53-589: The Salmon Tower Building is a 31-story skyscraper located at 11 West 42nd Street and 20 West 43rd Street in Manhattan , New York City , near Bryant Park . It was designed by Albert J. Wilcox and finished in 1928. It was developed by a firm headed by Walter J. Salmon Sr. Directly to the west of the Salmon Tower Building is the former Aeolian Building , and to its east is 500 Fifth Avenue , also built by Salmon Sr. Walter J. Salmon Sr. headed
106-561: A 70-acre farm on which he built the Astor Mansion at Hellgate. The property ran west of Broadway to the Hudson River between 42nd and 46th streets. That same year, and the following year, he bought considerable holdings from the disgraced Aaron Burr . In the 1830s, Astor foresaw that the next big boom would be the build-up of New York, which would soon emerge as one of the world's greatest cities. Astor sold his interests in
159-643: A business empire that extended to the Great Lakes region and Canada , and later expanded into the American West and Pacific coast . Following a decline in demand due to changing European tastes, he got out of the fur trade in 1830, diversifying by investing in New York City real estate. Astor was highly wealthy and became a prominent patron of the arts. In proportion to GDP, he was one of the richest people in modern history. Johann Jakob Astor
212-533: A business judgment that he declared better than that of most merchants. She assisted him in the practical details of his business, and managed Astor's affairs when he was away from New York. They had eight children: Astor belonged to the Freemasons , a fraternal order, and served as Master of Holland Lodge #8, New York City in 1788. Later he served as Grand Treasurer for the Grand Lodge of New York . He
265-404: A few years later. Since the mid-1990s, the block has again become home to mainstream theatres and several multi-screen mainstream movie theatres, along with shops, restaurants, hotels, and attractions such as Madame Tussauds wax museum and Ripley's Believe It or Not that draw millions to the city every year. This area is now co-signed as "New 42nd Street" to signify this change. In the 1990s,
318-473: A firm to erected the building, known as 11 West 42nd Street, Inc. It was designed by Albert J. Wilcox. The Salmon Tower Building was completed by early 1928, when its interior was more than 50 percent leased. The New York City headquarters to elect Herbert Hoover as U.S. president in 1928 were located in the Salmon Tower Building. In September 1941, elevator operators in the building went on strike so only four of its eighteen elevators were operating on
371-623: A fur trader on his voyage had inspired him to join the North American fur trade as well. After working at his brother's shop for a time, Astor began to purchase raw hides from Native Americans , prepare them himself, and resell them in London and elsewhere at great profit. He opened his own fur goods shop in New York in the late 1780s and also served as the New York agent of his uncle's musical instrument business. Astor took advantage of
424-682: A quarter of a million dollars (the equivalent of 229 million dollars in 2024 ) and had become one of the leading figures in the fur trade. His agents worked throughout the western areas and were ruthless in competition. In 1800, following the example of the Empress of China , the first American trading vessel to China, Astor traded mostly opium, but also, furs, teas, and sandalwood at the port of Canton in China, and greatly benefited from it. The U.S. Embargo Act of 1807 disrupted Astor's import/export business because it closed off trade with Canada. With
477-425: A time – the northern boundary of the city. Cornelius Vanderbilt began the construction of Grand Central Depot in 1869 on 42nd Street at Fourth Avenue as the terminal for his Central, Hudson , Harlem and New Haven commuter rail lines, because city regulations required that trains be pulled by horse below 42nd Street. The Depot, which opened in 1871, was replaced by Grand Central Terminal in 1913. Between
530-570: A viaduct to carry Tudor City Place over 42nd Street. Despite opposition from Tudor City residents, city officials said the street widening was necessary because 42nd Street already carried high amounts of vehicular traffic to and from the nearby FDR Drive . The New York City Planning Commission approved the plans in September 1948, and the Board of Estimate approved $ 1.848 million for the project that December. The board provisionally authorized
583-835: Is buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in Manhattan. Many members of his family had joined its congregation, but Astor remained a member of the local German Reformed congregation to his death. In the short story Bartleby, the Scrivener , Herman Melville used Astor as a symbol of men who made the earliest fortunes in New York. The pair of marble lions that sit by the entrance of the New York Public Library Main Branch at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street were originally named Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, after Astor and James Lenox , who founded
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#1732783616334636-510: Is currently owned by Tishman Speyer & Silverstein Properties . In 1980 Tishman Speyer & Silverstein Properties collaborated on a $ 25 million renovation. The building was refinanced in July 2023 with a $ 330 million loan from a syndicate led by Bank of America . The offices of The New Yorker magazine were moved to the building from its longtime home at 25 West 43rd Street, just to
689-639: Is named after Astor, as well as an elementary school named in his honor. The background to the founding of this town is described in Washington Irving's Astoria , a book whose writing was financed by Astor. The historic neighborhood of Astor Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin , is named after Astor. In 1835, John Jacob Astor founded the Town of Astor in Wisconsin. After the Town of Astor was united with
742-603: The Astor Library for the New York public, which was later consolidated with other libraries to form the New York Public Library . He also left $ 50,000 for a poorhouse and orphanage in his German hometown of Walldorf . The Astorhaus is now operated as a museum honoring Astor. It is a renowned and popular fest hall for marriages. Astor donated gifts totaling $ 20,000 to the German Society of
795-677: The East River to Queens . Each line stops at Times Square and Grand Central, though the Fifth Avenue station is also served by the 7 and <7> trains. In the past, every former IRT elevated line had a station at 42nd Street: A fifth station extended over 42nd Street as a western spur from the Third Avenue Line to Grand Central Depot , later Grand Central Station, and finally Grand Central Terminal. MTA Regional Bus Operations 's M42 bus runs
848-729: The East River , to Hell's Kitchen at the Hudson River on the West Side . The street has several major landmarks, including (from east to west) the headquarters of the United Nations , the Chrysler Building , Grand Central Terminal , the New York Public Library Main Branch , Times Square , and the Port Authority Bus Terminal . The street is known for its theaters , especially near
901-438: The Manhattan street grid as one of 15 crosstown (east-west) streets that would be 100 feet (30 m) in width, while other streets were designated as 60 feet (18 m) in width. In 1835, the city's Street Committee, after receiving numerous complaints about lack of access for development above 14th Street, decided to open up all lots which had already been plotted on the city grid up to 42nd Street, which thus became – for
954-440: The "decadence of high commodification". Notes Bibliography Further reading John Jacob Astor John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor ; July 17, 1763 – March 29, 1848) was a German-born American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor. Astor made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly , by exporting opium into China, and by investing in real estate in or around New York City . He
1007-649: The 1794 Jay Treaty between Great Britain and the United States, which opened new markets in Canada and the Great Lakes region . In London, Astor at once made a contract with the North West Company , which from Montreal rivaled the trade interests of the Hudson's Bay Company , then based in London. Astor imported furs from Montreal to New York and shipped them to Europe. By 1800, he had amassed over
1060-556: The 1870s and 1890s, 42nd Street became the uptown boundary of the mainstream theatre district , which started around 23rd Street, as the entertainment district of the Tenderloin gradually moved northward. 42nd Street was developed relatively late compared to other crosstown thoroughfares such as 14th Street and 23rd Street , which had grown during the American Civil War , and 57th Street , which became prominent in
1113-415: The 1890s. It was only after the beginning of the 20th century that the street saw entertainment venues being developed around Times Square and upscale office space around Grand Central Terminal. In the first two decades of the 20th century, eleven venues for legitimate theatre were built within one block of West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. The corner of 42nd Street and Broadway , at
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#17327836163341166-407: The 1960s, East 42nd Street between Park and Second Avenues contained more headquarters of industries than any other place in the United States except Chicago or Pittsburgh. During this time, there was much development outside the rundown entertainment district of Times Square, somewhat offsetting the perception of that part of 42nd Street. In the early 1990s, city government encouraged a cleanup of
1219-492: The American Fur Company, as well as all his other ventures, and used the money to buy and develop large tracts of Manhattan real estate. Astor correctly predicted the city's rapid growth northward on Manhattan Island, and he purchased more and more land beyond the then-existing city limits. Astor rarely built on his land, but leased it to others for rent and their use. After retiring from his business, Astor spent
1272-533: The American militiamen. Washington's attempt put him in danger of being captured, and his officers had to persuade him to leave. The rout eventually subsided into an orderly retreat. John Jacob Astor purchased a 70-acre (28 ha) farm in 1803 that ran from 42nd Street to 46th Street west of Broadway to the Hudson River . The street was designated by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 that established
1325-676: The British captured his trading posts. In 1816, he joined the opium smuggling trade . His American Fur Company purchased ten tons of Ottoman -produced opium, and shipped the contraband to Canton onboard the packet ship Macedonian . Astor later left the Chinese opium trade and sold opium solely in Britain. Astor's business rebounded in 1817 after the U.S. Congress passed a protectionist law that barred foreign fur traders from U.S. territories. The American Fur Company came to dominate trading in
1378-480: The City of New York, during his term as president, from 1837 until 1841. Astor left the bulk of his fortune to his second son William, because his eldest son, John Jr., was sickly and mentally unstable. Astor left enough money to care for John Jr. for the rest of his life. William continued building the family fortune, and was an ancestor of John Jacob Astor III , John Jacob Astor IV , and John Jacob Astor VI . Astor
1431-553: The Times Square area. In 1990, the city government took over six of the historic theatres on the block of 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues , and New 42nd Street , a not-for-profit organization, was formed to oversee their renovation and reuse, as well as to construct new theatres and a rehearsal space. In 1993, Disney Theatrical Productions bought the New Amsterdam Theatre , which it renovated
1484-552: The adult houses promenade down the block. ... Were you a freak? Not when you stepped onto the Deuce. Being a freak there would get you money, attention, entertainment, a starring part in a movie. Or maybe a robbery and a beating. For much of the mid and late 20th century, the area of 42nd Street near Times Square was home to activities often considered unsavory, including peep shows . East 42nd Street was, for some time, spared from similar decline, especially east of Third Avenue, where
1537-807: The area around the Great Lakes, absorbing competitors in a monopoly. Astor had a townhouse at 233 Broadway in Manhattan and a country estate, Hellgate, in Northern New York City. In 1822, Astor established the Robert Stuart House on Mackinac Island in Michigan as headquarters for the reorganized American Fur Company, making the island a metropolis of the fur trade. Washington Irving described this at length, based on contemporary documents, diaries, etc., in his travelogue Astoria . Astor's commercial connections extended over
1590-633: The development of the United Nations supported a thriving business district and prompted the widening of that section of 42nd Street. The demolition of the Second and Third Avenue elevated lines by the 1950s led to increased development on East 42nd Street, such as annexes to the Chrysler and Daily News Buildings, as well as the construction of the Socony–Mobil and Ford Foundation Buildings . By
1643-512: The elevated IRT Second Avenue Line and IRT Third Avenue Line , and accordingly, initially considered unattractive for major development. By the 1920s, The New York Times reported that several high-rise developments were "radically changing the old-time conditions" along East 42nd Street, including the Chanin, Lincoln , Chrysler , and Daily News Buildings , as well as Tudor City . The block of 42nd Street between Second and First Avenues
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1696-577: The end of the American Revolutionary War , Astor boarded a ship for the United States, arriving in Baltimore around March of the following year. There, he rented a room from Sarah Cox Todd, a widow, and began a flirtation with his landlady's daughter, also named Sarah Cox Todd. The young couple married in 1785. His intent had been to join his brother Henry, who had established a butcher shop in New York City. A chance meeting with
1749-417: The entire globe, and his ships were found in every sea. He and Sarah moved to a townhouse on Prince Street in Manhattan, New York. Astor began buying land in New York City in 1799 and acquired sizable holdings along the waterfront. After the start of the 19th century, flush with China trade profits, he became more systematic, ambitious, and calculating by investing in New York real estate. In 1803, he bought
1802-636: The first United States community on the Pacific coast. He financed the overland Astor Expedition in 1810–1812 to reach the outpost. Members of the expedition were to discover South Pass , through which hundreds of thousands of settlers on the Oregon , Mormon , and California Trails used to later pass through the Rocky Mountains . Astor's fur trading ventures were disrupted during the War of 1812 , when
1855-417: The intersection with Broadway at Times Square , and as such is also the name of the region of the theater district (and, at times, the red-light district ) near that intersection. During the American Revolutionary War , a cornfield near 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue was where General George Washington angrily attempted to rally his troops after the British landing at Kip's Bay , which scattered many of
1908-570: The late 1980s, 42nd Street, nicknamed the "Deuce", was the cultural center of American grindhouse theaters , which spawned an entire subculture. The book Sleazoid Express , a travelogue of the 42nd Street grindhouses and the films they showed, describes the unique blend of people who made up the theater-goers: depressives hiding from jobs, sexual obsessives, inner-city people seeking cheap diversions, teenagers skipping school, adventurous couples on dates, couples-chasers peeking on them, people getting high, homeless people sleeping, pickpockets... While
1961-540: The length of 42nd Street between the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises ferry terminal on the Hudson River and the headquarters of the United Nations on the East River . Westbound service originates at First Avenue. Its predecessor, the 42nd Street Crosstown Line streetcar, had used 42nd Street until 1946. In 2019, bus lanes were installed along the length of the street. There have also been proposals for light rail on 42nd Street over
2014-561: The library from his own collection. Next, they were called Lord Astor and Lady Lenox (both lions are males). Mayor Fiorello La Guardia renamed them "Patience" and "Fortitude" during the Great Depression . The neighborhood of Astoria in Queens , New York City, is named after Astor. The one-block Astor Place street in Manhattan, New York City, was named after Astor, soon after his death. The coastal town of Astoria, Oregon ,
2067-450: The morning of September 25. In October 1952 a fire in the structure's subbasement caused five firemen to be overcome from smoke inhalation. Salmon Tower Building was sold by the estate of Charles Frederick Hoffman in June 1964, following an ownership of over sixty years. At the time its assessed value was $ 5.25 million and it was situated on a 34,309-square-foot (3,187.4 m) land lot . It
2120-489: The north, in 1991. The magazine moved to 4 Times Square in 1999. TV Guide moved into the space in 2007. 40°45′15″N 73°58′55″W / 40.75416°N 73.98194°W / 40.75416; -73.98194 42nd Street (Manhattan) 42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan , spanning the entire breadth of Midtown Manhattan , from Turtle Bay at
2173-665: The permission of President Thomas Jefferson , Astor established the American Fur Company on April 6, 1808. He later formed subsidiaries: the Pacific Fur Company , and the Southwest Fur Company (in which Canadians had a part), in order to control fur trading in the Great Lakes areas and Columbia River region. His Columbia River trading post at Fort Astoria (established in April 1811) was
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2226-765: The renovation of Bryant Park between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, as well as the renovations of Times Square and Grand Central Terminal, led to increases in office occupancy along both sections of 42nd Street. (from East to West): Every New York City Subway line that crosses 42nd Street has a stop on 42nd Street: There are two subway lines under 42nd Street. The 42nd Street Shuttle ( S train) runs under 42nd Street between Broadway/Seventh Avenue ( Times Square ) and Park Avenue ( Grand Central ). The IRT Flushing Line ( 7 and <7> trains) curves from Eleventh Avenue to 41st Street, under which it runs until Fifth Avenue ; shifts to 42nd Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues ; and continues under
2279-416: The rest of his life as a patron of culture. He supported the ornithologist John James Audubon in his studies, artwork, and travels, and the presidential campaign of Henry Clay . On September 19, 1785, Astor married Sarah Cox Todd (April 9, 1762 – August 3, 1842). Her parents were Scottish immigrants Adam Todd and Sarah Cox. Although she brought him a dowry of only $ 300, she possessed a frugal mind and
2332-804: The southeast corner of Times Square, is the eastern terminus of the Lincoln Highway , the first road across the United States , which was conceived and mapped in 1913. An elevated railroad line, running above East 42nd Street from Third Avenue to the Grand Central station , was closed in 1923, leading to the development of such structures as the Chanin Building and 110 East 42nd Street west of Lexington Avenue . The street east of Lexington Avenue continued to be made up of mostly low-rise buildings; these blocks were adjacent to
2385-445: The street outside the theatres was populated with: phony drug salesman ... low-level drug dealers, chain snatchers ... [j]unkies alone in their heroin/cocaine dreamworld ... predatory chickenhawks spying on underage trade looking for pickups ... male prostitutes of all ages ... [t]ranssexuals, hustlers, and closety gays with a fetishistic homo- or heterosexual itch to scratch ... It was common to see porn stars whose films were playing at
2438-514: The street widening in June 1949, and Manhattan's borough president announced in December 1949 that work would commence shortly. The neighboring stretch of 42nd Street was temporarily closed from February 1951 to October 1952 while the widening was underway. West 42nd Street, meanwhile, prospered as a theater and entertainment district until World War II . According to historian Robert A. M. Stern , West 42nd Street's decline started in 1946, when
2491-465: The streetcars on 42nd Street were replaced by less efficient buses. Lloyd Bacon and Busby Berkeley 's 1933 film musical 42nd Street , starring 30s heartthrobs Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler , displays the bawdy and colorful mixture of Broadway denizens and lowlifes in Manhattan during the Depression . In 1980, it was turned into a successful Broadway musical which ran until 1989, and which
2544-570: The years, such as in 2005. 42nd Street is also used by the SIM8 , SIM22 , SIM25 , SIM26 and SIM30 Staten Island express buses. "Dorty-deuce" is street slang for Manhattan's former live peep show district on 42nd Street. The 1982 film Forty Deuce and the 2017 TV series The Deuce reference the phrase "forty-deuce". Notable CCP Politboro Standing Comittee member Wang Huning referenced 42nd Street in his book America Against America mentioning it's "pornographic culture" as an example of
2597-774: Was born in 1763 in Walldorf , a town near Heidelberg in the Electoral Palatinate , which is in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg . He was the youngest son of Johann Jacob Astor and Maria Magdalena vom Berg. His three older brothers were George, Henry, and Melchior. In his childhood, Johann worked in his father's butcher shop and as a dairy salesman. In 1779, at the age of 16, he moved to London to join his brother George in working for an uncle's piano and flute manufacturer, Astor & Broadwood. While there, he learned English and anglicized his name to John Jacob Astor. In November 1783, just after
2650-428: Was originally only 40 feet (12 m) wide, passing through a steep bluff known as Prospect Hill. On either side of the street, 30-foot-wide (9.1 m) service roads ascended to Tudor City Place, which crossed over 42nd Street. To improve access to the newly developed United Nations headquarters , in 1948, the city government proposed widening that block of 42nd Street, eliminating the service roads, and constructing
2703-579: Was president of the German Society of the City of New York from 1837 to 1841. At the time of his death in 1848, Astor was the wealthiest person in the United States, leaving an estate estimated to be worth at least $ 20 million, or 0.9% of estimated US GDP at the time, which is equivalent to $ 598 million in 2020. By comparison, the fortune of Jeff Bezos was worth approximately $ 200 billion in 2020, similar to Astor at approximately 0.9% of US GDP. In his will, Astor bequeathed $ 400,000 to build
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#17327836163342756-576: Was revived for a four-year run in 2001. In the words of the Al Dubin and Harry Warren title song , on 42nd Street one could find: Little nifties from the Fifties, innocent and sweet, Sexy ladies from the Eighties who are indiscreet, They're side by side, they're glorified, Where the underworld can meet the elite Naughty, gawdy, bawdy, sporty, Forty-second Street! From the late 1950s until
2809-504: Was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi- millionaire in the United States. Born in Germany , Astor immigrated to England as a teenager and worked as a musical instrument manufacturer. He moved to the United States after the American Revolutionary War . Seeing the expansion of population to the west, Astor entered the fur trade and built a monopoly, managing
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