Park Central Hotel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Park Central Hotel is a 31-story, 935-room hotel located at 870 7th Avenue (between West 55th and West 56th Streets) in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York.
Built in the pre-Depression late-twenties, its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. It takes up half of the city block between 7th Avenue and Broadway.
The Park Central has changed names several times since its opening. Originally named the Park Central Hotel, it has been since renamed the Park Sheraton, the Omni Park Central, and is today simply known as the Park Central Hotel. It has since downsized from 1,450 rooms to make space for the Manhattan Club, which is the 266-unit, all-suite timeshare portion of the hotel, located at the north side of the hotel at 200 West 56th Street.
Today, the Park Central is an independent hotel managed by Highgate Holdings.
[edit] History
Named Park Central because of its close proximity, but no actual views, of Central Park, it is an historic building with an extensive history. It has housed such iconic figures as Jackie Gleason, Mae West, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who kept a suite there.
It is most infamously known as being the place where mobster Albert Anastasia was murdered on October 25, 1957. Earlier, in 1928, the Jewish gangster and well-dressed prototype of the modern don, Arnold Rothstein, was shot and mortally wounded during a card game at the Park Central. In more recent times, it has housed many more modern-day celebrities and celebrity events, such as casting calls and parties.
[edit] Bibliography
- Susan Heller Anderson and Maurice Carroll. "New York Day by Day", New York Times, 1984-01-05.
- Rich Cohen. Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons and Gangster Dreams.
