The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel in Manhattan in New York City. The hotel has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York. The first, bearing the same name, was built in two stages, as the Waldorf Hotel and the Astor Hotel, which accounts for its dual name. That original site was situated on Astor family properties along Fifth Avenue, opened in 1893, and designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh. It was demolished in 1929 to make way for the construction of the Empire State Building. The present building, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Midtown Manhattan, is a 47-story 190.5 m (625 ft) Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze and Weaver, which was completed in 1931. The current hotel was the world’s tallest hotel from 1931 until 1963, when it was surpassed by Moscow’s Hotel Ukraina by 7 metres (23 ft). An icon of glamour and luxury, the current Waldorf Astoria is one of the world’s most prestigious and best known hotels. Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts is a division of Hilton Hotels, and a portfolio of high-end properties around the world, now operate under the name, including New York. read more…
432 Park Avenue is a supertall residential project with 104 condominium apartments developed by CIM Group in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Originally proposed to be 1,300 feet (396 m) in 2011, construction began in 2012 and is scheduled to be completed in 2015. The building required the demolition of the 495-room Drake Hotel, which had been built in 1926. In 2006, the hotel was sold for $440 million to developer Harry Macklowe, and the hotel was demolished the year afterward. The site became one of New York’s most valuable development sites due to its location, between East 56th and 57th Streets on the west side of Park Avenue. read more…
