Hotel St. George

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Hotel St. George, once the largest hotel in New York City, was located in the heart of scenic Brooklyn Heights. 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 subway stop from Manhattan, atop the Clark Street-Brooklyn Heights station.

The St. George was once a beacon for celebrities and athletes flocking to the largest indoor salt-water pool in the United States. In fact, part of The Godfather was filmed in the St. George. The last remaining portion of the hotel operating as such was burnt down in a fire in August, 1995 (see fire report referenced here) although its signage remains for historical purposes. The Saint George is not one single building but really a collection of various ones built at different times. The main building, The Saint George Tower is the most visible portion of the complex at over 30 stories tall. The St. George Tower 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 (EHS) which provides dormitory service to NYC area university students. This same entrance also allows access to the Studio Wing also owned by EHS. In 2005, Educational Housing expanded their St. George operations and opened a new wing of the building at 55 Clark Street known as Clark Hall, built on the site of the building that was destroyed in 1995. Along its Clark Street and Henry Street fronts, the former Hotel St. George buildings also house various shops, restaurants, and services at street level and in the subway area within the building.

It was also the subject of a song by The Hassles (featuring Billy Joel) , written by Billy Joel and recorded in 1968. The song can be heard on The Hassles album, 'Hour of the Wolf', and also on the bootleg Billy Joel compilation, entitled Billy Joel Sings.