The story of New York City as we know it is kind of, in a lot of ways, the story of Art Deco. To the Big Apple, Art Deco is more than just a style or a design... it's an attitude. It embodies the 1920s, the Jazz Age. As skyscrapers began to grow taller, hemlines and haircuts for women got shorter. Prohibition didn't stop speakeasies from cropping up, and the wild, innovative sounds of jazz music poured from lounges and clubs. An era this radical of course came to an end with a bang once the Great Depression hit, but America was permanently changed by the 1920s. Many of the most iconic buildings in New York, the ones we think of instantly when we think of the city, were built during the Roaring 20s. Art Deco details are hidden on buildings all across the five boroughs, but Manhattan is a great neighborhood for an Art Deco architecture walking tour.
The Carlyle, built in 1930, is an Art Deco gem named for Scottish thinker Thomas Carlyle. It struggled to find tenants and guests through the Depression, and in 1948, a new owner helped transform it into a sought-after stay for fashionable European travelers, royalty, and Presidents. Speaking of Presidents, The Carlyle was a kind of "New York White House" for JFK, who owned an apartment here. This is where his alleged affair with Marilyn Monroe went down; rumors has it that she snuck in through secret tunnels below the building. Plus, to this day, the hotel's Cafe Carlyle remains one of the best places to catch live jazz (Woody Allen's band plays here weekly.)
If 55 Central Park West looks familiar, it's because it was prominently featured in "Ghostbusters" as The Temple of Gozer. The apartment building, which features 19 floors (more were added in to the top for the movie during post-production) is a gorgeous 1929 structure, the first fully Art Deco building on the street. If you look closely, you can see the bricks fading from purple to pale yellow, a unique feature. Naturally, such a pretty and one-of-a-kind building has attracted tenants like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Ginger Rogers.
Construction on the JW Marriott Essex House began one day after the infamous stock market crash of 1929. While the building was eventually completed, it changed hands numerous times over the years. The neon sign atop the skyscraper has been shining on since the 1930s! If you get to stay here, sneak a peek inside the stunning Art Deco salon.
Built in 1932 as a theater/studio, Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Plaza was once one of the most popular attractions in NYC. Of course, there was a period of time when Radio City Music Hall was in danger of closing, but showbiz celebs banded together to get it declared a National Historic Landmark. It's now used for all kinds of events; live shows, performances, screenings, awards shows, and tons more. The retro neon out front is absolutely worth a photo op, and if you poke around the grand foyer, you'll see some rad murals and statues from Depression-era artists.
Rockefeller Center is a complex of buildings, and the entire thing has been declared a National Historic Landmark... the 14 stunning Art Deco buildings on the block might have something to do with that. Rockefeller Center as we know it wouldn't have existed without the Great Depression: John D. Rockefeller originally planned to develop the land with a new opera house for the Metropolitan Opera, but they hesitated after the brutal stock market crash, causing Johnny D. to forge ahead alone with what would become the largest private building project in modern history. The buildings have been home to some pretty cool people and projects, like the head of British Intelligence during WWII and, of course, the headquarters of NBC. Oh, and that famous, Depression-era photo of construction workers eating lunch atop a skyscraper crossbeam 840 feet above the ground? It was taken atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The Fred F. French Building is one of Fifth Avenue's most beloved Art Deco masterpieces. It's been used for a mishmash of things, from restaurants to college classrooms to jewelers. It was once the tallest building on the street, and it's most known for its decorations above the door and at the top.
The origins of New York's most famous luxury hotel, the Waldorf Astoria, may date back to the 19th century, but the current buildings are pure Jazz Age glam. When it opened in 1931, it was the tallest and largest hotel in the world. History has been made here; the Big Four Conference between the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union to determine the future of Eastern Europe was held here, and major Hollywood players met here before issuing a statement banning anyone with Communist beliefs from the industry. A press conference that introduced the world to the LP record was held here, and the purchase of the Dead Sea Scrolls by Israel was negotiated in the basement. Pretty much any celebrity, socialite, or statesman has stayed here, or attended a gala, ball, or party at the Waldorf Astoria. The Art Deco design has remained the standard for luxury since its opening.
The 1920s were a decade of excess and innovation... and so it's no surprise that the race to build New York's tallest skyscraper was a Big Deal. The Chrysler Building was not only the tallest (for a bit, at least) but it was also one of the most ambitious. Original plans called for way more glass at the bottom, to make the tower appear as if it was floating, but that proved to be impractical. Walter P. Chrysler, who eventually wound up with the design and lease, helped give the building more Art Deco, machine age touches, like the gargoyles modeled after Chrysler hood ornaments and auto parts. And, of course, there's the shiny terraced crown at the top, it's most iconic feature. It's the tallest brick building in the world, was built at a rate of four floors per week, and was the world's tallest building for 11 short months... before it was surpassed by another Art Deco treasure.
The building that stole the title of "world's tallest" from the Chrysler Building was, of course, the Empire State Building. For nearly 40 years, it dominated the NYC skyline with its Art Deco design (until the 1970s, when the World Trade Centers came alone). Of course, it opened right as the Great Depression hit, and the tower's observation deck made as much in ticket sales as the whole thing did in rent; many of the offices were left vacant. Still, it managed to turn a profit by the 1950s. It's pretty crazy to think that a building could be so big that it has its own zip code!
Of course, Manhattan isn't the only place to find Art Deco architecture across the city... but it was during the 1920s that Manhattan, and to some extent, New York City, really started to turn into the city we see today. Even though new buildings have started to take over the skyline, the Art Deco details remain, a tribute to the Roaring 20s in NYC.