Six Times Square
Encyclopedia
6 Times Square, also known as the Newsweek Building or Knickerbocker Building, is a building located at 1466 Broadway at the southeast corner of 42nd Street
in New York City
. This historic building opened in 1906 as the Knickerbocker Hotel, "Knickerbocker
" being an iconic name for New York. Built by John Jacob Astor
as a showcase of luxury in a time of economic prosperity in the city, the hotel
was destined to close its doors only 15 years later due to changes in fortune. The building was later home to Newsweek
magazine between 1940 – 1959, and after major restoration in 1980 the building is now used for garment showrooms and offices.
Developers J.E. and A.L. Pennock originally designed the building and financed the early construction of the hotel starting in 1903. One year later, the investment group that sponsored the developers fell apart and John Jacob Astor, who owned the land, took over the project. The rooms were redesigned by architects Trowbridge & Livingston
and a luxurious, three-story restaurant and bar was added, with seating for 2000 for after-theater dinner. Artist Maxfield Parrish
was commissioned for the 30-foot-long painting entitled Old King Cole which now hangs in The St. Regis Hotel
. Frederic Remington
, Frederick MacMonnies and James Wall Finn also added decorations to the interiors. The Knickerbocker opened in 1906 and quickly became a part of the New York social scene.
One of the legends about this building comes from the drink called the martini
, which was said to have been invented by the house bartender in 1912. One day, Martini di Arma di Taggia mixed dry vermouth
and gin
together, and the mixture gained the favor of John D. Rockefeller
. The actual origin of the martini has been traced to a different drink called "the Martinez".
A remnant of the past is a sign for the hotel that can be found in the New York City subway. The "Knickerbocker" sign is posted over a doorway that once connected to the hotel at the east end of the platform for Track 1 on the 42nd Street Shuttle.
The world-famous opera singer Enrico Caruso was a longtime resident of the hotel up until his death in 1921. He took all his meals at the hotel restaurant, always using the same set of cutlery. On Armistice Day
, Caruso appeared at the window of his room and led the crowd outside in singing "The Star-Spangled Banner
". He once gave his coat and shoes to a man waiting outside in a bread line.
After the death of John Jacob Astor IV
on the Titanic in 1912, his son Vincent Astor
managed the hotel up to the beginning of Prohibition
. James B. Regan was the innovative hotel restaurant operator, and soon after he retired from the business in 1920, Vincent Astor turned the hotel into an office building. In 1980 the Knickerbocker was converted to residential units called "1466 Broadway", but the real estate market was more profitable for commercial tenants and the building now houses showrooms and studios for the Garment District
. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1980. Leona Helmsley
was owner of the building, but in 2006 the property was sold to Istithmar Hotels, an investment group from the Royal family of Dubai
, with plans to convert the building into a five-star hotel. Unable to fulfill its debt obligations, Istithmar surrendered the property to its lender in early March, 2010.
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
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...
. This historic building opened in 1906 as the Knickerbocker Hotel, "Knickerbocker
Knickerbocker
Knickerbocker, also spelled Knikkerbakker, Knickerbakker, Knickerbacker, is a surname that dates back to the early Dutch colonists in New York. In 1809, Washington Irving published his satirical A History of New York under the pseudonym "Diedrich Knickerbocker", and since that time "Knickerbocker"...
" being an iconic name for New York. Built by John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
as a showcase of luxury in a time of economic prosperity in the city, the hotel
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...
was destined to close its doors only 15 years later due to changes in fortune. The building was later home to Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine between 1940 – 1959, and after major restoration in 1980 the building is now used for garment showrooms and offices.
Developers J.E. and A.L. Pennock originally designed the building and financed the early construction of the hotel starting in 1903. One year later, the investment group that sponsored the developers fell apart and John Jacob Astor, who owned the land, took over the project. The rooms were redesigned by architects Trowbridge & Livingston
Trowbridge & Livingston
Trowbridge & Livingston was an architectural practice based in New York City in the early 20th century. The firm's partners were Samuel Beck Parkman Trowbridge and Goodhue Livingston ....
and a luxurious, three-story restaurant and bar was added, with seating for 2000 for after-theater dinner. Artist Maxfield Parrish
Maxfield Parrish
Maxfield Parrish was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery.-Life:...
was commissioned for the 30-foot-long painting entitled Old King Cole which now hangs in The St. Regis Hotel
The St. Regis Hotel
The St. Regis New York is a Forbes five-star, AAA five-diamond luxury hotel in Manhattan. It stands on Fifth Avenue, four blocks from Central Park.-Construction and opening:...
. Frederic Remington
Frederic Remington
Frederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S...
, Frederick MacMonnies and James Wall Finn also added decorations to the interiors. The Knickerbocker opened in 1906 and quickly became a part of the New York social scene.
One of the legends about this building comes from the drink called the martini
Martini (cocktail)
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B...
, which was said to have been invented by the house bartender in 1912. One day, Martini di Arma di Taggia mixed dry vermouth
Vermouth
Vermouth is a fortified wine flavored with various dry ingredients. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced around the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Italy and France...
and gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
together, and the mixture gained the favor of John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
. The actual origin of the martini has been traced to a different drink called "the Martinez".
A remnant of the past is a sign for the hotel that can be found in the New York City subway. The "Knickerbocker" sign is posted over a doorway that once connected to the hotel at the east end of the platform for Track 1 on the 42nd Street Shuttle.
The world-famous opera singer Enrico Caruso was a longtime resident of the hotel up until his death in 1921. He took all his meals at the hotel restaurant, always using the same set of cutlery. On Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
, Caruso appeared at the window of his room and led the crowd outside in singing "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
". He once gave his coat and shoes to a man waiting outside in a bread line.
After the death of John Jacob Astor IV
John Jacob Astor IV
John Jacob Astor IV was an American businessman, real estate builder, investor, inventor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish-American War and a member of the prominent Astor family...
on the Titanic in 1912, his son Vincent Astor
Vincent Astor
William Vincent Astor was a businessman and philanthropist and a member of the prominent Astor family.-Early life:...
managed the hotel up to the beginning of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. James B. Regan was the innovative hotel restaurant operator, and soon after he retired from the business in 1920, Vincent Astor turned the hotel into an office building. In 1980 the Knickerbocker was converted to residential units called "1466 Broadway", but the real estate market was more profitable for commercial tenants and the building now houses showrooms and studios for the Garment District
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1980. Leona Helmsley
Leona Helmsley
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean...
was owner of the building, but in 2006 the property was sold to Istithmar Hotels, an investment group from the Royal family of Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, with plans to convert the building into a five-star hotel. Unable to fulfill its debt obligations, Istithmar surrendered the property to its lender in early March, 2010.