Can The Adults Please Smoke? Chapter 29: Who Wants Wine? — Page 93

Met Life Tower, Madison Square Park, NYC

Info:
The Metropolitan Life Tower (also known as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Building or Met Life Tower) located at One Madison Avenue, New York City, was the world's tallest building from 1909 to 1913, when it was surpassed by the Woolworth Building. As the address suggests, it is located at the southern end of Madison Avenue, directly across the street from Madison Square Park. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 6, 1978. The rest of the building complex was added to the National Register on January 19, 1996.

The tower is a later addition to the original 11-story, full-block office building (the "East Wing") that was completed in 1893. Plans for the tower were first announced in 1905. The Campanile in Venice, Italy served as an inspiration when the building was commissioned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1907, and served as world headquarters of the company until 2005.

The landmark clock tower's address has since been changed to 5 Madison Avenue. The rest of the full-block office building (the "East Wing"), now has 15 stories and is mostly occupied by investment banking arm of Credit Suisse.

Updated On: 7/20/09 at 05:23 PM

Yes, exactly.

Info:
The New York Life Insurance Building, New York, located at 51 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, is the headquarters of the New York Life Insurance Company. Designed in 1926 by Cass Gilbert, the massive building rises forty stories to its pyramidal gilded roof and occupies the full block between 26th and 27th Streets, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, a rarity in New York. The building stands 615 feet tall and contains 40 floors.

From 1837-1889, the site was occupied by the Union Depot of the New York and Harlem and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroads, a concert garden, and P.T. Barnums Hippodrome. Until 1925, the site housed the original Madison Square Garden, designed by architect Stanford White.

The New York Life Insurance Building was completed in 1928 and combines streamlined Gothic details and distinctly Moderne massing. It has been designated an official New York City landmark by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. The building's exterior is sometimes seen in the ABC television series Ugly Betty as the "headquarters" of fictional Meade Publications.

New York Life Insurance Company Building is the last significant Cass Gilbert skyscraper in Manhattan. He also designed the landmark Woolworth Building. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972

Updated On: 7/20/09 at 05:56 PM

I used to work at Eleven Madison Avenue - directly across from Madison Square Park. I loved that neighborhood!

I think we could locate a bar or two.

(I do love historic New York...)

Updated On: 7/20/09 at 06:06 PM

Madison Square Park. Pretty.

Now I look out at City Hall Park. Which is also beautiful.

I love New York City parks!