Notable Building sights in New York City
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Grand Central Terminal
Completed in 1913, Grand Central Terminal – more commonly, if technically incorrectly, called Grand Central Station – is another of New York’s stunning Beaux Arts buildings, boasting 75ft-high, glass-encased catwalks and a vaulted ceiling bearing a mural of the constellations streaming across it – backwards (the designer must’ve been dyslexic). The balconies overlooking the main concourse afford an expansive view; perch yourself on one of these at around 5pm on a weekday to get a glimpse of the grace that this terminal commands under pressure. It’s quite amazing how this dramatic space evokes the romance of train travel at the turn of the 20th century while also enduring…
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Radio City Music Hall
A spectacular art deco diva, this 5901-seat movie palace was the brainchild of vaudeville producer Samuel Lionel 'Roxy' Rothafel. Never one for understatement, Roxy launched his venue on 23 December 1932 with an over-the-top extravaganza that included a Symphony of the Curtains (starring... you guessed it... the curtains), and the high-kick campness of precision dance troupe the Roxyettes (mercifully renamed the Rockettes),
For a real treat, join a one-hour guided tour of the sumptuous interiors, designed by Donald Deskey. But first, eye-up the building's 50th St facade, where Hildreth Meière's whimsical brass rondels represent (from left to right) dance, drama and song.…
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Rockefeller Center
This 22-acre 'city within a city' debuted at the height of the Great Depression. Taking nine years to build, it was America's first multiuse retail, entertainment and office space – a modernist sprawl of 19 buildings (14 of which are the original art deco structures), outdoor plazas and big-name tenants. Developer John D Rockefeller Jr may have sweated over the cost (a mere $100 million), but it was all worth it, the Center declared a National Landmark in 1987.
There are views, and then there is the view from the Top of the Rock. Crowning the GE Building, 70 stories above Midtown, its jaw-dropping vista includes one icon that you won't see from atop the Empire State…
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New York Stock Exchange
Home to the world’s best-known stock exchange (the NYSE), Wall Street is an iconic symbol of US capitalism. About one billion shares, valued at around $73 billion, change hands daily behind the portentous Romanesque facade, a sight no longer accessible to the public due to security concerns. Feel free to gawk outside the building, protected by barricades and the hawk-eyed NYPD (New York Police Department). The online shop has souvenirs like a hooded NYSE sweatshirt, as if you’d actually been inside.
Frantic buying and selling by those familiar red-faced traders screaming ‘Sell! Sell!’ goes on at the New York Mercantile Exchange, near Vesey St. This exchange deals…
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Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The best reason to visit the Federal Reserve Bank is the chance to ogle at its high-security vault – more than 10,000 tons of gold reserves reside here, 80ft below ground. You’ll only see a small part of that fortune, but signing on to a free tour (the only way down; book around six weeks ahead) is worth the effort.
While you don't need to join a guided tour to browse the bank's museum, which includes an interesting exhibition on the history of money, you will still need to book a time online. Bring your passport or other official ID.
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Wing Fat Shopping Mall
One of the most unique malls you'll ever see, Wing Fat lies underground and has businesses offering reflexology, collectible stamps and feng shui services. The most fascinating aspect is its history, as the tunnel is said to have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad as well as an escape route in the early 1900s for members of rival Tong gangs, who fought up on the street and then disappeared below before police could even begin to search.
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United Nations
Welcome to the headquarters of the UN, a worldwide organization overseeing international law, international security and human rights. While the soaring, Le Corbusier–designed Secretariat building is off-limits, one-hour guided tours do take in the General Assembly, where the annual convocation of member nations takes place every fall, as well as exhibitions about the UN's work and artworks given by member states.
To the north of the complex, which technically stands on international territory, is a serene park featuring Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure as well as several other peace-themed sculptures. The UN visitors’ entrance is at 46th St.
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Chrysler Building
The 77-floor Chrysler Building makes most other skyscrapers look like uptight geeks. Designed by Willian Van Alen in 1930, it's a dramatic fusion of art deco and Gothic aesthetics, adorned with stern steel eagles and topped by a spire that screams Bride of Frankenstein. The building was constructed as the headquarters for Walter P Chrysler and his automobile empire. Unable to compete on the production line with bigger rivals Ford and General Motors, Chrysler decided to trump them on the skyline. More than 80 years on, Chrysler's ambitious $15 million statement remains one of New York's most poignant symbols.
Although the Chrysler Building has no restaurant or observation…
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Seagram Building
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Lever House
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Brill Building
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Chanin Building
Beloved art deco took hold in the 1930s, as architects turned away from history, creating unique buildings, configured with setbacks, required by new zoning laws, and decorated with original ornament. The Chanin Building , 1929, by Sloan and Robertson, took the lead with its wedding-cake silhouette, exterior decoration of exotic plant forms and sea life, and singular lobby.
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Alice Tully Hall
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