Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
1
Chrysler Building
NOTABLE BUILDING
The 77-floor Chrysler Building makes most other skyscrapers look like uptight geeks.
Designed by Willian Van Alen in 1930, it's a dramatic fusion of art deco and Gothic aes-
thetics, adorned with stern steel eagles and topped by a spire that screams Bride of
Frankenstein. The building was constructed as the headquarters for Walter P Chrysler and
his automobile empire. More than 80 years on, Chrysler's ambitious $15 million statement
remains one of New York's most poignant symbols.
(Lexington Ave at 42nd St, Midtown East;
lobby 8am-6pm Mon-Fri;
S, 4/5/6, 7 to Grand Central-42nd St)
2
Grand Central Terminal
NOTABLE BUILDING
New York's most breathtaking beaux arts building is more than just a station, it's an en-
chanted time machine; its swirl of chandeliers, marble, and historic bars and restaurants are
a porthole into an era where train travel and romance were not mutually exclusive.
Don't miss a drink at the Grand Central's historic, chi-chi Campbell Apartment (
Click
here
)
.
(
www.grandcentralterminal.com
; 42nd St at Park Ave, Midtown East;
5:30am-2am;
S, 4/5/6, 7 to
Grand Central-42nd St)
3
Rockefeller Center
NOTABLE BUILDING
This 22-acre 'city within a city' debuted at the height of the Great Depression. Taking nine
years to build, it was America's first multiuse retail, entertainment and office space - a
modernist sprawl of 19 buildings (14 of which are the original art deco structures), outdoor
plazas and big-name tenants. Developer John D Rockefeller Jr may have sweated over the
cost (a mere $100 million), but it was all worth it - the Center was declared a National
