The Astor, a Manhatten Landmark of Old

A Brief History of the Astor Hotel in Manhattan

The Astor Hotel in Manhattan was one of Times Square's crown jewels from 1904-1967. It combined beauty, grace and a prominent location in such a unique way that it made Times Square more handsome and inviting. It was also The Place to be for celebrities who visited the New York area during the 1920's-1950's. To understand how this came to be, here is a very brief history of the Astor Hotel in Manhattan that will give readers an interesting look at one of New York's crown jewels of its past.

The Astor Hotel was constructed in 1904 at a cost estimated to be $7,000,000-$7,500,000. It was designed by New York architect Charles W. Clinton and Connecticut architect William H. Russell. Clinton and Russell used a French Renaissance "Beaux Arts" style that combined the best features of ancient Greek and Roman architecture with Renaissance ideas.

The 11 story building was built on a corner of Time's Square that was surrounded by Broadway, Astor Plaza, West 44th Street, and West 45th Street. It featured rooms with grand high ceilings, elaborately decorated rooms that featured different "themes from around the world." These elements tied in beautifully with the use of limestone and bricks so well that it made the hotel appear bigger than it was.

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By the end of the 1900's, the Astor Hotel added its famous roof garden was added. By the end of the 1910's, The Astor hotel had already earned its colorful reputation for hiring interesting employees. It also boasted more modern amenities such as electric lighting and modernized indoor plumbing.

The period between the 1920's and the 1930's might have been the Golden Age of the Astor Hotel. This is the case because the immediate area around the Astor Hotel exploded with growth as Broadway grew to new heights thanks to the invention of the first motion pictures with sound-- "Talkies." This close proximity to Broadway's growth made it The Place to be for movie and theater stars who visited New York to perform.

Furthermore, more people began to discover this marvel because many national newspapers ran stories about the Astor that talked about the Astor's unique architecture and eccentric workers. This positive publicity made the Astor even more popular with locals and tourists.

The period from 1940 to 1958 brought a change in the role of the Astor Hotel. Locals saw the place as a great venue for a nightclub. The rooftop of the Astor Hotel was converted into a nightclub spot. It proved to be so popular with locals that it was in operation in some form or another until the late 1950's.

The period from 1958-1967 saw the hotel's finances go downhill very quickly. This happened for a few reasons. First, the hotel faced heavy competition from more modern hotels who could give tourists a better value for their money. Secondly, the hotel was starting to fall apart physically. This deterred many visitors from using the hotel and had much to do with the hotel's demise.

As a result of the failing revenues and the continued rundown appearance, the Astor Hotel was sold several times in the late 1950's and early 1960's. The hotel continued to suffer financially until 1967 when it was torn down after William Zeckendorf failed to purchase the hotel.

Today, the site of the Astor Hotel is the site of a 50 story office building called One Astor Plaza.