New York City’s Gilded Age Glory
By Ruta Fox
Take a walking tour through time.
New York’s West Side Highway may glisten with new steel and glass high-rises, but many Beaux-Arts belles of the Gilded Age are still standing all over the city, reluctant to give up their former magnificence. The Gilded Age in New York City, roughly 1878 to 1899, was the period when vast fortunes were made and spent by fabulously wealthy men, to create some of the most stunning architectural statements of their time.
Below you’ll find some insight on the era -- several podcasts, two walking tours and a historic hotel that will show you how elegant people lived in old New York.
Listen To The Podcasts
The Gilded Gentleman
Host Carl Raymond has created a bevy of entertaining and educational podcasts that cover the period. Start with Episode #1, Gilded Age or Gilded Cage? for an overview. Listen to Episode #13, The Gilded City: New York 1870-1900 as Carl discusses the architecture, neighborhoods and landmarks that were seen in Julian Fellowes’ HBO series, “The Gilded Age.” Episode #36, Having a Ball: The Gilded Age’s Most Outrageous Parties covers important functions used for social climbing by the legendary Astors, Vanderbilts and others. Episode #43, Chasing The Gold: A Gilded Tour Up Manhattan details 100 years of New York history to illustrate how the city’s wealthy neighborhoods evolved.
Take The Guided Walking Tour
Gilded Age Mansions Of Fifth Avenue
Stroll up Fifth Avenue with a highly knowledgeable guide who’ll describe the history and design, as well as the architects and patrons, who created extravagant mansions in one of the most famous residential neighborhoods in the world. The two-hour tour starts at the Frick Collection (70st Street) and ends at the Carnegie Mansion, (91st Street), now the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
Explore On Your Own in NoHo’s Historic District
The district includes 160 buildings, 11 which are distinguished as NYC landmarks.
Here are just a few.
Fire Engine Co. 33 44 Great Jones Street
Schermerhorn Building 376-380 Lafayette Street
Bayard-Condict Building 65-69 Bleeker Street
De Vinne Press Building 393-399 Lafayette Street
Astor Library 425 Lafayette Street
Robbins & Appleton Building 1-5 Bond Street
Stay At A Gilded Age Hotel
Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton
The Martinique hotel was built in 1898 by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who designed the Dakota Apartments, The Plaza, and the original Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The Martinique was one of New York’s most elite hotels at the turn of the century, featuring a glorious 18-story marble spiral staircase and French Renaissance details. It is now a designated landmark, a member of the Historic Hotels of America and has been completely refurbished by Hilton/Curio hotels. The hotel is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
For more information, please visit:
Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton
Photos courtesy of Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton, Ruta Fox and Shutterstock