Hotel Belleclaire

Coordinates: 40°46′57″N 73°58′52″W / 40.78250°N 73.98111°W / 40.78250; -73.98111
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Belleclaire Hotel
View of the Belleclaire Hotel from the intersection of Broadway and 77th Street. The facade is largely made of red brick, except at the base, where it is made of stone. The top of the hotel contains windows within a black mansard roof.
Map
General information
Architectural styleArt Nouveau and Secession
Location2175 Broadway, New York, NY, 10024
Coordinates40°46′57″N 73°58′52″W / 40.78250°N 73.98111°W / 40.78250; -73.98111
Construction started1901
OpeningJanuary 12, 1903
OwnerLophijo Realty Corp.[1]
ManagementTriumph Hotels
Technical details
Floor count10
Design and construction
Architect(s)Emery Roth
DeveloperAlbert Saxe
Other information
Number of rooms254
Website
Official website
DesignatedFebruary 10, 1987
Reference no.1507[2]

The Hotel Belleclaire (also the Belleclaire Hotel) is a hotel at 2175 Broadway, on the corner with West 77th Street, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Constructed between 1901 and 1903 as one of several apartment hotels along Broadway on the Upper West Side, the Belleclaire was one of the first large buildings designed by architect Emery Roth. Its design incorporates elements of the Art Nouveau and Secession styles. The hotel is a New York City designated landmark.

The hotel building is 10 stories tall. Its facade is largely made of red brick with ornamentation made of limestone, metal, and terracotta. The limestone base is two stories high and contains a main entrance on Broadway; above the base, the building contains light courts facing north and south. The hotel's exterior includes a curved corner facing both Broadway and 77th Street, as well as a two-story mansard roof with arches. The hotel originally contained several ground-floor amenity areas for guests, each designed in a different style, although most of these spaces were demolished in the mid-20th century. The upper floors originally were divided into apartments with one to three rooms each. These apartments have been rearranged over the years into 254 guestrooms.

The hotel was developed by Albert Saxe, who had previously hired Roth to design another building on the Upper West Side. The hotel formally opened on January 12, 1903, and was originally an upscale apartment hotel, with several operators during its first two decades. The Belleclaire's ground-story rooms were replaced with shops in the 1920s, and the hotel had lost its high-class reputation by the 1930s. Following a series of modifications in the mid-20th century, the building started to physically deteriorate due to a lack of maintenance, and the Belleclaire became a single room occupancy hotel. Amid an increase in tourism to New York City, Shimmie Horn began operating the hotel in 1999 and renovated it into a boutique hotel. As of 2014, the hotel is operated by Triumph Hotels.

Site[edit]

The Belleclaire is located at 2175 Broadway, at the southwest corner with 77th Street, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It occupies the eastern end of the city block bounded by Broadway to the east, 77th Street to the north, West End Avenue to the west, and 76th Street to the south.[1] The hotel has an alternate address of 250 West 77th Street.[3] The land lot covers 13,574 sq ft (1,261.1 m2).[1] The building has frontage of 105.5 feet (32.2 m) on Broadway and 119.1 feet (36.3 m) on 77th Street, and it measures 146 feet (45 m) long along its southern lot line.[4] Nearby buildings include the Astor to the south, the West End Collegiate Church to the west, and the Collegiate School and the Apthorp to the north.[1]

Before European colonization of modern-day New York City, the site was part of the hunting grounds of the Wecquaesgeek Native American tribe. After the British established the Province of New York, the area became part of the "Thousand Acre Tract", owned by several English and Dutch settlers, in 1667.[5] The land between 73rd and 77th Street was part of the estate of Cornelius Dyckman Jr. and remained in the family through the end of the 18th century.[6][7] While the Manhattan street grid was laid out as part of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, the neighborhood remained undeveloped through the late 19th century, section of 77th Street west of modern-day Broadway remained unpaved as late as 1890. Developers began erecting large apartment buildings in the area by the end of the 1890s.[8]

Architecture[edit]

The Hotel Belleclaire was one of the first buildings designed by Hungarian-American architect Emery Roth,[9][10] who, at the time of the hotel's construction, worked for the firm Stein, Cohn & Roth.[11] It contains elements of the Art Nouveau and Secession styles.[9][12][13] This contrasted with other large buildings in the area at the time, such as the Ansonia and the Dorilton, which were designed in the Beaux-Arts style.[12][13] The Belleclaire's design also contrasted with both Roth's earlier Saxony apartments, which contained flatter ornamentation,[13] and his later work, which was usually designed in the Italian Renaissance style.[14] Architectural writer Paul Goldberger of The New York Times wrote that, in the design of the Belleclaire, "it is clear that the architect, who was under 30 when the building was designed, was still seeking style with which he could feel fully comfortable".[15]

Facade[edit]

The Belleclaire is 10 stories tall.[16][17] At the time of its construction in 1903, the Belleclaire was considered an early skyscraper. Despite his unfamiliarity with skyscraper technology at the time of the hotel's construction, Roth quickly learned how to design high-rise buildings after designing the Belleclaire.[18] The hotel contains two light courts facing southward, as well as a recessed courtyard facing northward.[17][19] This effectively divided the Belleclaire into five wings: three facing south and two facing north.[19] The northeastern corner of the hotel building, at Broadway and 77th Street, contains a rounded tower, and the southeastern corner of the building is also curved.[17]

The facade is largely made of red brick with ornamentation made of limestone, metal, and terracotta.[13][20] This contrasted with later buildings by Roth's firm (including the San Remo), which generally contained buff-brick and limestone facades.[21] Both the Broadway and 77th Street elevations of the facade are divided horizontally into three sections: a two-story base, a six-story midsection, and a two-story capital. the third through seventh stories are largely clad with brick; and the ninth and tenth stories form a mansard roof.[13][20] The southern and eastern elevations are largely clad in plain brick and contain windows; the southern elevation is a party wall abutting another building.[22]

Base[edit]

The base is clad with rusticated blocks of limestone. On Broadway, the original windows at ground level are recessed within elliptical arches and are designed in the Art Nouveau style, with curved mullions and muntins.[23][20] The Broadway elevation also contained two double-height arches; one arch was the main entrance, while the other led to a restaurant.[20] The main entrance was relocated to 77th Street in the 1920s when the more valuable Broadway frontage was converted to storefronts,[24] but it was restored in 2018.[23] Both arches are topped by copestones and flanked by an engaged column on either side, and there are leafs carved into the soffit of each arch.[13][20] These engaged columns support pilasters that flank these bays on the upper floors.[13] There was originally a balustrade above each entrance.[20] The second story contains asymmetrical, rectangular sash windows, with twelve panes on top and three on the bottom.[20][24]

Upper stories[edit]

Detail of the upper portion of the facade on 77th Street

The third through seventh stories comprise the central portion of the facade and are largely clad with brick.[20] On the fourth story, there are stone spandrels and a horizontal band course above the windows.[20][24] The Broadway elevation is divided vertically into six bays. In the four central bays, the third and fourth stories have rectangular windows, while the fifth through seventh stories contain arched windows.[20] The two outer bays are flanked by stone pilasters (which depict Native American heads and pendants) and contain oriel windows on the third to sixth stories, as well as an elliptical arch at the seventh story. Above the seventh-story arched windows, the pilasters in the outer bays are connected by round arches made of stone.[13][25] The eighth story contains rectangular windows; between each set of windows are two brackets, which support a balustrade above. The ninth story contains a brick facade with rectangular windows, while the tenth story is placed with a mansard roof and contains dormer windows. The two outermost bays have double-height arches.[13][20]

The 77th Street elevation is made of similar materials to the Broadway elevation, but the courtyard divides the 77th Street elevation into two sections. The courtyard is a polygonal space with chamfered corners, flanked by wings facing 77th Street on either side. Within the courtyard, three bays of windows on each story face 77th Street. A one-story entrance pavilion was built within the courtyard in the 20th century. To the east of the courtyard (on the left, as seen from across the street) is a two-bay-wide wing flanked by pilasters. To the west (right) of the courtyard is a three-bay-wide wing; the two outer bays are flanked by stone pilasters, while the center bay includes an oriel window and a seventh-story elliptical arch. A curving metal rail is installed above the western wing.[22] The corner of Broadway and 77th Street was originally topped by a cupola,[20][13] which was removed in the 1950s.[24]

Features[edit]

When the hotel opened, the ground story contained public rooms and hotel offices, while the upper stories contained apartments.[11][26] The New York City government had approved the use of steel-skeleton superstructures in 1894, less than a decade prior to the Belleclaire's construction, and so the hotel was one of the city's earlier buildings with a steel skeleton.[18][a] The Belleclaire was intended as a "fireproof" structure;[26] as such, a steel wall rose the entire height of the building, adjoining an enclosed emergency stairwell.[27] The hotel contained a refrigeration plant with ice boxes on each floor, as well as three 100 hp (75 kW) power generators.[27] There was a rooftop garden overlooking the Hudson River,[27][28] which originally hosted vaudeville performances for guests.[28][29] The Belleclaire also originally had a collection of paintings valued at $40,000 (equivalent to $1,356,000 in 2023).[27] Two passenger elevators, a freight elevator, and a mail chute served the entire hotel.[11][27]

Public areas[edit]

Originally, a portico of large marble columns led to a rotunda and offices at ground level.[27] A corridor ran the entire length of the ground level, and several rooms led off this corridor,[11][26] each designed in a different style.[19] These included a Louis XV-styled women's dining room; an Italian Renaissance-styled palm room; a Moorish-style private dining room; a Flemish-style cafe; a billiards room; and a library.[11][26][30] The palm room had marble walls and a large glass dome,[26][27] while the library contained a collection of literature curated by two local publishing houses.[27] There was a writing room, as well as a men's cafe with stock tickers;[26][28] The New York Times wrote in 2003 that the tickers were "the equivalent of today's wireless Internet access".[9] The ground floor also contained space for a florist, a cigar store, a newsstand, telephones, and telegraph offices.[11] In the mid-20th century, most of the public rooms were demolished to make way for retail.[9]

By the 2000s, the Belleclaire did not have any public rooms except for its check-in desk.[31] The lobby was restored to its original design in the 2010s. The lobby contains wood-paneled walls; near the elevators, pieces of marble are set into the wall.[32][23] The lobby is divided into two sections and contains a bar and open seating areas. The main part of the lobby contains a full-height cabinet with Roth memorabilia, as well as a freestanding lobby. The elevators and seating areas are separated by glass display cases with typewriters and other artifacts from the early 20th century. The walls also contain carved wooden doors, as well as wall panels with photographs of other buildings that Roth designed.[23] In addition, the lobby contains a glass skylight measuring 40 ft (12 m) high,[23] which once illuminated the palm room before being covered by a black dropped ceiling.[32] As of 2023, the ground story contains a 1,650-square-foot (153 m2) restaurant and an adjacent 800-to-1,000-square-foot (74 to 93 m2) cocktail lounge.[33]

Rooms[edit]

There were originally 17 apartments on each floor, each with one to three rooms.[30] Some units were rented to transient guests and were furnished, while others were intended for long-term residents.[28][30] The smallest units were studio apartments with a bathroom attached to a bedroom.[30] Larger suites had up to two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a parlor.[27][30] Some of the suites had unconventionally-shaped spaces such as circular parlors and octagonal bedrooms, a result of the hotel's irregular plan.[30] Lord & Taylor manufactured the hotel's original furniture. All of the parlors were clad in mahogany and contained a custom writing desk, while the bedrooms were finished in maple.[27] Generally, the floors were made of hardwood, except in the bathrooms, which had mosaic tiles and porcelain tubs.[27][28] The rooms also had large dressers and closets, which were intended to attract women guests.[28] The Belleclaire was an apartment hotel, so none of the rooms had a kitchen or pantry; instead, residents were supposed to eat in the ground-level restaurant.[30] Kitchenettes were added in the 1940s.[20]

By the late 2000s, the Belleclaire had 30 economy rooms, with one bathroom for every three economy rooms; they were generally decorated in green and beige. Most of the hotel's units were en-suite rooms, which were larger.[31] The hotel had 240 guestrooms by the 2010s, which are generally painted in a red, white, and brown color scheme. The rooms retain some of their original design features, including crown moldings and wooden floors.[23] The hotel has suites named after former guests Mark Twain and Babe Ruth.[34] As of 2023, the Belleclaire has 254 rooms.[35]

History[edit]

During the early 19th century, apartment developments in the city were generally associated with the working class. By the late 19th century, apartments were also becoming desirable among the middle and upper classes.[36][37] Between 1880 and 1885, more than ninety apartment buildings were developed in the city.[38] The city's first subway line was developed under the adjacent section of Broadway starting in the late 1890s, and it opened in 1904 with a station at Broadway and 79th Street.[39] The construction of the subway spurred the development of high-rise apartment buildings on Broadway.[40]

Development and early years[edit]

Courtyard on 77th Street

The hotel was developed by Albert Saxe, who acquired a site at the southwest corner of 77th Street and Broadway in September 1901.[41] Saxe hired Roth to design an apartment hotel at 77th Street and Broadway. Saxe had been impressed with Roth's design of the Saxony apartment building at 250 West 82nd Street, which had been completed in 1899.[24][16][42] The Belleclaire was Roth's first large commission; he hoped that the structure would compete with other large apartment hotels in the neighborhood such as the Ansonia, the Dorilton, and the Dakota.[43] By November 1901, Roth had filed plans with the Manhattan Bureau of Buildings for a 10-story apartment hotel on the site.[44][45] Saxe received a $500,000 mortgage loan from the Washington Life Insurance Company in 1902 to finance the hotel's construction.[46] Contractors involved in the hotel's construction included metal supplier Leonard Sheet Metal Works[47] and mosaic contractor Salagona & Co.[48]

The Belleclaire formally opened on January 12, 1903.[49] At the time of the hotel's opening, it was operated by Milton Roblee,[11][50] who held a 21-year lease on the building.[11] The Belleclaire's roof garden opened on June 6, 1903.[28] Roblee initially charged between $2.50 and $6 per night (equivalent to between $85 and $203 in 2023);[28] by that September, he had earned over $100,000 during just the preceding season.[27] Among the hotel's early guests were writers Maxim Gorky and Mark Twain,[9][51] as well as opera singer Bessie Abott.[52] Hotel management ordered Gorky out of the hotel in 1906 after they learned he was staying there with a woman who was not his wife.[53][51] Another guest used a piano crate to smuggle a pet lion into his room; the lion was evicted because it did not fall "under the category of regular guests".[54] The hotel's bar was frequented by theatrical personalities such as McKee Rankin, John Barrymore, and Lionel Barrymore, as well as philanthropist Sir Thomas Lipton.[55]

During the hotel's first few years, Roblee retained Roth to make alterations to the hotel. For instance, an entrance was installed on 77th Street, a basement bowling alley was removed to make way for storerooms, and the kitchens were rearranged.[53] Roblee filed for bankruptcy in October 1906, at which point he owed $286,000 on the Belleclaire and another hotel.[56][57] Saxe leased the building to Frank A. Archambault in August 1908 for 21 years at $65,000 a year.[58][59] In addition to the $1.5 million that Archambault paid for the lease, he acquired the furniture for $100,000.[59][60] Saxe received a $625,000 mortgage loan on the hotel later that year, replacing the hotel's previous mortgage.[61]

1910s to 1930s[edit]

The hotel's lease was sold in November 1910 to California hotelier Elmer F. Woodbury for $150,000, with 19 years remaining on the lease.[62][63] The next month, the New York Supreme Court appointed a receiver for the hotel after Woodbury was unable to make payments on the mortgage.[64] Woodbury finalized his acquisition of the hotel in February 1911[65] but filed for bankruptcy that September, at which time he owed $60,061 on the Belleclaire.[66] Herbert Du Puy, a businessman from Pittsburgh, bought the hotel from Saxe in 1914 in a transaction valued at $2.25 million. As part of the deal, Du Puy sold Saxe the Hotel Antler in Pittsburgh.[67][68]

Walter Guzzardi leased the hotel around 1920.[69] After Guzzardi leased an adjacent site on 77th Street in 1922, he announced plans for a 10-story annex with 100 rooms and a roof garden,[70] but this was never built.[53] The hotel's bar was closed after alcoholic beverages were outlawed during Prohibition,[53][55] even though numerous people wanted Guzzardi to convert the bar into a soft-drink cafe.[55] Du Puy sold the Hotel Belleclaire, along with the nearby Lansing Building, in January 1923 to Samuel Brewer for $3 million.[4][71] The Title Guaranty and Trust Company placed a $650,000 mortgage loan on the hotel the next month.[72] Guzzardi renewed his lease in April 1925, intending to renovate the hotel extensively by adding storefronts and redesigning the roof garden.[69][73] At this time, the hotel's roof garden was known as the Belleclaire Towers.[74] The architect Louis Abramson designed a renovation of the ground level, which involved converting the dining room on Broadway into storefronts and relocating the main entrance to 77th Street.[53][75] The storefronts were to cost $100,000;[75] their first tenants included a gown shop[76] and a milliner.[77]

Frank W. Brindle of the Belleclaire Hotel Corporation leased the hotel in January 1928; at the time, it was recorded as containing eight storefronts and 350 rooms.[78][79] The following month, Carrie Archambault, widow of former owner Frank A. Archambault, sued her husband's secretary Robert D. Blackman to regain control of the hotel's lease. Archambault alleged that Blackman had falsely told her the hotel was insolvent in 1914 and that the hotel had earned $400,000 since then.[80] The Low-Ben Corporation leased the hotel, excluding the stores, for 21 years starting in 1931; by then, the hotel's rooms were being refurbished.[81] The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York foreclosed on the hotel in 1932 and bought the building for $50,000 at an auction that November.[82][83] Many of the Belleclaire's long-term occupants moved away during the Great Depression,[53] and The New York Times wrote that the Belleclaire had "lost any claim to distinction" by the 1930s.[24] During the 1939 New York World's Fair, the hotel advertised itself as a short-term hotel, renting rooms for $2.50 per night.[53]

1940s to 1990s[edit]

The Belleclaire was sold in June 1940 to Samuel L. Lebis, at which point the building was valued at $915,000.[84][85] Lebis hired Charles N. and Selig Whinston to design a $25,000 renovation of the hotel, which included adding kitchenettes and splitting up some three-room apartments into single-room units.[85] The kitchenettes were added in 1943, and many hotel services such as housekeeping were discontinued.[20] The hotel was resold in October 1944 to Joseph Miller of the N. E. M. Holding Corporation at an assessed value of $750,000.[86] The Office of Price Administration, an agency of the U.S. government, accused the Belleclaire's operator of overcharging rent the same year.[87][88] Louis Friedman and Philip Minkowitz acquired a 19-year lease on the Belleclaire in 1953 from the Belleclaire Management Corporation.[89][90] During that decade, the dome atop the hotel's rounded corner was removed.[24]

Over the years, the building started to physically deteriorate due to a lack of maintenance. Wealthier guests chose to stay elsewhere, and the Belleclaire became known as a youth hostel and a shelter for those displaced by disasters.[9] By the early 1970s, the Belleclaire was one of several single room occupancy hotels along Broadway on the Upper West Side.[91] By the 1980s, the hotel was generally characterized as safe, although there were scattered violent incidents such as a mass shooting in 1983 that killed the hotel's manager and three guests. During that decade, most tenants were full-time residents who generally occupied multi-room apartments, although the Belleclaire also accepted transient guests.[92]

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Belleclaire as an official landmark on February 10, 1987,[93] even though none of the original ground floor remained intact.[94] The administration of New York City mayor David Dinkins announced in November 1992 that it would relocate up to 80 families into the Belleclaire and the nearby Cambridge House Hotel, both of which were managed by Morris Horn,[95] after a judge ordered officials to find temporary housing for homeless families.[96] The city would have paid the Belleclaire's owners $250,000 a month to house 100 homeless families at the hotel.[97] At the time, the Belleclaire's occupants were largely rent-stabilized residents paying $600 to $800 per month.[98] The proposal received significant opposition from people who lived near both hotels, and Horn requested that the families be relocated elsewhere.[99][98] Ultimately, the Belleclaire was not used as a homeless shelter.[100]

After a piece of masonry fell off the facade during a storm in December 1997,[101][102] the New York City Council passed a law mandating more frequent building inspections citywide.[103] By then, the facade was deteriorating significantly;[9] building experts cited deferred maintenance as a factor in the incident.[102] During the late 1990s, a group named Banana Bungalow rented some of the rooms and operated them as a hostel.[104]

Horn operation[edit]

Amid an increase in tourism to New York City, Shimmie Horn began operating the hotel in 1999 and renovated it, adding amenities to attract guests. With the LPC's permission, the owner restored the deteriorating facade, and Horn also redecorated the guestrooms in a "neo-Scandinavian" style.[9] Many of the hotel's existing single-room occupancy tenants left, and some of the remaining tenants complained of unreliable water and electricity.[104][105] The city government issued a summons to the hotel's owners in June 2000, saying that the owners had not received a permit for the renovation, although Horn denied allegations that his company was harassing tenants.[105] The renovation had been completed by 2003. Because a significant number of long-term residents still lived at the Belleclaire, only 185 guestrooms were available for short-term guests. Despite the proximity of attractions such as Central Park, the rooms only cost $119 to $129 per night, less than the citywide average of $170.[9]

Horn extended the hotel's lease by 40 years in 2011, paying $33 million.[106] Horn subsequently raised the rent for the ground-level storefronts, prompting a longtime tenant, burger shop Big Nick's, to move out.[107] Horn announced plans in 2013 to restore the ground-level storefronts,[107][108] and a pastry shop took over Big Nick's space.[109][110] The Belleclaire became part of Triumph Hotels, a brand of boutique hotels operated by Horn, in 2014.[111][112] The facade was partially renovated in 2018; at the time, a writer for the Times said that 15 long-term tenants remained.[32]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, in 2020, the city government relocated numerous homeless men into the Belleclaire[113][114] as part of a contract between the city government and the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC).[115] The move created a clash between the homeless population and the residents of the Upper West Side neighborhood.[116] Some nearby residents objected to the fact that several of the homeless men who had been relocated to the hotel were sex offenders,[113][114] and several elderly residents of the hotel claimed that the presence of the homeless residents would endanger their health.[117] Many of the homeless residents were moved out of the hotel in August 2021.[118] A restaurant and cocktail bar named Allure opened on the hotel's ground floor in November 2023.[33]

Critical reception[edit]

When the Belleclaire opened, the New-York Tribune described the hotel as "luxuriously furnished with striking and original decorative effects in several of the public rooms",[49] while the Sun said the Belleclaire "stands in the front rank of twentieth-century hotel development".[27] The Atlanta Constitution wrote in 1904: "Yet, with all of its admirable features, elegant furnishings, superb accommodations, fine menu, perfect service, conveniences and most desirable location, the rates charged at this hotel are within the easy reach of any traveler."[119] By the 1960s, Newsweek regarded the hotel's design as "ornamental rococo frippery", while Roth's sons, who carried on their father's practice, considered the design to be full of "junk and gunk".[120] Paul Goldberger, writing for The New York Times in 1978, called the hotel "richly ornamented, with a round corner tower and grand ornamental arches".[15] After the storefronts were refurbished in the early 2010s, Christopher Gray wrote: "The series of standard green awnings are certainly an improvement but hardly equal to the architecture above them."[100]

John Holusha of the Times wrote in 2003 that Roth's design was "so distinctive and flamboyant that it would later be designated a landmark."[9] After the hotel's renovation, a writer for The Washington Post said in 2007 that the Belleclaire "is super chic, with modern dark-wood furniture and stylish bedding".[121]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The earliest such building was the American Surety Building in Lower Manhattan.[13]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "2175 Broadway, 10024". New York City Department of City Planning. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 1.
  3. ^ White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
  4. ^ a b "Apartment Trading a Market Feature; Multi-Family Houses in Manhat- tan Valued at About $8,000,- 000 Change Ownership". The New York Times. January 18, 1923. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  5. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013, p. 5.
  6. ^ Stokes, Isaac Newton Phelps (1928). The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909. Vol. 6. Robert H. Dodd. p. 140.
  7. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013, p. 6.
  8. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013, p. 9.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Holusha, John (June 29, 2003). "Commercial Property/Upper West Side; Flamboyant Landmark Hotel, Restored for Tourists". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013, p. 267.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "The Hotel Belle Claire". Architects and Builders Magazine. Vol. 35. January 1903. p. 164. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 3.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ruttenbaum 1986, p. 45.
  14. ^ Ruttenbaum 1986, p. 47.
  15. ^ a b "Design Notebook". The New York Times. February 16, 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Ruttenbaum 1986, p. 44.
  17. ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, pp. 8–9.
  18. ^ a b Ruttenbaum 1986, pp. 44–45.
  19. ^ a b c Ruttenbaum 1986, pp. 45–46.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 7.
  21. ^ Dunlap, David W. (October 28, 1990). "Apartments Designed For Pragmatic Goals Economics Holds Key to Esthetics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 8.
  23. ^ a b c d e f "Hotel Belleclaire: New York, NY". InspireDesign. September 1, 2013. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g Gray, Christopher (December 27, 1992). "Streetscapes: The Belleclaire; A 1903 Home for the Homeless". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  25. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, pp. 7–8.
  26. ^ a b c d e f "Hotel Belleclaire". New-York Tribune. November 30, 1902. p. 12. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Remarkable Story of Milton Roblee, Actor and Boniface". The Sun. September 6, 1903. p. 25. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h "New York's New Hotel, Modern and Beautiful: Novel Features of One of the Latest of the Great Hostelries of the Metropolis". The Atlanta Constitution. July 12, 1903. p. A2. ProQuest 495781388.
  29. ^ Robinson, W G (September 1, 1906). "New York's Open Air Restaurants: a Welcome Addition to the City's Places of Entertainment in Summer Time; Their History and Many Attractive Features". Town and Country. p. 10. ProQuest 126866229.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g Ruttenbaum 1986, p. 46.
  31. ^ a b Mawer, Fred (April 19, 2008). "It never sleeps but you can In Manhattan Fred Mawer finds 10 hotels for less than pounds 140 per night - a feat in this city of sky-high rates". The Daily Telegraph. p. 14. ProQuest 321578355.
  32. ^ a b c Milton, Michael (January 12, 2018). "Hotel Belleclaire: A Dowager on the Rise". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Allure restaurant and cocktail lounge to open at historic Manhattan hotel". New York Business Journal. November 1, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  34. ^ "Hotel Belleclaire Review: What To REALLY Expect If You Stay". Oyster.com. March 28, 2014. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  35. ^ "Places To Stay in NYC". Hotel Belleclaire New York. April 30, 2023. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  36. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 2.
  37. ^ Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987). New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-8478-3096-1. OCLC 13860977.
  38. ^ "How the Great Apartment Houses Have Paid". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 35, no. 882. February 7, 1885. pp. 127–128. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  39. ^ Walker, James Blaine (1918). Fifty Years of Rapid Transit — 1864 to 1917. New York, N.Y.: Law Printing. pp. 148, 186.
  40. ^ Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Gregory; Massengale, John Montague (1983). New York 1900: Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism, 1890–1915. New York: Rizzoli. p. 383. ISBN 0-8478-0511-5. OCLC 9829395.
  41. ^ "In the Real Estate Field; Henry Dazian Buys Southeast Corner of Broadway and 40th St. William Ziegler's Purchase -- Title Passed in Several Important Transactions -- No Auction Sales". The New York Times. September 17, 1901. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  42. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, pp. 4–5.
  43. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 3.
  44. ^ "Projected Buildings". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 68, no. 1758. November 23, 1901. p. 713. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023 – via columbia.edu.
  45. ^ "In the Real Estate Field". The New York Times. November 21, 1901. p. 14. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  46. ^ "Mortgages". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 69, no. 1778. April 12, 1902. p. 674. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023 – via columbia.edu.
  47. ^ "Of Interest to the Building Trades". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 70, no. 1810. November 22, 1902. p. 769. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023 – via columbia.edu.
  48. ^ "Of Interest to the Building Trades". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 70, no. 1806. October 25, 1902. p. 610. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023 – via columbia.edu.
  49. ^ a b "Hotel Belleclaire Opened". New-York Tribune. January 13, 1903. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  50. ^ "Hotel Belleclaire's Opening". The Buffalo News. January 8, 1903. p. 19. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  51. ^ a b "Gorky Twice Evicted From Gotham Hotels: Belleclaire and Lafayette-Brevoort Eject Him and His Actress Companion". St. Louis Post - Dispatch. April 15, 1906. p. A1. ProQuest 577607232.
  52. ^ "Singer Besieged in Hotel Rooms; Bessie Abott, Sulng Conried, Has Exciting Day at the Belleclaire". The New York Times. April 6, 1907. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  53. ^ a b c d e f g Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 6.
  54. ^ "Has No Room for a Lion.: New York Hotel Dispossesses Animal That Arrived in Plano Box". The Washington Post. May 25, 1920. p. 6. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 145767884.
  55. ^ a b c "Belleclaire Bar (Say It Tenderly, Boys) Passes On". Daily News. June 8, 1925. p. 19. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  56. ^ "Milton Roblee a Bankrupt". New-York Tribune. October 2, 1906. p. 7. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  57. ^ "Milton Roblee Fails; Liabilities, $285,600; Receiver Appointed for Bartholdi Hotel's Manager. HIS CREDITORS RESTRAINED Court Order Permits Him to Carry on Business -- His Debts Are for Rent and Hotel Supplies". The New York Times. October 2, 1906. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  58. ^ "In the Real Estate Field; Upper Riverside Drive Corner Sold to Builders -- Hotel Belleclaire Leased -- Day's Dealings by Brokers and at Auction". The New York Times. August 13, 1908. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  59. ^ a b "A $1,500,000 Lease on Hotel Belleclaire". New-York Tribune. August 8, 1908. p. 12. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 572124468.
  60. ^ "In the Real Estate Field". The New York Times. August 9, 1908. p. C4. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 96849608.
  61. ^ "In the Real Estate Field; Sixth Avenue Landmark Again Changes Hands -- William Waldorf Astor Sells on Upper Broadway -- Lexington Avenue Purchase". The New York Times. December 16, 1908. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  62. ^ "In the Real Estate Field; West Seventeenth Street Loft Figures in a $750,000 Trade -- Buying Seventh Avenue Property for Improvement -- The Florham Sold -- Bronx and Suburban Sales". The New York Times. November 4, 1910. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  63. ^ "Leases Hotel Belleclaire". New-York Tribune. November 4, 1910. p. 10. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 572386796.
  64. ^ "Bronx in Fear of Burglars; Many Stores Robbed by a Gang of Thieves -- Hold-Ups Also Reported". The New York Times. December 12, 1910. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  65. ^ "Hotels and Trips Between: Many at Point Comfort Hotel on Lookout Mountain. Big Hotel for Hartford. Belleclaire Purchased. San Francisco Stirring Hotel Has a Symphony. Southern Travel Heavy. Tips From a Traveler". The Christian Science Monitor. February 11, 1911. p. 21. ProQuest 193828504.
  66. ^ "Hotel Man Bankrupt; Elmer F. Woodbury Owes $60,000 on Hotel Belleclaire Purchase". The New York Times. September 23, 1911. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  67. ^ "The Real Estate Field; Herbert Du Puy Buys Hotel Belleclaire on Broadway in $2,250,000 Deal -- Murray Hill Residence Sold -- Brooklyn and Long Island Transactions -- Business and Dwelling Leases". The New York Times. May 23, 1914. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  68. ^ "Hotel Belleclaire Sale Involves $2,250,000 Trade". New-York Tribune. May 23, 1914. p. 18. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 575236141. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  69. ^ a b "Hotel Belleclaire Leased To Guzzardi for 21 Years". The New York Herald, New York Tribune. April 29, 1925. p. 25. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1112797333.
  70. ^ "Belleclaire Hotel Addition". The New York Times. September 19, 1922. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  71. ^ "Real Estate Transactions". The Wall Street Journal. January 19, 1923. p. 13. ISSN 0099-9660. ProQuest 130029654.
  72. ^ "Latest Dealings in Realty Field: Old Wells Fargo Building at 51 Broadway Sold Aftev Two ' Years of Negotiating. Buyers Resell Property Operators Active in Purchase and Sale of Apartment Houses in Manhattan". The New York Times. February 3, 1923. p. 22. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 103120249.
  73. ^ "March Market Slowed Up From High February Peak". The New York Times. April 29, 1925. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  74. ^ "Orchestras and Cabarets: Hotel Roof Gardens Ready for Summer". The Billboard. Vol. 36, no. 25. June 20, 1925. p. 20. ProQuest 1031760485.
  75. ^ a b "Stores for Hotel Belleclaire Estimated to Cost $100,000". The New York Times. May 7, 1925. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  76. ^ "New Gown Shop To Open On Broadway: Retail Establishment To Occupy Store In Hotel Belleclaire". Women's Wear. Vol. 31, no. 93. October 19, 1925. p. 40. ProQuest 1677160699.
  77. ^ "Haberdasher Will Pay Astor $300,000 Rental for Store: Takes Shop in Building Now Being Erected at Fifth Ave. and 33d St.; Many Other Midtown Leases". The New York Herald, New York Tribune. September 5, 1925. p. 29. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113127090.
  78. ^ "Two Hotels Are Leased; F.W. Brindle Gets the Belleclaire-- Hamilton for Knott Chain". The New York Times. January 7, 1928. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  79. ^ "Belleclaire Hotel Is Leased for Long Term". New York Herald Tribune. January 7, 1928. p. 24. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113696726.
  80. ^ "Widow Sues to Regain Hotel: Mrs. Archambault Charges Fraud in Belleclaire Transfer". New York Herald Tribune. February 22, 1928. p. 4. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113430688.
  81. ^ "Belleclaire Hotel Leased for 21 Years; Structure at Broadway and Seventy-seventh St. Is Taken by the Low-Ben Corporation". The New York Times. May 30, 1931. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  82. ^ "Upper Broadway Hotel Auctioned for $50,000: Belleclaire Hotel Acquired by Mutual Life, Insurance Co". New York Herald Tribune. November 22, 1932. p. 34. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1114556315.
  83. ^ "West Side Property Bid in at Auctions; Forced Sales Include Ten-Story Belleclaire at Seventy-seventh Street and Broadway". The New York Times. November 22, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  84. ^ "Real Estate Transactions in the City and Suburban Fields: Samuel L. Lebis Takes Title to Broadway Hotel Operator Purchases Belle' claire, at 77th Street. Which He Now Leases Mutual Life Sells Broadway Corner". New York Herald Tribune. June 27, 1940. p. 39. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1255765177.
  85. ^ a b Acker (June 27, 1940). "Hotel Sold at Broadway and 77th Street". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  86. ^ "The Belleclaire On Broadway Reported Sold". New York Herald Tribune. October 30, 1944. p. 23. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1284495549.
  87. ^ "OPA Cracks Down on 22 Hotels, 6 Apartment Houses in Rent Drive". The New York Times. November 19, 1944. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  88. ^ "22 Hotels Sued By O. P. A. for Rate Violations: 6 Apartment Houses Also Named; Agency Seeks $58,400 in Damages". New York Herald Tribune. November 19, 1944. p. 34. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1257453689.
  89. ^ "Catholic Diocese Buys on W. 55th St; Gets Buildings of National Bible Institute -- Other Deals in Manhattan". The New York Times. July 8, 1953. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  90. ^ "Belleclaire Hotel Lease Purchased". New York Herald Tribune. July 8, 1953. p. 31. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1322498420.
  91. ^ Wren, Christopher S. (June 27, 1973). "For S.R.O. Hotel Roomers, It's a Precarious Life: It's a Precarious Life in an S.R.O. Hotel Questions Discouraged Welfare Recipients Shunned Recreation Center Sought". The New York Times. p. 57. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 119851567.
  92. ^ Kinzer, Stephen (February 4, 1983). "Gunman Kills Four and Wounds a Fifth at a West Side Hotel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  93. ^ Dunlap, David W. (February 11, 1987). "3 Manhattan Buildings Are Named Landmarks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  94. ^ Gray, Christopher (May 24, 1987). "Streetscapes: The Dakota Stables; A 'Soft-Site' Garage on the Booming West Side". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  95. ^ Dugger, Celia W. (November 20, 1992). "New York to Expand Use of Welfare Hotels". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  96. ^ Powell, Michael (November 21, 1992). "Overnight Stay: 4 NY officials ordered to sleep with homeless". Newsday. p. 4. ISSN 2574-5298. ProQuest 2445136604.
  97. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (November 27, 1992). "Lodging Plan For Homeless Is Postponed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  98. ^ a b Hester, Jere (November 26, 1992). "City insists: Hotels will get families". Daily News. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  99. ^ Janofsky, Michael (November 26, 1992). "Hotel Owner Alters Stance On Homeless". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  100. ^ a b Gray, Christopher (May 8, 2014). "Upper West Side Facade Snatchers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  101. ^ Kennedy, Randy (December 31, 1997). "Crumbling Building Exteriors Tie Up Traffic in Several Parts of Manhattan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  102. ^ a b McPhee, Michele (January 8, 1998). "Skyline is Falling Due to Age: Experts". New York Daily News. p. 7. ISSN 2692-1251. ProQuest 313597683.
  103. ^ Kennedy, Randy (February 14, 1998). "Council Unit Votes to Require More Inspections of Buildings". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  104. ^ a b Lobbia, J A (July 13, 1999). "Hostel takeover". The Village Voice. p. 20. ProQuest 232222711.
  105. ^ a b Friedman, Andrew (December 17, 2000). "Neighborhood Report: Upper West Side; Tenants Fear a Conversion Will End an S.R.O.'s Life . . ". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  106. ^ Witchel, Alex (February 28, 2013). "Fretting Over Burgers on the Upper West Side". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  107. ^ a b Laterman, Kaya (November 8, 2013). "Upper West Side's New Look is Mixed Bag". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  108. ^ Frost, Emily (September 24, 2013). "Big Nick's to Become a Bakery as Part of UWS Storefront Renovations". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  109. ^ Casey, Nell (December 31, 2013). "Fancy Pastry Shop Will Take Over Former Big Nick's Space". Gothamist. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  110. ^ Frost, Emily (December 30, 2013). "French Bakery Mille-Feuille to Open in Former Big Nick's Space". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  111. ^ Forgione, Mary (February 21, 2014). "NYC: Central Park picnic or Top of the Rock? Rooms and fun to-go". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  112. ^ Oates, Greg (February 25, 2014). "Interview: New York City's Newest Boutique Hotel Brand Is Banking on Neighborhood Appeal". Skift. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  113. ^ a b Slotnik, Daniel E. (August 18, 2020). "What Happened When Homeless Men Moved Into a Liberal Neighborhood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  114. ^ a b "Sex offenders at Upper West Side hotel will likely extend their stay". ABC7 New York. August 5, 2020. Archived from the original on September 18, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  115. ^ "West Side Rag » Updated: 'Homeless Hotels' Booked by City for Another Six Months; 'Shelters Not Yet Safe'; 'Lucerne Men Will Move'". www.westsiderag.com. October 7, 2020. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  116. ^ "West Side Rag » Neighborhood Splits Over New Homeless Hotel Residents; Police, Homeless Men and Opponents Weigh In". www.westsiderag.com. August 7, 2020. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  117. ^ "Elderly residents at Upper West Side hotel say they are concerned for their health after homeless moved in". ABC News. May 27, 2020. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  118. ^ Stratman, Josephine (August 3, 2021). "Homeless, advocates decry move from Upper West Side hotel to Queens hotel with broken elevator". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  119. ^ "Hotel Belleclaire, New York City.: the Leading Hotel in the Leading City of the World". The Atlanta Constitution. January 17, 1904. p. A2. ProQuest 495957143.
  120. ^ "The Skyline Factory". Newsweek. Vol. 70, no. 12. September 18, 1967. p. 98. ProQuest 1850824504.
  121. ^ Poma, Elissa Leibowitz (July 8, 2007). "NYC Hotels for a Song". The Washington Post. p. P3. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 410191613.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]