal, Versailles, and Princess. The Royal (or Georgian) Ballroom could fit 1,200 guests and could be divided into a primary ballroom and a separate foyer. The Versailles Ballroom could fit 400 diners or 500 business guests, and
8733-417: The beginning of the early 1990s recession , when 14.5 percent of Manhattan office space was vacant. Furthermore, some 9 × 10 ^ sq ft (840,000 m ) of office space in the western section of Midtown had been developed in the 1980s, of which only half had been leased. Consequently, 1540 Broadway was completely empty, while 1585 Broadway and 750 Seventh Avenue had one tenant each, despite
8856-492: The biggest electric sign "in the world," cost $ 9,000 per month to rent. Some contemporary critics, such as Thorstein Veblen and G. K. Chesterton , disliked the advertising at Times Square. Fritz Lang , after seeing Times Square in 1923, used it as inspiration for his dark industrial film Metropolis . Entertainment icons such as Irving Berlin , Charlie Chaplin , and Fred Astaire were closely associated with Times Square in
8979-406: The building. Floors 5–29 are composed of concrete shear walls for wind resistance. Floors 29–51 are supported by reinforced concrete columns . The concrete frame was both easier to pour and cheaper to build compared to a conventional steel frame. According to Lapidus, his previous projects had all used reinforced concrete, and he did not intend to use steel. At the time of its completion, the building
9102-429: The buildings having over 2 × 10 ^ sq ft (190,000 m ) of office space between them. Entertainment conglomerate Bertelsmann bought 1540 Broadway in 1992, spurring a revival of Times Square in the early 1990s. This was hastened when financial firm Morgan Stanley bought 1585 Broadway in 1993, followed by 750 Seventh Avenue in 1994. The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), an agency of
9225-473: The busiest in the New York City Subway system, transporting more than 200,000 passengers daily. Formerly known as Longacre Square , Times Square was renamed in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the then newly erected Times Building, now One Times Square . It is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop , which began on December 31, 1907, and continues to attract over
9348-500: The existing buildings. In 1992, the Times Square Alliance (formerly the Times Square Business Improvement District , or "BID" for short), a coalition of city government and local businesses dedicated to improving the quality of commerce and cleanliness in the district, started operations in the area. In 1998, the alliance opened a tourist information center in the former Embassy Theatre at 1560 Broadway;
9471-483: The first half of the 19th century, it became one of the prized possessions of John Jacob Astor , who made a second fortune selling off lots to hotels and other real estate concerns as the city rapidly spread uptown . By 1872, the area had become the center of New York's horse carriage industry. The locality had not previously been given a name, and city authorities called it Longacre Square after Long Acre in London, where
9594-625: The gentlemen's dinners, as well as coordinating the wines and greeting the attendees; she was the only woman present at these events. After being sacked from the Waldorf Astoria in 1959, Philippe was appointed executive vice president of the Zeckendorf Hotels Corporation for two years, which at the time owned the Commodore , the Manhattan and Drake hotels. From 1961 until 1963 he worked as executive vice president of Loews Hotels , and
9717-667: The horse and carriage trade was centered in that city. William Henry Vanderbilt owned and ran the American Horse Exchange there. In 1910, it became the Winter Garden Theatre. As more profitable commerce and industrialization of Lower Manhattan pushed homes, theaters, and prostitution northward from the Tenderloin District , Longacre Square became nicknamed the Thieves Lair for its rollicking reputation as
9840-463: The hotel after detecting several building-code violations. The hotel's Royal Box nightclub was renovated in early 1963, having opened in October 1962 with a performance by Harry Belafonte . The hotel hosted several events, such as the 1963 Tony Awards , which were held in the Imperial Ballroom on April 28, 1963. John Lennon and Paul McCartney announced the formation of their music label Apple Corps at
9963-481: The hotel in 1990, freeing them to undertake a nearly $ 200 million renovation in 1991, when the hotel was renamed the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers . Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Lehman Brothers' Investment Banking division temporarily converted the first-floor lounges, restaurants, and 665 guestrooms of the hotel into office space. Starwood Hotels (which had bought Sheraton in 1998) sold
10086-451: The hotel on November 14, 2005, to Host Marriott for $ 738 million, as part of a $ 4 billion transaction that included 37 other hotel properties. The hotel continued to be managed by Sheraton, however, and was again renovated from 2011 to 2012 at a cost of $ 160 million. The name was shortened to Sheraton New York Hotel in 2012 and then changed to Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in 2013. In 2018, Host Hotels & Resorts attempted to sell
10209-488: The hotel the next month with a $ 260 million loan from firms associated with the Fortress Investment Group . The Americana was one of at least eight hotels that Loews Hotels developed in Manhattan during the early 1960s, as well as one of four developed by Morris Lapidus. The Diesel Construction Company was the hotel's general contractor , and Farkas & Barron was the structural engineer. At 51 floors, with
10332-480: The hotel was being built using a concrete frame. The concrete work finally began in late 1961, and the concrete superstructure was initially built at a rate of one story every three days. Above floor 29, one story was completed every two days. In November 1961, workers hosted a party to celebrate the completion of the main ballroom's floor, which Loew's dubbed "the world's largest ballroom". Loew's Hotels vice president Claude Philippe and actress Barbara Eden attended
10455-513: The hotel's topping out ceremony on May 8, 1962, when a maple tree was hosted to the top floor. The hotel ultimately cost $ 45 million to construct. Claude Philippe served as the hotel's manager for only one year after it opened, resigning in 1963. The Americana of New York opened on September 24, 1962, following a press preview on September 20. Francis Cardinal Spellman , cardinal of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York , blessed
10578-453: The hotel, without success, for $ 550 million. By 2020, the price had dropped to $ 495 million. Host sold the hotel to MCR Hotels and Island Capital Group in March 2022 for $ 373 million, just over half of the price Host had paid in 2005. MCR took over the previous owner's $ 250 million loan on the hotel; the loan went into forbearance after it matured in October 2023. MCR and Island Capital refinanced
10701-691: The information center operated until 2014. In the mid-1990s, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani led an effort to clean up the area, an effort that is described by Steve Macek in Urban Nightmares: The Media, the Right, and the Moral Panic Over the City : Security was increased, pornographic theatres were closed, and "undesirable" low-rent residents were pressured to relocate, and then more tourist-friendly attractions and upscale establishments were opened. Advocates of
10824-461: The largest gathering in Times Square since August 1945 during celebrations marking the end of World War II . On December 31, 1907, a ball signifying New Year's Day was first dropped at Times Square, and the Square has held the main New Year's celebration in New York City ever since. On that night, hundreds of thousands of people congregate to watch the Waterford Crystal ball being lowered on
10947-515: The most famous people of the day, including Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich . By the mid 1970s his balls were charging $ 185 per person; the 1974 ball netted roughly $ 175,000. During his career at the Waldorf Astoria it has been estimated that Philippe was responsible for his clients spending $ 150 million alone on banquets. Philippe was also noted for his Lucullus Circle dinners and women-only luncheons, which were both very popular. The Lucullus Circle dinners, inaugurated in 1951, brought about
11070-478: The newspaper's operations to a new skyscraper on 42nd Street at Longacre Square, on the site of the former Pabst Hotel , which had existed on the site for less than a decade since it opened in November 1899. Ochs persuaded Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. to construct a subway station there, and the area was renamed "Times Square" on April 8, 1904. Just three weeks later, the first electrified advertisement appeared on
11193-406: The north side, a 25-story wing is perpendicular to the western part of the slab (and slightly angled from the street grid). Lapidus said the bent massing strengthened the upper stories against wind forces, rather than being intended for aesthetic effect. Architectural Forum said the slab looked "slim, tall, and elegant" from the east but had a completely different appearance from the west. The slab
11316-450: The number of people traveling to Times Square. About 108,000 pedestrians visited Times Square each day in late 2020 compared to the 380,000 before the pandemic. From March to October 2020, 26 of the area's 46 hotels closed, as well as 39 of 151 stores and 84 of 162 restaurants. Times Square was closed to the public for New Year's Day 2021 and observers were dispersed into enclosures measuring 8 by 8 ft (2.4 by 2.4 m). Times Square
11439-415: The outdoors smoking ban to the area. The measure imposed a $ 50 fine for any person caught smoking within the area. From January 29 to February 1, 2014, a "Super Bowl Boulevard" was held on Broadway, especially in Times Square, between 34th and 47th Streets, as part of Super Bowl XLVIII . The boulevard contained activities such as autographs, a 60 ft (18 m)-high toboggan run , and photographs with
11562-491: The plaza in 2010, hiring the design and landscaping firm Snøhetta to permanently replace Broadway's roadway with custom-made granite pavers and benches. By December 2013, the first phase of the Times Square pedestrian plaza had been completed at the southern end of the square in time for the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve. The project was originally intended to be completed by the end of 2015. The entire project
11685-460: The project in 1986. Furthermore, as part of the West Midtown special zoning district created in 1982, the New York City government had allowed new buildings in Times Square to be developed with an increased floor area ratio. To ensure the area would not be darkened at nightfall, the city passed zoning regulations that encouraged developers to add large, bright signs on their buildings. In 1990,
11808-489: The proposal. In June 2016, work started on "pedestrian flow zones" where no one was allowed to loiter, as well as "activity zones" where costumed characters were allowed to perform. There have been several incidents in Times Square: Times Square is the most visited place globally with 360,000 pedestrian visitors a day, amounting to over 131 million a year. As of 2013 , it had a greater attendance than each of
11931-551: The proposed buildings, led government officials to allow Prudential and Park Tower to postpone the project in 1992. By then, Prudential had spent $ 300 million on condemning the sites through eminent domain . The partners retained the right to develop the sites in the future, and the ESDC's zoning guidelines remained in effect. In exchange for being permitted to delay construction of the sites until 2002, Prudential and Park Tower were compelled to add stores and install large signage on
12054-551: The restaurant very long; it was forced to close in October 1972 due to a lack of patronage. He was taken gravely ill three days before the 1978 ball in October and died by Christmas of that year. Philippe had numerous business interests and investments, and was responsible for building at least three restaurants, a casino, a theater, and an eighteen-hole golf course in Guadeloupe in the 1960s. By 1960, Alexis Lichine and Philippe owned an extensive stretch of beach called Jacks Bay near
12177-449: The right to acquire the sites at the southwest and southeast corners of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue for $ 330 million. 5 Times Square was completed on the southwest-corner site in 2002, and Times Square Tower opened on the southeast-corner site in 2004. Times Square now boasts attractions such as ABC 's Times Square Studios , where Good Morning America is broadcast live; competing Hershey's and M&M's stores across
12300-418: The safety of the area. The theatres of Broadway and the huge number of animated neon and LED signs have been one of New York's iconic images as well as a symbol of the intensely urban aspects of Manhattan. Since 1987 such signage has been mandated by zoning ordinances that require building owners to display illuminated signs, the only district in New York City with this requirement. The neighborhood has
12423-566: The side of a bank at the corner of 46th Street and Broadway. The north end later became Duffy Square, and the former Horse Exchange became the Winter Garden Theatre , constructed in 1911. The New York Times moved to more spacious offices one block west of the square in 1913 and sold the building in 1961. The old Times Building was later named the Allied Chemical Building in 1963. Now known simply as One Times Square , it
12546-500: The sidewalks were electric cables that could melt snow and ice. The main part of the Sheraton is a 47-story slab, which is bent in the center. The western part of the massing is angled toward the corner of Seventh Avenue and 52nd Street, while the eastern part runs parallel to the Manhattan street grid. The hotel was designed in this way because zoning regulations prohibited the upper stories from being built any closer to 52nd Street. On
12669-460: The site at the northeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street, and he developed 4 Times Square there. The northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street was taken by Reuters , which enlisted Rudin Management as its development partner and built 3 Times Square on that corner; that building opened in 2001. In 1998, a joint venture of Klein, The Blackstone Group , and Boston Properties won
12792-483: The smallest room in the Americana Hotel was a single-bedroom unit measuring 9.5 by 15 feet (2.9 by 4.6 m). By contrast, the hotel's largest unit had six bedrooms, a three-sided terrace, and its own butler and maid. Lapidus designed most of the hotel's original furniture. These included lamps, portraits, and furniture, which were all designed in a mid-20th-century style. The hotel rooms were originally decorated in
12915-500: The street from each other, and multiple multiplex movie theaters. Additionally, the area contains restaurants such as the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company , a seafood establishment; Planet Hollywood Restaurant and Bar , a theme restaurant ; and Carmine's, serving Italian cuisine . It has also attracted several large financial, publishing, and media firms to set up headquarters in the area. A larger presence of police has improved
13038-437: The televisions in their rooms to watch closed-circuit television footage of the ballrooms and exhibition areas. Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City . It is formed by the junction of Broadway , Seventh Avenue , and 42nd Street . Together with adjacent Duffy Square , Times Square
13161-458: The western half of the city block bounded by Seventh Avenue to the west, 52nd Street to the south, Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) to the east, and 53rd Street to the north. The site covers 60,775 square feet (5,646.2 m), with a frontage of 200 feet (61 m) on Seventh Avenue and 305 feet (93 m) along the side streets. Nearby buildings include 810 Seventh Avenue to the west;
13284-403: Was a British-born French-American restaurateur, catering director, hotelier and businessman, who was the hotel banquet manager of the prestigious Waldorf Astoria New York hotel in the 1940s and 1950s. From 1961 until 1963 he worked as executive vice president of Loews Hotels , and was responsible for the planning and building of six new New York hotels. Philippe is best remembered for founding
13407-438: Was cited as being of a "suave" and "polished" demeanor, and Life magazine remarked that he was "suave enough to charm the most difficult hostess". He was a "strange, extremely creative, intelligent, but a somewhat warped individual"; yet one, according to George Lang , who was "an amazingly generous person" who would frequently invite guests to his country estate at Watch Hill Farm . Victor Borge referred to Philippe as
13530-526: Was constructed by brothers Laurence Tisch and Preston Tisch , co-owners of the Loews Corporation . The hotel was developed to serve the large business and convention market in New York City. At the time, many of the city's hotels were competing with each other to host large conventions. The occupancy rates of the city's hotels had declined from 96 percent in 1946 to 75 percent in 1961, but conventions could attract large numbers of guests, even if only for
13653-582: Was dedicated in June 1939 to honor World War I chaplain Father Francis P. Duffy of the 69th New York Infantry Regiment . A statue by Charles Keck was dedicated in May 1937 as a memorial to Duffy. There is also a statue of composer and entertainer George M. Cohan , and the TKTS discount ticket booth for same-day Broadway and off-Broadway theaters that has been at the site since June 1973. When Manhattan Island
13776-418: Was enough to construct buildings and begin the resort plans. However, Philippe's funds ran out by 1969 and work on La Belle Creole was suspended. Philippe was able to get an emergency loan of $ 250,000 from a Lebanese company, but this did not go very far to completing the work on the project. He got some help in redrawing his budget and a larger loan of $ 500,000 from a large Paris bank through J. Jay Frankel,
13899-501: Was finally completed just before New Year's Eve 2016. Some safety bollards were also installed as part of the renovation to prevent vehicular attacks or collisions on the sidewalk. After a 2017 vehicle-ramming attack , there were calls to install more bollards along Times Square. Times Square's pedestrian plaza is frequented by topless women (with painted breasts) called " desnudas ", as well as costumed characters , who typically panhandle for tips. The pedestrian plaza became
14022-511: Was fined the maximum $ 10,000. He had numerous other business interests and investments, and was responsible for building at least three restaurants, a casino, a theater, and an eighteen-hole golf course in Guadeloupe in the 1960s. Philippe was born in London in 1910, the son of a chef, and was trained at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. By age 20, he had settled in the United States and was an assistant to
14145-533: Was first lit on December 4, 2008. The new 20 Times Square development hosts the largest LED signage in Times Square at 18,000 square feet. The display is 1,000 square feet larger than the Times Square Walgreens display and one of the largest video-capable screens in the world. In 2002, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani administered the oath of office to the city's next mayor, Michael Bloomberg , at Times Square after midnight on January 1 as part of
14268-562: Was first settled by the Dutch colonists , three small streams united near what is now the intersection of 10th Avenue and 40th Street . These three streams formed the "Great Kill" (Dutch: Grote Kil ). From there the Great Kill wound through the low-lying Reed Valley, known for fish and waterfowl, and emptied into a deep bay in the Hudson River at the present 42nd Street. The name was retained in
14391-504: Was hired the next month to direct sales at the hotel. Lapidus, who had also been designing the nearby New York Hilton , resigned from the Hilton project by the end of 1960 to avoid a conflict of interest. Concrete pouring had commenced in July 1961 when all of the building's concrete workers went on strike , which lasted for eight weeks. All construction at the hotel was paused during the strike, since
14514-510: Was initially held annually in April 1952, but according to Ann Vaccaro, former executive director of the ball, it was changed to October because "Mr. Philippe decided that because there are so many balls in the spring he would make it in October". After being changed to October, it often marked the start of the US fall social season; the balls were major events in the socialite calendar, and raised millions of dollars for American and French charities over
14637-437: Was not until 1989 that the resort was completed and opened for guests for the first time. The casino and nightclub never materialized and the size of the property was reduced to 25 acres. In 1995, Hurricane Luis forced the closing of La Belle Creole and the resort has remained closed since that time. Philippe was described as being tall, dark and lanky of frame, with an aquiline nose, long bony fingers and an acid tongue. He
14760-536: Was responsible for the planning and building of six new New York hotels, including the Summit Hotel . After 1963 he presided his own consulting firm, taking responsibility of the April Paris Ball until his death in 1978. Philippe was the head of a group of investors who bought the noted Le Pavillon in 1967. The restaurant came on the market after the sudden death of its previous owner, Henri Soulé, in 1966. However, Philippe and his investment group did not own
14883-407: Was sold to Host Marriott , with a name change to Sheraton New York Hotel in 2012 and then Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in 2013. It was again sold in 2022 to current owners MCR Hotels and Island Capital Group. The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel is located at 811 Seventh Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . The building's rectangular land lot occupies
15006-413: Was the tallest concrete-framed structure in the city. The hotel's concrete frame saved at least $ 1 million compared to a steel frame of similar size, since steel costs generally exceeded concrete costs by about $ 1 per square foot ($ 11/m). The lobby contained gold-and-white and teak furniture, as well as a floor made of white marble. There was a colonnade of white-marble columns with gold veins, supporting
15129-411: Was very common-resort furniture could be easily found in many local homes. Two men set up shop at the resort with the claim that they were liquidating the property's assets for its creditors, but they had no connection to the investors or the resort. Philippe refused to admit failure with La Belle Creole and until his death in 1978, continued to tell friends that his glorious resort would open soon. It
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