The Midtown Architectural Walking Tour
The tour starts and ends by the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and covers a section of Midtown Manhattan that contains an number of landmark buildings with a selection of historic and anti historic architectural styles more diverse than any other part of Manhattan. Also Included are, some of the area'a history, interesting pictures and stories that help join us with the area's past.
The Tour of Manhattan's Past, Present and Future Features:
A walk in Midtown from the Waldorf Astoria's Art Deco to Trump Tower's Post
Modern style and back with landmark examples of Romanesque, Moorish / Islamic Revival, Gothic along with 16th Century Italian Renaissance Palace styles of architecture and a dozen landmark historically styled turn of the century mansions by such well known architects of the era as: Stanford White, Henry J. Hardenberg, John Ducan, Robert H, Robertson, Warren & Wetmore and others.
Along the way we will see buildings by such well knwon modern architects as: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Gordon Bunshaft. Also, randomly mixed in with the historically styled buildings (mansions, club houses, hotels, office buildings) and the Modern skyscrapers (office buildings) are a large number of Post Modern skyscrapers including two by Philip Johnson and one with a nice optical illusion. And to Make the mix more interesting will see an early example of deconstructivism in a Manhattan skyscraper.
For the three hour walking tour each participant is given an itinerary with 26 stops which include 19 New York City landmarks and eight national landmarks.
All stops are fully discussed.
The Two Hour Walking Tour Features:
- Landmark examples of New York's best modern skyscrapers (The international
style)
- The Waldorf= Astoria and the original Waldorf=Astoria, what it looked like and the family feud
that precipitated it
- St. Bartholomew Church and a remnant from the past.
- Brick Sculpture by Aleksandra Kasuba
- The original G.E. Building - a beautiful landmark Art Deco skyscraper, given away as a gift
- Lever House and Seagram both both modern style buildings considered precursors to the Minimalist movement and both rotate their art collection for the benefit of the public.
- Walter Gropius' only building in New York
- The Tennis and Racquet Club (scaled to the avenue)
- The Oldest Synagogue Building in New York, still in continuous use as a synagogue by the original congregation
- a showroom originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
- Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish are interred in a columbarium in the church's undercroft
- Heron Tower - a Post Modern skyscraper with an optical illusion
- The Chippendale Skyscraper, Philip Johnson's first Post Modern building
- The IBM Building with an enviromental sculpture that contains the buildings address
- An example of deconstructivism in a small New York City skyscraper
- The Fuller Bldg. an Art Deco building with a modernistic entrance in 1928
- and much more
The Three Hour Walking Tour Also Includes:
- Several Landmark Turn of the Last Century Mansions (designed by such well kown turn of last centruy archtitects as: Stanford White, John Ducan, Henry J. Hardenbergh, Robert H. Roberson)
- Several Windows designed by Rene Laique, an internationally acclaimed French craftsman
- The landmark Henry Villard Houses
- A beautiful Art Deco mural of Manhattan Island, from 1930
- The University Club a nice landmark example of the "Palace Style"
- The Crown Building, a historically decorated skyscraper with Art Deco set backs
- St. Thomas Church, a unique altar and a famous Baroque painting from 1620
- Harry B. Hollis Mansion
- Aeolian Bldg., a Classical styled office bldg with French Renaissance details. by Warren & Wetmore
- Rockefeller Apartment Bldg. an example of European Modern from 1938
- Morton & Nelie Plant Mansion, given away for a string of pearls
- Olympic Tower and replicas of the Parthenon
Meet at: 300 Park Avenue between E. 49 St. and E. 50 St.
#6 train to East 51 St. & Lexington Ave. or the E or F Train to Lexington Ave. (53 St.)
About three hours long for the regular tour or a short two hour version
or a optional three and a half hour to four hour version that includes public art works by such well known artist as:
Frank Steller, Ramond Mason, Jean Dubuffet, Fernand Leger, Robert Cook, Damien Hirst, Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Stuart Davis, Luis Sanguino, Michael Heizer, and others.
Click for a special: "Midtown Art on Display Walking Tour"
or "A Walking Tour of Rockefeller Center's Public Art Display"
Guided by Alfred
Pommer, college graduate, an informative native New Yorker and a licensed New York City guide, with over 19 years experience researching, creating and leading walking tours in Manhattan's many diverse neighborhoods.
Interested in a private Walking Tour" ?
Call: (212) 979-2388 for details www.nycwalk.com
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