“Nostalgia - it's delicate but potent…. In Greek, nostalgia literally means “the pain from an old wound.” It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It goes backwards, and forwards…it takes us to a place where we ache to go again.” - Mad Men - Television Series, AMC
New York City, in its centuries of existence, has seen tremendous change. The city which experienced bloodshed from the Revolutionary War to the war on terrorists from the 9/11 attack, has withstood it all. This city was the site of the inauguration of George Washington, the first President of the United States and our nation's first capital. For over two hundred years, New York City's harbors have welcomed millions of immigrants and are still a beacon to those who longed for freedom and opportunity.
As the city evolved, buildings have been built, expanded, relocated, repurposed, and often torn down. But the nostalgia for the yesterday of New York City has inspired poems, novels, dissertations, art, etc. One needs only to enter Radio City Hall and feel that they have traveled into the past.
Below of are a few examples of New York City's architecture that has been unchanged by time, fashion, or progress. Some of their interiors have been altered but their timeless design still resides.
1. Radio City Music Hall built in 1932
2. The Plaza and The Palm Court built in 1907
3. Grand Central Terminal Interior and the Oyster Bar built 1913
4. Maxfield Parrish's Old King Cole Mural originally at The Knickerbocker Hotel and now at the St. Regis Hotel
The Knickerbocker Hotel
St Regis Hotel in appropriately named King Cole Bar.
5. Macy's Department Store Herald Square built 1902
Bonus - The Carlyle Hotel Bemelmans Bar Murals completed by Ludwig Bemelmans in 1947
Step back to an elegant and golden era at the Bemelmans Bar.