Looking for historical attractions in NYC close to Grand Central? From your iconic digs at Westgate New York Grand Central, you'll find a diverse and unique history behind Tudor City and the surrounding Murray Hill district of Manhattan's Midtown East corridor! And not only is the neighborhood historic, our hotel is as well! So whether you're looking for historic NYC landmarks on a weeklong sightseeing journey or you're just diving into the micro-cosmic cultural nuances of a few square city blocks, we invite you to come and explore historical Midtown Manhattan with Westgate Resorts!
Once home to Turtle Bay and the Winthrop family farm following the American Revolution, lies what is today Tudor City. In the past, the land Tudor City is located was once a scenic, granite bluff known as Prospect Hill. This area soon became one of Manhattan’s most notorious neighborhoods after the New York Commissioner’s Plan in 1811 to create a street grid system ended farming in Manhattan, which did not bode well for Prospect Hill.
By the time of the American Civil War, times were harsh here, and the undeveloped Prospect Hill became known as Dutch Hill. It was also known as Goat Hill because of all the goats freely roaming the dirt roads, weaving between the mud and board houses. At the time, this shantytown, ran by Jimmy “Paddy” Corcoran and his Rag Gang (yes, think Martin Scorsese’s film Gangs of New York), soon became notoriously known as Corcoran’s Roost, thanks to the Rag Gang’s accused thievery and murderous actions.
After the Civil War, things began to look up for the Prospect Hill neighborhood, and by the 1870’s, thanks to post war prosperity, some middle-class rowhouses were built on what was then Prospect Place. This semi-prosperous time for Prospect Hill was short lived, thanks in large part to the building of the Second Avenue Elevated Train which threw soot into the air, causing breathing issues among the area’s citizens, forcing many to move, causing the neighborhood to decline once more.
The Original Grand Central Station is completed and the reshaping of Uptown into the modern day Midtown that we know today begins.
By the time Snook’s Depot was built it was already obsolete. It wasn’t long after that the plans had been set in place to build larger even more “Grand” station, and by 1903 construction had begun.
By 1913 the construction of Grand Central Terminal was completed, and New York was changed forever, bringing the need for such places as our beloved Tudor City.
12 years after the construction of Grand Central Terminal, real estate developer Fred Fillmore French, began his own “Grand” design to change Prospect Hill into what we know it as today, Tudor City. French’s plan was to create the largest apartment complex in all of Manhattan, he called it, “a city within a city” and what would become a suburbanesque oasis in the heart of New York City; a place in Manhattan were the middle class could still call home. By the time Tudor City was completed in 1930, it consisted of 2,800 apartments and 600 hotel rooms, the hotel, then known as the Hotel Tudor, is still here to this very day and now more vibrant than ever, as the Westgate New York Grand Central.
Where else does 16th-century architecture bump up against skyscrapers next door to the world's most peaceful organization? The calm, semi-elevated neighboorhood known as Tudor City is mainly explorable with the use of staircases and is supposedly the first residential skyscraper community ever developed, according to some prominent area historians and authors. Created as a buffer to the garish hubbub of Midtown East Manhattan, this small 'city within a city' serves as an urban oasis for tourists, residents and (generally speaking) anyone needing a quiet diversion from the day's events. One noteworthy aspect of the area is that parks within its boundaries are privately run despite an attempt by NYC in the mid '70s to make them public. Set out from our Midtown Manhattan hotel and take a walk on the peaceful side in Tudor City.
Tudor City NYCIt's been said that Murray Hill is sometimes a tale of two cities. The landmarks, stately row houses and historic, converted carriage homes reveal this neighborhood's dual identities, as this once colonial spread from East 34th to 42nd Street along Madison Ave down to the East River now boasts a modern mashup of equal-parts young professional loft-loungers, college hipster vibes and old-world charms, all mixing it up among the various diplomats and United Nations employees who live and thrive in this underrated local district. With Tudor City's unique area looming from its hilly area in the northeast corner to the clubby-type hangouts galor for the young (and young at heart) to the heavy East-Asian influence of curry and spice cafes dotting Lexington and 28th, Murray Hill can satiate even the most intrepid urban explorer's need for nook and cranny exploration!
Murray Hill NYCIf you're on the hunt for historic hotels in New York City then you're in for quite a treat when visiting the Midtown Manhattan East corridor, with a rich and influential history of historic hotels that have accommodated both heads of state and much humbler heads as well, throughout the years. At Westgate New York Grand Central, our rich and varied history is a testament to the entrepreneurial and visionary minds who crafted this area of Manhattan in the 1900s and beyond. Have a look beyond the brick and mortar and go back in time to explore these old hotels in NYC!
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