Hotel St. George
Encyclopedia
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in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in New York City, was located in the heart of scenic Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Heights is a culturally diverse neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Originally referred to as 'Brooklyn Village', it has been a prominent area of Brooklyn since 1834. As of 2000, Brooklyn Heights sustained a population of 22,594 people. The neighborhood is part of...
. Today, it is a landmarked building in the first historically landmarked neighborhood in New York. Its various constituent buildings, mostly surviving, were built between 1885 and 1929, although it no longer operates as a hotel. It was conveniently located just one stop from 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...
, atop the Clark Street subway station ( trains) on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line. The subway entrance still operates inside the Hotel itself, right before the main door leading to the no longer operating ballroom and check-in.
History
The St. George Tower once drew celebrities, athletes, and every presidential hopeful flocking to its many ballrooms (the Colorama Ballroom being the largest banquet room in the world) and the largest indoor salt-water pool in the United States. Part of The GodfatherThe Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
was filmed in the St. George.
Other uses
From 1975-1976, several political prisoners, exiled from Chile by dictator Augusto Pinochet, stayed at the Hotel St. George. Many of them became U.S. citizens and important Latino figures in the United States.Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
conducted the New York Philharmonic in a recording for Columbia (now Sony Classical) of Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet fantasy overture at the hotel on January 28, 1957, as well as Gershwin's
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
and An American in Paris
An American in Paris
An American in Paris is a symphonic tone poem by the American composer George Gershwin, written in 1928. Inspired by the time Gershwin had spent in Paris, it evokes the sights and energy of the French capital in the 1920s. It is one of Gershwin's best-known compositions.Gershwin composed the piece...
in 1959.
Architecture
The St. George is not a single building but a collection of ones built at different times. The St. George occupied a full city block bounded by Clark Street, Pineapple Street, Hicks Street and Henry Street. The main building, St. George Tower is the most visible portion of the complex at over 30 stories tall. This section of the structure is now a residential cooperative building.The 100 Henry Street entrance, also known as the Weller Wing of the St. George and previously the hotel entrance, is now part of Educational Housing Services, which provides dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
service to NYC area university students. This same entrance also allows access to the Studio Wing also owned by EHS. In 2005, EHS expanded their St. George operations and opened a new wing of the building at 55 Clark Street known as Clark Residence. It is built on the site of the building that was destroyed in 1995. EHS houses 1200 students from all over the country and from all over the world.
House shops, restaurants, and charming neighborhood shops at street level occupy the Clark Street and Henry Street fronts. The subway entrance is located on the Henry Street entrance.
The hotel was the subject of a song by The Hassles
The Hassles
The Hassles were a rock group in the 1960s, most notable for recording the first releases to feature Billy Joel. The group released two full-length albums and a number of singles....
(featuring Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
), written by Billy Joel and recorded in 1968. The song can be heard on The Hassles album, 'Hour of the Wolf', and on the bootleg Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
compilation, entitled Billy Joel Sings.