142-416: Commodore Hotel may refer to: Hyatt Grand Central New York , formerly named Commodore Hotel Commodore Hotel (Portland, Oregon) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Commodore Hotel . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
284-536: A $ 22 million modernization program. Realty Hotels' president said the renovations had helped attract new and returning customers to the hotels. The New York Central had experienced financial decline during the 1960s, merging with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to form the Penn Central Railroad. Penn Central continued to face financial issues and failed to make mortgage payments. By late 1970,
426-550: A 165 ft-long (50 m) bar at the Commodore in 1936, hiring 25 bartenders. The hotel was renovated in 1937 for $ 750,000; according to Crohan, this was the first major renovation of the Commodore in its history. The project involved renovating three ballrooms and all 2,000 guest rooms; installing ten new elevators; and adding a new kitchen and grill room. The renovations were completed by 1939. Crohan died in 1940, and Martin Sweeny
568-538: A circus, fashion shows, and wrestling matches. The Commodore also hosted a party in 1924 to celebrate the removal of the Grand Central elevated station on 42nd Street, which had been directly above the hotel's main entrance. U.S. president Calvin Coolidge attended a large party at the Commodore in 1925 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of 42nd Street's opening. Bowman also hosted a circus in 1927, with an elephant in
710-612: A decade between Irish immigrants and Black people for work. Rioters burned the Colored Orphan Asylum to the ground. At least 120 people were killed. Eleven Black men were lynched over five days, and the riots forced hundreds of Blacks to flee. The Black population in Manhattan fell below 10,000 by 1865. The White working class had established dominance. It was one of the worst incidents of civil unrest in American history . In 1886,
852-478: A grab-and-go restaurant that operated 24 hours a day. Market contained concrete counters, glass displays, wooden floors, and tiled walls. The renovated hotel includes a second-story restaurant cantilevered over the 42nd Street sidewalk; the restaurant measures 170 ft (52 m) wide. Because the restaurant overhangs a public sidewalk, the New York City Board of Estimate had to approve plans for
994-408: A metal-and-white-glass ceiling supported by light-colored stucco arches. There was a large palm tree in the middle of the lobby, which reached nearly to the ceiling. The walls were made of rough plaster above a wainscoting of soft Italian stone, and the paneling on the walls consisted of blue Italian tiles. The space was illuminated by vases with concealed lighting. At the center of the main lobby
1136-584: A pair of 1,400 hp (1,000 kW) boilers in the basement. The ventilation system contained 17 fans that were capable of supplying 845,000 cu ft (23,900 m ) of air per minute. The Commodore contained ten passenger elevators, eight service elevators, one freight elevator, and two dumbwaiters . The hotel received water from the city's water supply system , with two intakes from 42nd Street and one from Lexington Avenue. The water-drainage system included two sewers to 42nd Street and one to Lexington Avenue, as well as sump pumps that drained water from
1278-518: A respective county . The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area . New York is a global center of finance and commerce , culture , technology , entertainment and media , academics and scientific output , the arts and fashion , and, as home to
1420-524: A result of Sandy, and the economic losses in New York City were estimated to be roughly $ 19 billion. The disaster spawned long-term efforts towards infrastructural projects to counter climate change and rising seas, with $ 15 billion in federal funding received through 2022 towards those resiliency efforts. In March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 in the city was confirmed. With its population density and its extensive exposure to global travelers,
1562-516: A separate kitchen for banquets, measuring 145 by 35 ft (44 by 11 m) wide; and a "preparatory kitchen" above the main kitchen, which was used for food preparation. Paper slips with guests' orders were delivered to the kitchen via a series of pneumatic tubes , and dumbwaiters connected the kitchen with each guestroom floor. When the hotel was built, the New-York Tribune called the main ballroom "the largest private ballroom of any hotel in
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#17328483575781704-426: A small airplane hangar north of the hotel. The project involved numerous extremely large material orders, including a contract for 159,000 pieces of silverware and 1.06 × 10 ^ sq ft (98,000 m ) of mesh reinforcement. The hotel's completion was delayed by supply-chain issues and steel shortages during World War I, although the hotel's managers had awarded almost all construction contracts before
1846-476: A speech denying the request, which was paraphrased on the front page of the New York Daily News as "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD." The Municipal Assistance Corporation was formed and granted oversight authority over the city's finances. While a resurgence in the financial industry greatly improved the city's economic health in the 1980s, New York's crime rate continued to increase through that decade and into
1988-560: A vehicular elevator from 42nd Street, which ascended to the viaduct level and could carry up to 10,000 lb (4,500 kg). Another popular spot was the Century Room, which had its own orchestra. The Billboard magazine described the Century Room in 1947 as "one of the top name [orchestra] spots in the city". Major bands played at the Century Room from the 1930s to 1948, when the Century also started booking smaller bands. The shows in
2130-672: A year for 21 years, with two renewal options. In addition, Bowman was obligated to pay 91 percent of the taxes and six percent of the total construction cost every year. The Commodore became part of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain in 1918 after Bowman and rival hotel operator Benjamin L. M. Bates agreed to merge their respective companies. The New York Central filed plans with the New York City Department of Buildings in May 1916. The hotel, to be designed by Warren and Wetmore,
2272-800: Is a wonderful railroad terminal, but also a great civic centre." The Commodore was one of several hotels developed in Terminal City, along with other hostelries such as the Roosevelt , the Biltmore , and the Barclay . The New York Central acquired several lots on the west side of Lexington Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets in November 1910; the lots had formerly housed the site of the Hospital for Crippled Children. The railroad had already acquired multiple adjacent lots on
2414-622: Is on the ground floor near the Lexington Passage. It contains a foyer with artwork, stone floors, and leather furniture. This leads to an open-plan meeting space with stone counters, wooden floors, two wooden "pavilions", and a glass wall in the front. Also on the ground floor is the Manhattan Ballroom and a foyer for that ballroom. There were originally 1,407 rooms, including 125 guestroom suites. These rooms were arranged in 38 different layouts because of site constraints. According to
2556-461: Is one of the world's most populous megacities . The city and its metropolitan area are the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. In 2021, the city was home to nearly 3.1 million residents born outside the U.S., the largest foreign-born population of any city in
2698-541: The 4 , 5 , 6 , <6> , 7 , <7> , and S trains, is located directly underneath the Hyatt Grand Central, and the Lexington Avenue Line platforms cut diagonally underneath the hotel. A subway entrance, with a stair and an elevator, is at the base of the hotel on Lexington Avenue. The site was formerly occupied by
2840-591: The American South . During construction in Foley Square in the 1990s, the African Burying Ground was discovered; the cemetery included 10,000 to 20,000 graves of colonial-era Africans, some enslaved and some free. The 1735 trial and acquittal in Manhattan of John Peter Zenger , who had been accused of seditious libel after criticizing colonial governor William Cosby , helped to establish freedom of
2982-689: The Astor , Commodore, and Manhattan hotels to raise money for the Freedomland U.S.A. amusement park in the Bronx , in which Zeckendorf also owned a majority stake. This plan was approved in June 1961, and Freedomland U.S.A. assumed the leases on the three hotels. The hotel was renovated the same year. As part of the project, a cocktail lounge and two large obelisks were installed in the lobby, and two ballrooms were also refurbished. In 1962, amid competition from other hotels,
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#17328483575783124-837: The Atlantic port to the agricultural markets and commodities of the North American interior via the Hudson River and the Great Lakes . Local politics became dominated by Tammany Hall , a political machine supported by Irish and German immigrants . In 1831, New York University was founded. Several prominent American literary figures lived in New York during the 1830s and 1840s, including William Cullen Bryant , Washington Irving , Herman Melville , Rufus Wilmot Griswold , John Keese , Nathaniel Parker Willis , and Edgar Allan Poe . Members of
3266-664: The Bill of Rights there. The Supreme Court held its first organizational sessions in New York in 1790. In 1790, for the first time, New York City surpassed Philadelphia as the nation's largest city. At the end of 1790, the national capital was moved to Philadelphia . During the 19th century, New York City's population grew from 60,000 to 3.43 million. Under New York State's gradual emancipation act of 1799, children of slave mothers were to be eventually liberated but to be held in indentured servitude until their mid-to-late twenties. Together with slaves freed by their masters after
3408-697: The Caribbean . The attempt at a peaceful solution to the war took place at the Conference House on Staten Island between American delegates, including Benjamin Franklin , and British general Lord Howe on September 11, 1776. Shortly after the British occupation began, the Great Fire of New York destroyed nearly 500 buildings, about a quarter of the structures in the city, including Trinity Church . In January 1785,
3550-540: The Graybar Building , and the Chrysler Building . In the late 1990s, the passageway was redesigned as a shopping arcade with marble storefronts. The lobby itself was designed in a manner resembling an Italian courtyard, surrounded by an arcade with a mezzanine above it. At the hotel's opening in 1919, architectural media described the Commodore's lobby as the largest hotel lobby in the world. The lobby had
3692-857: The Hudson River , which he named Río de San Antonio ('Saint Anthony's River'). In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson rediscovered New York Harbor while searching for the Northwest Passage to the Orient for the Dutch East India Company . He sailed up what the Dutch called North River (now the Hudson River), named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange . Hudson claimed
3834-553: The Louis XV style , as well as black-and-green satin chairs. To the north of the main ballroom was a vestibule that spanned the entire width of the room. Three chandeliers were hung from the vestibule's high ceiling, which was painted blue and white, and a carpet with " Old World designs" covered the marble floors. The western end of the vestibule was accessed to a direct entrance from the Park Avenue Viaduct. The hotel also had
3976-687: The Lower Hudson Valley . The first documented visit into New York Harbor by a European was in 1524 by explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano . He claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême (New Angoulême ). A Spanish expedition, led by the Portuguese captain Estêvão Gomes sailing for Emperor Charles V , arrived in New York Harbor in January 1525 and charted the mouth of
4118-564: The Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . It occupies a rectangular site on the northwestern corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street , near Pershing Square Plaza , and abuts the Park Avenue Viaduct to the west. The land lot covers about 57,282 sq ft (5,321.7 m ), with a frontage of 200.83 ft (61.21 m) on Lexington Avenue and 275 ft (84 m) on 42nd Street. The hotel shares
4260-465: The Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . It operated as the 2,000-room Commodore Hotel between 1919 and 1976, before hotel chain Hyatt and real estate developer Donald Trump converted the hotel to the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt New York between 1978 and 1980. As of 2019 , the hotel is planned to be replaced with a skyscraper named Project Commodore. The New York Central Railroad had acquired
4402-699: The New York City Fire Department and 71 law enforcement officers. The area was rebuilt with a new World Trade Center , the National September 11 Memorial and Museum , and other new buildings and infrastructure, including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub , the city's third-largest hub. The new One World Trade Center is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the seventh-tallest building in
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4544-525: The New York Court of Appeals (the highest court in New York state) ruled in December 1977 that the tax abatement was constitutional. New York City New York , often called New York City or NYC , is the most populous city in the United States , located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors . The city comprises five boroughs , each coextensive with
4686-533: The New York Daily News , the rooms originally included 576 twin-sized beds and 549 king-sized beds, as well as "17 sitting suites, 88 junior suites, 30 VIP suites, 4 deluxe suites, 2 executive suites and just one presidential suite". GKR Design Consultants and Dale Keller & Associates designed the original furniture in the renovated Grand Hyatt. The decorations included brass-framed mirrors, curved wooden furniture, and upholstered seats. Guestrooms started on
4828-503: The Statue of Liberty , a gift from France , was dedicated in New York Harbor. The statue welcomed 14 million immigrants as they came to the U.S. via Ellis Island by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is a symbol of the United States and American ideals of liberty and peace. In 1898, the City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then a separate city),
4970-683: The Stonewall riots were a series of violent protests by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village . They are widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights . Wayne R. Dynes , author of the Encyclopedia of Homosexuality , wrote that drag queens were
5112-725: The city block with Grand Central Terminal to the west, the MetLife Building to the northwest, and the Graybar Building and 450 Lexington Avenue to the north. Other nearby buildings include the Pershing Square Building and Bowery Savings Bank Building to the southwest, the Chanin Building to the south, the Socony–Mobil Building to the southeast, and the Chrysler Building to the east. The New York City Subway 's Grand Central–42nd Street station , serving
5254-575: The headquarters of the United Nations , international diplomacy . With an estimated population in 2023 of 8,258,035 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km ), the city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles , the nation's second-most populous city. With more than 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York City
5396-586: The steamship General Slocum caught fire in the East River , killing 1,021 people. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire , the city's worst industrial disaster, killed 146 garment workers and spurred the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and major improvements in factory safety standards. New York's non-White population was 36,620 in 1890. New York City
5538-568: The worst fiscal crisis in its history . Trump formally requested a tax abatement from city officials in March 1976; he was the first developer to request a tax abatement under Beame's program. Hyman B. Cantor of the Carter Hotels Corporation made another offer for the Commodore in April 1976, while city officials continued to discuss the tax abatement. Although Beame originally planned to give
5680-622: The "flying kitchen", was equipped with a telephone and used for room service. The grand ballroom was one of the few parts of the Commodore Hotel preserved when it was renovated in the 1970s. The space, on the ballroom level (three stories above ground), was renamed the Empire State Ballroom and expanded to 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m ) during the renovation. The ballroom retains its carved ceiling measuring 27 ft (8.2 m) high. There are also metal grilles that resembled
5822-551: The 19th century, New York Central Railroad lines north of Grand Central Depot in Midtown Manhattan were served exclusively by steam locomotives , and the rising traffic soon caused accumulations of smoke and soot in the Park Avenue Tunnel , the only approach to the depot. After a fatal crash in the tunnel in 1902, the New York state legislature passed a law to ban all steam trains in Manhattan by 1908. New York Central's vice president William J. Wilgus proposed electrifying
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5964-525: The 19th century, the city was transformed by both commercial and residential development relating to its status as a national and international trading center , as well as by European immigration, respectively. The city adopted the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , which expanded the city street grid to encompass almost all of Manhattan. The 1825 completion of the Erie Canal through central New York connected
6106-554: The Biltmore, Commodore, and Roosevelt hotels formed an alliance to attract conventions with 1,500 to 5,000 guests. The alliance allowed the three hotels to host a single convention across 4,000 guestrooms, 90 meeting rooms, 15 restaurants, and 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m ) of exhibit space. The 78013 Corporation, the subsidiary of Webb and Knapp that operated the hotel, owed over $ 850,000 in back rent by February 1964. Amid continued rent disputes, Franchard evicted Webb and Knapp as
6248-459: The Century Room were discontinued permanently in 1949 after the federal government imposed a 20 percent excise tax on such shows, and the Century Room became a luncheon room. Other amenities included a parking garage, which the Commodore shared with the Biltmore and the Hotel Manhattan , as well as a children's playroom. The hotel had 2,000 rooms when it opened. Each room faced either
6390-415: The Children's Hospital site, the Public Service Commission had to acquire an easement from the New York Central, which would enable the commission to build part of the station under the proposed hotel. The commission was unwilling to pay the New York Central's asking price for the easement, so the IRT modified its plans in April 1913 to avoid the hospital site entirely. The Public Service Commission voted on
6532-491: The Commodore Hotel was facing foreclosure , as were several other buildings that Penn Central owned around Grand Central Terminal. After Penn Central went bankrupt that year, the company sought to sell its properties, including the land below the Commodore Hotel. The buildings were placed for auction in October 1971, but the proceedings were delayed for several years. Penn Central, which had placed all of Realty Hotels' properties for sale, subsequently withdrew its offer to sell
6674-451: The Commodore at a later date, but he did not have $ 250,000 on hand to pay for the option. City officials asked Trump to supply a copy of his agreement with Penn Central, but Trump sent the option agreement paperwork without signatures. Penn Central spent $ 1 million on renovations in 1975, remodeling the Commodore's bar and renaming it the "New York, New York". In early May 1976, Penn Central asset manager Victor Palmieri announced that
6816-428: The Commodore from Franchard, effective January 1, 1968. The chain formally acquired the hotel's leasehold in June 1967, several months ahead of schedule. Realty Hotels immediately announced plans to spend $ 6 million renovating the Commodore. During the 1960s, Realty Hotels replaced about half of the manually operated elevators at the Barclay, Biltmore, Commodore, and Roosevelt, and it renovated these hotels as part of
6958-398: The Commodore in September 1958, acquiring 96 percent of the stock. As part of a leaseback agreement, Zeckendorf immediately sold the lease on the land to Joseph I. Lubin for $ 6 million, subleasing the site from Lubin for three years. Zeckendorf also began looking to sell his lease of the hotel building itself in early 1960, although he would continue to operate the hotel. Claude Philippe
7100-456: The Commodore would be closed the next week, having lost $ 1.3 million in 1975. By then, the hotel's occupancy rate had decreased to 33 percent, and hotel officials said the Commodore was projected to lose $ 4.6 million that year. Trump was still negotiating to buy the option. The hotel closed on May 18, 1976, and Penn Central laid off all of the hotel's 500 employees. The Commodore hosted 19 guests and four small events on its last day of operation;
7242-477: The Commodore's tax abatement two days after the hotel closed. To receive the abatement, Trump would pay Penn Central $ 10 million and resell the hotel for $ 1 to the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), a New York state government agency, which would lease back the hotel to Trump Organization subsidiary Wembley Realty Inc. for 99 years. Trump would make payments in lieu of taxes during the hotel's renovation. The hotel's rent would be discounted for 40 years, and
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#17328483575787384-410: The Continental Army at the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776 eliminated the last American stronghold in Manhattan, causing George Washington and his forces to retreat across the Hudson River to New Jersey , pursued by British forces. After the battle, in which the Americans were defeated, the British made the city their military and political base of operations in North America. The city
7526-399: The County of New York (which then included parts of the Bronx), the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens. The opening of the New York City Subway in 1904, first built as separate private systems, helped bind the new city together. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the city became a world center for industry, commerce, and communication. In 1904,
7668-409: The Duke of York (the future King James II and VII). The duke gave part of the colony to proprietors George Carteret and John Berkeley . On August 24, 1673, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War , Anthony Colve of the Dutch navy seized New York at the behest of Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and rechristened it "New Orange" after William III , the Prince of Orange . The Dutch soon returned
7810-438: The Dutch West India Company had operated as a monopoly in New Netherland, on authority granted by the Dutch States General . In 1639–1640, in an effort to bolster economic growth, the Dutch West India Company relinquished its monopoly over the fur trade, leading to growth in the production and trade of food, timber, tobacco, and slaves (particularly with the Dutch West Indies ). In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant began his tenure as
7952-424: The Grand Hyatt, acquired Trump's stake in the hotel in 1996. The Project Commodore skyscraper was announced for the site in 2019, and the Grand Hyatt temporarily closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City . The hotel reopened in 2021 as the Hyatt Grand Central. As of December 2023 , work on Project Commodore is expected to begin by 2026. The Hyatt Grand Central New York is at 109 East 42nd Street in
8094-441: The Hospital for Crippled Children. Before the hotel opened, the site occupied an entire city block, which was bounded by Depew Place to the west and 43rd Street to the north. The New York Central Railroad acquired the site in November 1910 as part of the construction of Grand Central Terminal . The Hyatt Grand Central New York was originally known as the Commodore and was designed by Warren & Wetmore . The Fuller Company
8236-408: The Lexington Passage after the Commodore closed. The passage leads directly to Grand Central Terminal and also connects to Lexington Avenue. This passageway also connects the hotel to the New York City Subway 's Grand Central–42nd Street station via the terminal's corridors. Additional passageways connect with other buildings such as the Biltmore and Roosevelt hotels, the Yale Club Building ,
8378-405: The New York metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan economy in the world , with a gross metropolitan product of over US$ 2.16 trillion. If the New York metropolitan area were its own country , it would have the tenth-largest economy in the world . Despite having a 24/7 rapid transit system , New York also leads the world in urban automobile traffic congestion . The city is home to
8520-578: The Revolutionary War and escaped slaves, a significant free-Black population gradually developed in Manhattan. The New York Manumission Society worked for abolition and established the African Free School to educate Black children. It was not until 1827 that slavery was completely abolished in the state . Free Blacks struggled with discrimination and interracial abolitionist activism continued. New York City's population jumped from 123,706 in 1820 (10,886 of whom were Black and of which 518 were enslaved) to 312,710 by 1840 (16,358 of whom were Black). Also in
8662-422: The United States was repealed, although patrons could initially order drinks from rolling carts. After New York state repealed a Prohibition-era ban on standing bars in May 1934, Bowman-Biltmore Hotels installed a 125 ft-long (38 m) bar in the Commodore. That October, the Commodore's managers opened an English-style grill room, decorated with recessed lighting and wooden panels. Biltmore-Bowman added
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#17328483575788804-426: The assembly of the Congress of the Confederation made New York City the national capital. New York was the last capital of the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation and the first capital under the Constitution of the United States . As the U.S. capital, New York City hosted the inauguration of the first President, George Washington , and the first Congress , at Federal Hall on Wall Street . Congress drafted
8946-414: The basements into the city's sewage system. The Commodore also contained a telautograph system with 75 stations, in addition to a fire alarm system , which at the time of the hotel's opening was an uncommon feature. The hotel's main entrance was at 42nd Street, just east of Grand Central Terminal. At ground level was a vestibule, consisting of a central hallway flanked by wide stairways that ascended to
9088-484: The beds has a headboard designed by Fronth. In addition, Looney & Associates designed twenty VIP suites, themed as either lofts or modern residences. The loft suites include walnut furniture and other "masculine" design features, while the residence suites carry a more neutral color palette. George Wong Design also designed four premier suites, which were inspired by pieds-à-terre and are themed to either uptown Manhattan townhouses or downtown Manhattan lofts. In
9230-493: The beginning of the 1990s. By the mid-1990s, crime rates started to drop dramatically due to revised police strategies, improving economic opportunities, gentrification , and new residents, both American transplants and new immigrants from Asia and Latin America. New York City's population exceeded 8 million for the first time in the 2000 United States census ; further records were set in 2010 , and 2020 U.S. censuses. Important new sectors, such as Silicon Alley , emerged in
9372-423: The beginning of the war. Most of the steel beams were delivered by truck, train, or barge, but in at least one case, a large girder was delivered by a pack of 18 horses. Even after the American Bridge Company had finished manufacturing steel beams for the hotel, these were sometimes delayed due to domestic steel embargoes during World War I. Deliveries of limestone, linen, and carpets were also delayed. Some of
9514-534: The business elite lobbied for the establishment of Central Park , which in 1857 became the first landscaped park in an American city. The Great Irish Famine brought a large influx of Irish immigrants, of whom more than 200,000 were living in New York by 1860, representing over a quarter of the city's population. Extensive immigration from the German provinces meant that Germans comprised another 25% of New York's population by 1860. Democratic Party candidates were consistently elected to local office, increasing
9656-510: The city from New Jersey. The East River—a tidal strait —flows from Long Island Sound and separates the Bronx and Manhattan from Long Island. The Harlem River , another tidal strait between the East and Hudson rivers, separates most of Manhattan from the Bronx. The Bronx River , which flows through the Bronx and Westchester County , is the only entirely freshwater river in the city. The city's land has been altered substantially by human intervention, with considerable land reclamation along
9798-439: The city rapidly replaced Wuhan , China as the global epicenter of the pandemic during the early phase, straining the city's healthcare infrastructure. Through March 2023, New York City recorded more than 80,000 deaths from COVID-19-related complications. New York City is situated in the northeastern United States , in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston . Its location at
9940-447: The city's economy. The advent of Y2K was celebrated with fanfare in Times Square . New York City suffered the bulk of the economic damage and largest loss of human life in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks . Two of the four airliners hijacked that day were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, resulting in the collapse of both buildings and the deaths of 2,753 people, including 343 first responders from
10082-615: The city's ties to the South and its dominant party. In 1861, Mayor Fernando Wood called on the aldermen to declare independence from Albany and the United States after the South seceded, but his proposal was not acted on. Anger at new military conscription laws during the American Civil War (1861–1865), which spared wealthier men who could afford to hire a substitute, led to the Draft Riots of 1863 , whose most visible participants were ethnic Irish working class. The draft riots deteriorated into attacks on New York's elite, followed by attacks on Black New Yorkers after fierce competition for
10224-462: The corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street was leased by a drugstore in 1954 and was extensively remodeled at a cost of $ 200,000. Webb and Knapp , led by developer William Zeckendorf , offered to buy all of the Commodore Hotel's outstanding common stock in October 1957 for $ 18 per share. At the time, Webb and Knapp wished to control 8,000 hotel rooms in New York City. Zeckendorf Hotels, took over
10366-420: The design of the floor. The gallery also had period furniture, including chairs and vases; the chairs were covered with blue and gold satin and velvet. Leading off this gallery were various writing rooms, the barber shop, the manicure shop, and the Commodore Hotel's executive offices, as well as numerous small alcoves and retreats. Men's and women's rooms were positioned on opposite sides of the lobby. West of
10508-417: The development of large housing tracts in eastern Queens and Nassau County , with Wall Street leading America's place as the world's dominant economic power. The United Nations headquarters was completed in 1952, solidifying New York's global geopolitical influence, and the rise of abstract expressionism in the city precipitated New York's displacement of Paris as the center of the art world. In 1969,
10650-410: The direction of the lobby, as well as a ceiling sculpture designed by Bentel & Bentel. The restaurant includes a lounge and a private dining area. Next to the restaurant was a wine gallery with white-quartz counters and gray-marble wall. The wine gallery included a 30 ft-long (9.1 m) glass artwork by Per Fronth , which depicted oceanic scenes. One of the service elevators, known as
10792-418: The early 18th century, New York grew in importance as a trading port while as a part of the colony of New York . It became a center of slavery , with 42% of households enslaving Africans by 1730. Most were domestic slaves ; others were hired out as labor. Slavery became integrally tied to New York's economy through the labor of slaves throughout the port, and the banking and shipping industries trading with
10934-558: The former territory of New Netherland , including the city of New Amsterdam , when the Kingdom of England seized it from Dutch control. In the pre-Columbian era , the area of present-day New York City was inhabited by Algonquians , including the Lenape . Their homeland, known as Lenapehoking , included the present-day areas of Staten Island , Manhattan , the Bronx , the western portion of Long Island (including Brooklyn and Queens ), and
11076-586: The grand ballroom, to impress other hoteliers. By 1930, the Commodore was the second-most valuable hotel in New York City (after the Savoy-Plaza Hotel ), with an assessed value of $ 16.3 million. Bowman continued to operate the Commodore until he died in 1931, and David Mulligan took over as Bowman-Biltmore's president the next year. Frank J. Crohan began operating the Commodore after he became president of Bowman-Biltmore in 1934. The Commodore began serving alcoholic drinks in December 1933 after Prohibition in
11218-469: The grill room, which had chestnut walls with alcoves and leaded windows. On the ceiling were large beams painted by John B. Smeraldi , consisting of heraldic designs taken from illuminated manuscripts. The center of the grill room contained a dance floor measuring 45 by 25 ft (13.7 by 7.6 m). At the north end of the ground story was the Commodore Passage, which still exists but was renamed
11360-500: The hotel a 50-year tax abatement, he later proposed reducing the tax abatement to 35 years, to which Trump objected. By then, several members of the New York City Council had expressed concerns about the proposed abatement, as did rival developers and hotel operators. Opponents said the city government would forfeit $ 4 million a year in tax revenue if the abatement was approved. The New York City Board of Estimate approved
11502-481: The hotel did not have a thirteenth floor , nor did it have any rooms, mailboxes, elevators, or other fixtures with the number 13. The Commodore's facade was largely made of buff-colored brick with architectural terracotta trim; the first three stories were clad in Indiana Limestone . The hotel's lowest three stories occupied the entire site, while the floors above were shaped like a "H", with light courts to
11644-576: The hotel would cost $ 7 million. Donald Trump's Trump Organization and the Pritzker family 's Hyatt hotel chain entered a formal agreement in May 1975, making a joint offer to purchase the Commodore. Trump planned to buy the hotel for $ 10 million and convert it into a hotel called the Hyatt Regency, spending $ 70 million on renovations. Trump had one year to purchase the hotel and another 18 months to conduct renovations, after which Hyatt would take over
11786-464: The hotel's opening, and hundreds of businesspeople from across the United States had reserved rooms for the hotel's opening day. A women's club opened within the hotel in March 1919. The Commodore's opening coincided with an increase in the number of passengers that used Grand Central Terminal, in part because the subway station under the hotel had opened one year prior. During the hotel's first decade, it hosted such events as car shows, charity balls,
11928-524: The hotel's operator in May 1964 and began managing the Commodore directly. This prompted a dispute between Franchard and several companies that had supplied materials for the hotel, which were collectively owed $ 590,000. As a result, in September 1964, a creditors' committee was established to resolve the dispute. Realty Hotels, a subsidiary of the New York Central, agreed in November 1966 to take over
12070-579: The hotel. Trump planned to re-clad the hotel with a glass facade and expand its public rooms, providing additional space for conventions. The project was planned to create 1,500 jobs, boosting the city's struggling tourism industry, and was one of Trump's first major projects. One unidentified real-estate expert said that, if Trump succeeded in redeveloping the Commodore, "you could call him 'the William Zeckendorf of Bad Times'". Trump wanted to buy an option from Penn Central, allowing him to purchase
12212-409: The hotels. Both Penn Central and the Commodore continued to struggle financially, and the hotel recorded a 49 percent occupancy rate in 1974. Penn Central, which had not paid taxes on the site since June 1970, owed over $ 10 million in back taxes by the beginning of 1976. The Commodore could not be converted to an apartment building because of its large size and inefficient room layouts. Even razing
12354-466: The ice (and its subsequent retreat) contributed to the separation of what is now Long Island and Staten Island. That action left bedrock at a relatively shallow depth, providing a solid foundation for most of Manhattan's skyscrapers. The Hudson River flows through the Hudson Valley into New York Bay . Between New York City and Troy, New York , the river is an estuary . The Hudson River separates
12496-477: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commodore_Hotel&oldid=1250718974 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Hyatt Grand Central New York The Hyatt Grand Central New York is a hotel located at 109 East 42nd Street , adjoining Grand Central Terminal , in
12638-656: The island to England under the Treaty of Westminster of November 1674. Several intertribal wars among the Native Americans and epidemics brought on by contact with the Europeans caused sizeable population losses for the Lenape between 1660 and 1670. By 1700, the Lenape population had diminished to 200. New York experienced several yellow fever epidemics in the 18th century, losing ten percent of its population in 1702 alone. In
12780-607: The large windows in Grand Central's Main Concourse , as well as chandeliers that consisted of 7,000 pieces of art glass . The Empire State Ballroom could be divided into five sections and could fit 100 to 1,500 guests. There are numerous smaller ballrooms on the mezzanine and conference levels. A 4,400 sq ft (410 m ) event venue called the Gallery On Lex was added during the hotel's 2010s renovation. The event venue
12922-662: The last Director-General of New Netherland. During his tenure, the population of New Netherland grew from 2,000 to 8,000. Stuyvesant has been credited with improving law and order; however, he earned a reputation as a despotic leader. He instituted regulations on liquor sales, attempted to assert control over the Dutch Reformed Church , and blocked other religious groups from establishing houses of worship. In 1664, unable to summon any significant resistance, Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam to English troops, led by Colonel Richard Nicolls , without bloodshed. The terms of
13064-513: The layout of seats in a Mexican bullring , was intended to maximize the number of boxes for sale during charity events, as well as provide sufficient space for a dance floor below. Above the ballroom was a roof garden for tea and luncheons. The ballroom was redecorated in coral and black during a 1937 renovation, with a carpet in yellow, blue, and tan. Two smaller ballrooms opened off the main ballroom and could be used separately or in tandem. These ballrooms contained silk and satin tapestries in
13206-414: The line and building a new electric-train terminal underground, a plan that was implemented almost in its entirety. The old Grand Central Depot was torn down in phases and replaced by the current Grand Central Terminal. Construction on Grand Central Terminal started in 1903, and the new terminal was opened on February 2, 1913. Passenger traffic on the commuter lines into Grand Central more than doubled in
13348-452: The lobby had a cascading fountain and a brass sculpture by Peter Lobello, which measured 100 ft (30 m) high. After the renovation in 2013, the lobby was clad in stone and dark wood, laid in a carpet with gray stripes and furnished with black leather chairs. The ceiling was retrofitted with uplights that changed color depending on the time of the day. The registration and concierge desks were made of white quartz. The lobby's fountain
13490-482: The lobby were offices, a stock-brokers' room, check rooms, a men's writing room, an English-style men's restaurant, telephones, telegraph services, and other business functions. On the lobby's west wall was a cafe with natural-oak wainscoting ; a blue-and-gold carpet; Flemish oak chairs; and a ceiling with white-and-green plaster frescoes. East of the lobby, and a few steps above it, was the palm room, where after-dinner coffee and afternoon tea were served. The palm room
13632-462: The lobby. The central hallway continued to the grill room and to the Commodore Passageway at the rear of the ground level. The grill room was at the rear of the vestibule and was used for supper and dancing; it was also known as the supper room. The grill room's entrance was on a terrace with stone walls and columns and a tiled floor. A short flight of steps descended to the main part of
13774-545: The local population as a representative of the Dutch colonists. A permanent European presence near New York Harbor was established in 1624, making New York the 12th-oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States , with the founding of a Dutch fur trading settlement on Governors Island . In 1625, construction was started on a citadel and Fort Amsterdam , later called Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam), on present-day Manhattan Island. The colony of New Amsterdam extended from
13916-443: The mezzanine, the hair-dressing parlor, and ladies' public rooms. The hotel's kitchen was on the same level as the men's restaurant and the main dining room; stairs led down to the street-level grill room. The kitchen was capable of serving 10,000 meals per day, including 4,000 meals for employees. The kitchen was divided into several departments. These included a main kitchen, measuring 200 by 64 ft (61 by 20 m) wide;
14058-467: The modification in June 1913, and the new route was adopted that November. However, the commission voted in favor of the original diagonal route in February 1914. The commission subsequently acquired the easement in February 1915 for $ 902,500. The New York State Realty and Terminal Company, a division of the New York Central, leased the hotel to John McEntee Bowman in January 1916. Bowman paid $ 175,000
14200-419: The most populous urbanized area in the world in the early 1920s, overtaking London . The metropolitan area surpassed 10 million in the early 1930s, becoming the first megacity . The Great Depression saw the election of reformer Fiorello La Guardia as mayor and the fall of Tammany Hall after eighty years of political dominance. Returning World War II veterans created a post-war economic boom and
14342-544: The mouth of the Hudson River , which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean , has helped the city grow in significance as a trading port. Most of the city is built on the three islands of Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island. During the Wisconsin glaciation , 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, the New York City area was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet . The erosive forward movement of
14484-630: The north and south. At the top of the facade was a cornice with copper faces. The design of the nearby 245 Park Avenue was intended to complement not only the Commodore's original facade but also that of the nearby New York Biltmore Hotel , which was internally demolished in the early 1980s. The hotel contained large amounts of materials, including 16,000 short tons (14,000 long tons; 15,000 t) of steel, 4.256 million bricks, 1.653 million terracotta blocks, and 1.035 × 10 ^ sq ft (96,200 m ) of fireproof floor arches. The hotel's heating system included 4,400 radiators, supplied by
14626-409: The north side of 42nd Street several years prior. The following year, news media reported that the New York Central was considering erecting a hotel on the site. The New York Times also said that the railroad initially considered leasing the hotel to H. C. Griswold. When Grand Central Terminal opened in February 1913, the New York Central was already clearing the site of the old hospital. The hotel
14768-445: The only " transgender folks around" during the June 1969 Stonewall riots. The transgender community in New York City played a significant role in fighting for LGBT equality. In the 1970s, job losses due to industrial restructuring caused New York City to suffer from economic problems and rising crime rates. Growing fiscal deficits in 1975 led the city to appeal to the federal government for financial aid; President Gerald Ford gave
14910-506: The presence of the Commodore's original interior columns. Furthermore, the lobby had a relatively low ceiling because the original ballroom had to be preserved. The lobby covered 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m ), measured 275 ft (84 m) long, and was three stories high. A set of escalators led to the lobby from a street-level foyer one story below. The lobby was originally clad with Italian Paradiso marble and contained mirrored walls and large bronzed columns. The center of
15052-647: The press in North America . In 1754, Columbia University was founded. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York in October 1765, as the Sons of Liberty organization emerged in the city and skirmished over the next ten years with British troops stationed there. The Battle of Long Island , the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War , was fought in August 1776 within modern-day Brooklyn. A British rout of
15194-523: The region for the Dutch East India Company. In 1614, the area between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay was claimed by the Netherlands and called Nieuw-Nederland (' New Netherland '). The first non–Native American inhabitant of what became New York City was Juan Rodriguez , a merchant from Santo Domingo who arrived in Manhattan during the winter of 1613–14, trapping for pelts and trading with
15336-432: The renovation, Trump and Hyatt completely remodeled the hotel from June 1978 to September 1980, spending $ 100 million and removing almost all of the Commodore's original decorations. The renovated hotel includes a glass facade, a three-story atrium, a restaurant cantilevered over a sidewalk, and the Commodore's original ballroom. With the deteriorating partnership between Trump and Hyatt, the Pritzker family , which operated
15478-454: The rent payments would increase gradually to $ 2.27 million after 40 years. The tax abatement would allow Trump and Hyatt to save $ 56 million over forty years. If the hotel earned more than $ 5.5 million per year, the city government would receive half of the hotel's profits. Law professor Leon Wein filed a lawsuit, alleging that the tax abatement violated the Constitution of New York , but
15620-604: The restaurant, and the Grand Hyatt's operators had to pay an annual fee to the city government. The space was originally a cocktail lounge called the Sun Garden. In the early 2010s, the former lounge was converted into a restaurant called New York Central, which covers 6,000 sq ft (560 m ). As part of the renovation, the firm of Bentel & Bentel covered the lounge with white louvers. The renovated restaurant includes multiple tiers of seating that slope downward in
15762-430: The rivets used in the hotel's frame had to be mailed to the construction site. In addition, rising labor and material prices increased the hotel's cost. By early 1918, the hotel was expected to cost $ 7.5 million, of which the furnishings were to cost $ 2 million. The Commodore's steel frame topped out on July 25, 1918. The Commodore opened on January 28, 1919. The Commodore's managers mailed out 10,000 invitations for
15904-538: The site in 1910 and started constructing the hotel in October 1916. The Commodore was designed by Warren & Wetmore , with the Fuller Company as the hotel's general contractor. The hotel was 295 feet (90 m), with up to 28 stories, and had an H-shaped floor plan and a brick-and-terracotta facade. It contained a large lobby designed in a manner resembling an Italian courtyard, as well as various dining rooms and ballrooms. The Commodore opened on January 28, 1919, and
16046-502: The sixth story above ground level, which at Trump's request was labeled as floor 14. Although the renovation architects opposed this floor numbering system, Hyatt endorsed Trump's decision. Looney & Associates redesigned most of the suites and rooms in the early 2010s; after this renovation, there were 1,306 rooms, including 51 suites. The renovated rooms are furnished with Australian walnut furniture and various types of textiles. The rooms also include indirect lighting, and each of
16188-596: The southern tip of Manhattan to modern-day Wall Street , where a 12-foot (3.7 m) wooden stockade was built in 1653 to protect against Native American and English raids. In 1626, the Dutch colonial Director-General Peter Minuit , as charged by the Dutch West India Company , purchased the island of Manhattan from the Canarsie , a small Lenape band, for "the value of 60 guilders " (about $ 900 in 2018). A frequently told but disproved legend claims that Manhattan
16330-433: The street or a light court, and all guestrooms had bathrooms. Rooms on the light courts received more sunlight than rooms on the street, as the light courts were wider than any of the surrounding streets. Initially, approximately 1,000 rooms had rates of $ 2.50 a night, advertised as "a room and a bath for two and a half"; the remaining rooms cost $ 3 to $ 4 a night. Each guestroom floor was staffed by its own "floor clerk" who
16472-471: The subway station had been completed by this point, and the George A. Fuller Company, the hotel's general contractor, took over the site. Construction commenced in October 1916; the project was expected to cost $ 6 million. Francis T. Gilling and several assistants spent six months creating a plaster model of the hotel, which was exhibited in several cities during 1917. Warren and Wetmore also drew up plans for
16614-436: The summer and winter. Each bedroom typically contained a bed, a dressing table, two small chairs, a large armchair, a small table with a telephone, and small writing tables with lamps. The bedrooms also had ornate light fixtures suspended from the ceiling. Each bathroom had a cold-water tap, as well as a shower and an illuminated wall mirror, which were novel features at the time of the hotel's construction. The rebuilt hotel
16756-497: The surrender permitted Dutch residents to remain in the colony and allowed for religious freedom. In 1667, during negotiations leading to the Treaty of Breda after the Second Anglo-Dutch War , the victorious Dutch decided to keep the nascent plantation colony of what is now Suriname , which they had gained from the English, and in return the English kept New Amsterdam. The settlement was promptly renamed "New York" after
16898-416: The very last guest had not been notified of the hotel's closure until the day before. Then-mayor Abraham Beame had proposed a tax abatement in January 1976 to encourage commercial and industrial development in New York City. Beame and Trump's father Fred had long been politically connected, and Beame's deputy mayor Stanley M. Friedman championed the tax-abatement program, even as the city experienced
17040-578: The world by pinnacle height, with its spire reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet (541.3 m), a reference to the year of U.S. independence . The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan began on September 17, 2011, receiving global attention and popularizing the Occupy movement against social and economic inequality worldwide. New York City
17182-506: The world". The space was described as being in the French Empire style. It covered 180 by 78 ft (55 by 24 m) and was originally decorated in white, purple, and gold, with green accents. The main ballroom could accommodate up to 3,000 guests for entertainments such as plays, and it could seat 2,000 guests during banquets. The room had 56 boxes, connected by a promenade and split across two tiers. This arrangement, inspired by
17324-483: The world's two largest stock exchanges by market capitalization of their listed companies: the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq . New York City is an established safe haven for global investors. As of 2023 , New York City is the most expensive city in the world for expatriates and has by a wide margin the highest U.S. city residential rents; and Fifth Avenue is the most expensive shopping street in
17466-521: The world. New York City traces its origins to Fort Amsterdam and a trading post founded on Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists around 1624. The settlement was named New Amsterdam in 1626 and was chartered as a city in 1653. The city came under English control in 1664 and was temporarily renamed New York after King Charles II granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York , before being permanently renamed New York in November 1674. New York City
17608-449: The world. New York City is home by a significant margin to the highest number of billionaires , individuals of ultra-high net worth (greater than US$ 30 million), and millionaires of any city in the world. In 1664, New York was named in honor of the Duke of York (later King James II of England ). James's elder brother, King Charles II , appointed the Duke as proprietor of
17750-425: The years following the terminal's completion. The terminal spurred development in the surrounding area, particularly in Terminal City, a commercial and office district created above where the tracks were covered. Terminal City soon became Manhattan's most desirable commercial and office district. A 1920 New York Times article said, "With its hotels, office buildings, apartments and underground Streets it not only
17892-552: Was heavily affected by Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012. Sandy's impacts included flooding that led to the days-long shutdown of the subway system and flooding of all East River subway tunnels and of all road tunnels entering Manhattan except the Lincoln Tunnel . The New York Stock Exchange closed for two days due to weather for the first time since the Great Blizzard of 1888 . At least 43 people died in New York City as
18034-421: Was 32 stories high with 1,400 rooms. The Grand Hyatt also had five restaurants with a combined 2,000 seats, as well as 65,000 sq ft (6,000 m ) of retail space. The retail space was designed to be easily converted to a casino, but this conversion never happened, as gambling in the state remained illegal. Trump had wanted to redesign the lobby as a "big atrium ", but this was impossible because of
18176-525: Was a haven for Loyalist refugees and escaped slaves who joined the British lines for freedom promised by the Crown , with as many as 10,000 escaped slaves crowded into the city during the British occupation, the largest such community on the continent. When the British forces evacuated New York at the close of the war in 1783, they transported thousands of freedmen for resettlement in Nova Scotia , England, and
18318-581: Was a prime destination in the early 20th century for Blacks during the Great Migration from the American South, and by 1916, New York City had the largest urban African diaspora in North America. The Harlem Renaissance of literary and cultural life flourished during the era of Prohibition . The larger economic boom generated construction of skyscrapers competing in height. New York City became
18460-518: Was a small retreat surrounded by palm trees. The lobby's mezzanine contained a lounge, which was accessed by a wide staircase on the west wall and smaller stairs along the lobby's perimeter. The mezzanine railing contained boxes with plants. The mezzanine gallery was designed in the Italian Renaissance style, with flowers and palms. The walls contained satin hangings in blue, red, and yellow with green stripes, which were intended to complement
18602-430: Was also reduced in size. During the early-2010s renovation, Jaume Plensa designed a pair of 10 ft-high (3.0 m) sculptures of female heads for the lobby; known as Awilda and Chloe , the sculptures were intended to resemble moai heads. One of the sculptures was placed on an onyx wall, while the other was placed atop the fountain. On the lobby's rear wall was a blackened-steel archway that led to Market,
18744-452: Was appointed as the Commodore's general manager. The hotel's guests during this time included Republican Party presidential candidate Wendell Willkie , who established the personal headquarters of his 1940 election campaign at the hotel. The Officers Service Committee also occupied space in the hotel during World War II; at the end of the war, the committee's space became a bureau for United Nations delegations. An air-conditioning system
18886-518: Was hired as the hotel's general manager in June 1960, but Philippe resigned seven months later to work for the nearby Summit Hotel . The Glickman Corporation (renamed the Franchard Corporation in 1963 ) bought the land lease from Lubin in November 1960. Glickman's lease ran until the end of December 1967, after which control of the hotel would revert to the New York Central. Around the same time, Zeckendorf contemplated selling his leases of
19028-490: Was installed in the Century Room in 1946, allowing the room to operate during the summer, and the entire hotel was air-conditioned by the next year. On April 21, 1949, the Commodore Hotel hosted the 1949 BAA draft in what became the final year of league operations under the Basketball Association of America name. Sweeny died in 1950, shortly after becoming chairman of the Commodore Hotel's board. The storefront at
19170-405: Was originally operated by Bowman-Biltmore Hotels . Zeckendorf Hotels took over the Commodore's operation in 1958 before handing it to New York Central subsidiary Realty Hotels in 1966. Due to declining profits, the Commodore closed on May 18, 1976. Trump and Hyatt offered in 1975 to take over the Commodore and renovate it into the Grand Hyatt. After the city government granted a tax abatement for
19312-494: Was planned to be 26 stories tall and cost $ 6 million. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company gave the New York Central a $ 4.5 million loan for the site in September 1916. The Real Estate Record wrote at the time: "the release of such an enormous amount of money into a single building project is being regarded as highly significant inasmuch as there has been a marked tendency on the part of many builders to hold their projects in abeyance" during World War I. The excavations for
19454-415: Was purchased for $ 24 worth of glass beads. Following the purchase, New Amsterdam grew slowly. To attract settlers, the Dutch instituted the patroon system in 1628, whereby wealthy Dutchmen ( patroons , or patrons) who brought 50 colonists to New Netherland would be awarded land, local political autonomy, and rights to participate in the lucrative fur trade. This program had little success. Since 1621,
19596-402: Was separated from the lobby by large majolica vases with palm trees. Behind the palm room was the main dining room, which contained a walnut wainscoting and a purple, green, and rose-colored vaulted ceiling in low relief. Next to the main dining room were the lobby supper room and the breakfast room, both designed in a similar manner to the main dining room. Stairs led from the dining room to
19738-440: Was stationed outside the elevators. Acting as a concierge for their respective story, the floor clerk coordinated room service, provided supplies, and obtained tickets and schedules for guests, among other tasks. When the Commodore opened, the corridors and rooms all had gray-and-black carpets above two layers of linings. The rooms had translucent curtains and shades that could be unhung, allowing each room to be ventilated during
19880-417: Was the U.S. capital from 1785 until 1790. The modern city was formed by the 1898 consolidation of its five boroughs : Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , the Bronx , and Staten Island . Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District, Manhattan , New York City has been called both the world's premier financial and fintech center and the most economically powerful city in the world. As of 2022 ,
20022-414: Was the hotel's general contractor, although the project also involved numerous other contractors and engineers. Donald Trump and Hyatt renovated the hotel in the 1970s to designs by Gruzen & Partners and Der Scutt . When the Commodore opened, it contained 2,000 rooms and was either 26 or 28 stories high, as well as five basement stories. Because of superstition surrounding the number 13 ,
20164-613: Was to be named the Commodore after "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt , the New York Central's founder. As part of the Dual Contracts , the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) planned a subway station for the IRT Lexington Avenue Line at 42nd Street, which was to run diagonally from Park Avenue in the southwest to Lexington Avenue in the northeast. Because the station was partially located under
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