Hotel Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
The Hotel Pennsylvania is a hotel
located at 401 7th Avenue in Manhattan
, across the street from Pennsylvania Station
and Madison Square Garden
in New York City
.
and operated by Ellsworth Statler. It opened on January 25, 1919 and was designed by the firm of McKim, Mead & White, which also designed the original columned version of Pennsylvania Station
located across the street. (The old Pennsylvania Station was razed in 1963 to make room for Madison Square Garden
and the redeveloped below-ground station in use today.)
Statler Hotels, which had managed the Pennsylvania since its construction, acquired the property outright in 1948 and renamed it the Hotel Statler. Following the sale of all 17 Statler hotels to Conrad Hilton
in 1954, the hotel became The Statler Hilton. It operated under this name until the early 1980s, when Hilton sold the hotel. It was renamed The New York Statler for a brief period and was operated by Dunfey hotels, a division of Aer Lingus
. It was then purchased in 1984 by the Penta Hotels chain, a joint-venture of British Airways
, Lufthansa
and Swissair
, becoming The New York Penta. In 1992 Penta went out of business and the hotel returned to its original name, Hotel Pennsylvania.
bought the hotel. Vornado announced in 2007 that the hotel was to be demolished to make way for a new office building with Merrill Lynch
as its anchor tenant. Owner Vornado Realty Trust
intended to build a 2500000 square feet (232,257.6 m²) building by 2011. The site is the only remaining area in Midtown Manhattan that would not require special permits for development of a new office project of that size.
In 2009 the Save Hotel Pennsylvania Foundation was created.
Shortly after the announcement of Vornado's plans, the staff of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly
, a magazine which sponsors biennial HOPE hacker conventions at the hotel, began investigating possible ways to save the hotel from demolition. They were joined by the new Save the Hotel Pennsylvania Foundation, whose members included a number of city organizations and politicians to aid in the landmarking of the hotel, including The Historic District Council, Manhattan Community Board 5
, and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried
. In November 2007, Manhattan Community Board 5
voted 21-8 to have New York City Council landmark the historic hotel. However in February 2008 the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
denied the request for landmarking.
Preservation efforts have proven difficult. Emmanuel Goldstein of 2600 noted that while people overseas expressed concern over the fate of the hotel, "New Yorkers might not care enough to get involved. The hotel was old; the rooms weren’t as big and luxurious as other more modern facilities; and New Yorkers simply weren’t in a position to grasp the importance of such a place since they normally don’t need cheap and easily accessible hotels if they already live here."
In May 2010 the hotel was again in danger of demolition. Borough president
for Manhattan Scott Stringer
gave a conditional approval overruling Manhattan Community Board 5
.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
is currently in the process of reviewing the hotel's Cafe Rouge
for landmarking status.
On July 14, 2010 the New York City Department of City Planning
voted unanimously in favor of the construction of the tower.
On August 23, 2010 the NYC Council voted to approve the proposed ULURP submitted by the building owners.
, is the inspiration for the Jerry Gray composition of the same name (with lyrics later added by Carl Sigman). The most popular version was performed by Glenn Miller
with the Andrews Sisters' version not far behind. Many big band names played in the hotel's Main Dining Room, The Cafe Rouge
, including the Dorsey Brothers, Woody Herman
, Count Basie
and Duke Ellington
. One evening in November 1939 while in the midst of a steady long-term engagement at the Cafe Rouge, bandleader Artie Shaw
left the bandstand between sets and decided he had enough of the band business and all the hype of having become a major celebrity in the year and a half leading up to that point; he and his band having been thrust into the position of being most popular big band in the country at that time. Shaw did not return to the bandstand and essentially quit his own band on the spot; the act getting such great notice in the press that even the New York Times felt obliged to offer an editorial upon the situation and did. From 1940-42 Glenn Miller
's band also had repeated long-term steady bookings in the room during the three years of Miller's great popularity as a major bandleader of the Swing Era
. The aforementioned Jerry Gray had been Shaw's principal orchestrator from 1937–39 and he was immediately hired by Miller as a staff arranger when Shaw deserted his band; it was during Miller's 1940 engagement at the hotel that Gray wrote the popular instrumental tune that immortalized the Hotel's telephone number.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located at 401 7th Avenue in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, across the street from Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
and Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
History
The Hotel Pennsylvania was built by the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and operated by Ellsworth Statler. It opened on January 25, 1919 and was designed by the firm of McKim, Mead & White, which also designed the original columned version of Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
located across the street. (The old Pennsylvania Station was razed in 1963 to make room for Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and the redeveloped below-ground station in use today.)
Statler Hotels, which had managed the Pennsylvania since its construction, acquired the property outright in 1948 and renamed it the Hotel Statler. Following the sale of all 17 Statler hotels to Conrad Hilton
Conrad Hilton
Conrad Nicholson Hilton was an American businessman and investor. He is well known for being the founder of the Hilton Hotels chain.-Early life:Hilton was born in San Antonio, New Mexico...
in 1954, the hotel became The Statler Hilton. It operated under this name until the early 1980s, when Hilton sold the hotel. It was renamed The New York Statler for a brief period and was operated by Dunfey hotels, a division of Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
. It was then purchased in 1984 by the Penta Hotels chain, a joint-venture of British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
and Swissair
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
, becoming The New York Penta. In 1992 Penta went out of business and the hotel returned to its original name, Hotel Pennsylvania.
Proposed demolition
The threat of the Hotel Pennsylvania's demolition was first introduced in the late 1990s when Vornado Realty TrustVornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's.- History :...
bought the hotel. Vornado announced in 2007 that the hotel was to be demolished to make way for a new office building with Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
as its anchor tenant. Owner Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's.- History :...
intended to build a 2500000 square feet (232,257.6 m²) building by 2011. The site is the only remaining area in Midtown Manhattan that would not require special permits for development of a new office project of that size.
In 2009 the Save Hotel Pennsylvania Foundation was created.
Shortly after the announcement of Vornado's plans, the staff of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly
2600: The Hacker Quarterly
2600: The Hacker Quarterly is an American publication that specializes in publishing technical information on a variety of subjects including telephone switching systems, Internet protocols and services, as well as general news concerning the computer "underground" and left wing, and sometimes ,...
, a magazine which sponsors biennial HOPE hacker conventions at the hotel, began investigating possible ways to save the hotel from demolition. They were joined by the new Save the Hotel Pennsylvania Foundation, whose members included a number of city organizations and politicians to aid in the landmarking of the hotel, including The Historic District Council, Manhattan Community Board 5
Manhattan Community Board 5
Manhattan Community Board 5 is a local government unit of New York City, New York in the United States. It encompasses Midtown, Times Square, most of the Theatre District, the Diamond District, the Garment District, Herald Square, Koreatown, NoMad, Murray Hill and the Flatiron District, all in the...
, and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried
Richard Gottfried
Richard N. Gottfried is a U.S. Democratic Party politician from Manhattan representing the 75th District in the New York State Assembly for over forty years, making him the longest-serving member of that body.-Early life and career:...
. In November 2007, Manhattan Community Board 5
Manhattan Community Board 5
Manhattan Community Board 5 is a local government unit of New York City, New York in the United States. It encompasses Midtown, Times Square, most of the Theatre District, the Diamond District, the Garment District, Herald Square, Koreatown, NoMad, Murray Hill and the Flatiron District, all in the...
voted 21-8 to have New York City Council landmark the historic hotel. However in February 2008 the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
denied the request for landmarking.
Preservation efforts have proven difficult. Emmanuel Goldstein of 2600 noted that while people overseas expressed concern over the fate of the hotel, "New Yorkers might not care enough to get involved. The hotel was old; the rooms weren’t as big and luxurious as other more modern facilities; and New Yorkers simply weren’t in a position to grasp the importance of such a place since they normally don’t need cheap and easily accessible hotels if they already live here."
In May 2010 the hotel was again in danger of demolition. Borough president
Borough president
Borough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
for Manhattan Scott Stringer
Scott Stringer
Scott M. Stringer is a New York Democratic politician and currently the 26th Borough President of Manhattan.-Life and career:...
gave a conditional approval overruling Manhattan Community Board 5
Manhattan Community Board 5
Manhattan Community Board 5 is a local government unit of New York City, New York in the United States. It encompasses Midtown, Times Square, most of the Theatre District, the Diamond District, the Garment District, Herald Square, Koreatown, NoMad, Murray Hill and the Flatiron District, all in the...
.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
is currently in the process of reviewing the hotel's Cafe Rouge
Cafe Rouge (Hotel Pennsylvania)
The Cafe Rouge was the main restaurant in New York's Hotel Pennsylvania.- Construction :The Cafe Rouge was designed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White. The Cafe measured 58 feet by 142 feet, with a ceiling height of 22 feet...
for landmarking status.
On July 14, 2010 the New York City Department of City Planning
New York City Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning is a governmental agency of New York City responsible for setting the framework of city's physical and socioeconomic planning...
voted unanimously in favor of the construction of the tower.
On August 23, 2010 the NYC Council voted to approve the proposed ULURP submitted by the building owners.
Pennsylvania 6-5000
The hotel has the distinction of having the New York phone number in longest continuous use. The number, Pennsylvania 6-5000PEnnsylvania 6-5000
PEnnsylvania 6-5000 is claimed by its owner, the Hotel Pennsylvania, to be the oldest continuing phone number in New York City. The telephone number is based on the old telephone exchange name system. The first two letters "PE" in PE6-5000 stand for the rotary dial numbers 7 and 3, making the...
, is the inspiration for the Jerry Gray composition of the same name (with lyrics later added by Carl Sigman). The most popular version was performed by Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
with the Andrews Sisters' version not far behind. Many big band names played in the hotel's Main Dining Room, The Cafe Rouge
Cafe Rouge (Hotel Pennsylvania)
The Cafe Rouge was the main restaurant in New York's Hotel Pennsylvania.- Construction :The Cafe Rouge was designed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White. The Cafe measured 58 feet by 142 feet, with a ceiling height of 22 feet...
, including the Dorsey Brothers, Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
, Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
and Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
. One evening in November 1939 while in the midst of a steady long-term engagement at the Cafe Rouge, bandleader Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
left the bandstand between sets and decided he had enough of the band business and all the hype of having become a major celebrity in the year and a half leading up to that point; he and his band having been thrust into the position of being most popular big band in the country at that time. Shaw did not return to the bandstand and essentially quit his own band on the spot; the act getting such great notice in the press that even the New York Times felt obliged to offer an editorial upon the situation and did. From 1940-42 Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
's band also had repeated long-term steady bookings in the room during the three years of Miller's great popularity as a major bandleader of the Swing Era
Swing Era
The Swing era was the period of time when big band swing music was the most popular music in the United States. Though the music had been around since the late 1920s and early 1930s, being played by black bands led by such artists as Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Benny Moten, Ella Fitzgerald,...
. The aforementioned Jerry Gray had been Shaw's principal orchestrator from 1937–39 and he was immediately hired by Miller as a staff arranger when Shaw deserted his band; it was during Miller's 1940 engagement at the hotel that Gray wrote the popular instrumental tune that immortalized the Hotel's telephone number.
Notable events
- December 1925 William FaulknerWilliam FaulknerWilliam Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
stayed at The Hotel Pennsylvania while writing one of his many novels. Later he would go on to receive the Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for Literature. - The Chef saladChef saladChef salad is a salad consisting of hard-boiled eggs; one or more meats such as ham, turkey, chicken, or roast beef; tomatoes; cucumbers; and cheese; all placed upon a bed of tossed lettuce or other leaf vegetables. Several early recipes also include anchovies...
may have been created by Hotel Pennsylvania head chef Jacques Roser in the 1920s. - November 17, 1935 Herbert HooverHerbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
spoke before the Ohio Society of New York at the Hotel Pennsylvania - In 1940, Glenn MillerGlenn MillerAlton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
and the Glenn Miller OrchestraGlenn Miller OrchestraThe Glenn Miller Orchestra was originally formed in 1938 by Glenn Miller. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony...
began the first of several extended engagements at the Hotel Pennsylvania's Cafe RougeCafe Rouge (Hotel Pennsylvania)The Cafe Rouge was the main restaurant in New York's Hotel Pennsylvania.- Construction :The Cafe Rouge was designed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White. The Cafe measured 58 feet by 142 feet, with a ceiling height of 22 feet...
, often broadcast live on NBC Radio. Recordings of several of these engagements were released by RCA Victor. - In December 1942 Charlie ChaplinCharlie ChaplinSir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
attended a dinner at The Hotel Pennsylvania in New York sponsored by Russian War ReliefRussian War ReliefRussian War Relief was an alleged Communist front group, circa 1944. According to a 1943 FBI report, the group was “infiltrated with known Communists, Communist leaders, fellow travelers, and front organizations.” The chairman of Russian War Relief was Edward C... - On November 28, 1953, U.S. Army biochemist Dr. Frank OlsonFrank OlsonFrank Olson was a U.S. Army biological warfare specialist employed at Fort Detrick in Maryland. Believed to have committed suicide in 1953 as a result of depression, it was later revealed that he had been exposed to LSD and other psychoactive drugs as part of experiments, leading some to believe...
, who also secretly worked for the CIA, crashed through a window of the hotel Pennsylvania , (then the Statler HotelStatler HotelThe Statler Hotel company was one of the United States' early chains of hotels catering to traveling businessmen and tourists. It was founded by Ellsworth Milton Statler in Buffalo, New York.- Early ventures :...
) and fell over 150 feet (45.7 m) to the sidewalk below where he died. The New York City Police Department, U.S. Army, and CIA, reported Olson’s death as a suicide. In 1975, documents released by an American Presidential-appointed commission revealed that, days before his death, the CIA had surreptitiously dosed Olson with LSD. Twenty-years later, further investigation into Olson’s death revealed that there was ample reason to believe that he had been murdered. - On November 3. 1964, former Attorney General Robert F. KennedyRobert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
addressed his supporters in the hotel (then the Statler Hilton), after capturing the seat of incumbent Kenneth KeatingKenneth KeatingKenneth Barnard Keating , was a United States Representative and a U.S. Senator from New York, and in later life, an appellate judge and a diplomat representing the United States as ambassador to India and later to Israel.-Life:...
in the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. - The character "Statler" of Statler and Waldorf was named after the hotel, when it was the Statler Hilton.
- In June 2002, Dave BarryDave BarryDavid "Dave" Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author and columnist, who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comedic novels.-Biography:Barry was born in Armonk, New York,...
wrote a column about his experience at the thinly-disguised "Hotel Shpennsylvania". - The HOPE conferences were held at, and named after the Hotel Pennsylvania.
- The Hotel Pennsylvania was home to the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
's national convention in 1976 and 1980 "http://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/17/business/real-estate-new-phase-beginning-for-statler.html?&pagewanted=all"
Filming
- The Hotel Pennsylvania appeared in the 1986 film The Manhattan Project, as the setting of a science fairScience fairA science fair is generally a competition where contestants present their science project results in the form of a report, display board, and models that they have created. Science fairs allow students in grade schools and high schools to compete in science and/or technology activities...
. Rather than construct a set and populate it with actors, the filmmakers hosted an actual science fair in the hotel, and simply filmed as it was going on. - In 1997, The grand ballroom became NEP/Image TV Studios and is where the television shows such as MauryMaury (TV series)Maury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
, Sally Jessy RaphaelSally Jessy RaphaëlSally Lowenthal , better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American talk show host, known for the eponymous Sally talk show she hosted for two decades.-Early years:...
, 2 Minute Drill2 Minute Drill2 Minute Drill is an ESPN game show based on the general knowledge UK game show Mastermind. The program aired from September 11, 2000 to December 28, 2001...
, and The People's CourtThe People's CourtThe People's Court is a US television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration....
have taped, and currently houses the production of the The Bill Cunningham ShowThe Bill Cunningham ShowThe Bill Cunningham Show is an American first-run syndicated talk show that is hosted by conservative radio host Bill Cunningham, who also serves as co-producer in his first foray into daytime talk television...
. - In 2009, old studios in the hotel were rebuilt and consolidated into a new 10000 square feet (929 m²) studio for the sitcom Sherri.