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39-532: Hampshire House is an apartment building and hotel located at 150 Central Park South in Manhattan , New York City , on the southern edge of Central Park between Sixth and Seventh Avenues . It contains 155 apartments on 36 floors. The building now known as New York City's Hampshire House was the brainchild of an Italian immigrant, Eugene E. Lignante, who came to America in 1891 on the SS Cheribon at

78-730: A 39-story Art Deco tower at 154 West 58th Street, called the Medici Tower. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929 , numerous incomplete projects in New York City proceeded (including 330 West 42nd Street , the Carlyle Hotel , London Terrace , and The Majestic ), but the Medici project was postponed. The new owners, H. K, Ferguson Company of Cleveland, Ohio, were forced to allow the building to remain unfinished. In

117-608: A black and white chromium steel.” The Central Park South building was envisioned as a narrow tower with a dome, but the plans were changed to a 36-story apartment hotel in the Regency and Art Deco styles. Later, the tower piqued the interest of the Architectural League of New York which, as a result, attracted a lot of attention throughout the country. By late 1930, a contract for 3,770 short tons (3,370 long tons; 3,420 t) of structural steel had been awarded for

156-407: A building which was at some point an empty shell on one of the most visible streets. According to The New York Times , the rooms featured "daring contrasts of black, white and turquoise, overscale plaster carving, mirrors and glass block and extraordinary door moldings of cast clear glass". Draper envisioned the building as a traditional London townhouse. She included a small lobby, and a garden with

195-414: A city zoning law was passed in 1885, banning residential structures over 80 feet (24 m) tall, residential hotels and standard hotels continued to be developed on this part of West 59th Street, as they were exempted from the zoning codes. The three blocks of 59th Street bordering Central Park were renamed after the park in 1896. During the first two decades of the 20th century, the new Plaza Hotel,

234-465: A florist shop, and not just any florist shop: it was run by Beatrice Mann, "florist to the stars," who operated in the shop for more than 40 years. There was also a barber shop and beauty salon that closed as they became unnecessary. As the hotel was evolving to a high-end cooperative the "turndown" service became optional. The Hampshire House replaced a news stand in its lobby (as seen in many hotels), to direct New York Times delivery to each resident in

273-777: A fountain and pool to create the atmosphere of a Georgian townhouse in Britain. She also designed a restaurant within the building called “The Cottage,” that soon became one of New York's well known party rooms. This room was a major venue for luxurious events like wedding receptions, dinners, luncheons and other celebrations. There were several famous celebrations including: Bee Gees performance in 1971, Eubie Blake ’s 90th birthday party, Calvin Klein ’s wedding, among others. The cottage completely closed in 1986. The Hampshire House opened on October 16, 1937. The New York Times ad campaign noted: “New York’s newest exclusive apartment hotel - has

312-702: A half blocks are bidirectional traffic; the westbound lane of 59th Street is funneled onto the Queensboro Bridge just east of the intersection with Second Avenue. 59th Street was created under the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 as one of the minor east-west streets across Manhattan. The "59th Street" name initially applied to the entirety of the street between the Hudson and East Rivers. The addresses on Central Park South follow those of what had been West 59th Street. The construction of Central Park in

351-711: A new logo design, as part of a rebranding effort for the flagship brand. Today, Hilton Hotels & Resorts is Hilton's flagship brand and one of the largest hotel brands in the world. The brand is targeted at both business and leisure travelers with locations in major city centers, near airports, convention centers, and popular vacation destinations around the world. Hilton Hotels & Resorts participates in Hilton Honors , Hilton's guest-loyalty program established in 1989. Members who book directly through Hilton-owned channels receive exclusive discounts and amenities such as free Wi-Fi, digital check-in, keyless entry, and

390-750: A property in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka , the Hilton Dhaka , designed by Mustapha Khalid Palash . As of 2023, the hotel has yet to open , though Hilton currently has a targeted 2025 opening date. In March 2013, Hilton announced that it would be entering Myanmar for the first time with the construction of a 300-room hotel in Yangon . While the Yangon hotel has yet to materialize, Hilton did manage to open properties in Mandalay and Naypyidaw in

429-692: Is a crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan , running from York Avenue and Sutton Place on the East Side of Manhattan to the West Side Highway on the West Side . The three-block portion between Columbus Circle and Grand Army Plaza is known as Central Park South , since it forms the southern border of Central Park . There is a gap in the street between Ninth Avenue / Columbus Avenue and Columbus Circle, where

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468-465: Is one-way westbound between the West Side Highway (at the Hudson River ) and Ninth/Columbus Avenues . There is a one-block gap between Ninth/Columbus Avenues and Eighth Avenue / Central Park West at Columbus Circle . This section is occupied by Time Warner Center . The portion of the street forming the southern boundary of Central Park from Columbus Circle on the west to Fifth Avenue on

507-533: Is renamed Columbus Avenue; Tenth Avenue is renamed Amsterdam Avenue; and Eleventh Avenue becomes West End Avenue. 59th Street forms the border between Midtown Manhattan and Upper Manhattan . The New York Times stated in 2004 that "Fifty-ninth Street stretches across Manhattan like a belt, with Central Park South as its fancy buckle." As with numbered streets in Manhattan , Fifth Avenue separates 59th Street into "east" and "west" sections. 59th Street

546-641: The Deutsche Bank Center is located. While Central Park South is a bidirectional street, most of 59th Street carries one-way traffic. 59th Street forms the border between Midtown Manhattan and Upper Manhattan . North of 59th Street, the neighborhoods of the Upper West Side and Upper East Side continue on either side of Central Park. On the West Side , Manhattan's numbered avenues are renamed north of 59th Street: Eighth Avenue (at Columbus Circle) becomes Central Park West; Ninth Avenue

585-527: The New York Coliseum complex. The Coliseum, in turn, was demolished and replaced with Time Warner Center in the early 2000s. 59th Street is served by the following New York City Subway stations: The Roosevelt Island Tramway terminates at Second Avenue near 59th Street and extends eastward to Roosevelt Island . The New York Central Railroad 's 59th Street station , a never-opened railroad station, exists on Park Avenue , which now carries

624-714: The Park Avenue main line of the Metro-North Railroad . Currently, the station is used as an emergency exit for the Metro-North Railroad in the Park Avenue Tunnel. Notes Hilton Hotels %26 Resorts Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels ) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton . The original company

663-558: The 1860s and 1870s led to the development of upscale hotels, apartments, and other institutions on this section of 59th Street in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Spanish Flats, at Seventh Avenue, was the first such luxury apartment, having been built in 1883. The original Plaza Hotel , the Hawthorne, and the Navarro Flats were all developed in the 1880s and 1890s, though all were subsequently demolished. Even after

702-668: The Artisans' Gate at Seventh Avenue , and the Merchants' Gate at Columbus Circle . The section between Fifth Avenue and Second Avenue is one-way eastbound. At Second Avenue , 59th Street branches off onto the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge , which is often referred to as the 59th Street Bridge . 59th Street continues east to York Avenue and Sutton Place, just short of the East River . The remaining two and

741-554: The C-2 properties in April 1936. The trustees immediately began devising ways to turn the abandoned Hampshire House into an income-producing property. The trustees started negotiating to sell Hampshire House in August 1936, and the court favored this plan. Later that year, the trustees sought $ 1.45 million to complete Hampshire House. In December 1936, the court ordered that the trustees complete

780-498: The Hampshire House for the first time. The newspapers announced " Frank and Ava at the same hotel. " Soon enough, Hampshire House was filled with reporters and paparazzi. Jose Carreras , Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti all lived at the Hampshire House. Carreras bought his apartment in 1955, Pavarotti in 1983, and Domingo in 1977. Sophia Loren has lived at Hampshire House. Boxer Barney Ross had an apartment at

819-400: The Hampshire House in 1940. George Abbott stayed at the Hampshire House during Broadway season. Some of the other guests included Lucille Ball , Ingrid Bergman , John Wayne , Greta Garbo , Peter Sellers , and Django Reinhardt , among others. Marilyn Monroe stayed at the Hampshire House for some time, with Joe DiMaggio . Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner were seen staying together at

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858-644: The Hampshire House to store items during the state of Israel's establishment. Director William Wyler also lived at Hampshire House with his wife, Talli. Other residents include novelist Vladmir Nabokov , Art Garfunkel , Sonja Henie and other notable celebrities. Julien Arpels , an heir to the Van Cleef & Arpels fortune, had his residence at the Hampshire House and died in his apartment in 1964. 59th Street (Manhattan) 40°45′51″N 73°58′23″W  /  40.7642908724°N 73.9730390°W  / 40.7642908724; -73.9730390 59th Street

897-740: The Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2020 based on an employee survey of satisfaction. Conrad Hilton founded the Hilton hotel chain in 1919, when he bought his first property, the Mobley Hotel, in Cisco, Texas . The first hotel to feature the Hilton brand was the Dallas Hilton . In late 2010, Hilton announced a name change of the Hilton Hotels brand to Hilton Hotels & Resorts along with

936-505: The ability to use a mobile app to choose specific rooms. In 2015, approximately 20 Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties were inducted into the Historic Hotels of America organization. Among these hotels were Hilton Fort Worth , which hosted John F. Kennedy 's final speech, and Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort , the setting of the film Blue Hawaii . A commercial space station project known as Space Islands

975-563: The age of 11 with his parents. As a child, he was a talented violinist and working musician who is described in newspapers as having the ability to draw crowds. As an adult Eugene grew to manage and direct several orchestras, playing at events and upscale hotels. With the increasing development of high-rise structures in the city during the early 20th century, Eugene changed career paths working in real estate, building and construction. In December 1925, Eugene hired architect Rollin Caughey to design

1014-466: The building themselves, as they could not find any buyers willing to pay the minimum of $ 1 million for the property. Hampshire House was listed as a new way of luxurious living of suites, and proximity to a lot of the most famous amusement sites. The previous trustees of the Hampshire House sold it to the Kirkeby Group in 1946. The Kirkeby group controlled a lot of other prestigious hotels around

1053-553: The building was completed. The New York Supreme Court appointed a receiver to collect rent for the building, but there was no rent to collect. With the onset of the Great Depression , the building stood unfinished for many years. New York Title and Mortgage, who had sought $ 3 million for the property, had only received a single bid of $ 800,000. The company bought the hotel at a foreclosure auction in June 1933 for $ 100,000;

1092-540: The building's construction. The developers field plans for Hampshire House in early 1931, and the New York Title and Mortgage Company gave the builders a construction loan of $ 2.2 million in March 1931. The Hampshire House's cornerstone was laid during a ceremony on March 24, 1931. That July, the New York Title and Mortgage Company sued to foreclose on the property, claiming that the main contractor had quit just before

1131-560: The co-op. Entirely new services have been introduced like a gym, car services for residents and a pianist who plays twice a week in the lobby. Some of the residents at the Hampshire House stayed for a short time, as it also functioned as a regular hotel, while others were long-term residents. Some of the first residents in the building, according to the New York Times included Ann Morgan , Rodman Wanamaker 2nd , Edward Rice , and Charles Warren . Ray Bolger leased an apartment at

1170-508: The corridor was restricted to residential usage. This prompted the New York City Planning Commission to consider rezoning that part of the street in early 1950. Following opposition from existing residents, the commission rejected the rezoning. Historically, West 59th Street ran from Ninth/Columbus Avenues to Columbus Circle as well. In 1954, that city block of 59th Street was decommissioned to make way for

1209-440: The country. Later, they merged with Hilton chain. Hampshire House does not offer short-term stays anymore. All co-operative apartments are owned by someone and it continues to thrive due to its luxurious and elegant residency. The building is known for its welcoming staff, interiors, architectural distinction and outstanding location. The trustees hired Dorothy Draper, an interior designer, in order to make people want to live in

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1248-524: The east is known as Central Park South . Central Park South is largely bidirectional, except for the short block between Grand Army Plaza and Fifth Avenue, which is one-way eastbound. The block between Sixth Avenue and Grand Army Plaza contains a dedicated lane for westbound equestrian traffic. Entry into Central Park can be made at the Scholars' Gate at Fifth Avenue, the Artists' Gate at Sixth Avenue ,

1287-644: The entire length of Central Park as its footstool - suggests a London town house in a Hyde Park setting.” Hampshire House appeared in many magazines and guides in New York. Architectural Record posted a photo of Hampshire House's lobby in January 1938. Lawton Mackall says: "decor by Dorothy Draper creates [the] illusion that this is [the] dining room of a fabulous country estate looking out through [the] orangerie." Craig Clairborne says it had "one of New York's most stylish dining rooms." Hampshire House used to have

1326-562: The final redesign, Caughey and Evans created a new plan: an apartment hotel with 34 floors, called Central Park Suites. Caughey and Evans created a balance between traditional and modern architecture in the building, which was renamed the Hampshire House. The New York Times described it as “an adaptation to the modern tall building of the Georgian style such as is found in many old homes in the County of Hampshire, England. The exterior will be

1365-772: The north of the country (although the Mandalay Hilton has since closed). In 2018, Hilton announced two hotel projects in Kampala , Uganda : the Kampala Hilton Hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn Kampala . Both projects are still in development. A previous Hilton project in Kampala and announced in 2006 was repurposed into The Pearl of Africa Hotel Kampala , after Hilton exited the venture. In 2017, Hilton announced that it would remain

1404-434: The old New York Athletic Club building, and Gainsborough Studios were built on Central Park South. This was followed by 100 Central Park South , a new New York Athletic Club building, Barbizon Plaza , Hampshire House , Essex House , Hotel St. Moritz , and 240 Central Park South between World Wars I and II. After World War II, an increasing number of stores opened on the south side of Central Park South, even though

1443-484: The sale represented a loss of nearly $ 2.4 million. They hired Caughey and Evans again to continue with their plan. New York Title and Mortgage itself went bankrupt, and the Hampshire House joined a group of buildings in the area with "Series C-2 guaranteed mortgage certificates" that had defaulted on mortgages from the New York Title and Mortgage Company. The C-2 properties were rescued by New York Supreme Court justice Alfred Frankenthaler , who appointed three trustees for

1482-455: Was founded by Conrad Hilton . As of December 30, 2019, 584 Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties with 216,379 rooms in 94 countries and territories are located across six continents. This includes 61 properties that are owned or leased with 219,264 rooms, 272 that are managed with 119,612 rooms, and 251 that are franchised with 77,451 rooms. In 2020, Fortune magazine ranked Hilton Hotels & Resorts at number one on their Fortune List of

1521-723: Was proposed by Hilton International in 1999 to be constructed from used Space Shuttle fuel tanks. When completed, it was to be called the Hilton Orbital Hotel. The tanks were to be connected together to form a ring, resulting in a space station similar to that pictured in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey . Plans were also drawn up for the Lunar Hilton , a 5000-room hotel on the Moon , though Steve Hilton noted in 2009 that both these plans were more symbolic than practical at this stage. In October 2012, Hilton announced

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