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Trinity Church (1697, 1790, 1846)

The first Anglican Church in the the city built in 1697 To ensure the church's success, the governor granted Trinity a six-year lease on a tract of land north of Trinity known as the King's Farm. In 1705, Queen Anne made this land grant permanent by giving 215 acres, which Trinity has used over the years to support the mission and ministry of Trinity and Anglican Church. The first Trinity Church building was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1776 during the Revolutionary War ​Following his inauguration as President of the United States in 1789, George Washington prayed in St. Paul’s Chapel. The next year, the second Trinity Church was completed. Notable parishioners from this time include John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. ​The present building is designed by Richard Upjohn With a 281-foot high steeple, Trinity was the tallest building in New York City until 1890. Alexander Hamilton and Robert Fulton are buried in the Trinity Churchyard

St. Paul’s Chapel (1766)

St. Paul’s Chapel is the Oldest Surviving Church Building in Manhattan Built in 1766, St. Paul’s Chapel was erected before the United States of America was in fact, the United States of America. When it first opened in 1766 as an outreach chapel of Trinity Church to better serve its expanding congregation, St. Paul’s was a “chapel-of-ease” for those who did not want to walk a few blocks south along unpaved streets to Trinity. ​​ A decade later, the Great Fire of 1776 destroyed the first Trinity Church, but St. Paul’s survived, thanks to a bucket brigade dousing the building with water. ​Until the second Trinity Church was rebuilt in 1790, many, including George Washington, made St. Paul’s their church home. On April 30, 1789, after Washington took the oath of office to become the first President of the United States, he made his way from Federal Hall on Wall Street to St. Paul’s Chapel, where he attended services.

The Federal Hall (1842)

Birthplace of American Government The site of government activity for more than 300 years The Stamp Act Congress met here to protest taxation without representation in October 1765.  Here on Wall Street, George Washington took the oath of office as our first President (1789) This site was home to the first Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive Branch offices The place where the Bill of Rights was officially passed (1791) Was built to be New York’s City Hall and later became the United States’ first capitol building ​ Architects: Alexander Jackson Davis, John Frazee The current structure, one of the best surviving examples of classical architecture in New York, was built as the first purpose-built U.S. Custom House for the Port of New York. In 1882, John Quincy Adams Ward's bronze George Washington statue was erected on its front steps, marking the approximate site where he was inaugurated as President in the former structure.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral (1858 - 1879)

Architect​: James Renwick Ridiculed as “Hughes’ Folly,” as the proposed, near-wilderness site was considered too far outside the city, Archbishop Hughes, nonetheless, persisted in his daring vision of building the most beautiful Gothic Cathedral in the New World in what he believed would one day be “the heart of the city.” More than 5 million visitors each year step foot inside St. Patrick's Cathedral.  In 1920, author Scott Fitzgerald married his bride, Zelda Sayre. He was 23. She was 19.  St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in New York is the largest Gothic Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States. The Cathedral was named after St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland To get married there you must be a parishioner living in the Archdiocese of New York St. Patrick’s main doors are made of bronze and each weigh 9,200 pounds but one person can open them with a single hand.

The Eldridge Street Synagogue (1887)

Opened in 1887 Offshoot of the first Russian-Polish congregation in New York (founded in 1848) Neo-Gothic/Moorish style Facade features lots of encode Jewish symbolism: 12 rosettes in the front window represent 12 tribes of Israel, 5 windows below - 5 books of Torah,  4 entrances - 4 matriarchs.

Ellis Island (1892)

Opened in 1892 12 million immigrants went through during 50 years  40 % of American population can trace at least 1 relative to Ellis Island Stay on the island was about a day and a half Less than 2% were turned back It closed in 1954

St John the Divine (1892)

Corner stone laid in 1892 1st stage - neo-Bizantine design by Heins and La Farge It took 2 years (72 feet) to hit bedrock 1911 Ralph Adams Cram was hired to finish the Cathedral in neo-Gothic style It took 25 years to build the world's longest nave Few days after it was finished, the Japanese bombed Perl Harbor. The work on the cathedral had stopped. The cathedral is still unfinished It is the largest (one of the largest in the world): 146 ft wide, 601 ft long and 1124 ft high. (St Patricks is 306 ft long)

Washington Arch (1892)

Erected to celebrate the centennial of George Washington inauguration  Architect: Stanford White Modeled on Arc de Triomphe in Paris On the left: Washington at War flanked by Fame and Valor (by Hermon Mc.Neil) On the right: Washington at Peace accompanied by Wisdom and Justice (by A. Stirling Calder)

​Andrew Carnegie Mansion now Cooper Hewitt Design Museum (1901)

Andrew Carnegie​​ built it as his retirement home In 1901 he sold his Carnegie Steal to J.P. Morgan. He was worth $480 million Mansion had 64 rooms, passenger elevator and an early prototype of central air conditioning After death of his wife, the mansion was sold to Smithsonian

The Flatiron (1902)

Architect: Daniel Burnham Floors: 21 Height: 285′ (89 meters)      The building takes advantage of its shape: offices have access to light and air - a rarity in NYC The building covered in limestone and terra-cota ("pretending there is no steel") typical for Beaux-Arts architecture

The New York Stock Exchange (1903)

Designed by George Post Neoclassical temple, typical for Beaux Arts architects 5 story trading floor, wall of  glass alloying natural light Pediment by J.Q.A. Ward - "Integrity Protecting the Works of Man" Integrity is 16 ft tall, wearing a cap of Mercury, the god of commerce On her right - mining and architecture, on her left - industry represented by young men with heavy equipment Originally carved from marble, the sculpture group used to weight 90 tons ​It was replaced with 10-ton replica made of cooper and lead The opening bell is rung on the trading floor to signify the start of the day's trading session. Since 1985, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has used the opening bell to start its trading session at 9:30 a.m. At 4:00 p.m., the closing bell is rung and trading stops for the day. There are bells located in each of the four main sections of the NYSE that all ring at the same time when a button is pressed. A common sight today is the highly publicized events in which a celebrity or corporate executive stands behind the NYSE podium and pushes the button to ring the bells. Many consider this act to be quite an honor and a symbol of a lifetime of achievement.

The Ansonia (1903)

Architect: Paul E. Duboy Developer: William Earle Dodge Stokes Built as a residential hotel - the most lavish in the world Amenities included telephone service in each apartment * lobby fountain with live seals * largest closed pool in the world * rooftop farm providing fresh produce for the tenants * grand ballrooms * restaurants decorated in the style of Louis XIV * a palm court * tearooms and cafes * a bank * a barbershop and tailor * Turkish baths The building was completely fireproof which made is soundproof The farm on the roof," Weddie Stokes wrote years later, "included about 500 chickens, many ducks, about six goats and a small bear. Famous former residents include: Babe Ruth, Theodore Dreiser, Florenz Ziegfeld, Yehudi Menuhin, Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Gustav Mahler When built it was the largest hotel in the world. It had 1,400 rooms, 4.5 miles of hallways and could 1,300 dinner guests

Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House (1907)

Designed by Cass Gilbert Up until 20th century the chief source of America's income was through shipping tariffs The Custom house is the grandest example of Beaux-Arts architecture The figures in front by Daniel Chester French are Asia, North America, Europe and Africa Asia: sits on human sculls and flanked by 3 slaves. She hols a lotus flower and a statue of Buddha.  North America carries a torch of Liberty, young man pushes a wheel of progress ​Europe is old and tired. Her hand rests on a book (knowledge) and a globe (discovery). A man behind her is time which is running out Africa is half naked (savagery) and asleep  Above the cornice are the statues representing a history of maritime trade from Athens to Great Britain

Met Life Insurance Tower (1909)

Architect: Napoleon LeBrun Height: 700 feet (213 meters) The tallest in the world for 4 years until the Woolworth ​The tower is based on the Campanile of San Marco Clocks measure 26.5 feet (8 meters) in diameter. In comparison Big Ben is 23 ft and Kremlin clock is only 20 ft Each number is 4 ft (1.2 meters) The minute hand weights 1/2 ton

New York Public Library​ (1911)

Architect: Carrere & Hastings Architectural style: Beaux Arts Was built to house libraries bequeathed by Samuel Tilden, Lenox and Astor Free and open to the public At 2 city blocks - almost as long as 2 football fields 2 lions are designed by Edward Clark Potter and first named "Leo Lenox" and "Leo Astor" were later renamed as "Patience" and "Fortitude"

The Grand Central Terminal (1913)

Designers: Reed and Stem, Whitney Warren The terminal has 44 platforms and 67 tracks ​The main concourse has the height of a 13 story building 750,000 visitors pass through daily The celestial ceiling of the main concourse depicts the zodiac, it's backwards and has 2,500 stars The first all-electric station, architects filled it with light bulbs (a novelty at the time) That information booth clock has four faces made of opal, estimated at a value of $10-20 million. The outside clock on the 42nd St. facade, is the world's largest example of Tiffany glass The clock is embellished by the sculptural group "Transportation" personified with Mercury (commerce) flanked by Hercules (strength) and Minerva (wisdom) There is a secret underground platform at the Waldorf Astoria. FDR used this platform to enter the hotel in his wheelchair unseen The departures are always listed as one minute earlier than their actual time Th oldest restaurant in the station is the Oyster Bar famous for oysters and Guastavino tile ceiling

The Woolworth Building (1913)

Architect: Cass Gilbert Height: 792′ (241 meter) The best example of Beaux-Arts skyscraper  Woolworth invented the concept of the "dime store" (K-mart of the past) - low prices, high volume Cheap, merchandize on display, first in-store lunch counter The Woolworth built as company headquarters Gilded lobby designed like a church Medieval grotesque figures include himself holding the building and Woolworth counting money The cost was 13.5 million paid in cash One of the first to realize that such a structure is good publicity for the business There used to be an observation desk which closed during WWII

USS Maine monument (1913)

Architect: Harold Van Buren Magonigle Built to honor those who died aboard the USS Maine on February 15, 1898, after a mysterious explosion destroyed the ship while at anchor in Havana Harbor The battleship Maine was patrolling the waters near Havana protecting US commercial interests while Cuba was still a Spanish colony. There was an explosion which sank the ship. 258 people died. This incident caused Spanish-American War which lasted for 4 months in 1898. As a result, Spain ceded Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philippines to the US Pulitzer's World and Hearst's Journal started an aggressive campaign blaming Spain and provoking a war  Hearst started a fund raising campaign to built a monument under the slogan "Remember the Maine!" The top figure is the goddess Columbia rising from the sea. (Audrey Munson is the model)

Frick Mansion (1914)

Architect: Thomas Hastings Henry Clay Frick was Carnegie's partner who made his millions in steel Second park of his life was spent buying art. The Mansion was build as a private residence and a place to house his collection Frick wanted to outdo Carnegie mansion making it "look like a miner's shack" From the very beginning, the house was intended to become a museum The collection opened to the public in 1935 ​The collection includes masterpieces by Holbein, Titian, El Greco, Bellini, Turner, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Velázquez, Veronese, and Vermeer (it features 3 paintings by Vermeer)

Riverside Church (1930)

Architects: Charles Collens, Henry C. Pelton Architectural style: Gothic Revival architecture The Riverside Church is an interdenominational, interracial, international, open, welcoming, and affirming church and congregation. Built on the idea and the money of John D. Rockefeller Jr. The Riverside Church is built as a steel-frame skyscraper The tower has 22 stories for offices, meeting and class rooms Built in just 4 years Rockefeller paid the architects to go to Europe for ideas. The church combines elements of French, Italian and Spanish design One of the last examples of revival architecture in the city When the church was finished Rockefeller was already planning the Rockefeller Center

The Chrysler Building (1930)

Architect: William Van Alen Height: 925′, 1,046′  Style: Art Deco The design reflects the aesthetic of Chrysler automobiles Decorations on the 31st floor are the cap of the God Mercury. These caps were used as radiator caps on Chrysler automobiles The gargoyles are replicas of eagle hoods ornaments from a 1920’s Chrysler Plymouth  When the building opened in 1930, there was an observation deck called “Celestial” on the 71st floor. It was closed to the public in 1945 The "vertex" was assembled secretly inside the building and set in place in 1 and 1/2 hours. The spire is 185 ft tall  and made of steel ​The Chrysler was 60 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower, becoming the tallest man-made structure ever built

The Empire State Building (1931)

Architecture firm: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Height: 1,250′ (381 m)  Total Height: 1,454 feet or 443.2m to top of lightning rod Floors: 102/103 Steps: 1,872 from street level to the 103rd floor Windows: 6,514 Elevators: 73, including six freight elevators The Empire State Building took only one year and 45 days to build (410 days) There are observatories on both the 86th and 102nd floors. They attract around four million visitors annually. Visitors can see 80 miles into New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts on a clear day. The Empire State Building Run-Up is an annual race up the stairs to the 86th floor (1,576 steps) Cost to build: $40 million - below budget of $50 million It rose with the average speed 1 floor a day Height: The base of building rises five floors above the street. The entrance is four floors high. The lobby is three floors high. From the 60-foot setback on the fifth floor, the building soars without a break to the 86th floor. The mooring mast was supposed to be used by transatlantic dirigibles In reality there was just one accomplished dirigible mooring delivering newspapers from Wall Street  One of the biggest office buildings in the world (the biggest in time of construction),  it could fit both the Chrysler Building offices combined with offices of the 40 Wall Street (2 tallest in the world!), and still have room to spare   Due to bad economy the Empire State office space was not filled, they call it "Empty Building", however the observatory was profitable form the get-go and became quite a money-maker after being climbed by King Kong in 1933

Rockefeller Center (1933)

Years: 1930-1939 Architects: Associate Architects led by Raymond Hood The greatest urban development project of the 20th century Constructed during the great depression America's first multi-use business, retail, dining and entertainment complex Rockefeller negotiated the lease in order to create a new location for the Met Opera but after the Met pulled out, Rockefeller developed the project The main building is 30 Rock. The first main tenant was RCA (now GE) giving the complex nickname of a Radio City The plaza was created to comply with zoning laws and to provide as much as possible light and air to the office structures I.M. Pei called the Plaza - the "most successful urban space in America" 14 buildings are interconnected beneath the plaza The focal point is the space where the Christmas Tree stands during the holidays  The promenade leading to it is call "the Channel". It is flanked by the British Empire Building and the Maison Francaise The idea was to attract international business, a prequel to the World Trade Center  The Rockettes opened in 1934 Incredible scope of public art The most complete notable Art Deco complex ever designed Diego Rivera was hired to paint a fresco in the main lobby with themed "a man at the crossroads, looking with uncertainty but with hope and high vision to the choosing of a course leading to a new and better future." His vision was too communist, he was fired and the fresco was destroyed. Present fresco is by Jose Maria Sert entitled "American Progress, the triumph of man's accomplishments Through physical and mental labor" Rockefeller Center was instrumental in moving New York business district from Financial District to Midtown

The Waldorf=Astoria Hotel (1931)

Built as one of the poshest in the world Designed by Schultze and Weaver Takes entire city block It was the largest hotel in the world - 2,200 rooms 4-story ballroom could accommodate 6,000 people One of the first Art Deco hotels It's a presidential hotel - every American president since Hebert Hoover had stayed in the hotel The Waldorf=Astoria Hotel stands on the land owned by the Grand Central. Special car was leading from the Terminal to the 50th Street next to the hotel which was used by FDR The Waldorf Astoria New York is currently closed while undergoing a complete renovation and restoration. It is planned to reopen in two to three years. The Waldorf Astoria’s reopening, originally planned for 2020, is now “targeting completion in 2021.” China-based Anbang, bought the hotel for $1.95 billion two years ago, began converting about 1,000 rooms to luxury condos shortly after the purchase.

The United Nations (1948)

Architects: Oscar Niemeyer, Le Corbusier, Wallace Harrison ​After the WWII allies formed the United Nation The US requested that it'd be located in the United States John D. Rockefeller Jr donated 8 million to buy land on Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan To reflect the collaborative spirit of the UN, it was decided that the complex would be designed not by competition but by collaborative efforts of international architects lead by Wallace Harrison The main building, the Secretariat, was designed by the world's leading proponent of International Style - Le Corbusier The Secretariat has 39 stories, it's the first modernist building in the city. It's also the first to have a glass wall The low curving building is the General Assembly There 193 countries in the UN, the flags are arranged in alphabetical order

The Lever House

Completed in 1952 One of the forerunners of of New York's modern skyscraper No more set-backs, instead a recessed plaza Lever is one one of the biggest soap manufacturers The building serves as advertisement, also it actually housed just the offices of Lever Lever was designed so that employees could drive up to the building, spend time inside and leave without interracting with the city

The Seagram Building

Architect: Mies van der Rohe Year: 1958 The building constructed to commemorate the centennial of the distillery The building works well with the grid reflected in the windows First time the window designed floor to ceiling, no sills, no ledges  Window blinds designed to be closed, opened or half way to keep geometric appearance  The most important part of the design was the plaza

The Guggenheim Museum (1959)

​Designer: Frank Lloyd Wright Year: 1959 The museum was founded 1939. In 1943, Solomon R. Guggenheim hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home for his priceless collection of non-objective art The design is meant to destroy all that is "square" Museum is Write's last major work The reaction to the building was very negative. It was called everything from bathtub to battleship 10,000 people came to the opening Still, one of the most visited museums

The Lincoln Center (1962)

Architects: Wallace Harrison, Philip Johnson, Eero Saarinen, Max Abramovitz, etc The are in the West 60th know as Juan Hill was populated by Puerto Rican immigrants  West side was developed in the early 1900s, but by 1950s it became quite shabby As a part of Robert Moses' effort to clean up the slums, the are was designated for the LincolnSquare Urban Development Project  JD Rockefeller III was chosen to lean the project who picked Wallace Harrison to be the chief architect The plan was to create a performance conglomerate consisting of Met Opera, NY Philharmonic, NYC Ballet and The Juliard Music school The project displaced 7,000 people without properly rehousing them However, in terms of revitalizing the neighborhood, it was a success

The Twin Towers (1972)

Architect: Minoru Yamasaki By the 1960s, the business district shifted to Midtown In order to revitalize downtown David Rockefeller created the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association to promote construction The idea of the World Trade Center was on the table since creation of the United Nation The World Trade Center was conceived in the early 1960s by the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Development Association to revitalize the seedy radio row dominated by electronic stores. Chase Manhattan Bank chairman David Rockefeller, founder of the development association, and his brother, New York governor Nelson Rockefeller, pushed hard for the project, insisting it would benefit the entire city  David Rockefeller approached Port Authority which agreed to the project which would also include revitalizing PATH train system Port Authority hired Minoru Yamasaki to design the center He decided on 2 tall towers and several smaller ones The plan was to make them 110 stories each making them the world tallest The area where the twin towers were to be built was a landfill To insure that the water from the Hudson is kept away, gigantic "bathtubs" of 65-feet deep were dug up  Twin Towers weren't popular and were much criticized as boring and banal However, they quickly became a part of New York landscape appearing in movies, souvenirs, etc The observation desk opened in 1975 and became one of the major tourist attractions In 1974 Philippe Petit famously walked between the towers From the engineering stand point, they were unique: all the load was resting on exterior frame 50 thousand people worked in the towers They had more office space than some American cities On Sep 11, 2001 the Tower 1 (North) was hit at 8:46. It tore a hole above 93rd floor 18 minutes later second place hit the south tower between the 77th and 85th floors South tower was the first to collapse less than an hour after it was hit at 9:59 29 minutes later, the north tower also collapsed Both towers imploded The other five towers also collapsed

The World Financial Center (1988)

Designed by architect César Pelli It was   built  between 1982 and 1988 at a cost of $60 million on landfill that was  excavated during the building of the World Trade Center The most remarkable part of the complex was its' atrium- Winter Garden with palms The Winter Garden Atrium received major structural damage to its glass and steel frame on 9/11, but ceremonially reopened on September 11, 2002 The Atrium was severely damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks as almost all the glass panes were blown out After the attacks, the World Financial Center underwent a $250 million renovation and expansion project Preliminary plans called for the demolition of the Grand Staircase, but the plans for demolition had outraged residents, who promptly appealed for its preservation The Winter Garden is a glass domed pavilion that sits between buildings 2 and 3 of the WFC New palm trees have been planted inside one of the city's most beautiful interior spaces, the public atrium in the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center. The old palm trees (that were planted during the 2002 rebuilding of the Winter Garden after the September 11 terrorist attacks,) had grown to 60 feet, too large to allow for further growth in the space

​The Time Warner Center (2004)

Architect: David Childs Main tenant was Time Warner The building is mixed-use: office building, condos, shopping mall, concert venue Time Warner Center will be renamed the Deutsche Bank Center which had signed a 25 year lease The complex’s south tower at 25 Columbus Circle, features luxury condominiums, and the north tower, at 80 Columbus Circle, contains apartments from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The building is home to CNN’s New York City headquarters, five-star restaurants, and high-end retail. Time Warner moved to Hudson Yards  In 2006 the property had the highest-listed market value in New York City

Hearst Tower (2004)

Architect: Sir Norman Foster Design has no vertical columns First New York's green building: built from recycled steel, energy saving features, dimming lights Built over already existing six-story structure by Joseph Urban commissioned by Hearst

World Trade Center (now)

ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER Opened October 2014 Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (David M. Childs) Tallest of new WTC Complex 104 Stories / 1776 feet high 3 million rentable square feet of space It cost $4 billion and took eight years to build Condé Nast as its anchor tenant 2 WORLD TRADE CENTER Architect: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group is a New York and Copenhagen based group It was initially going to be designed by Norman Foster Second tallest of WTC Towers 80+ Stories / 1,270 feet tall 3 WORLD TRADE CENTER Architect: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Instantly recognizable by its iconic “K” brace, the building’s external steel framing The soaring lobby provides direct in-building access to 12 subways and adjacent retail. The expansive, 5,000-square-foot terrace on the 17th floor is one of the largest terraces in NYC 4 WORLD TRADE CENTER Opened November 2013 Architect: Maki and Associates (Fumihiko Maki) 72 stories / 977 feet tall 7 WORLD TRADE CENTER Opened May 2006 Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (David M. Childs) 52 stories / 741 feet tall Art installations by Jamie Carpenter, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons OCULUS Architect: Santiago Calatrava The total cost for all of this ended up being north of $4 billion  WTC Transportation Hub and Westfield World Trade Center mall, which has 365,000 square feet of space for more than 100 retailers 9/11 MEMORIAL PLAZA Architect: Michael Arad A grove of nearly 400 white oak trees, and the largest manmade waterfalls in the United States Set within the footprints of the original Twin Towers, each pool is approximately 1-acre in size Two waterfalls known as “Reflecting Absence” are set in the footprints of the fallen Twin Towers The names of every person who perished in the terror attacks of February 26, 1993 & September 11, 2001 are honored in bronze around the twin Memorial pools A Callery pear tree became known as the "Survivor Tree" after enduring the September 11, 2001 terror attacks Center for the Performing Arts ​Opening 2021 ​ One World Observatory  SkyPod Elevators climb 102 stories in 47 seconds Opened in May 2015, is on the 102nd floor Tickets cost between $34 and $54​

Hudson Yards (2019)

​It is the largest private real estate development in the United States  The $25 billion megaproject is bringing new skyscrapers, a huge shopping mall, and a splashy performing arts center to the city And at the center of it all is Vessel, a 150-foot-tall, shiny sculptural bauble designed by Thomas Heatherwick One will have to get a free ticket in order to climb the Vessel The Shed, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is covered in ETFE panels, which are lightweight, durable, and weatherproof. It also has a retractable outer shell that expands to transform the space, and helps the venue accommodate many different types of performances Former mayor Bloomberg made a $75 million contribution

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