Highland Park High School / Junior College / Career Academy

In many ways, the histories of Detroit and Highland Park – a separate city located within the borders of Detroit –are very similar. Both cities experienced tremendous growth as a result of the automobile industry, and built up their city services to meet demand. Both cities lost population after the auto industry left. And today, both cities are struggling with how to provide the same city services to fewer people with less tax revenue. Budget cuts have led to the closure of most of Highland Park’s fire stations, libraries, and schools.

 

A three-block stretch of Highland Street running west from Woodward Avenue was one the civic center of the city. Along Highland and nearby streets were five schools, three churches, two hospitals, and the main library, mixed in with ornate high-rise apartment buildings. In this densely populated neighborhood one could be born, baptized, attend nursery school, elementary school, high school, and college, all without going more than three blocks in any direction. Right at the center of the neighborhood is the old Highland Park High School and Junior College, a block-long slab of quarry-faced limestone that played an important role in the development of Highland Park from an obscure village into an industrial boomtown.

 

Early days in Highland Park

 

In 1900, Highland Park was just a small village north of Detroit, population 427. Through the early 1900’s, the city grew as Detroit developed north along Woodward Avenue, spurring residential development. In 1907, Henry Ford began to move his automobile production from the Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit to a new, much larger factory located in Highland Park. The factory opened in 1909; a year later the population of Highland Park had risen to 4,120 as workers quickly built up neighborhoods around the Ford plant.

 

Like other early school districts, Highland Park Schools taught from Kindergarten to the 8th grade level, at which point young adults were expected to join the workforce. Starting in 1911, high school courses were introduced, with 42 students enrolled in 9th and 10th grade levels at Stevens Elementary, then moved to the new Ferris School when it opened in November. The next year 11th and 12th grades were introduced. Demand for higher education was enough that by 1912, plans were underway to build a dedicated high school building.

 

Building a new high school

 

Initially the board of education wanted to build the new high school east of Woodward Avenue, at Farrand and John R Streets, but instead settled a large rectangular parcel of land along Glendale Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Though the high school would take up only a small part of the land, school officials wanted additional space to expand the school if needed. Excavation at the site began as the first high school class of 14 students graduated from Ferris School in 1913. In 1914, a contract for construction of the new building designed by Wells D. Butterfield was awarded for $460,000. It could comfortably seat 1,000 students, though it was believed that it would be quite a few years before the school reached capacity.

 

The first unit of Highland Park High School was of English type architecture, laid out with a central mass three stories tall, with two end wings linked by classrooms. The east wing had a 1,100-seat auditorium, and the west wing featured a three-story gymnasium and basement swimming pool. In the center were school offices, a library, and recitation rooms. The exterior was done up in quarry-faced gray limestone, with mouldings and detail work of dressed Bedford stone. Inside the school were long hallways of Caen stone and ornamental carved oak. Dedicated classrooms included sewing, carpentry, machine tooling, botany, chemistry, and drawing.

 

The cornerstone was laid down in October of 1914. Construction on the high school had progressed far enough that by June of 1915, the auditorium was used for graduation as work on the rest of the building continued. The new building was scheduled to formally open in September, but even before then school administrators were facing an unanticipated problem: overcrowding.

 

Expansion

 

Between 1910 and 1916, the population of Highland Park grew from 4,100 to 28,000. By 1920 there would be 46,500 residents, a staggering 1,000% increase in population over just 10 years. Workers from across the globe were drawn to Detroit and Highland Park in particular, by the Ford factory and its promise of a $5 a day wage. The assembly line had revolutionized the way that cars were made, and in doing so, made Highland Park the center of the automotive revolution. The school board found itself with hundreds of new students every year, requiring hasty additions to existing school buildings, and the construction of new schools in neighborhoods that were springing up around town.

 

By the time Highland Park High School opened in September of 1915, enrollment far exceeded expectations, with 850 students signing up. In 1916, just a year after it opened, that number grew to over 1,000 high school students, filling the school to capacity. Plans for a second unit of the high school for 1,500 additional students to be built next to the first were immediately drawn up, with construction beginning in 1917.

 

Though the second unit of the high school used identical building materials and same English styling as the first, it was laid out differently. Initially the second unit was intended to be a high school for girls and a junior college, and was built with its own separate gymnasium and swimming pool. Instead of a second auditorium, a larger library and additional classrooms were set aside for a junior college program that would share the building with the girl’s high school. The new high school for girls opened in September of 1918, with a total enrollment of 1,525 students. Highland Park Junior College opened in 1918 as well, with 35 students. Course offerings included French, rhetoric, history, chemistry, zoology, and analytic geometry.

 

Within a few years the two high school programs merged and became co-ed. In 1927, a vocational education building including an automobile repair lab was built to south of the school, connected by an overhead walkway. A further addition to the vocational wing was added in 1938, and the auditorium was renovated in 1939. The high school thrived, with as many as 3,000 students and a host of extracurricular activities, including athletics, homemaking, and a school radio station.

 

Great Depression, Second World War

 

Enrollment at Highland Park Junior College steadily increased to around 300 students by the 1920’s, but slowed in the aftermath of the Great Depression. Lack of adequate space and a drop in the number of students to 159 in 1929 nearly led to the closure of college, but the residents of Highland Park voted to keep it open. This paid off in the long run, as after the Second World War ended enrollment skyrocketed from 117 in 1943 to 1,800 in 1947 as veterans returning to Highland Park used the GI bill to pay for college education.

 

By the 1940’s, population in Highland Park had peaked. Ford had moved auto production out of Highland Park to a new factory in the suburbs in 1927, and moved its headquarters to Dearborn in 1930. The construction of freeways made it easier for people to live outside the city, hastening an outward flight or residents to the suburbs. The racial composition of Highland Park changed as well. By 1968, over half of the 4,488 students were black, while teachers and administrators were mostly white. Sit-ins protesting the lack of diversity in the school administration were frequent in 1969.

 

The high school moves out

 

As part of a district-wide modernization program, several older schools in Highland Park were demolished and replaced with newer buildings in the 1950’s and 60’s. A nursery school was built on the south side of the campus in 1950, and an elementary school was built a block south in 1961. Plans for a new, modern high school to be built north on Woodward Avenue were drawn up in the early 1970’s, which would replace the existing school. The junior college (now a community college) would take over the entire building and expand its vocational offerings.

 

Construction on the new building was already underway when on the evening of March 18th 1975, a large fire broke out in the gymnasium of the old high school. Stacks of rolled-up wrestling mats were set alight as a practical joke, but the blaze quickly spread out of control, causing the roof and floor to cave into the basement swimming pool. The fire burned for over five hours as firefighters from Highland Park, Detroit, and Hamtramck struggled to contain it to just the gymnasium. While smoke and water damage throughout the high school were repaired fairly quickly, repairing the gymnasium was estimated to cost over $600,000. Since the high school was moving out in the near future, athletics were moved over to the community college building, which had its own pool and gymnasium. In 1977, the new Highland Park Community High School on Woodward Avenue opened, and the community college took over the Glendale campus. A temporary roof was built over the shell of the burned-out gymnasium, as administrators struggled with what to do next.

 

Not wishing to demolish the handsome limestone façade of the gym, the wing sat empty until 1983, when the community college approached Bloomfield Hills landscape architect James Scott about reusing the space. Scott envisioned turning the empty hall into a “multi-purpose concourse” and performing arts space, linking the two units together. Within a few days his ideas went from sketches to planning, and work began a short time later. The swimming pool, into which burning debris from above had been dumped, was covered by a new floor and sealed off. The open area above was a mix of the old and new, retaining the limestone wall of the adjacent gym, but incorporating modern styling throughout. Hexagons were the dominant theme, with planters turning the concourse into a green space. Work on the renovation concluded in 1985. In the years after the space was used for concerts, special events, and art galleries.

 

Community college struggles

 

Though enrollment at Highland Park Community College was 2,000 to 3,000 through most of the 1980’s, the college operated at a deficit that had grown to $1.4 million dollars by 1989. In an effort to save money, school administrators cut the LPN and respiratory therapy programs, sparking a four-day sit in strike by students. Though the administration reverses its decision, the financial situation continued to deteriorate, with accusations of rampant misuse of funds. After missing two consecutive annual audits, Michigan Governer John Engler began to withhold state funding for the college, as investigators report that Highland Park Community College “had the worst facilities of any community college in the state.”

 

In February of 1995, Governor Engler announced that all funding for the college would be stripped from the budget due to chronic financial and academic problems, stating, “Though the college has a long and distinguished tradition, it has become apparent that it is no longer an economically viable institution." Local representatives fought hard to keep the school open, arguing that it was making progress in fixing its financial situation and that the loss of the school would be devastating to Highland Park’s troubled economy. By December of 1995 the college had run out of money, and closed down.

 

Highland Park Career Academy, Final Years

 

The immediate impact of the closing of Highland Park Community College was that students were stranded in mid-study, some just a semester away from graduation. Though other nearby colleges tried to accommodate students, many never finished their studies, and walked away from secondary education. While elected officials fought to get funding restored, the school reopened as the Highland Park Career Academy, offering an alternative high school program and vocational training for students and young adults in the fields of nursing, dental hygiene, and auto repair. In 2001, the Ford Motor Company opened an automotive training center in the vocational education building, complete with demonstration cars.

 

Highland Park City Schools steadily lost students through the 2000’s, with K-12 enrollment falling to 2,700 by 2008 as students were lured away to other nearby school districts. As schools were funded by the state on a per pupil basis, this led to a major revenue shortfall for Highland Park. On January 23rd, 2009 the school board shut down the career academy with no official notification to parents, laying off 36 teachers to close the budget gap. Students were again left in the lurch with the cancellation of their programs, with few options for continuing their studies elsewhere. and leaving students stranded in mid-study. Only seniors were allowed to stay at the school until the end of the school year, with the remaining students to attend night school at Highland Park Community High School. However, the first scheduled night of classes was canceled without explanation. Most students dropped out, and the building closed for good in the summer of 2009.

 

For over 90 years, the old high school and college had been the center of Highland Park’s education system. By the time the school closed, the neighborhood and city around it had changed considerably. Ferris School and the hospitals closed in the 1990’s, along with the main library in 2002. The nursery school closed permanently in 2005. Most of the apartment buildings along Glendale and Highland had been vacated years ago, leaving large gaps in the fabric of the neighborhood. In the end, the closing of the career academy wound up costing the school district a large amount of funding, as students dropped out or left for other school districts. With just 969 students enrolled in 2012, the state of Michigan declared a financial emergency, and the Highland Park City Schools were taken over by a state emergency financial manager, who converted the district into a privately operated charter school system.

 

The new charter school operator found that the three remaining school buildings – Highland Park Community High, Ford, and Barber – were in terrible disrepair, and required proximately expensive work to be brought up to standards. In early 2012, school officials started looking at consolidating all of the schools into one K-12 as a way to save money. One alternative discussed was the reopening of the old high school and college building, which was large enough to support all of the students left in the district. The emergency manager visited the closed building in February to see if it would viable to reopen.

 

Since its closing in 2009, the old high school and college had been frozen in time, with little more than security and routine maintenance being carried out in its empty halls and classrooms. Though fairly secure for a few years, when the state took over the Highland Park City Schools, patrols at the closed building had been discontinued, leaving the school briefly open to scrappers and metal thieves. In the short time between the state takeover and the resumption of security at the school, scrappers had done enough damage to make reopening the school cost prohibitive. The plan was abandoned in favor of letting the three remaining schools stay open.

 

In the years since, scrappers and vandals have dismantled the old Highland Park High School. When the local Police department set up two non-working squad cars in the back of the building to deter people from entering, the cars were vandalized and removed less than a month later. In October of 2012 the windows of the school were boarded up, but by that time the damage had been done. The property was put up for sale with an asking price of $3 million dollars.

Arsène Lupin

A Study

 

« Lorsque le chasseur est patient, les proies riches sont facilement repérables. »

(When the hunter is patient, rich prey is easily spotted.)

  

I had just come out of the gentleman’s smoking lounge with the intentions of re-entering the magnificent ballroom when off to the side, a most vexing glistening sight was captured.

 

I stopped and turned my head towards the tables that lay off the hall.

 

A far too pretty lass, elegantly encased in a slithering long, royal purple-coloured glossy gown with a modest v-neckline, and a long slit in the skirt, was beginning to rise off her chair.

 

It was the wickedly rich sheen of her gown as she moved her chair back to leave the table, that had first attracted notice.

 

Her shimmering jewels seductively captured it.

 

Her head was still turned away, looking over the ballroom dancers, so I was able to do a quick inventory.

 

The more modern jewellery she wore with pleasingly divine innocence, consisted of a necklace containing five delicious rows of matching round diamonds, and though her long curled auburn hair was down, I could see she wore matching 5 diamond drop earrings that were just then starting to titillatingly sway in and out of her curled locks of hair as she prepares to rise.

 

From her left wrist, A very wide bracelet had been wrapped, dazzling with diamonds. Multiple richly gemmed rings flashed invitingly from her fingers.

 

But what stole the show for myself, was the dangling diamond broach she temptingly wore fastened upon her soft gown’s svelte waistline that was just then exposed to my impressed eyes.

 

I looked down upon her as she rose, hungrily eyeing the superbly shimmering broach pinned upon the gown’s very touchable tight svelte waistline.

 

In my opinion, it was far too valuable a piece for her to be allowed out flaunting, and far too juicy a target to permit the pretty girl to keep wearing it on for much longer.

 

I was savoring the entire picture as she was standing: gown pouring fluidly from her waist down to her feet, jewels exploding with prickly flickers of expensive glitter.

 

Then she began walking towards me, her head was still turned, attention focused on the dancers to her right.

 

My focus was on her, now a mere 2 meters laid out between us.

 

I was almost drooling as I freely looked her over. Sexy purple gown richly shining, copious jewels exquisitely twinkling.

 

And of course, the explosively frenzied jewel held on her gown’s sleek waistline that I was targeting.

 

I suddenly cut towards the ballroom and she walked right into me.

 

My left hand was ready, and as the pretty girl was jostled it snaked out to her waist, fingers curled around her broach, gently lifting it as she pressed against me. My other hand grasped her arm, pulling her in even tighter. Holding her steady as she stumbled.

 

I profusely apologized.

“Je m'excuse très insouciant de ma part.”

 

At the same time, my left hand’s slender fingers flicked open the clasp of her diamond broach and lifted the brilliant jewel from the silken perch it had been carefully nestled in.

 

Startled, she had turned her head and looked at me with angelic mascara-lined startled eyes. Embarrassed that she had not been paying attention, she stammered, illogically thanking me in her haste to find words.

“Merci Monsieur.”

 

I smiled, my eyes dazzled by her remaining jewels. If given opportunities, I would have acquired them also. Instead, I merely nodded in salute. Released her by saying…

“Au revoir mademoiselle.”

 

As I watched her figure elegantly moving away, oblivious to the fact her broach had just been nicked, the thief still within striking distance of her remaining jewels, I opened my fist, looking down upon the mesmerizing diamond-filled broach laying upon my palm.

 

Then, for my own amusement, I began to daringly follow her swishing figure as she wandered around.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Story Derived and Based on Role Play Carried out one late evening after Ginny, My twin and I had come home after a dance ....

 

wie ben je

als je

laag voor laag

je maskers

aflegt

 

soul

who are you

when

layer by layer

you lay off

your masks

 

~ maartje jaquet

 

kijkschrijver - eye write

 

Since I took so many pix yesterday, I decided to lay off the poor guy today. I just watched and admired him and Lester for the most part - I only took a few shots.

Mark Cavendish (born in 21 May 1985 [4]) is a Manx and British racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam Team HTC-Columbia. Originally a track cyclist in the madison, points race, and scratch race, he has also competed on the road since 2006. He is a double Madison World Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist on the track. As a road cyclist, he has risen to prominence as a sprinter. He achieved eleven wins in his first professional season, equalling the record held by Alessandro Petacchi. In the 2008 Tour de France he won four stages, a then unprecedented achievement for a British cyclist (he surpassed the feat, winning six stages in 2009 and a further 5 in 2010) and he has since been described as the fastest sprinter in the world. He continued his wins in 2009 by taking the Spring classic, Milan – San Remo. Cavendish started racing informally at 12, as a mountain-bike rider.[5] He lives in Manchester and Quarrata, Tuscany, Italy.

 

Following a dental problem, Mark delayed the start of his 2010 season until the 2010 Ruta del Sol, in mid-February.[54] Following the lay off his form was poor, and he failed to defend his victory at the 2010 Milan – San Remo, coming in six minutes down in 89th place. Cavendish's pre-season goals were to win the green jersey in the Tour de France and win the Road Race at the 2010 World Championships.[55] Mark also said that he will race in the 2010 Tour of Flanders but said he won't win it, stating that the Tour of Flanders requires training, but he sees himself winning it in the future.[56]

Following a poor start to the season, Cavendish found form at the 2010 Volta a Catalunya, finishing seventh in the opening time-trial and winning stage 2.[57] His team withdrew Cavendish from the Tour of Romandie after he made an offensive gesture after winning the second stage.[58] Missing the 2010 Giro d'Italia, Cavendish instead chose to compete at the 2010 Tour of California starting on May 16, 2010, where he won the first stage for only his third victory of the season. On 15 June Cavendish crashed heavily whilst sprinting in the closing metres of the 4th stage of the Tour of Switzerland, appearing to veer off line and bring down Heinrich Haussler and several other riders, raising criticism from other teams regarding his riding style.[59] Cavendish entered the 2010 Tour de France. During Stage 1, Cavendish crashed out of the final sprint, with just under 3 km remaining in the stage. Overhead camera footage showed Cavendish failing to negotiate a corner after entering too fast and turning too late. He then leaned his shoulder into a fellow rider as he travelled away from the apex. Cavendish returned to form by winning the Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 11, Stage 18 and Stage 20, bringing his career total to 15 stage wins.[60] He ended up second in the points classification, 11 points behind Alessandro Petacchi.

Ahhh, Yosemite... there's no place else quite like it- well, that I've experienced at least... this is from back in August, and digging it up has reminded me what an amazing place it is... mark my words- I will go back within the next month.

 

Laying off the HDR for a while- this is a single exposure ;)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1967

History

United States

Name: USS Franklin D. Roosevelt

Namesake: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Builder: New York Naval Shipyard

Laid down: 1 December 1943

Launched: 29 April 1945

Commissioned: 27 October 1945

Decommissioned: 30 September 1977

Struck: 1 October 1977

Nickname(s):

 

"Swanky Franky"

"Foo-De-Roo"

"Rosie"

"Rusty Rosie"

 

Fate: Scrapped

General characteristics (as built)

Class & type: Midway-class aircraft carrier

Displacement: 45,000 tons

Length: 968 ft (295 m)

Beam: 113 ft (34 m)

Draft: 35 ft (10.7 m)

Speed: 33 knots (61 km/h)

Complement: 4,104 officers and men

Armament:

 

18 × 1 – 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 guns

21 × 4 – 40 mm Bofors /60 caliber guns

 

Aircraft carried: 137

 

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB/CVA/CV-42) was the second of three Midway class aircraft carriers. To her crew, she was known as the "Swanky Franky," "Foo-De-Roo," or "Rosie," with the last nickname probably the most popular. Roosevelt spent most of her active deployed career operating in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the United States Sixth Fleet. The ship was decommissioned in 1977 and was scrapped shortly afterward.

 

Early career

Roosevelt at commissioning ceremonies in 1945

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt was laid down at New York Naval Shipyard on 1 December 1943. Sponsor Mrs. John H. Towers, wife of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, christened the ship Coral Sea at the 29 April 1945 launching. On 8 May 1945, President Harry S. Truman approved the Secretary of the Navy's recommendation to rename the ship Franklin D. Roosevelt in honor of the late president, who had died four weeks earlier.

 

Roosevelt was commissioned on Navy Day, 27 October 1945, at the New York Naval Shipyard. Capt. Apollo Soucek was the ship's first commanding officer. During her shakedown cruise, Roosevelt called at Rio de Janeiro from 1 to 11 February 1946 to represent the United States at the inauguration of Brazilian president Eurico Gaspar Dutra, who came aboard for a short cruise. During April and May, Roosevelt participated in Eighth Fleet maneuvers off the East Coast, the Navy's first major postwar training exercise.

 

On 21 July 1946, Roosevelt became the first American carrier to operate an all-jet aircraft under controlled conditions. Lieutenant Commander James Davidson, flying the McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom, made a series of successful take-offs and landings as Roosevelt lay off Cape Henry, Virginia.[1] Jet trials continued in November, when Lt. Col. Marion E. Carl, USMC, made two catapult launches, four unassisted take-offs, and five arrested landings in a Lockheed P-80A.

 

Fleet maneuvers and other training operations in the Caribbean preceded Roosevelt's first deployment to the Mediterranean, which lasted from August to October 1946. Roosevelt, flying the flag of Rear Admiral John H. Cassady, Commander, Carrier Division 1, led the U.S. Navy force that arrived in Piraeus on 5 September 1946.[2] This visit showed U.S. support for the pro-Western government of Greece, which was locked in a civil war with Communist insurgents. The ship received thousands of visitors during her calls to many Mediterranean ports.

 

Roosevelt returned to American waters and operated off the East Coast until July 1947, when she entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for an extensive overhaul. At that time, her quad 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns were replaced by 40 3 in (76 mm) Mark 22 guns in Mark 33 twin mountings.

USS Roosevelt

Roosevelt at Pier 91 in Seattle, 1953 or 1954

 

From September 1948 to January 1949, Roosevelt undertook a second tour of duty with U.S. Naval Forces, Mediterranean. In 1950, Roosevelt became the first carrier to take nuclear weapons to sea. In September and October 1952, she participated in Operation Mainbrace, the first major NATO exercise in the North Atlantic. Roosevelt operated with other major fleet units, including the aircraft carriers USS Midway, USS Wasp, and HMS Eagle, as well as the battleships USS Wisconsin and HMS Vanguard.

 

Roosevelt was reclassified CVA-42 on 1 October 1952. On 7 January 1954, she sailed for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to undergo extensive reconstruction. Too large to pass through the Panama Canal, Roosevelt rounded Cape Horn and arrived at the shipyard on 5 March. She was temporarily decommissioned there for her refit on 23 April 1954.

Refit

Roosevelt in 1956, after SCB-110 reconstruction

 

Roosevelt was the first of her class to undergo the SCB-110 reconstruction, at a cost of $48 million. She received an enclosed "hurricane bow," one C-11-2 and two C-11-1 steam catapults, strengthened arresting gear, an enlarged bridge, a mirror landing system, and a 482 ft (147 m) angled flight deck. SPS-8 height finding radar and SPS-12 air search radar were mounted on a new tubular mast. The aft elevator was relocated to the starboard deck edge, the forward elevator was enlarged, and all elevators were uprated to 75,000 lb capacity. Aviation fuel bunkerage was increased from 350,000 to 450,000 gallons (1,320,000 to 1,700,000 L). Standard displacement rose to 51,000 tons, while deep load displacement rose to 63,400 tons. As weight compensation, several of the 5 inch (127 mm) Mark 16 anti-aircraft guns were landed, leaving only 10, and the 3,200 ton armor belt was removed. Hull blisters were also added to cope with the increased weight. Roosevelt recommissioned on 6 April 1956.

 

After post-refit trials, Roosevelt sailed for her new homeport of Mayport, Florida. In February 1957, Roosevelt conducted cold weather tests of catapults, aircraft, and the Regulus guided missile, in the Gulf of Maine. In July, she sailed for the first of three consecutive Sixth Fleet deployments. Her assignments in the Mediterranean added NATO exercises to her normal schedule of major fleet operations, and found her entertaining a distinguished list of guests each year.

A-4 Skyhawk of VA-172 aboard Roosevelt during her only Vietnam deployment between August 1966 and February 1967

 

During a 1958 mid-year overhaul, the 22 remaining 3-inch (76 mm) guns were removed.

 

On 24 October 1958, Roosevelt supported USS Kleinsmith (APD 134) in the evacuation of 56 American citizens and three foreign nationals from Nicara, Cuba, as the Cuban Revolution came to a climax.

 

In late 1960, the Control Instrument Company installed the first production Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (FLOLS) onboard Roosevelt. She recorded her one hundred thousandth aircraft landing in March 1961. During a 1963 overhaul, six more 5-inch (127 mm) guns were removed.

 

While operating in the Eastern Mediterranean in the fall of 1964, Roosevelt lost a blade from one of her 20 ton propellers. She proceeded from Naples, Italy to New York with the number one shaft locked. After replacing the propeller at Bayonne, New Jersey, Roosevelt returned to the Mediterranean to complete her cruise.

 

From August 1966 to January 1967, Roosevelt made her only deployment to Southeast Asia, spending a total of 95 days "on the line." Her embarked airwing, Carrier Air Wing One, consisted mainly of F-4 Phantom IIs and A-4 Skyhawks. Roosevelt received one battle star for her service during the Vietnam War.

 

In January 1968, Italian actress Virna Lisi was invited by Roosevelt's crew to participate in the ship's twenty-second birthday celebrations. Lisi helped prepare 5,000 T-bone steaks at a large cook-out staged on the flight deck.[3]

Austere modernization

Roosevelt in 1970 after her austere 11-month refit of 1968-69.

 

Roosevelt was initially slated to undergo an extensive reconstruction (SCB 101.68) similar to that received by Midway from 1966 to 1970. This plan was derailed by massive cost overruns in Midway's reconstruction, which eventually totalled $202 million. Roosevelt was therefore limited to an austere $46 million refit, enabling her to operate the Grumman A-6 Intruder and LTV A-7 Corsair II.

 

In July 1968, Roosevelt entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for her 11-month modernization program. The forward centerline elevator was relocated to the starboard deck edge forward of the island, the port waist catapult was removed, the crew spaces were refurbished, and two of the four remaining 5-inch (127 mm) anti-aircraft turrets were removed. Roosevelt also received a deck edge spray system using the new seawater compatible fire-fighting chemical, Light Water. She put to sea again on 26 May 1969.

 

From 1 August 1969, Roosevelt embarked Carrier Air Wing Six, which served as the ship's air wing for the next seven cruises.[4] In January 1970, Roosevelt returned to the Mediterranean for another Sixth Fleet deployment.

 

Roosevelt's twenty-first Sixth Fleet deployment was marked by indirect participation in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, as she served as a transit "landing field" for aircraft being delivered to Israel. The Roosevelt battlegroup, Task Force 60.2, also stood by for possible evacuation contingencies.

 

From 1973 through 1975, VAW-121 operated aboard Roosevelt as one of the last Grumman E-1 Tracer squadrons in the fleet. Roosevelt received a multipurpose designation, CV-42, on 30 June 1975, but she did not operate any anti-submarine aircraft. In June 1976, Roosevelt embarked VMA-231 with 14 AV-8A Harrier attack aircraft.

 

The ship embarked Carrier Air Wing Nineteen for its final deployment, which lasted from October 1976 to April 1977.[5] VMA-231 was on board for this deployment, which demonstrated that VTOL aircraft could be successfully and seamlessly integrated into fixed wing air operations. On 12 January 1977, Roosevelt collided with the Liberian grain freighter Oceanus while transiting the Strait of Messina. Both ships were able to proceed to port under their own power.

Decommissioning and disposal

Roosevelt during her final Mediterranean cruise in 1976

 

By the late 1970s, Roosevelt was in poor material condition. Deprived of the upgrades that Midway and Coral Sea had received, Roosevelt was the least modern and least capable of the class. Furthermore, Roosevelt used General Electric turbines, which gave persistent problems and reduced speed compared to the Westinghouse units used on the other ships. The Navy therefore chose to decommission Roosevelt when the second Nimitz class carrier, Dwight D. Eisenhower, entered service in 1977. Roosevelt completed her final cruise in April 1977. She was officially decommissioned on 30 September 1977. The decommissioning ceremony was held on 1 October 1977 and the ship was stricken from the Navy List on the same day. Efforts to preserve Roosevelt as a museum ship in New York City failed.

 

Roosevelt's generally poor condition weighed against retaining her in the reserve fleet. Moreover, her low hangar height of 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) limited the aircraft types that she could handle. It was reasoned that existing Essex class carriers could handle the same types of aircraft at lower cost. Some admirals also feared that if Roosevelt were retained, the Carter Administration would use her reactivation as a reason to cancel future Nimitz class carriers.[citation needed]

 

On 1 April 1978, the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service sold the ship to River Terminal Development Company for $2.1 million. After usable equipment was removed from Roosevelt at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard's Inactive Ships Facility, the carrier was towed to Kearny, New Jersey. She arrived on 3 May 1978 and was scrapped that year.

Killer Whales of the west coast of Whalsay, weather conditions were low cloud and mostly calm dry conditions. The Killer Whales (Orcas) were first spotted on the east side of the calf of Linga an Island which is situated of Symbister Harbour. The whales then proceeded into the north west traveling between islands Bruceholm and Hunderholm headed to a bight which lays off mainland Shetland called Bunnydale, here the whales frolicked around breaching and playing swimming upside down etc. Here as you will see in one of the photos the whale also grabbed a tystie for a snack. They then left this location and headed south again around the island of Hunderholm and carried on proceeding south towards nesting and Lerwick area. In the pod there were 2 large Killer Whales and three smaller cubs. The whales travelled at a speed around 6-7 knots into the south.

  

film scan

 

just got my scanner up and running again after a long lay off so thought I would scan the first photo I came across - ooh all that lovely blurry analogue.

 

tower block - Manchester, England, who knows when.

Creative destruction is a term originally derived from Marxist economic theory which refers to the linked processes of the accumulation and annihilation of wealth under capitalism. These processes were first described in The Communist Manifesto (Marx and Engels, 1848) and were expanded in Marx's Grundrisse (1857) and "Volume IV" (1863) of Das Kapital.

 

At its most basic, "creative destruction" (German: schöpferische Zerstörung) describes the way in which capitalist economic development arises out of the destruction of some prior economic order, and this is largely the sense implied by the German Marxist sociologist Werner Sombart who has been credited with the first use of these terms in his work Krieg und Kapitalismus ("War and Capitalism", 1913).

 

In the earlier work of Marx, however, the idea of creative destruction or annihilation (German: Vernichtung) implies not only that capitalism destroys and reconfigures previous economic orders, but also that it must ceaselessly devalue existing wealth (whether through war, dereliction, or regular and periodic economic crises) in order to clear the ground for the creation of new wealth.

 

From the 1950s onwards, the term "creative destruction", sometimes known as "Schumpeter's gale", has become more readily identified with the Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter, who adapted and popularized it as a theory of economic innovation. In Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (1942), he developed the concept out of a careful reading of Marx’s thought, arguing that the creative-destructive forces unleashed by capitalism would eventually lead to its demise as a system.

 

Despite this, the term subsequently gained popularity within neoliberal or free-market economics as a description of processes such as downsizing in order to increase the efficiency and dynamism of a company.

 

Mitt Romney, Bain Capital and the gospel of ‘creative destruction’

Mitt Romney’s rivals this week intensified their attacks over business failures that happened on his watch at the investment firm Bain Capital. But even the successes touted by Romney’s campaign involved some painful decisions and layoffs. Both the successes and the failures reveal the candidate’s faith in “creative destruction,” the notion that the new must relentlessly replace the old so that companies and the economy can become more efficient.

 

The concept is gospel to many businesspeople. But its intersection with politics has created what may be a recurring line of attack against Romney’s record.

 

Romney’s approach is visible in the three big Bain investments he trumpets in his official biography as evidence that he knows how to create jobs. The companies — Staples, Sports Authority and Domino’s Pizza — are well-known consumer brands, and the campaign has gone so far as to say that Romney helped create 100,000 jobs through his work related to those businesses.

 

But like Romney’s work on all the businesses Bain invested in, the primary goal with these companies wasn’t job creation but making them more profitable and valuable. This meant embracing aspects of capitalism that have unsettled some Americans: laying off workers when necessary, expanding overseas to chase profits and paying top executives significantly more than employees on lower rungs.

 

The rise of Staples is in fact a textbook example of “creative destruction.” Staples became a runaway business success in the 1980s and 1990s because it offered companies a smarter way of purchasing supplies, saving them money. As Staples grew, smaller stationery stores were shuttered. These losses are not counted in Romney’s jobs figure.

 

“Creative destruction” has been widely invoked again since Newt Gingrich began attacking Mitt Romney’s record at the private-equity firm, Bain Capital. Of course, the term is a perennial favorite with business writers. But in response to Gingrich’s attacks, Romney and his allies have insisted that Bain exemplifies “creative destruction,” the closely-linked glory and pain of unfettered capitalism.

 

“Creative destruction,” the concept, however, carries a more mixed message than many of Romney’s defenders may think. In fact, it points to deep problems that face conservatives whenever they argue that ordinary people should look past the ugly and brutal side of economic life. The phrase was first used by the Austrian economist, Joseph Schumpeter, in his 1942 book, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. It referred to a phenomenon Schumpeter had been writing about for decades, a process bound up with entrepreneurship and innovation.

 

Entrepreneurs, Schumpeter argued, were no ordinary businesspeople. Entrepreneurs were visionaries, great leaders who introduced the world to new products, new production methods, and new ways of selling. Think of the pioneers of power looms, railroads, or even big-box retailing. And in bringing these things into being – here’s the key – they destroyed firms and devastated people wedded to old ways.

 

So the first problem is that the term by Schumpeter’s definition doesn’t really apply that well to much of what firms like Bain do. Private equity firms buy undervalued businesses and break them up or try to return them to profitability before selling them for a quick gain. “Creative destruction,” by contrast, has more to do with Mark Zuckerberg than Mitt Romney, more to do with how e-readers knocked Borders out of business than shrewd financiers flipping underperforming companies.

 

Even when private equity firms fulfill their highest expectations for profit-maximizing, they can look more like creative destruction’s clean-up crew than its agents. And that’s not all. Often, the real money-making in private equity doesn’t even result from cleaning up, just controlling the financial spigots. For example, Bain caused a medical company it had acquired to borrow hundreds of millions to buy it out of half its stake, for an eightfold return to Bain. The heavily-indebted company went bankrupt.

 

. . . Romney uses the term repeatedly in his book, No Apology. He may not realize that for Schumpeter, the idea of “creative destruction” was steeped in a kind of hero-worship that goes over poorly in a democracy. In economic life as in politics, Schumpeter saw elites – not consumers or citizens – as the drivers, the instigators. Typical citizens, he wrote, were “incapable of action other than a stampede.” And consumers were “so amenable to the influence of advertising” that producers could dictate to them, rather than respond to their desires.

 

The attraction of “creative destruction” for Schumpeter always had much less to do with ordinary people’s needs, and far more to do with the towering will-power and deeds of the great. Entrepreneurs weren’t admirable because they displayed common virtues. They didn’t just act from a common desire for material gain. Like medieval lords or Homer’s Achilles, entrepreneurs acted from “the will to found a private kingdom,” “the will to conquer, the impulse to fight, to prove oneself superior to others.”

 

. . . Some conservatives recognize the wider problem, understand that now, especially, may not be the time to emphasize “creative destruction.” William Kristol, who a decade ago wrote with David Brooks that “there aren’t many concepts as beloved by conservatives” now chastises his colleagues for defending Romney by deploying it. What’s changed in the last ten years? Most people’s experience of the economy, that’s what. And this brings us to the final problem with “creative destruction.”

 

For the term’s use in the wake of the financial crisis is certainly tinged with a deep and unmistakable irony. Credit default swaps and no-money-down mortgages were “creative,” yes. They may count as “innovations” in a narrow sense of clever ideas, something new, perhaps the most important new things in the economy of the young millennium. But from a social standpoint, everyone knows they were destructive novelties that tanked housing markets and stoked unemployment. In 2007, it would seem, creativity and destruction parted ways more decisively than ever before, and at least since then have been experienced very differently in different parts of the economy.

 

Author John Medearis teaches political theory at the University of California, Riverside and has written two books on Joseph Schumpeter.

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

Taken for The "I Have to Shoot What?!" 52-Week Challenge - Week 8: "Still Life"

 

IHTSW Set

I was hoping that my trip down to Athens would allow me two visits in a row when I wasn't tear gassed and up till late in the afternoon of Tuesday it seemed that was exactly what was going to happen. Despite the massive crowds that turned up in Syntagma Square to mark the visit of German chancellor, Angela Merkel the mood of the people was peaceful if not calm.

 

Despite draconian security measures which included a ban on any form of gathering or assembly along the planned route from Athens airport to the centre between 60,000 and 80,000 turned up to voice their anger and frustration not only with EU - IMF imposed austerity but also their own corrupt government coalition.

 

As the day wore on groups of stone throwing youths started their ritualised attacks on the riot police units that had lined the square. It's hard to express the surrealistic nature if such clashes as they seem to serve little purpose with both sides acting out a pre-arranged script which they've failed to share with the rest of us. To add to the sense of the unreal the small army of photographers and camera operators present gave the scene the feel of some alternative sports match.

 

Of course, the tear gas and the chunks of marble which often filled the air were real enough and at one point I was forced to retreat as I had not brought any protection. Fearing the possibility that I'd be stopped by the police I'd left my gas mask at home rather than face a day in police custody while they checked out my ID.

 

At any point the police could have used their overwhelming force to clear the place in just a few minutes, but instead they chose to play a bizarre game of cat and mouse with masked protesters. Even when they managed to catch someone the crowds immediately swarmed around them hurling every kind of vile insult in the Greek language to show just what they thought of them.

 

True to form the Greek police managed to foul up their image once more, this time by using a woman detainee as a human shield against stone throwers in a narrow back street, an action which ensured the story went global.

 

Later on, like children bored of playing the same old game for hours on end the police entered Syntagma Square in force using batons, pepper spray and tear gas to clear the area, once gain using their doctrine of casual brutality in the name of restoring public order.

   

The same absurdist script was also playing out for the cameras in the streets behind parliament as Greek prime minister, Antonis Samaras and Angela Merkel strolled through the tree lined streets on the way to a joint press conference. I assume the images were intended to show that contrary to foreign press reports the PM could walk freely in public without fear of attack.

 

What the TV pictures did not show were the seven water canons parked just up the road and 1000's of heavily armed riot police that separated the leaders from the seething demonstrator in Syntagma. With security measures as tight as these even Barack Obama could happily spend a carefree morning window shopping in down town Kabul or Baghdad.

 

It hard to fathom what was the point of the whole expensive exercise since Merkel said little of substance and merely repeated her position that Greece needed to stick to the terms of the bailout deal and press ahead with yet more tax hikes, public spending cuts and lay offs. Instead of strengthening Samaras's position within Greece's shaky coalition government, Merkel underlined just how little real power Greece's political leadership has in its negotiations with the EU/IMF/ECB troika.

 

On the other hand the hardware stores in Monestiraki which do a roaring trade in improvised gas masks and marble wholesalers who regular replace the smashed stone work in Syntagma had a great day

HFF from Colorado.

I think people dump their old skis on this property. There were a couple old ones laying off the side of the road. I can imagine someone pulling over and throwing them out the window, and pulling away.

Hotel Golden Tulip Brasília Alvorada, Brasília, Brasil.

R - Rest, relax, ...

 

1/500s . f/5.6 . ISO 80 . 16.8 mm

A mix of engineers, mechanics, technical artists etc. I like variety of dress we see in this group. My father, a patent draftsman, is casually dressed in a plaid shirt 4th from the left in the back row.

 

My family used to socialize with that of Jim Baker (third from left, front row), who was a skilled calligraphist and who had a daughter-in-law who became an astronaut.

North American Aviation became part of Rockwell International later in the 60's, and lay-offs occurred in 1969. After a tough job search, my father ended up as the chief patent draftsman at General Electric in Schenectady NY. (1970 - 1978)

i was going to complain about the fact that i was in the office 10 hours today, but you know what I am GRATEFUL that I have a job to go to.... and that's probably why I stay there that long -- you gotta keep yourself in demand and visible and be of value as widely in the organization as possible.... so no bitching.... Business Week reported this week that my company is laying off 3000 employees. it's tough out there

ruffled lace blouse - newport news

didn't want the usual black underneath -- F21 cami

sailor button slacks - INC

threw on my elphaba 9west boots again.... (i got some new patent booties in the mail today Can't Wait to WEAR)

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

Man I look like a friggin' GIANT next to Igor...gotta lay off the fruits and vegetables.

What do you mean Halo and Billie Jean…..That you are off on a new adventure trip in the magic basket……Oh NO you are not..…Now get out please….And why is there only two of you…..Where is Leonardo……He has been snatched by the Wicked Witch of Ratinfested hall you say…….Oh gosh…..Not little Leo…We got to save him..…Ok guys…..We have to get him back…..And it is down to you two…..As I am getting a little too old for this adventure trip……..But please please be very careful……There a lot of people out there who have lost their hearts to you ……and would be heartbroken if you came to harm…….as you sail over the doom top mountain range…..and the shark infested seas that lay off Dragons head......To find and rescue Leonardo from the evil clutches of the Wicked Witch who lives at Ratinfested hall in the lands time has forgotten……..I have put you some surprises in your magic basket to help keep you brave and strong……I feel so proud of you, my brave little Shelties …… As you sail away to the highest clouds…….To rescue our beautiful Leo….Take care <3 <3 <3

No sleep tonight …..Too much worry….Yes I know…..I am now in danger of losing all three adventures pups…..But how could I leave Leo to his fate……Anyhow Halo and Billie Jean understand and would have never have forgiven me had I not let them go……..But will you too…. forgive me if they come to harm I wonder…..Or will you to…Understand…..

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

PHILIPPINE SEA (Feb. 6, 2019) Sonar Technician (Surface) 3rd Class Hannah McKenley from Ringgold, Ga., supervises sailors, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), as they lay off slack on a sound powered phone line during a replenishment-at-sea with USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8). Preble is deployed to the U.S 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bryan Niegel/Released)

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

Hạt Châu

     

Bốn cô ngồi chung quanh bàn ăn, ở giữa có một đĩa bánh chưng khói lên nghi ngút. Bánh không gói bằng lá chuối xanh, nhưng gói bằng giấy bạc, thứ giấy để bọc đồ ăn đốt lò chịu nóng được. Từng chiếc bánh nhỏ bằng nắm tay, nhưng bên trong có nhân đậu xanh và thịt giống như bánh ở quê nhà trông thật ngon lành ..

Hằng, cô gái bé nhất lên tiếng trước

- 12 giờ khuya rồi hở các chị ? Hôm nay là ngày Tết, giờ này là giờ giao thừa đây... Giá chúng mình ở nhà thì được mặc áo mới, khách đầy nhà, tha hồ ăn bánh mứt, hoa quả, lại có cả tiền mở hàng nữa!

 

Trí tưởng tượng của Hằng còn đang muốn phiêu lưu xa hơn thì Ngọc, cô gái có nhiều ý tưởng mạnh dạn nhất đám gạt ngang:

- Thôi đừng lộn xộn.

Hiền cũng hiền lành như tên nàng, giảng hòa:

- Chả mấy khi Tết nhà nấu bánh chưng, để cho cô em út vọng quê hương một bữa cho đỡ thèm.

Vân, cô lớn nhất chỉ mỉm cười.

Không biết có duyên nợ gì mà bốn cô bốn xứ bỗng họp lại sống chung trong một căn nhà trọ. Họ sống gần gũi, thân mật, quí mến nhau, đồng thời cũng lục đục như bốn chị em. Các cô mời nhau ăn khi có món ngon vật lạ, và cũng có những lúc không bằng lòng nhau. Người nóng tính lồng lộn lên một lúc rồi quên đi, người đằm thắm thì giận âm ỉ nung nấu trong lòng, không nói gì ra mặt nên mối hờn hình như hơi lâu mới được quên.

 

Nhà chỉ có ba phòng ngủ. Vân đến thuê đầu tiên được phòng ngoài nhìn ra bể. Kế đến Hiền chọn gian phòng cuối nhìn ra vườn, rất yên tĩnh có cửa ra vào riêng. Hằng đến sau nên nhận phòng giữa, cửa sổ nhìn sang nhà láng giềng, cửa lớn phòng Hiền ăn thông qua. Tuy thế, nhưng Hằng vẫn tự cho là may mắn vì thuê nhà rất khó, thuê cư xá phải chờ cả tháng cho đến khi có người dọn ra, mình mới có cơ hội dọn vào. Giá tiền cố nhiên đắt hơn gấp ba, bốn lần, lại phải sắm sửa tất cả các vật dụng cho cuộc sống hàng ngày.. Ở tạm một phòng, tuy không độc lập lắm, nhưng Hằng có kế hoạch để dành tiền trở về trường học lại nên càng đỡ tốn càng hay.

 

Người khách trọ cuối cùng là Ngọc. Ngọc có chồng đang công tác xa. Trong khi đợi chồng về, Ngọc đi học, và cũng về đây đi dạy để dành tiền học nốt bằng MA. Ngọc quen Vân nên đến ở tạm trong khi tìm nhà. Ban đầu Ngọc ngủ ở phòng khách, chiếc divan giở ra thành giường, sáng xếp lại thành ghế rất tiện. Sau hai tuần đọc báo tìm tòi, Ngọc thuê được một gian nhà nhỏ.

 

Ngọc dọn đi một ngày một đêm. tối hôm sau Ngọc lại chở tất cả đồ đạc về đòi ở chung với lý do:

Em ghét con mẹ chủ nhà quá. Em phải đi làm chưa kịp gọi điện thoại cho người ta mở gas và điện nước tên em, chỉ dùng của nó một ngày mà nó tru tréo lên. Em dọn về ở chung với các chị cho vui, ngủ divan cũng được, với lại chẳng còn bao nhiêu ngày nữa. thuê nhà ở một mình vừa xa, vừa buồn, lại mất công đi thăm.

Thế là Ngọc trở thành người khách trọ thứ tư. Về chuyện ăn uống, ban đầu chỉ có Vân và Hiền, hai người ăn riêng. Hiền thường đến nhà người bạn trai của nàng nấu ăn xong mới về. Nàng chỉ nấu ăn sáng, hay những hôm không muốn ra ngoài. Ngọc và Vân ăn chung. Được mấy hôm, Hằng xin gia nhập để tập nấu ăn vì ăn một mình phải bỏ nhiều thì giờ nấu nướng mất công quá. Ba người soạn một cái thực đơn có tên tất cả những món ăn họ biết làm, treo lên bếp, mỗi ngày nhìn vào đấy để chọn thức ăn khỏi phải suy nghĩ tìm món. Trong thực đơn, Ngọc tinh nghịch viết tên món thứ 20 là “ cá rô cây, chấm nước mắm”. Các bạn ngoại quốc đến chơi thấy tên ấy dài nhất tưởng là món đặc biệt ngon lắm, ai cũng điểm xin ăn món số 20. Thế là cả nhà sau khi giải thích được một bữa cười bò lăn. Hằng vừa cắn bánh chưng vừa hỏi:

- Mai ăn gì hở các chị ?

Ngọc mắng đùa:

- Cô bé này lúc nào cũng nghĩ đến chuyện ăn, hỏng!

Vân bênh:

- Thế tốt chứ sao. Chu đáo thế còn đòi gì nữa. Nếu tôi làm đàn ông, tôi cưới một người vợ như Hằng. Ngày nào cũng được ăn ngon.

Hằng cười híp mắt lại trông kháu khỉnh như một con búp bê. Miệng cô bé hơi rộng nhưng có duyên. Hiền khen:

- Cô Hằng có hai má núng đồng tiền trông xinh ghê!

- Nhân tạo đấy chị ạ. Chị của em có những hai đồng tiền cơ. Hồi bé em cứ ganh tị với chị của em mãi. Em giận má sao có hai đồng tiền cho hết chị, không để dành cho em một đồng. Về sau khi em có cái mụn thật to đúng ngay chỗ này, khi gần lành em lấy tay gỡ mãi. Mẹ cấm gỡ vì sợ nó thành sẹo, nhưng con bé ranh lắm, biết là thành thẹo sẽ có một cái vết núng con con nên cứ lén gỡ. Quả nhiên, “ hữu cầu tất ứng”, con bé được ngay cái sẹo đúng vào chỗ của cái má núng đồng tiền, không xê xích cao thấp một ly một tý nào cả.

 

Cả bọn phá lên cười. Đối với Hằng, Vân có cảm tình khác hẳn với những người khác. Vân quí mến tất cả các bạn và coi họ ngang hàng với mình. Còn Hằng, vì nàng trẻ hơn Vân nhiều quá nên Vân coi Hằng như em. Và lúc đầu chính Hằng đối với Vân cũng có những cảm tình thành thật như vậy. Hằng yêu cầu Vân chỉ cho Hằng những điều gì Hằng chưa hiểu, và khi hiểu rồi, Hằng vui vẻ chấp nhận, không mất lòng, không giận dỗi... Hằng kể:

- Ngày xưa mẹ cưng em lắm, bà cứ nói là chữ khó, chứ học nấu ăn thì mấy hồi. Mẹ không bao giờ cho em vào bếp hoặc nhúng tay làm bất cứ chuyện gì trong nhà. Bây giờ em thấy cần phải biết nấu ăn thật ngon, vì nhỡ mai mốt em có bồ, em muốn cưng bồ, nấu vài món cho bồ ăn để biểu diễn tài nội trợ mà bồ nuốt không trôi thì nguy to.

Nàng còn thú thật

- Chị biết không, năm kia em đi dự đại hội sinh viên hàng năm, thấy các chị làm bếp, em xông vào cái gì cũng xin giúp một tay để các chị tha hồ sai vặt. Cô bé nhẫn nại lắm, đứng khuấy nồi chè cả tiếng đồng hồ. Các anh trông thấy tưởng là cô bé có tài nội trợ giỏi ghê gớm cứ liếc tình mãi. Lại có anh ướm hỏi ngày nào được cô bé mời lại nhà ăn. Có biết đâu là cô bé chỉ biết khuấy nồi chè mà cũng chả hiểu kết quả rồi ra sao!

 

Hằng thông minh, ham học, biểu lộ tình cảm nồng nhiệt và chân thành như một linh hồn trong trắng, chưa từng va chạm hay trông thấy một tan vỡ gì ở đời. Sự thực cũng đúng như thế. Sau khi đậu xong tú tài toàn phần ở Việt Nam, Hằng được học bổng sang Mỹ, và vào ở nội trú ngay trong một trường nữ học Công Giáo. Sống dưới sự săn sóc của các Mẹ, niềm yêu thương Chúa, tin ở mình và sự hòa hợp của các bạn đồng học. Hằng chưa từng trông thấy, động chạm hay trải qua một thử thách gì của đời. Năm nay Hằng vừa thi đỗ, định đi làm vài ba tháng, rồi lại vào đại học. Cửa tương lai mở ra đầy hứa hẹn tưng bừng. Lần đầu tiên ra đời làm việc kiếm tiền, Hằng rơi ngay vào căn gác trọ này. Hằng mở rộng mắt, tim ra đón nhận những cái gì nàng chưa biết, nhất là đòi học nấu ăn một cách hăng hái như trong tâm hồn đã có một chương trình nấu ăn cho một anh chàng nào đó rồi.

 

Hằng nhí nhảnh, hay cười, hay hát, Hiền trái lại, nghiêm trang điềm đạm, mắt lúc nào cũng đượm vẻ mơ buồn. Hằng đẹp ngây thơ tưng bừng chừng nào thì Hiền trầm lặng xa xôi chừng ấy. Trông Hiền trang điểm xong thật lộng lẫy mà cũng thật mơ hồ lạnh lùng. Ở cô gái này có nhiều nét khác hẳn nhau: Hiền vừa sợ cô đơn, vừa tìm đến cô đơn. Hiền tránh những đám đông cuộc vui, nhưng một mình buồn nên gọi điện thoại nói chuyện với bạn hàng giờ. Hiền nấu ăn rất ngon, chuyên môn nhiều món bổ khỏe để ăn cho lên cân. Hiền lại may giỏi, còn biết chọn những kiểu áo thích hợp để khéo che dấu cái thân hình “ mình hạc xương mai” của Hiền.

 

Ngoài giờ dạy học, lúc rỗi, Hiền lảnh may áo quần cho các bạn, nhiều nhất là áo dài Việt Nam. Hàng đặt tới tấp. Hiền may đêm này liền đêm khác, không bao giờ biết chán nản, mệt mỏi. Mới nhìn, ai cũng công nhận là HIền đẹp, nhưng trong vẻ đẹp có một nét gì sắc lạnh, và chắc có lẽ chính cái nét ấy làm cho số phận Hiền lao đao.

 

Những người con trai Hiền quen biết hơn 20 năm nay đều đi qua đời Hiền một cách dửng dưng. Hiền thường nhắc nhở một người Hiền yêu ngày xưa đã chết. Những anh chàng khác không có vấn đề này cũng có vấn đề khác, làm cho cuộc tình duyên có nhiều thiện chí mấy cũng không thành. Và càng nhiều cuộc tình duyên vụn không thành, thì cuộc tình tan vỡ vì cái chết, càng được vẽ vời thêm hoa thêm lá, thêm hương, thêm sắc, và càng ly kỳ nồng nàn thêm. Hiền thú thật với các bạn nàng chỉ thích lấy chồng Việt Nam, nhưng những chàng trai Việt ở ngoại quốc phần nhiều thích gái tóc vàng và có thành kiến: “ Gái Việt ra ngoại quốc là hỏng”, nên khó ghép những chiếc đũa lẻ loi lại thành đôi.

Cho đến bây giờ Hiền có một người bạn trai mà hình như cũng chả đi tới đâu. Theo lời Hiền thì:

- Tánh anh ấy kỳ cục quá

- Anh ấy nói chuyện dấm dẳn, quê một cục.

- Anh ấy cãi lộn với em hoài, đi chơi cũng chẳng có gì du dương, nói chuyện cũng không ngọt ngào...

Vân đùa:

- Thế còn cái anh chàng chiều nào cũng hai giờ điện thoại thì sao ?

- Anh ấy ngọt ngào dễ thương, nhưng chỉ coi em như một người chị.

Có nhiều người khuyên Hiền nên về nước để lập gia đình, Hiền trả lời:

- Thôi đi. Bao nhiêu trai anh tuấn ra mặt trận hết. Còn lại ở thành thị những anh chàng “ trốn lính đi ở chùa” hay đến quân dịch cũng không chịu bắt thì vớ được cũng chỉ phải tội.

 

Thật ra trong tâm Hiền nghĩ đến chuyện về nước phải chạm trán với những con người “ tình cũ, nghĩa xưa” hơn 20 năm trước, bây giờ phây phây ra, cháu chắt đầy đàn, hạnh phúc tràn trề, Hiền nghe như tim mình muốn đứng lại. Tính Hiền rất ít nói, cũng không thích âm nhạc, ca hát hay đọc sách xem báo gì cả. Một lần Vân muốn Hiền cũng được hưởng chung cái thú của mình, tăng thêm kiến thức và hiểu thêm một vài khía cạnh khác của đời, Vân cố nài ép Hiền đọc một cuốn sách nàng mượn được của thư viện. Hiền nhận sách, nhưng ba tuần sau Vân quét nhà thấy nó nằm dưới gầm giường bám đầy bụi, có một mảnh giấy làm dấu trang đầu.

 

Ngoài giờ đi làm, ngoài giờ nói điện thoại, Hiền cắm đầu may áo thuê cho các bạn. Nhìn số tiền lương và tiền may hầu như không đụng đến, bỏ vào băng ngày càng nhiều, Hiền thấy vui vui. Nhớ lại lúc 16 tuổi Hiền đã đứng làm chủ một tiệm may, Hiền tự thấy kiêu hãnh vô cùng. Trong trí óc Hiền, sự suy tính mưu đồ kinh doanh bao giờ cũng lấn át hẳn phần tình cảm. Có lẽ cũng vì thế nên bao nhiêu cuộc tình duyên đều lỡ làng.. Trời chỉ cho mỗi người một thứ lộc đặc biệt thôi. Được tình thì kém tiền, tiền đến thì tình xa tránh. Một tay Hiền đã làm ra hàng trăm triệu quan trong việc buôn bán tiền ở Pháp, trong lúc các cô bạn cùng lứa tuổi ăn bánh mì nhạt lót lòng qua buổi để đi học vừa đói, vừa lạnh. Nhưng học xong, họ cưới ngay một người bạn tình rồi về nước làm bà nọ bà kia. Còn Hiền vẫn cứ ở lại cô đơn với cuốn sổ băng càng ngày càng nhiều con số chồng chất lên nhau. Trời đã cho Hiền cái tài làm ra tiền để đền bù sự thiệt thòi, cho Hiền nhiều tiền để bớt thấy đời trống trải cô đơn vì thiếu tình. Hay lỗi tại Hiền, nàng lo chạy theo tiền quên cả thời gian, không có thì giờ giao thiệp tìm hiểu ai cả. Vì cớ gì không ai biết.

 

Bà Lan chủ nhà ở tầng dưới. Bà dạy một trường với các cô, nên mỗi sáng chở các cô đi làm cùng một chuyến xe cho tiện. Bà thuộc hạng trẻ chưa qua, già chưa tới, chỉ lớn hơn Vân, Ngọc, Hiền vài tuổi thôi nên dễ tâm tình. Qua sông lần đầu bị gãy cầu, bây gì bà vừa làm cha, vừa làm mẹ, làm cả thầy lẫn bạn của hai đứa con gái, kỷ niệm của chiếc cầu gãy. Thỉnh thoảng bà đem trà bánh lên lầu dự vào những buổi nói chuyện lan man với các cô. Bà không hỏi nhiều, chỉ thoáng nghe qua một vài câu chuyện trao đổi cũng đủ hiểu cả quá khứ, vị lai và tâm tư các cô. Làm một người bạn im lặng nghe, cũng như bà đã nghe và thông cảm bao nhiêu tâm sự của các cô bạn trẻ thuê phòng trước kia. Từng nhóm, từng nhóm, đám này đi, đám khác đến. Khi một người phải đi thuê một căn phòng ở một mình trong gác trọ, không ít thì nhiều cũng thuộc vào loại cô đơn rồi.

 

Cái khuyết điểm lớn nhất của bà Lan là không tin tưởng vào các bậc xưa nay vẫn được gọi là “ đại trương phu”, vì họ chỉ làm được trượng phu khi tử tế thôi, còn khi hết bạn thì cái phẩm chất đại trượng phu cũng tan ra mây khói, và những thành tích trượng phu thành một dĩ vãng lịch sử không bao giờ có thể trùng diễn. Nghe bà tả chân các vị này thì thần tượng nào cũng sụp đổ. Một lần bà góp chuyện, nói đến mục phê bình “ trai anh tuấn” của một cô tả oán mấy thằng anh hùng mất dạy nào đó, lời bàn của bà như lửa cháy đổ thêm dầu:

- Lứa tuổi các cô khó lấy chồng lắm các cô ơi. Các ông trung niên cỡ trên 40 tuổi ai cũng vợ con cả đàn rồi. Còn sót anh nào chưa vợ hẳn là phải có chứng tật gì. Không bịnh vật chất, thì cũng khuyết điểm tinh thần. Vật chất có thể là ờ..ờ.. bệnh tật quanh năm, tinh thần có thể là loại bươm bướm, ích kỷ không chịu trách nhiệm, sợ bổn phận, keo kiệt...Những thức người ấy, các vàng cũng đừng nhận. Còn anh nào ly dị vợ hay vợ ly dị cũng có vấn đề. Có bà vợ nào có ông chồng quí hóa mà chịu để sổng ra đâu. Con chó nhả miếng xương ra thì miếng xương ấy còn gì mà nhằn nữa. Chỉ còn nhìn vào những anh góa vợ, nhưng số này hiếm lắm vì đàn bà sống dai hơn đàn ông. Khắp nơi chỉ thấy nhan nhản đàn bà góa chồng, chứ đàn ông góa vợ thì thắp đuốc tìm sáng trời cũng không thấy.

 

Hiền yên lặng chịu số phận như một con mèo ngoan ngoãn, hiền lành, xinh xinh nằm phơi mình dưới ánh nắng mặt trời. Nhưng cũng con mèo ấy dấu đầy móng vuốt trong bàn tay, bàn chân. Những móng vuốt này không lòi ra miễn đừng ai động đến nó. Muốn làm thân với nó thì phải vuốt ve âu yếm, phải chiều chuộng chuyện trò. Nếu ai dại dột kéo đuôi nó một cái thì phải biết. Cũng con mèo dịu dàng xinh xinh ấy sẽ vùng dậy gào lên cắn một miếng đáo để.

 

Cái cảnh con mèo vùng lên, Vân và các bạn được trông thấy lúc bà Lan khuyên Hiền nên vặn máy nước cho chặt, đừng để nước nhỏ giọt tí tách suốt đêm nghe không ngủ được. Chỉ có thế mà Hiền như một người đã đè nén muôn nghìn nỗi niềm uất ức từ đời kiếp nào, bây giờ bỗng nổ bùng lên. Hiền giận dữ mắng:

- Cái máy của chị hư thì có. Tay người ta vặn chỉ đến đấy thôi. Không vừa tay thì ai làm thế nào mà vặn được.

 

Và cứ một điệu nhạc “ không vừa tay” ấy, Hiền dằn đi dằn lại mãi hàng mấy tiếng đồng hồ, đến nỗi bà Lan phải chịu thua, xin lỗi Hiền và công nhận là máy nước hỏng. Để tỏ ra có thiện chí, bà gọi thợ đến sửa, nhưng người thợ đến chỉ lắc đầu rồi ra về, vì nào máy có hỏng đâu mà sửa. Nó chỉ “ không vừa tay” thôi. Nghĩa là người khác có thể vặn chặt, còn vòng tay của Hiền chỉ đến đấy là hết.

 

Từ hôm ấy mọi người hiểu rõ móng vuốt của con mèo hiền lành. Ai cũng lặng lẽ vặn nước lại cho chặt sau khi Hiền dùng xong bất cứ cái máy nước nào trong nhà.

 

Vân nhớ đến lời mẹ dạy ngày xưa “ngựa hay có chứng”, và mặc dầu ngựa có chứng, chưa chắc đã là ngựa hay, nhưng ta cứ cho nó là ngựa hay đi cho yên chuyện. Vân im lặng nhận xét tất cả các loại “ chứng” của các bạn cùng trọ và cố không để cho các cô biết.

 

Ngọc có nét đẹp của người con gái miền Nam. Gương mặt trái xoan xinh xinh trông rất Á Đông. Ngọc rất thông minh chăm học. Có lẽ hơi quá thông mình hơn mức thường một chút. Ngoài ra Ngọc lại nấu ăn khéo, chăm học, cuộc sống ngăn nắp gọn gàng, tính tình tế nhị, kín đáo.

Thực ra, có lẽ Ngọc cũng là một con mèo nằm phơi nắng, chỉ chưa có dịp nào cần biểu diễn bản lĩnh thôi. Qua những câu chuyện Ngọc kể, những lời Ngọc đối đáp lại với những kẻ hỗn xược với Ngọc ở ngoài đời hay trong sở, Vân hiểu Ngọc là người không để ai bắt nạt được. Đó là một điều tốt, vì người ta yêu con mèo có lẽ một phần cũng là vì nó là con mèo, nó có móng sắc nhọn ở trong bàn tay êm như nhung. Nó làm cho người ta yêu nó mà nể nó, chiều nó mà e dè nó. Nếu nó không có khí giới tự vệ, người ta sẽ kéo đuôi nó mà không phải lo bị nó cào. Đường đời có một chiều, còn gì là thú sống nữa.

 

Sinh, chồng Ngọc là một sĩ quan, bị đổi đi xa sau khi cưới được mấy tháng, nên Ngọc hay ngồi buồn ngẩn ngơ. Ngày ngày Ngọc đợi thư Sinh, đêm đêm Ngọc ôm chiếc máy ghi âm vào lòng nghe Sinh nói chuyện và hát. Có khi Ngọc mở to cho cả nhà cùng nghe.

- Bây giờ có lẽ anh hát cho em nghe nhé. Em muốn hát bài gì ? Có lẽ em thích nghe bài này. Có lẽ anh sẽ hát thêm một bài nữa cho em nghe. Nhưng có lẽ em không thích... Sinh hỏi rồi Sinh trả lời. Nghe Sinh nhắc đi nhắc lại chữ “ có lẽ” hàng chục lần, Vân đặt tên Sinh là “ anh chàng có lẽ”.

 

Cứ thế, đêm đêm trong góc nhà, chỗ divan Ngọc nằm tiếng hát của Sinh vẳng lên khe khẽ, Ngọc ôm máy lắng nghe giọng chồng tình tứ nồng nàn, đếm từng ngày đợi thư chồng.

Mỗi chiều lúc tan trường, bốn cô về nhà thay quần áo xong, Hiền vào phòng riêng đóng cửa may hay đội chiếc mũ rơm lững thững đến nhà người bạn trai của nàng nấu ăn. Cơm tối xong Hiền về, lại đóng cửa may vá. Hiền ít khi ra phòng khách chuyện trò, ít chơi thân với ai, giữa nàng và tất cả mọi người lúc nào cũng như có một tấm màn ngăn cách. Ngoài việc may vá, Hiền tiêu thì giờ bằng cách gọi điện thoại nói chuyện với một người bạn trai khác hết giờ này sang giờ khác để tiêu sầu. Nhiều người đùa Hiền, bảo nàng thích anh nào thì nên chọn một, bồ với cả hai anh cùng một lúc như thế rồi chẳng có anh nào cả. Hiền trả lời:

- Một anh thì hay gắt gỏng, nói chuyện chẳng tình tứ du dương gì hết, quê một cục. Nếu em chịu được cái cảnh hai người mỗi ngày gây nhau 85 lần bất cứ vấn đề gì thì lấy nhau cũng được. Còn anh trong điện thoại, trái lại mềm mỏng, dễ thương ăn nói ngọt ngào lắm, nhưng anh ấy tỏ vẻ thích vợ trẻ và có bằng cấp cao. Em nhiều tuổi hơn anh ấy, lại không có bằng cấp cao nên anh ấy chỉ ngọt ngào chơi, giết thì giờ thế thôi chứ không có ý xây dựng gì cả.

Cả bọn nghe xong phá lên cười:

- Thế bao giờ sinh nhật anh ấy để chúng em biếu anh ấy cái gương thần. Một cái gương soi thấy cả dung nhan lẫn giá trị tinh thần. Anh ấy mà cưới được chị Hiền thì có thể gọi là phúc tổ tiên bảy mươi đời để lại.

- Nhưng mà thôi, ai cũng có quyền mơ. Biết đâu phúc nhà anh ấy còn dày hơn nữa. Với lại mấy cụ trai già ấy thì cũng lắm bệnh, lắm tật kinh khủng. Tội gì mà tự chuốc cái ách nô lệ vào thân.

 

Thì ra con người ở bất cứ hoàn cảnh nào cũng giải thích một cách hợp lý được, và cố nhiên phần thắng danh dự về mình.

Mỗi chiều Hằng đã dành được phần nấu ăn. Ban đầu Vân nấu, bảo Hằng đứng xem để học lóm, nhưng Hằng không chịu, bảo rằng muốn làm từ đầu đến cuối tất cả mọi thứ để biết một cách rõ ràng, chứ không chịu “ chị ướp gì vào thịt, em không biết, chỉ thấy xào xào, ai xào chả được, mai đây em biết làm thế nào”. Ban đầu Vân không tin là Hằng không biết nấu ăn, nhưng hôm nói chuyện về bánh chưng, Hằng hỏi một câu làm cho tất cả mọi người giật mình:

- Có phải nấu nếp chín trước, kho thịt xong, rồi mới gói lại thành hình bánh chưng phải không chị?

 

Từ đấy mọi người ai biết gì cũng ra công chỉ bảo cho Hằng, bởi vì tất cả đều không còn ngờ vực tài nấu nướng của Hằng nữa. Hằng nhường phần quét dọn và nấu buổi sáng cho Vân. Ngọc phụ bếp. Hằng giữ chân bếp chính nhưng ở dưới sự chỉ huy của Vân và Ngọc.. Cô bé hăng hái muốn tập tất cả những món gì có thể nấu được, để chuẩn bị cưng anh chàng Hoàng Tử đẹp trai tương lai nào đó.

 

Mỗi chiều sau khi chỉ cho Hằng phải làm món gì, làm như thế nào rõ ràng, Vân ra vườn tưới hoa cắt cây. Ăn uống, rửa bát dọn dẹp xong, Vân nằm đọc sách cho đến khi mắt nặng trĩu vứt sách tắt đèn là ngủ luôn. Vân lớn tuổi nhất trong bọn nên vẫn được gọi đùa là chị Hai. Từ lâu nàng quen sống độc lập cả vật chất lẫn tinh thần. Lắm lúc Vân ao ước có một người bạn nào có thể bàn bạc hay hỏi ý kiến được thì hay quá. Cái gì Vân cũng phải tự suy nghĩ, quyết định lấy, rồi may nhờ rủi chịu. Vân nhận kết quả tốt cũng không vui mừng, mà thất bại cũng không buồn giận oán than. Thành công không được khen tặng, mà hỏng việc cũng chả có ai để đổ thừa.

 

Tính Vân tinh nghịch, muốn được ỷ lại vào người nào một tí cho có vẻ nữ tính. Còn gì chán hơn cho một người đàn bà phải sống, làm việc, suy nghĩ và hành động như một người đàn ông. Đàn bà như thế thì đàn ông mới trông thấy cũng đủ sợ hết vía rồi, đâu còn dám nghĩ đến chuyện làm quen nữa. Mười năm sống đời quả phụ, tình cảm của Vân đã cô đọng, khô khan, chai đá. Trái lại đôi mắt của Vân thì vẫn còn mơ buồn và đẹp một cách xa xôi. Vân trông trẻ hơn tuổi rất nhiều. Người nàng cũng vừa phải, mạnh khỏe và còn chứa đầy sinh lực. Mỗi chiều Vân ra vườn sau làm cả một mảnh vườn. Vân lại còn dặn bà Lan đừng thuê người làm để dành cho Vân có chỗ vận động. Làm xong mảnh này, mảnh kia cỏ lại mọc lên, thế là Vân lại có chỗ để tiêu pha nguồn sinh lực dồi dào. Những đường cong uốn lượn trên thân thể nàng như một trái cây chín tới, không quá xanh mà cũng không quá chín. Thân thể cân đối nở nang của nàng như phát ra sức hút, mà cũng như chờ đón nhận những âu yếm nồng nhiệt.

 

Mỗi ngày sau hai giờ làm vườn Vân mệt lả, nằm trong bồn nước nóng đầy xà phòng ngập đến cổ nhìn lên trần nhà hát khe khẽ. Cũng có khi Vân không giữ được yên tĩnh đập nước đùng đùng và hát to như trẻ con. Các cô khác nghe thấy tưởng Vân đương lên cơn vui. Chính thực ra Vân biết lúc ấy là lúc đầu óc trống rỗng và vô nghĩa nhất nên phải làm cái gì âm ỹ để lấp cái trống rỗng, để không còn cảm thấy vô nghĩa được.

- Kìa chị Vân ăn đi chứ. Công trình các chị gói bánh ăn Tết và mừng Ngọc ốm khỏi... Không ăn Ngọc giận, ốm lại cho mà xem.

Vân đang mơ mộng, giật mình trở về với hiện tại, vừa xắn chiếc bánh vừa nhìn Ngọc. Mới cách đây hai tuần, Ngọc còn ốm nằm mê man trên giường bệnh, bây giờ đã ngồi dậy ăn chung, nói lem lém làm việc như thường. Da mặt Ngọc đã thay bỏ lớp cũ, da non ra hồng hào, mơn mởn, tươi thắm như da trẻ con, mắt Ngọc sáng long lanh trông rất xinh. Thấy Vân nhìn mình mỉm cười, Ngọc hỏi:

- Sao chị nhìn em dữ thế?

- Ngọc bắt đầu ăn được ngon miệng rồi, chóng mạnh lắm. Cứ việc ăn, đừng sợ phát phúc.

- Em có sợ đâu. Em ăn nhiều ăn ít gì cũng thế thôi. Không bao giờ thêm bớt gì cả. Người em là một tác phẩm tuyệt vời mà.

Hằng vỗ tay reo:

- Hay hay. Em sẽ học câu ấy của chị. Thêm vào một câu hôm nọ là thêm một phân thì quá cao, thiếu một phân thì quá thấp. Chỉ khổ cho em, emlùn quá. Sau này nhỡ có bồ cao lại phải bắc thang trèo lên mới ngả được đầu vào ngực bồ, chán quá. Hằng nói xong, bóc thêm một chiếc bánh chưng để vào đĩa của mình.

- Em phải ăn thật nhiều mới được. Mai mốt vào trường lại phải ăn “ Hambuger” và “ Hot dog” chán chết. Về đây ở chung với các chị mấy tháng, tuy không có cái vui nhộn như em hằng ước ao, nhưng được ăn toàn món ăn Việt, lại biết tự nấu lấy nữa. Chuyến này về, em tha hồ mà trổ tài với các anh ấy.

Hằng vừa ăn vừa nói tiếp:

- Chị Ngọc lành rồi, “ Ba Xạo” không thấy đến nhỉ. Tiếc quá chị Vân đã điều đình giúp em, nhờ “ Ba Xạo” cắt cái mũi sư tử của em, sửa cho gọn cao và đẹp, chỉ tính có nửa tiền, thế mà em không đành tâm “ly dị” một tháng lương để sửa. Mất một cơ hội tốt nhưng cũng đành vậy. Sau này anh nào yêu em thì cũng phải yêu luôn cái mũi sư tử của em nữa.

Ngọc nghe nói đến tên “ Ba Xạo” phá lên cười.

Vân nghe đến chữ “ Ba Xạo” thì biến sắc mặt. Tim nàng như có vật gì đâm nhói vào.

 

Chợt trông thấy sắc mặt Vân, tiếng cười của Ngọc cũng tắt hẳn, còn Hằng vẫn vui thích cười vang lên. Ngọc tinh ý hơn Hằng. Trong đời Ngọc, trước khi lấy chồng, Ngọc đã từng biết thế nào là thăng trầm ấm lạnh của tình cảm. Còn Hằng vẫn ngây thơ. Có lẽ trong đời học sinh Hằng đã từng yêu vơ vẩn một vài hình bóng, nhưng đấy chưa thật là tình yêu có đủ khói lửa sóng gió, Hằng chưa biết được “ lửa sống” để hiểu rõ nội tâm của kẻ khác. Hằng thường nói:

- Em không tin có người buồn tình mà mất ăn mất ngủ được. Nếu em yêu mà bị tình cho “ lay off” thì càng buồn, em càng ăn nhiều. còn ngủ thì như các chị biết đấy, sáng nào chị Vân đánh thức dậy đi làm, em cũng nằm vật lên vật xuống mấy chục lần, cuối cùng sợ bà Lan bỏ rơi, không có xe đến trường nên mới cố gắng lấy hết can đảm bình sinh vùng dậy đi tắm. Không tạt nước lã vào người, chỉ rửa mặt thôi cũng không thể nào tỉnh táo được.

Vân bỏ đũa, dẹp bát của mình vào chậu nước rửa bát xong nói nhỏ một mình:

- Ăn nếp chóng no làm sao. Mình phải coi chừng kẻo béo ra thì nguy. Tham ăn làm hỏng mất một tác phẩm tuyệt diệu của hóa công, tội chết phải xuống địa ngục A Tỳ...

Nói xong, không đợi mọi người phản ứng, Vân ra phòng khách ngồi nhìn qua cửa kính.

 

Ánh sáng của ngọn đèn đường xa quá không soi thấy gì cả. Sương mù đã xuống dày đặc xóa nhòa những ánh đèn lấp lánh bên kia bờ bể. Vân ngồi trong phòng ấm mà nghe như cũng cảm thấy được hơi sương. Khí lạnh bên ngoài như hòa hợp với băng giá phát ra từ trong tâm. Vân rùng mình nhìn xuống sân. Bên dưới chỉ có hai chiếc xe hơi, một xe của Ngọc và một của bà Lan. Vân ngồi bất động, mơ tới chiếc xe thứ ba. Chiếc xe ấy, mới cách đây ít lâu còn hay đến đỗ trước nhà này. Chiếc xe màu ngà ngừng êm không một tiếng động, nên bao giờ cũng mãi tới khi có tiếng gõ cửa cả nhà mới biết là có khách. Vân có cảm giác rằng, chiếc xe ấy sẽ không bao giờ đến nữa. Có những điều người ta mơ hồ biết trước mà không lý luận vào đâu được.

 

Ai trông thấy Hà mà không nghĩ đây là một hạt châu. Là một “ hạt châu” từ trong trứng, cả thế giới dám cấp giấy chứng nhận Hà là một hạt châu chính hiệu, thế mà cái tinh thần ba xạo của Hà thì ví với mắt cá cũng còn chới với.

Nhưng điều mâu thuẫn rủi ro nhất cho tâm hồn người đàn bà là thấy rõ cả một trời khuyết điểm mà tình cảm vẫn không suy chuyển. Vân vừa nhớ Hà, vừa giận Hà, vừa ao ước gặp Hà mà đồng thời cũng thầm mong đừng bao giờ gặp Hà nữa để có thể quên.

 

Chỉ trong vòng một thời gian rất ngắn, Vân bỗng dưng trở thành một con người khác hẳn. Trước kia Vân tưởng mình, một đời sống 10 năm quả phụ với một vài lần hiểu lầm, trái tim như đã im lặng, như bất động hàng thế kỷ không còn biết cảm xúc là gì. Thế nhưng tình yêu chớp nhoáng đã đến với nàng như một cơn bão bất ngờ. cơn bão đến không báo trước, và lúc đi cũng tan biến vào khoảng không như một bóng ma, không một lời từ giã, không một câu giải thích, không một chữ hẹn hò...

 

Vân nhớ lại cách đây mấy tháng khi Vân gặp Hà lần đầu. Vân giật mình kinh ngạc mà không hiểu tại sao, nên vẫn cố thản nhiên che dấu bối rối. Vân đã nhìn Hà như một bảo vật trong tủ kính, Vân nhìn với cái nhìn của kẻ biết mình biết người, nhìn một cách quí mến, tán thưởng mà không hề ao ước.

 

Hôm ấy Vân đem Ngọc đến phòng khám bệnh của Hà. Vân đã giật mình kinh ngạc vì Hà rất giống một người bạn cũ ngày xưa của Vân. Tuy không giống hẳn nhưng khuôn mặt, khổ người, dáng điệu thanh thanh cũng đủ làm Vân lặng hẳn người đi. Mái tóc hoa râm của người đàn ông đối với một người đàn bà đứng tuổi, lắm khi trông còn hấp dẫn hơn vẻ đẹp của một lực sĩ. Đôi mắt Hà nhìn thẳng thắn tỏa ra một sức mạnh trầm lặng mà nồng nhiệt vô cùng.

 

Vân nhìn trộm tay Hà thấy đeo một chiếc nhẫn ngọc thạch cùng kiểu với bộ khuy tay áo. Hà không đeo nhẫn cưới, nhưng có nhiều người vợ con hàng đàn mà vẫn để ngón tay trống trơn như bàn tay độc thân. Đã lâu Vân không còn tin được vào những cái bàn tay không nhẫn ấy nữa!

 

Ngọc còn phải đến phòng bệnh nhiều lần, và mỗi lần Vân đều phải đem đi. Hà đã quen mặt thuộc tên hai người, đã thích hỏi những câu bâng quơ ngoài chuyện bệnh tình. Một hôm Hà hỏi Vân:

- Cơm Việt nam có ngon không cô?

Giá Vân là một người khác, qua nhiều lần “ bốn mắt nhìn nhau” như thế, sẽ. hiểu ngay đây là một câu “ mở đường cho huơu chạy”, Vân có thể trả lời:” Ngon lắm chứ , ngon hơn cả cơm Tàu nữa! Ông có muốn ăn thử không?”. Hà sẽ trả lời: “ Có chứ! Nếu cô định cho tôi ăn thử cơm Việt Nam thì còn gì bằng!”... và cứ thế sẽ có rất nhiều khoảng chính, khoảng phụ cần phải để hạ hồi phân giải...

Nhưng Vân chỉ thật thà trả lời:

- Đối với tôi cố nhiên là ngon!

Một lần khác Hà lại gợi chuyện:

- Tiếng Việt Nam có khó không cô? Tôi muốn học tiếng Việt lắm. Tôi sắp tình nguyện sang Việt Nam ba tháng giúp việc tại nhà thương Sàigòn.

 

Đây cũng là một câu “ mở đường cho huơu chạy” nữa! Đáng lẽ Vân trả lời:” Dễ lắm, nếu ông muốn học một vài câu nói thông dụng tôi sẽ dạy ông. Tôi chắc sẽ rất có ích khi ông đến Việt Nam”. Thế rồi câu chuyện có thể kéo dài ngày học, giờ học và vô tận... Nhưng Vân chỉ trả lời một cách đứng đắn:

- Tiếng Viết nam rất dễ vì văn pháp giản dị. Nhưng đối với người ngoại quốc thì khó về dấu và giọng.

Hà nhìn Vân không nói gì. Cái nhìn có vẻ trách móc như bảo:

- Đồ ngu, ta mở đường cho mà không biết đi! Vân cũng nhìn lại một cái nhìn thách thức để trả lời:

- Đứa nào giả vờ ngu được là đứa ấy không ngu lắm đâu! Làm chủ cả một cái bệnh viện như ông, đẹp trai tài giỏi như ông, không hỏi cũng biết đàn bà chung quanh ông thiếu gì. Ở cái bán đảo quanh năm thường trực có hàng chục ngàn đàn bà vừa góa, vừa ly dị, vừa nhỡ tàu, và nửa chừng xuân... quanh năm ông sửa mắt, sủa mũi, kéo da, thêm ngực cho hàng nghìn người, ông muốn thì thiếu gì, bộ tôi cũng chui vào tròng để rồi chết không kịp ngáp sao?

 

Vân cố giữ mình để cho cuộc đấu trí giữa hai bên sớm chấm dứt. Nàng không trả lời những câu hỏi bâng quơ của Hà nữa! Cả hai bên đều có thể tự coi như đã đi lạc vào rừng, trông thấy một đóa hoa dại tuyệt đẹp, và cố nhiên không thuộc quyền sở hữu của ai hết, nên đã dừng chân ngắm nghía tán thưởng một lúc rồi lại tiếp tục đi.

 

Câu chuyện chỉ có thể đến đây là hết, nếu Ngọc không quyết định sửa nhan sắc, thay da mặt, và Vân lại phải chở Ngọc đến phòng bệnh của Hà mỗi ngày. Lúc da non ra, Ngọc phải tránh nắng và gió nên một hôm Vân phàn nàn với Hà:

- Các cô nữ khán hộ của ông bảo ông không bao giờ thăm bệnh nhân ở nhà cả. Nhưng đây là trường hợp đặc biệt, xin ông đến nhà, chúng tôi sẽ trả tiền gấp đôi.

Hà mỉm một nụ cười bí hiểm trả lời:

- Được, tôi sẽ đến. Tôi không tính tiền đâu! Chủ nhật này 1 giờ trưa nhé?

 

Ngay tối hôm ấy khi cả nhà còn ngồi bên cạnh máy truyền hình bỗng có tiếng chuông điện thoại reo vang. Tiếng Hà ở bên kia đầu dây:

- Bác sĩ Hà đây... Chào cô. Thế nào các cô đang làm gì đấy? Tôi sẽ đến thăm các cô.

Vân ngạc nhiên trả lời:

- Vâng, ông có hứa đến thăm bệnh ngày mốt. Chủ nhật, 1 giờ trưa.

- Tôi sẽ đến ngay bây giờ.

- Bây giờ là 11 giờ đêm?

- Còn sớm chán. Tôi sẽ đến trong 5 phút.

Vân gọi các bạn:

- Này các cô, bác sĩ Hà tới ngay bây giờ! Tất cả mọi người đều ngạc nhiên:

- Động mả hở?

Đúng 5 phút sau Hà đến với một chai rượu trong tay. Cả nhà cùng uống mỗi người một ly nhỏ, còn Hà uống hết cốc này đến cốc khác không ngừng. Hà nói chuyện vui vẻ, bặt thiệp, duyên dáng, có óc hài hước vô cùng.

 

Lúc ra về, Hà bắt tay tất cả mọi người trong nhà, chỉ một mình Vân đưa Hà ra xe. Hà mở cửa xe bảo:

- Mời cô lên xe một lúc, tôi có chuyện quan trọng muốn nói.

Hà vừa nói vừa đẩy nhẹ Vân, Vân không kịp có phản ứng gì hay suy nghĩ xa xôi, theo đà bước lên xe, Vân vừa ngồi xuống thì Hà đã ngồi ngay bên cạnh. Vân định hỏi Hà muốn gì, nhưng chưa kịp mở lời, thì một tay Hà đã quàng qua sau lưng Vân, một tay ôm ngang. Anh chận câu hỏi bằng một cái hôn. Vân vùng vẫy chống cự, cái phản ứng đầu tiên của một người khi bị tấn công bất ngờ. Nhưng bị kềm chặt giữa hai vòng tay cứng rắn của Hà, Vân không thoát được. Môi của Hà mềm và thơm ngát mùi rượu dâu, Vân thấy choáng váng ngây ngất, để yên cho Hà tìm môi mình sâu hơn.

 

Hà chỉ ngừng lại thở trong vài giây rồi lại hôn tiếp. Và Vân mất hết ý tưởng chống cự, để mình chìm đắm sâu hơn trong mỗi cái hôn của Hà. Bỗng cả hai giật mình vì đèn ở ngoài hiên bật sáng. Có tiếng trên gác vọng xuống:

- Vào nhà nhanh lên kẻo gió lạnh lại bị ốm Vân ơi!

Cô nàng nào lo Vân bị lạnh lại có nhã ý vặn đèn soi đường, nhưng lòng tốt đến không đúng lúc, hình như không được hoan nghênh lắm.

Hà buông tay. Vân sửa lại tóc. Hai người nhìn nhau bâng khuâng.

- Thôi tôi về, khuya rồi. Mai là ngày mổ của tôi.

Vân gật đầu:

- Chủ nhật anh còn đến nữa không?

Hà se sẽ gật đầu, mở cửa xe cho Vân. Nhìn chiếc xe chạy biến vào đêm tối.

Vân thong thả bước lên nhà nghĩ thầm:

- Đời là như vậy sao? Hơn 10 năm sống như một đóa hoa kết thành băng, bỗng trong giây phút bị một người lạ mặt hái trong một lúc không ngờ nhất. Thì ra thời đại nguyên tử có khác. Hai người nhìn nhau, hiểu nhau muốn gì, người đàn bà cho cơ hội, và người đàn ông nắm lấy không cần có một lời mở đầu.

 

Vào nhà cả bọn hỏi tưng bừng tới tấp:

- Chuyện trò gì mà lâu quá vậy?

- Ai cho ai uống nước đường hở?

- A ha! Thế mà mấy cô khán hộ cứ quát tháo ầm cả lên:” Bác sĩ của chúng tôi không bao giờ làm “ house call”. Thấy chưa? Bây giờ “house call” từ 11 giờ đêm đến 3 giờ sáng!

 

Vân không trả lời những câu hỏi lửng lơ. Đầu óc nàng choáng váng, tâm trí lâng lâng, một niềm vui từ đâu tự kéo đến như nước vỡ bờ tràn ngập mênh mông. Thì ra khi một người đàn ông được coi như xứng đáng đến đúng lúc, thì họ có thể xoay chiều cả một nhân sinh quan, ở trong bất cứ cái đầu óc nào bướng bỉnh kiên cố nhất.

 

Trưa hôm sau trong lúc không ai ngờ Hà đến, thì Hà lại lừng lững vào và ngồi chơi rất lâu. Cả bọn đều hoan nghinh đã “ tậu” được một người bạn mới biết chữa bệnh, biết nói chuyện rất có duyên và biết cả đàn hát nữa!

Sau buổi cơm tối cả nhà tưởng là đã hết khách, không ngờ Hà lại còn đến. Mọi người đều đi ngủ từ lâu, cái divan ở phòng khách cũng đã lật ra thành giường. Khách mời ngồi trong nhà bếp.

- Anh muốn uống cà phê hay nước trà?

Hà lắc đầu:

- Tôi đã uống tất cả các thứ rồi.

Vân nhìn Hà ngạc nhiên nghĩ thầm: 1 giờ sáng, anh chàng này ở đâu đến đây?

Tại sao giờ này còn lang thang như đồ...

Hà không để Vân có thì giờ nhìn anh để phân tích hỏi han. Anh dơ tay kéo mạnh Vân vào lòng, thế là những cái hôn đến tới tấp như mưa.

 

Trưa chủ nhật, Hà giữ lời đã hứa, làm cái “ house call” chính thức. Nhưng bác sĩ đến không phải để thăm bệnh mà để ăn cơm với bệnh nhân và cả nhà rồi ra về. Ngọc đã gần khỏi, ngồi dậy đi ra đi vào nói chuyện lém lỉnh như thường, chỉ còn da mặt đang thay chưa được phép ra nắng.

 

Buổi cơm tối, bệnh nhân và các cô bạn gái bắt đầu đem bác sĩ của mình lên bàn mổ phân tích.

- Thằng cha này lạ! Có địa vị, danh giá, nổi tiếng giàu có, đẹp trai, đàn hát đủ tài, thế mà lại như có vẻ cô đơn!

- Theo thuyết của bà Lan thì những anh nào bị vợ bỏ là “ something wrong”. Anh nào đủ điều kiện cho đàn bà chết mệt mà cũng bị vợ chê là “ something “ lại càng “ wrong” lắm lắm lắm!

- Thằng cha này có đủ khả năng để có một nghìn lẻ một người yêu, tại sao lại chạy đến đây bất phân nhật dạ như đồ cầu bơ cầu bất thế nhỉ?

Những câu hỏi lửng lơ nêu ra, không ai cần ai trả lời, mà thực ra cũng không ai hiểu Hà đủ để trả lời.

 

Hà còn đến nhiều lần nữa, và lúc nào cũng có cả nhà quây quần chung quanh anh nói chuyện, nên trước mặt mọi người anh chỉ dám nắm tay Vân mà thôi. Vân không nói nên cũng không ai biết giữa Hà và Vân đã đi đến đâu.

 

Một hôm lúc lại đem Hà lên bàn mổ, Ngọc bảo:

- Thằng cha hay đùa quá. Mới đầu thì vui, bây giờ thấy chướng. Mình hỏi câu gì quan trọng đáng trả lời một cách đứng đắn, hắn cũng bông đùa. Ví dụ như hôm qua em hỏi về cái khoản “ special charge” trong đơn tính tiền là gì, thằng chả trả lời: “ Đó là nụ cười duyên dáng của tôi dành riêng cho cô”.

 

Hằng cũng nói:

- Thằng cha ấy lạ. Chỉ độc nói chuyện với một mình chị Ngọc. Hai người đối đáp sát sạt như keo sơn, không còn ai chen được một chữ vào trong câu chuyện. Thế nghĩa là trong bụng lão thì thích chị Ngọc, mê chị Ngọc, nhưng vì Ngọc có chồng rồi, nên lão nắm tay chị Vân cho đỡ ghiền!

Vân cũng tiếp:

- Tôi thấy lão nói láo số một. Lão chỉ thích đến bất ngờ bất cứ giờ nào, không nghĩ đến chủ nhân có tiện tiếp khách hay không. Còn khi lão hứa và mình chờ thì lão không đến. Party của mình nhân lời đến rồi lờ đi, không xin lỗi trước lỗi sau gì cả. Party của lão, hứa đến đón mình rồi quên luôn.

Ngọc gật đầu:

- Thằng cha ba xạo thật!

Hằng vỗ tay:

- Ha ha, Ba Xạo đúng là tên của lão!

Thế là từ đấy, tên Ba Xạo được ghi vào sổ bộ, được mọi người công nhận đúng là tên của Hà.

Vân nói:

- Ba Xạo ly dị, vợ ở nhà thương điên. Có khi cái ba xạo của lão làm vợ nổi khùng, chịu không nổi hóa điên cũng không biết chừng!

 

Mỗi ngày mọi người lại tìm thêm được một vài sáng kiến trong sự mổ xẻ tâm hồn và cuộc đời của Hà, và những phát giác mới càng củng cố cái ý nghĩa tính chất của tên Ba Xạo thêm lên.

Cho đến mấy tuần lễ sau này, Ba Xạo không thấy đến luôn như trước. Bệnh nhân lành rồi, bác sĩ không cần săn sóc, hay bác sĩ còn đang bận làm một “ house call “ nào quanh quất đâu đây!

  

Ở dưới đường từng chiếc xe đi qua, vết đèn chạy dài trên đường nhựa sáng loáng. Bây giờ Vân không hy vọng một trong những chiếc xe ấy dừng lại nữa. Chỉ một thời gian rất ngắn vừa qua, cuộc sống sóng gió nội tâm đầy đủ hơn cả 10 năm trời đằng đẳng. Rất nhiều tình yêu gói ghém niêm phong cất kín từ đời kiếp nào, một phút được mở khóa đem ra phơi nắng. Thoát khỏi không gian. Nhưng cũng như một phép nhiệm mầu, mối tình tự cảm thấy thoát ra không đúng thời đại, cho không đúng người, đúng lúc, tình tự thu mình nhỏ dần, nhỏ dần, rồi không ai bắt buộc, chính nó tự lắng vào tận nơi u uất nhất của tâm hồn, tự niêm phong lại sâu chặt hơn xưa.

Một trận gió ngược đã thổi tất cả sương mù sang vùng khác, bên kia bờ biển hàng vạn ánh sáng lấp lánh đủ màu như một rừng kim cương hiện ra.

 

Ngọc đã ăn xong đến ngồi cạnh Vân. Vân nhìn Ngọc, thấy người bạn trẻ hơn 10 tuổi, bây giờ vừa thay da mặt xong đẹp hơn trước gấp bội. Từ lúc mới quen nhau hồi 4 năm trước, Vân vẫn coi Ngọc như em gái, thương Ngọc một cách chân thành. Nhất là những ngày Ngọc vừa ở bệnh viện về, Vân đưa đón, bồng lên đỡ xuống, nâng niu như một người em bé, tình thương càng sâu đậm thêm lên. Nhưng từ lúc Hà đến và nhận thấy Hà chỉ thích nói chuyện với Ngọc, Vân mới nhận ra Ngọc có một nhan sắc hấp dẫn đàn ông kinh hồn, nhan sắc ấy người đàn bà nhìn nhau như bạn gái không thể nào cảm thấy được.

 

Hằng ăn xong cũng theo ra phòng khách, hỏi:

- Này các chị, em nhận thấy là Ba Xạo mê chị Ngọc, nhưng Ngọc có chồng rồi, lão không dám dở trò sợ bị ăn đòn, nên dùng chị Vân làm bình phong.

Ngọc tức quá, gân cổ lên cãi:

- Ngọc có chồng rồi còn mê man gì! Nói bậy phải đòn bây giờ! Bác sĩ đến thăm bệnh nhân thì phải nói chuyện với bệnh nhân chớ còn nói với ai!

- Bác sĩ nói với bệnh nhân về các vấn đề nhân sinh quan, và hạnh phúc của nhân loại, và vũ trụ với lại không gian... hà hà nghi quá. Lại còn cả chuyện con khỉ, con tiều, vớ vẩn không đâu vào đâu nữa!

Vân không nói gì nhưng nghĩ thầm.

- Ngọc có chồng rồi ai chả biết, nhưng ai cấm được đàn ông mơ tưởng Ngọc. Ngọc rất yêu chồng, tối nào cũng viết thư cho chồng, nghe chồng hát trong máy ghi âm, ấp yêu ảnh chồng nào ai biết. Họ vẫn cứ hy vọng như thường.

 

Tự cho là mình nghĩ bậy, Vân hối hận nói:

- Xin lỗi Ngọc nhé!

Ngọc ngơ ngác không hiểu. Vân càng thấy thương Ngọc hơn xưa. Ngọc có lỗi gì đâu khi có người yêu mê Ngọc. Ngọc làm sao bắt buộc được người khác đừng thích mình. Nếu trong câu chuyện Ngọc đã lắm lúc muốn đem tài quán thông kim cổ của mình ra áp đảo các bạn, thì cũng là một hành động đúng theo bản tính hiếu thắng của con người.

 

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- Tết nhất gì mà kỳ cục thế này ? Không có thủy tiên, không có pháo, không có áo mới, chúc mừng. Không có bà con cô bác gì hết cả. Chỉ có một cành đào giấy với mấy cái bánh chưng bé tí tẹo thế này cũng dám gọi là Tết à?

Lại vẫn cô bé Hằng liến thoắng, phàn nàn. Vân thêm:

- Chưa hết đâu. Đừng quên là ngày mai dù mồng một, chúng mình vẫn cứ phải đi dạy như thường. Đây đâu có phải là quê hương của ta mà bắt thiên hạ phải ăn Tết theo ta. Tốt hơn hết là cứ ngồi yên mà hồi tưởng.

 

Bà Lan đem lên tặng các cô một đĩa kẹo mứt mua ở phố Tầu để pha trà tham gia buổi hồi tưởng tất niên cho thêm ấm cúng.

Trong phòng khách, mỗi người ngồi một góc, không nhìn nhau, cũng không cần mang cái mặt nạ vui tươi. Các cô yên lặng ngồi nhìn vào khoảng không. Mỗi người trong tay cầm một chén trà, một miếng mứt. Dù tách trà có đưa lên môi, chất trà có thấm vào thể chất, bà Lan biết không có ai đang sống trong hiện tại. Bà Lan phá tan sự yên lặng trước:

- Thôi, thì giờ tưởng niệm quá khứ như thế là đủ rồi. Bây giờ đến tương lai. Mỗi người đều phải nghĩ tới điều mình ao ước, tưởng tượng điều đó thực hiện y như thực.

Hiền ngập ngừng hỏi:

- Có phải nói ra không?

Bà Lan lắc đầu:

- Không cần, cứ tâm niệm cho mình, hằng đêm tâm niệm, mãi mãi rồi sẽ thành sự thực. Đừng nói ra mất thiêng!

Nhìn mấy cô gái cô đơn ngồi bó gối thả hồn phiêu lưu, Bà Lan nhè nhẹ mở cửa xuống nhà dưới.

 

Ba tuần lễ sau, Ngọc đi làm trở lại. Cả nhà trở về với nhịp sống bình thường. Nhưng thực ra nếp sống chỉ có vẻ bình thường phần vật chất ngoài mặt, còn phần tình cảm trong thâm tâm ai cũng có nhiều thay đổi. Mực sống vui vẻ đã lên đến cao triều bây giờ đang hạ dần xuống.

 

Ngọc và Hằng ngày ngày tính nhẩm xem bao giờ về trường, đã làm được bao nhiêu, để dành được bao nhiêu. Hiền tính chuyện về nước lấy chồng. Bà Lan rất đồng ý, cứ khuyên Hiền mãi:

- Cô Hiền về nước chắc thích hợp hơn. Cô không yêu được người ngoại quốc mà gặp người Việt ở hải ngoại thì khó hơn đáy bể mò kim. Hai người dù có cô đơn đến đâu gặp nhau cũng ít khi đủ điều kiện để hợp nhau. Hai thứ cô đơn hai nhãn hiệu khác nhau, như không cùng chung một thế giới, ngửi không được!

 

Hằng đã biết nấu tất cả những món ăn trên tờ thực đơn dán trong bếp hai trang dầy đặc, đã biết làm tiệc cho 20 người ăn mà không mệt, biết cách chế biến khi cấp thời, biết sáng kiến nấu những món ăn cũ thành mới, biết chế ra những món ăn không tên với bất cứ loại rau thịt gì có sẵn trong nhà. Hằng đã bắt đầu thấy mình tài giỏi nên tỏ ra chán làm bếp.

 

Hiền xưa nay vẫn sống riêng biệt, tự nhiên thấy nói chuyện thủ thỉ với Hằng nhiều hơn, và Hằng bỗng dưng cảm thấy thiệt thòi vì phải làm bếp nhiều hơn mọi người. Hằng đã quên mất rằng lúc đầu nàng đã phải tranh đấu kịch liệt dành phần làm bếp để học hỏi. Vân hiểu ý, lấy lại chân nấu bếp như lúc đầu.

 

Càng ngày Ngọc và Vân càng hiểu thêm về tính nết Hằng qua những câu chuyện chắp nhặt trong mỗi bữa ăn.

- Em ở trường Xơ, các Mẹ các Dì la mắng gì em cũng cười, cũng vâng dạ, mà thực ra em chẳng bao giờ nghe theo cả. Các mẹ thấy em không bao giờ cãi cho là con bé ngoan nhất, lành nhất, có biết đâu là trong thâm tâm em cóc cần.

Một lần khác Hằng cho biết:

- Ai muốn nói gì thì nói, em không nghe thì thôi. Con bé lúc nào cũng chỉ cười, cười thực tươi cho thiên hạ tha hồ nói mỏi mồm, chê chửi chán thì ngừng.

 

Thì ra đây là mặt thực của Hằng, cô bé lúc nào cũng tươi cười, vui vẻ, ngoan ngoãn, nhã nhặn, rộng rãi, hay mời mọc đến một mức độ làm cho mọi người không tin được ở đời có thể có một cô gái dễ thương đến thế. Bây giờ mới biết bọc trong nụ cười duyên dáng ấy là cái gan lì, tính cóc cần, bướng bỉnh, ngạo đời, sâu đậm hơn ai cả. Và trong khi mọi người thấy cô luôn luôn nhã nhặn xin học hỏi, xin mọi người tận tâm chỉ bảo, trong khi cô rót những cốc nước đường đầy tràn cho người khác, cô tự cười thầm trong lòng:

- Chúng mày ngu cho chúng mày chết! Cho chúng mày tha hồ mà phơi bày tim gan lòng dạ. Điều gì tao muốn biết, tao học cho hết, xong rồi tao cười vào óc chúng mày!

Bây giờ mỗi lúc trông thấy Hằng cười, cũng nguyên nụ cười xinh xinh với cái má lúng đồng tiền giả tạo ấy, Vân đọc thấy câu:

- Cho chúng mày chết, tao cóc cần!

 

Ngọc không nói chuyện nhiều chỉ sửa soạn về trường. Ba tháng nữa, chồng Ngọc sẽ thôi ở trong quân đội, dọn nhà đi Hoa Thịnh Đốn, Ngọc sẽ theo chồng đến đấy nên đã làm đơn xin đổi trường, hằng ngày thư từ giấy tờ gửi đến tới tấp.

Đêm cuối cùng của bộ tứ, ai nấy đều hành lý sẵn sàng để lên đường. Hiền về nước hy vọng “ yểu điệu thục nữ” sau 15 năm chu du thế giới, may ra sẽ gặp được “ quân tử hảo cầu” để thấy quê hương mình là đẹp hơn cả. Hằng về trường học nốt hai năm nữa để giật mảnh bằng M.A. cô đã đi phố Nhật mua một thùng to tướng vật liệu để nấu cơm Việt Nam, nào là xì dầu Tầu, nước mắm Hồng Kông, bún, nấm, măng, tương v.v.. lại có cả mấy gói trà thơm, một bộ đồ trà sứ xinh xinh. Cô bé quyết tâm mở một chiến dịch thu hút những chàng trai “ rường cột nước nhà” đang sống tha phương cầu học, và hằng đêm ngày mơ tưởng đến mùi quê hương, vị quê hương như bát phở tái, bún chả, gà xé phay, bò bún, sườn nướng, gỏi tôm v.v...

 

Ngọc cũng sửa soạn giấy tờ xong, nàng đã cho tất cả hành lý lên xe, chỉ còn chờ ngày mai mặt trời mọc là lên đường.

Suốt đêm Vân tắt đèn ngồi bên cửa sổ nhìn ra bể. Bên kia bờ bể vẫn cái rừng kim cương ánh đèn bát ngát bất di bất dịch ấy như ngày cả bọn mới đến, nhưng tháng ngày qua, tâm trạng con người đã khác xa. Cảm tình của bốn người bạn đối với nhau cũng không còn đơn giản như ngày mới gặp. Vân chợt nghĩ đến câu ví “ hạt châu mắt cá” của người xưa. Phải, ở đời đúng là hạt châu mắt cá lẫn lộn. Mắt cá có cái màu sắc và hình dáng của hạt châu, và cũng có rất nhiều hạt châu chỉ có cái vỏ bóng bảy xinh đẹp bên ngoài, trong ruột lại còn tệ hơn cả mắt cá. Bây giờ làm thế nào để mượn được một đôi mắt xanh của cổ nhân để phân biệt ai là hạt châu hay mắt cá trên đời đây!

 

Sợ ý nghĩ miên man đưa đi xa quá mà không đến đâu, Vân lắc đầu như xua đuổi những ám ảnh phức tạp, Vân bảo thầm:

- Chủ trương của Hằng thế mà hay. “ Cứ cười cho thật tươi, còn thì cóc cần tất cả”. Cô bé con khôn lạ!

Hành lý của Vân cũng đã xếp đặt gọn gàng. Vân đã tặng hay vứt bỏ tất cả những thứ không cần đến, chỉ giữ lại đúng 20 cân hành lý hãng máy bay cho phép mang theo. Các cô hỏi Vân đi đâu, Vân chỉ lắc đầu:

- Chưa biết! Khăn gói gió đưa. Muốn đến đâu thì đến. Tôi không còn cha mẹ, không có nhà cửa gia đình, cũng chả có trường mà về. Đi đâu cũng không có gì là quan trọng.

 

Sáng hôm sau, bà Lan quét dọn trong phòng lại để cho người khác thuê. Bà thấy phòng của Vân sạch sẽ khác thường, không giống phòng của các cô kia, mỗi người để lại một núi rác. Chăn màn của Vân do bà Lan cung cấp được giặt giũ xếp vuốt tử tế, phòng không một vết nhơ. Chỉ có một đống tro chất đầy lò sưởi. Vân đã đốt tất cả thư từ, giấy tờ, kỷ niệm... Trong đống tro một mảnh phong bì còn sót lại dấu hiệu” Peace Corps”. Bà Lan tự bảo:

- Cô này bướng bỉnh, không khéo lại tình nguyện sang Phi Châu công tác mất rồi.

  

Linh Bảo

Monterey 1963

   

"I gotta lay off those Dollar Store Sand Worms!"

 

He's making the same face I make when I eat frozen clam strips...

 

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Adult Non-breeding

Family: Shorebirds

Hacienda Tres Rios

Quintana Roo, MX

2014/01/27

ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16757088

 

Renault Badge - History

AUTOMOTIVE BADGES SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157631048301272

 

RENAULT SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690632985...

 

The Renault corporation was founded in 1899 as Société Renault Frères by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand. While Louis handled design and production, Marcel and Fernand managed the business. There first car was sold on Christmas Eve 1898, from 1903 early cars were powered by De Dion-Bouton engines but in 1903 the company began production of their own engines.The first major volume sale came in 1905 when Société des Automobiles de Place bought Renault AG1 cars to establish a fleet of taxis

From their earliest days Renault participated in the marathon city to city motor races, with Louis and Marcel as drivers. Sadly Marcel was killed in 1903 in an accident during the Paris-Madrid race and Louis never raced again. But the company remained sucessful participants including Ferenc Szisz winning the first Grand Prix motor racing event in 1906. Louis took full control of the company as the only remaining brother in 1906 when Fernand retired for health reasons dying in 1909. Renault grew rapidly thanks to the quality of their cars and the publicity from the racing exploits and in 1918 introduced mass production techniques.

During World War I, it branched out into ammunition, military aircraft engines alongside vehicles that included the revolutionary Renault FT tank.

Postwar the company continued to prosper and expanded into the manufacture of agricultural machinery, though the factory was beset by industrial relations problems. The bonnet badge changed from circular to the familiar and continuing diamond shape in 1925..During this period Renault set up a London based operation, In 1931 the company introduced its first Diesel engine for commercial vehicles. In the 1930s the company took over the aircraft manufacturer Caudron, focusing its production in small airplanes nd aquired a stake in Air France, Renault Caudron airplanes set a number of world speed records during the 1930s and the company continued to develope tanks.

Renault was finally affected by the economic crisis in 1936. The company sold Caudron and spun off its foundry and aircraft engine divisions into related but autonomous operations, keeping its core automotive business, between 1936 and 1938 Renault factories were hit by by labour disputes and strikes, which were dealt with harshly.

Following Frances capitulation in World War 2, Renault produced trucks for the Nazis, and as a result the RAF launched a major bombing campaign in March 1942, dropping 460 tons of bombs on Billancourt, an attempt to rebuild was thwarted by the USAF in September 1943.

Following liberation the Billancourt plant reopened. but progress was slow in a poisonous atmosphere of capitalist collaboration and communist resistance, politically Billancourt was a communist stronghold..

Meanwhile, the provisional government accused Louis Renault of collaborating with the Germans. and as a result of the harsh treatment of workers in the 1936 disputes he was left with few freinds.he was arrested on 23 September 1944, and incarcerated at Fresnes prison where he died on 24 October 1944 in questionable circumstances while awaiting trial.

The company was nationalised by de Gaulle's Government in January 1946 and experienced a Commercial revival along withcontinued labour unrest, that was to continue until 1980, with the introduction of a sucession of new models. During the 1950s, Renault absorbed small French heavy vehicles' manufacturers (Somua and Latil) and in 1955 merged them with its own truck and bus division to form the Société Anonyme de Véhicules Industriels et d'Equipements Mécaniques (Saviem). During the mid seventies the already broad-based company diversified into more industries and continued to expand globally, including South East Asia.

By 1980 the company was successful on both road and track, but was losing around a billion francs a month totaling 12.5 billion in 1984. The government intervened and Georges Besse was installed as chairman; he set about cutting costs dramatically, selling many of Renault's non-core assets (Volvo stake, Gitane, Eurocar and Renix), withdrawing almost entirely from motorsports and laying off many employees. By 1986 deficits had halved but Besse was murdered by the communist terrorist group Action Directe in November 1986. He was replaced by Raymond Lévy, who continued Besse's initiatives, slimming the company enough that by the end of 1987, Renault was more or less financially stable, and the company with the help of ever newer models began to return to financial health,

It was eventually decided that the company's state-owned status was a detriment and in 1995 the company was privatised.his new freedom allowed the company to venture once again into markets in Eastern Europe and South America, including a new factory in Brazil and upgrades for its infrastructure in Argentina and Turkey.

 

Today Renault is listed as the Worlds 10th largest automaker with its headquarters in Bilancourt it sells just over half its produce outside of Europe. With subisudaries Dacia in Romania and Renault Samsung Motors from South Korea, Renault has a 43.4% controlling stake in Nissan of Japan, a 37% indirectly-owned stake in AvtoVAZ of Russia and a small interest in Daimler-Benz. Renault also owns subsidiaries RCI Banque (automotive financing), Renault Retail Group (automotive distribution) and Motrio (automotive parts). Renault has various joint ventures, including Oyak-Renault (Turkey), Renault Pars (Iran) . .

 

Many Thanks for a fan'dabi'dozi 26,998,800 views

 

Shot 07:07:2014 at on Cars in the Park, Beacon Park, Lichfield REF 102-1056

President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address

24 January 2012

 

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

January 24, 2012

 

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery

State of the Union Address

“An America Built to Last”

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Washington, DC

 

As Prepared for Delivery –

 

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

 

Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq. Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought – and several thousand gave their lives.

 

We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world. For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

 

These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces. At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together.

 

Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example. Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

 

We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.

 

The two of them shared the optimism of a Nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism. They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share – the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement.

 

The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. We have to reclaim them.

 

Let’s remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.

 

In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people’s money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.

 

It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect.

 

Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again.

 

The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we’ve come too far to turn back now. As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.

 

No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

 

This blueprint begins with American manufacturing.

 

On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.

 

We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back.

 

What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can’t bring back every job that’s left our shores. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.

 

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.

 

We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.

 

So let’s change it. First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.

 

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.

 

Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.

 

My message is simple. It’s time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I’ll sign them right away.

 

We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are on track to meet that goal – ahead of schedule. Soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.

 

I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules. We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration – and it’s made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.

 

Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you – America will always win.

 

I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that – openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.

 

That’s inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.

 

Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.

 

I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did. Join me in a national commitment to train two million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. My Administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers – places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.

 

And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help they need. It’s time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.

 

These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today. But to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier.

 

For less than one percent of what our Nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every State in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning – the first time that’s happened in a generation.

 

But challenges remain. And we know how to solve them.

 

At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced States to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies – just to make a difference.

 

Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.

 

We also know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen.

 

When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July. Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves middle-class families thousands of dollars. And give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.

 

Of course, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid. We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money. States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down. Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done just that. Some schools re-design courses to help students finish more quickly. Some use better technology. The point is, it’s possible. So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can’t be a luxury – it’s an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

 

Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren’t yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else.

 

That doesn’t make sense.

 

I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.

 

read more at:

iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2012/01/201...

     

January 9, 1986

The City of Kanata announced that it would have to borrow over $3 million on the open market to repay a loan from the provincial government, due January 15, 1986. Before Christmas, the federal government had passed legislation so that depositors of the Northland Bank would be reimbursed after Bank's funds were frozen. Kanata Standard, Jan. 9, 1986:1,3.

 

January 9, 1986

The winners of the Kanata Minor Hockey Association draw were announced: Nick Tsiakas of Kanata, the MacAlpine Family of Kanata, and G. Stewart of Perth. Kanata Standard, Jan. 9, 1986:21.

 

January 11, 1986

Eighteen members of the Kanata Ski Club attended the Tay Valley Loppet in Perth. Kanata Standard, Jan. 16, 1986:23.

 

January 14, 1986

Two vice-presidents were elected to the Bridlewood Community Association Board of Directors. The executive was: President--Don Davis, 1st Vice-President--Clay Wheaton, 2nd Vice-President--Sandy Bayne. Kanata Standard, Jan. 23, 1986:6.

 

January 16, 1986

This was the beginning of National Non-Smoking Week. Norm Sterling, MPP, Carleton-Grenville, announced that he had introduced legislation -- Bill 71, entitled Non-Smokers' Protection Act -- in an attempt to curb smoking in public places and public vehicles. Kanata Standard, Jan. 23, 1981:3.

 

January 16, 1986

Beverly Read, Ward 3 Alderman, announced that the City of Kanata planning staff met with the Carleton Separate School Board to discuss the location of the proposed Separate Secondary School in Kanata. She also mentioned that Kanata Hydro would be locating its new offices and garage facility at the corner of Terry Fox Drive and Maple Grove Road. Kanata Standard, Jan. 16, 1986:3.

 

January 16, 1986

It was announced that Andy Nellestyn would resign as chief executive officer of the Kanata Enterprise Centre at the end of January. He said the decision was a result of his new employment as vice-president at the newly formed Corel Systems Corporation. Kanata Standard, Jan. 16, 1986:3.

 

January 16, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that the Kanata Pre-Menstrual Syndrome Group would hold its first meeting on January 20, 1986. Kanata Standard, Jan. 16, 1986:5.

 

January 16, 1986

The Kanata Standard noted that Archbishop Joseph Plourde blessed the new church building of the Holy Redeemer Church in Kanata. Kanata Standard, Jan. 16, 1986:16.

 

January 16, 1986

A feature article appeared in the Kanata Standard describing The Tea Room, the latest addition to Kanata's restaurant industry at the Kanata Professional Centre at the intersection of Kakulu and Castlefrank Roads. Kanata Standard, Jan. 16, 1986:18.

 

January 19, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that the first sale of land in the new city industrial park south of Glen Cairn had taken place. It was bought by Chuck Wood of Wood Banani Electrical Consultants. Kanata Standard, Jan. 19, 1986:1.

 

January 19, 1986

The City of Kanata received $5.7 million by courier from the federal government just in time to repay $3 million it owed to the provincial government. This money was the first instalment from the federal government of money lost when the Northland Bank failed in mid-1985. Kanata Standard, Jan. 19, 1986:1.

 

January 20, 1986

Mitel Corporation announced that Mitel Datacom Inc., its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, had signed a $10.4 million (Cdn) contract with C & L Communications Inc. of San Antonio, Texas. Kanata Standard, Jan. 30, 1986:21.

 

January 23, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that Brian Switzer was named to the new position of Chief Administrative Officer with the City of Kanata. Kanata Standard, Jan. 23, 1986:1.

 

January 23, 1986

It was announced that the Promotion Committee of the City of Kanata, which organized the city's Canada Day celebrations, had been disbanded. Kanata Standard, Jan. 23, 1986:1.

 

January 30, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that Campeau Corporation "dealt a severe blow to attempts by the Carleton Roman Catholic Separate School Board and the City of Kanata to locate a Catholic high school in the south-west quadrant of the Kanata Town Centre. Campeau Corporation said that it wanted to put town houses on the site. Kanata Standard, Jan. 30, 1986:1.

 

January 30, 1986

It was announced, according to the most recent issue of Taxation Statistics published by Revenue Canada, that Kanata had the third-highest average income of municipalities in Canada. Kanata Standard, Jan. 30, 1986:1.

 

January 30, 1986

The Kanata Public Library announced the winners of its poster contest for the winter carnival using the carnival theme "Winter in Motion." The winners were: Category A--Tracy Brosko, Category B--Amy McKinnon, both of Georges Vanier School. Kanata Standard, Jan. 30, 1986:8.

 

February 1, 1986

An Invitational Precision Competition, hosted by the Kanata Techniques Precision Skating Team was held at the Glen Cairn Arena. The Kanata Techniques took gold in both Novice and Pre-Novice. Kanata Standard, Feb. 6, 1986:19.

 

February 2, 1986

Bob Slipp of Kanata won the Richmond 10K, a road race held as part of Richmond's winter carnival. Kanata Standard, Feb. 13, 1986:27.

 

February 6, 1986

It was announced that the Kanata Baptist Church had celebrated the opening of its new church on Hazeldean Road. Kanata Standard, Feb. 6, 1986:15.

 

February 6, 1986

Hal Hansen, Carleton Board of Education Trustee, said the CBE should examine its priorities before going ahead with the proposed implementation of junior kindergarten -- estimated to cost $3.5 million. Kanata Standard, Feb. 6, 1986:1.

 

February 6, 1986

The Kanata Minor Hockey Association requested a $3,400 grant from City Council to cover costs for their upcoming Second Annual Ronald McDonald Tournament. Kanata Standard, Feb. 6, 1986:3.

 

February 7-9, 1986

The 3rd Kanata (Bridlewood) Scout Troop represented the National Capital Region at the Ontario Guide/Scout Cross-Country Ski Jamboree held at Camp Borden. Kanata Standard, Feb. 6, 1986:9.

 

February 11, 1986

Kanata BMX held its annual meeting and elected a new executive: President--Gwendy Tolley, Vice-President--Chris Hudson, Treasurer--Dave Lindsay, Secretary--Carol Fisher. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:27.

 

February 12, 1986

The Local Association of the Katimavik Girl Guides held their second annual Parent Daughter Banquet in honour of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:12.

 

February 13, 1986

A letter to the Editor appeared in the Kanata Standard from D. Clay regarding the criticism Kanata BMX had received in recent issues of the paper concerning the club's plea for funds from the City. Kanata Standard, Feb. 13, 1986:2.

 

February 18, 1986

A split decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that provincial legislation to extend full funding to Catholic high schools was constitutional. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:4.

 

February 20, 1986

In the wake of financial difficulties and complaints from Katimavik residents who live near the track, the BMX Club was reported to have an uncertain future. Kanata Standard, Feb. 20, 1986:1.

 

February 20, 1986

Kanata City Council heard of a plan to put a commuter car park at the intersection of Eagleson Road and the Queensway by Regional planning staff. Kanata Standard, Feb. 20, 1986:1.

 

February 20, 1986

Campeau Corporation presented its plans for the development of the southwest quadrant of the Town Centre lands. Approximately 60 acres of the land, according to Campeau, would be home to 895 units, including three high-rise apartment towers. Kanata Standard, Feb. 20, 1986:1.

 

February 20, 1986

R. Horner wrote a letter to the editor of the Standard concerning the siting of the BMX Club's track. A second letter, in response to R. Horner's previous correspondence, also appeared in the paper. Kanata Standard, Feb. 20, 1986:2.

 

February 20, 1986

It was reported that the Hares' had held their annual general meeting and elected a new executive: President--Ken Calcutt, First Vice-President--Ron Watts, Secretary--Cheryl Schultz, Treasurer--Debbie Calcutt. Kanata Standard, Feb. 20, 1986:21.

 

February 25, 1986

It was announced that public school supporters would face an 8.24% tax increase if the Carleton Board of Education approved the proposed 1986 budget. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:1.

 

February 26, 1986

The Kanata Arts Council elected its first executive at their Wine and Cheese Reception and General Meeting: President--Katherine Watson, Vice-President--Madeline Kallio, Secretary--Joanne Doherty, Treasurer--Elizabeth Allison. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:1.

 

February 27, 1986

Kanata City Council announced that they had approved the creation of the position of deputy city treasurer. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:4.

 

February 27, 1986

The congregation of the Church of the Nazarene in Bridlewood elected by unanimous vote Allan MacMillan to serve as their pastor for another two-year term. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:19.

 

February 27, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that Doris McIlroy had completed the gruelling Canadian Ski Marathon and was the oldest woman to do the full 100 miles that year. Myrna McNamara won the 50-plus age class in the World Loppet Gatineau 55. Kanata Standard, Feb. 27, 1986:24.

 

March 6, 1986

It was announced that Kanata City Council had named John Herbert as Development Commissioner. Kanata Standard, March 6, 1986:1.

 

March 6, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that the Carleton Board of Education had given the go-ahead for an Early French Immersion program to be implemented for grade 9s at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in September 1986. Kanata Standard, March 6, 1986:3.

 

March 6, 1986

The Nepean-Kanata Chamber of Commerce President Rick Mount welcomed the City of Kanata as a new member. Kanata Standard, March 6, 1986:3.

 

March 6, 1986

It was announced that the Kanata Techniques had competed at the Eastern Ontario Precision Skating Championships in Whitby where they qualified to compete in the 1986 Canadian National Precision Skating Championships. Kanata Standard, March 6, 1986:14.

 

March 6, 1986

It was announced that five boys from Bridlewood's Third Kanata Scout Troop finished fourth in the annual Carleton Area Scouts Swim Meet held at Pinecrest Pool. Kanata Standard, March 6, 1986:17.

 

March 9, 1981

The March Rural Association announced its new executive: President--Irene Foley, 1st Vice-President--Gary O'Neill, 2nd Vice-President--Barry Graham, Secretary--Ian Scrimshaw, Treasurer--Ralph Kirby. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:8.

 

March 11, 1986

Kanata City Council approved the purchase of a computer for the City's Parks and Recreation Department. The cost was not to exceed $15,500, with 50 per cent to be covered by a special grant from the provincial Ministry of Tourism and Recreation. Barry Hughs, of the department, said that having their own equipment could save $2,300 a year in typesetting and lettraset costs. Kanata Standard, March 13, 1986:3.

 

March 13, 1986

It was announced that the communities of Marchwood-Lakeside were finally recognized within the Official Plan of Kanata when the Ontario Municipal Board, after many delays, approved a final plan. Kanata Standard, March 13, 1986:1.

 

March 13, 1986

It was announced that Don Innis had won the Kanata Chess Tournament's Open category, beating Rao Mahidhara. The junior champion was Ali Islam over Mark Eberle. Kanata Standard, March 13, 1986:12.

 

March 16, 1986

Seventy-five students at A.Y. Jackson took part in the making of a rock video at the University of Ottawa for the local group "The Republic." Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:7.

 

March 17, 1986

The Carleton Board of Education decided to offer junior kindergarten in approximately 25 schools in the fall. The board decided to only offer the program in schools where the space was available, which didn't include schools in Kanata, Orleans, or Barrhaven. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:1.

 

March 17-23, 1986

This week was National Physiotherapy Week in Canada; it was sponsored by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:21.

 

March 18, 1986

Kanata City Council heard a presentation from Regional representatives regarding a proposed "911" emergency telephone system. Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:6.

 

March 18, 1986

Kanata City Council approved several changes requested by Campeau Corporation to the official plan for the Marchwood-Lakeside communities. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:1.

 

March 20, 1986

The Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association announced that it would take the issue of development of the South West Quadrant of the Town Centre land to the Ontario Municipal Board. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:3.

 

March 20, 1986

OC Transpo responded in the Standard to complaints from residents about recent changes to OC Transpo routes and schedules. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:5.

 

March 20, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that the Canadian Dietetic Association had launched a campaign to persuade Canadians to adopt a healthier food style. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:19.

 

March 20, 1986

Mitel Corporation announced that the acquisition of 51 per cent of the company by British Telecommunications was completed. British Telecom paid $322,119,024 Cdn. for the purchase of shares. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:27.

 

March 20, 1986

Gordon A. Mauchel, chairman of the board of Lumonics Inc., announced his retirement that would take effect in September. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:31.

 

March 20, 1986

John Sweeny, Ontario's Minister of Community and Social Services, announced that along with the Social Planning Council of Ottawa-Carleton, applications from community organizations for funding were being accepted under the recently created Community and Neighbourhood Support Service Program. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:39.

 

March 20, 1986

As part of an Anniversary Issue of the Kanata Standard, the paper presented excerpts from its pages, dating back as far back as 1966. Kanata Standard, March 20, 1986:45.

 

March 20, 1986

It was announced that the Kanata Warriors hockey team had earned a spot in the L.C.H.L. Bantam B championship two-out-of-three final. Kanata Standard, March20, 1986:56.

 

March 23, 1986

The congregation of Kanata United Church voted to proceed with the construction of their new church building on Leacock Drive. Completion of the church was expected by October 1986. Kanata Standard, April 3, 1986:17.

 

March 26, 1986

The Kanata Referral Service received canned goods from the year's Lenten project at Georges Vanier School in Kanata. The referral service would distribute the food to the needy families in Kanata in time for Easter. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:20.

 

March 27, 1986

The Canadian Union of Public Employees began a public information campaign as its first step in the fight over layoffs at Kanata City Hall. Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:1.

 

March 27, 1986

Mayor Marianne Wilkinson commented that the City of Kanata was wrong in the way that it was going about laying off city staff because it was not saving money by refusing to follow Ontario Labour Laws, only spending more money on legal fees and finally on back pay agreements. Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:3.

 

March 27, 1986

Hal Hansen, Carleton Board of Education Trustee, announced that the Early French Immersion program would begin for grade 9 at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in September 1986. The late immersion program had already been started. Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:5.

 

March 27, 1986

Kelli McClelland of the Glen Cairn Figure Skating Club was a triple gold medalist, having passed her Gold Dances, Gold Figure, and Gold Free Skate Tests. Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:25.

 

March 27, 1986

The results of Kanata's Ronald McDonald House tournament, organized by tournament chairman Jack Charron, were announced: the team from Syracuse, N.Y. won the Atom A championship and Kanata's Atom Bs won the B championship. Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:26.

 

March 27, 1986

It was announced that Classic Collection, a designer clothes store, opened in South March across from the March House Restaurant. Kanata Standard, March 27, 1986:31.

 

April 1, 1986

Council reversed one of its Marchwood-Lakeside rezoning decisions made March 18. The proposed medium-density zoning for the area on the east side of Knudson Drive at Campeau Drive would no longer be allowed. Kanata Standard, April 3, 1986:1.

 

April 1, 1986

Kanata City Council approved a motion to increase municipal taxes 26.8 per cent in 1986, resulting in an increase of about $90 on an "average" home. Kanata Standard, April 3, 1986:1.

 

April 3, 1986

It was announced that the Carleton Board of Education had voted to expand W. Erskine Johnston Public School to provide facilities for the teaching of Industrial Arts and Family Studies to grade 7 and 8 students. Kanata Standard, April 3, 1986:1.

 

April 3, 1986

It was announced that a new magazine called "night & day," started by four Kanata women, that covered entertainment and recreation, hit newsstands in Ottawa. Kanata Standard, April 3, 1986:5.

 

April 3, 1986

The residents of 231 Penfield announced that they had formed a new residents’ association and had elected an executive: President--William Cole, Vice-President--Rose Myers, Treasurer--Harold Chadwick, Secretary--Florence Thomson. Kanata Standard, April 3, 1986:7.

 

April 3, 1986

Eight Kanata BMX riders competed in the Northeast BMX Spring Classic in Syracuse. Competing in various categories, Kanata bikers placed well: 3rd--Jesse Deguire, 4th--Bryan Clay, 3rd--Marc Thivierge, 5th--Eric Clay, 3rd and 4th--Keith Bartlett, 5th--Stephen Tolley. Kanata Standard, April 3, 1986:18.

 

April 6, 1986

The Kanata Greyhawks won the Atom Major Carleton League championship over Stittsville. Kanata Standard, April 10, 1986:31.

 

April 10, 1986

The Kanata Standard announced that the BMX track on Terry Fox Drive was destroyed by bulldozers. Kanata Standard, April 10, 1986:1.

 

April 10, 1986

It was announced that the Carleton Roman Catholic Separate School Board could not meet its English sector teachers' demands because of a lack of funds. Kanata Standard, April 10, 1986:1.

 

April 10, 1986

Council reportedly completely rejected proposals by OC Transpo concerning changes to the bus routes serving Kanata. Kanata Standard, April 10, 1986:3.

 

April 10, 1986

The Kanata Techniques Novice team won the bronze medal in the Eastern Canadian Division finals, which qualified them for the Canadian championship finals. Kanata Standard, April 10, 1986:25.

 

April 10, 1986

A group of nine Kanata Rhythmic Gymnastics athletes attended the Ontario Provincial Championships in Hamilton, Ontario. Stephanie Meyer, Heather Hopkins, Holly Moore, Michelle Brown, and Jennifer Gray came first in the junior group ball competition. Kanata Standard, April 10, 1986:25.

 

April 11, 1986

Audio equipment valued at over one thousand dollars was stolen from the Bridlewood Community Centre. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:9.

 

April 11-13, 1986

The Provincial Playdowns in women's hockey were played in Brampton, Ontario. Kanata's Atom and Peewee teams reportedly played well against some tough competition. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:22.

 

April 15, 1986

The Glen Cairn Skating Club held its annual awards presentations. The Odyssey Book Award was presented to two CanSkaters who passed the most number of C.F.S.A. badges in the winter season: Kerrie Lynn Harris and Jennifer Rodney. The House of Gold Trophy went to Tiffany Baker, and the Happiness is Figure Skating Award was won by Holly Evans. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:28.

 

April 17, 1986

The March Rural Association announced that they had decided to send a letter to Kanata City Council which would be forwarded to Queen's Park to oppose the province's plan to do away with retirement lots on rural land designated as agricultural. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:1.

 

April 17, 1986

It was announced that the Carleton Roman Catholic School Board would build a new elementary school on McCurdy Drive. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:1.

 

April 17, 1986

It was announced that Bill Tupper, MP for Nepean-Carleton, was elected as the first chairman of the new Standing Committee on Research, Science and Technology. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:3.

 

April 17, 1986

The Kanata Standard noted that Michael Gale, of Bridlewood, placed first in the Intermediate Engineering Section of the Ottawa Regional Science Fair. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:7.

 

April 17, 1986

It was announced that the province of Ontario had approved funding for the construction of a kindergarten to grade 6 Catholic school on a site adjacent to Hayward Park. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:11.

 

April 17, 1986

Two Earl of March students were successful at Algonquin College's Second Annual Art Exhibit, "Dreams of Youth," open to 14-21 year olds in the Ottawa-Carleton region: 1st--Paul Latour (former student), 2nd--Sarah Colven. Kanata Standard, April 17, 1986:13.

 

April 18-20, 1986

Three March Kanata skaters placed in their categories at the New York State Invitational Competition, held in Syracuse. They were: Angela Goodfellow, Chris Perotta, and Margaret-Anne Ford. Kanata Standard, May 1, 1986:25.

 

April 21, 1986

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs designated this week as Local Government Week across Ontario. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:6.

 

April 24, 1986

Kanata City Council deferred the zoning for three subdivisions in Marchwood-Lakeside over the objections of Campeau Corporation planner Jack Stirling. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:1.

 

April 24, 1986

It was announced that two Kanata teenagers -- Ann Drummie, 17, and Heather Dyment, 17 -- were among 69 young people from Ontario to receive the Duke of Edinburgh's Silver Award. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986.

 

April 24, 1986

The Kanata Standard noted that David Kerr, a student of the Earl of March, achieved the second highest score in the nation-wide grade nine Pascal mathematics competition. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:10.

 

April 24, 1986

The Kanata Standard wrote that 21 students from A.Y. Jackson Secondary School travelled to London, England for their March Break. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:21.

 

April 24, 1986

It was announced that the man who opened Kanata's first urban business, Joe Tanga, owner of the Kanata Barber Shop in the Beaverbrook Mall, was retiring at 65. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:33.

 

April 26, 1986

The Goulbourn Jubilee Singers, under the direction of Roy Morris, staged their annual spring concert at the Earl of March Secondary School. Kanata Standard, May 1, 1986:5.

 

April 27-May 3, 1986

This was Education week in the Ottawa-Carleton Region. Kanata Standard, April 24, 1986:3.

 

April 30, 1986

The winner of an annual tournament held by the Rideau Valley Chess Club in Kars was the Roland Michener Public School's Chess Club, with a total score of 57. Members of the club were: Mark Eberle, Dale Pratt, Brian Mason, and Chris Kerr. Kanata Standard, May 8, 1986:8.

 

I know I said I'd try to lay off posting more waterfalls for a while, but here's another one! The sooner I post them the sooner there'll be no more to post. This is yet another shot from the 'Four Falls' trail in the Brecon Beacons. I've had a few requests from people for how to find this place, so I'm expecting to see lots more shots of it on Flickr soon!

72 seconds, F10, ISO100, ND110

Abandoned masonry plant, Puget Sound, WA.

 

Why don't you lay off the graffiti, Seth?

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

bar bella - the Park Central's lobby bar.

---------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

Now this was an odd little piece from Chevy, the SSR or Super Sport Roadster. Essentially, the SSR was built to compete with the likes of the Ford SVT Lightning, a supercharged version of their conventional Ford F-150. The SSR is similar in that it's powered by a 6.0L V8 engine, giving the car 395hp. Styling was largely influenced by the famous Advanced Design pickup trucks of the 1940's and 50's, being built onto the platform of the long wheelbase Chevy Trailblazer, but to be honest the connection between the two does strike me as rather vague.

 

Launched in 2003, the car went on sale for princely sum of $42,000, and sales in the first year were lukewarm at best, with only 9,000 cars sold by 2004. Eventually, lay-offs and labour disputes at the Lansing Craft Centre, where the SSR was built, resulted in the factory being shut down in 2006, spelling a premature end to the SSR.

 

In all, 24,150 SSR's were built, with only 24,112 being sold to customers. Today the SSR is cited as one of the most misguided ventures in motoring history, describing the car's styling as ugly, it's performance as unimpressive, and it's production an absolute shambles.

 

But for me there is something rather likeable about the SSR. Indeed it's not the prettiest car in the world, but for what it is as a small, versatile little pickup truck, I don't think it's as bad as many people make it out to be. I wouldn't exactly go out of my way to own one, but I can see what the attraction is. :)

for a few reasons.

first this kind of reminds me of the show ...which i can't even wait for it to come back.

and the other...

well...

 

i'm having some real bad computer issues right now that caused me to lose quite a bit of my pictures. i hadn't done a back up in a few months so that was my fault...but i'm still upset. i'll live. but i'm not sure my computer will.

 

i'm also unable to download any new images so...this is from my beach trip in april. kind of fits the mood and the thoughts in my head. all tangled and twisted and confused. lost.

 

i'm debating whether or not to repair, buy a new hard drive or just turn my back on pc and go mac.

i really want to go mac for all the reasons having to do w/photography and editing and storage and graphics and such but i'm not wanting to deal w/the whole learning curve.

but i'm not sure at this point.

 

right now my computer harddrive is half fried. so i still have some use for now. but may not for long.

 

so i wanted to say goodbye for a while ...while i have the chance to do so.

i need to lay off the computer and figure out my plan. if i do go mac i may not be around for a longer while than if i go pc again.

 

i know that i'm behind on seeing your pics... i promise that when i come back i'll take a huge chunck of time and visit you all.

i'm going to miss you a whole bunch!!

 

have a great end of the summer everyone!!!

 

jen :)

This picture makes me feel a little better after a long day of school and glumness. My day wasn't exactly horrible...well, nothing super horrible happened that is to say... my first day of senior year just wasn't what I expected and it just left me feeling crummy for the school days to come. I have a feeling I will feel differently later... after I get a little more used to things... but it definitely could be better...that's why I'm bummed.

 

Now you don't have to read this...I just feel like venting.

 

............ ............... ................. .................. ............... .............

So today was my first day of senior year. (I think that's already been established, but just reaffirming the fact.) I think the thing I am most bummed about is my schedule... my classes...

 

here. let me make a list of why I am in the mood I'm in... I think that will be easier.

 

1) my first two periods are AP courses. for those that don't know, they are honors classes that can give you college credit (correct me Mrs. Smith if I'm wrong)...they are classes a student chooses to take. so yes, I chose them... and the reason is because I want to challenge myself... but they are the FIRST TWO PERIODS OF MY DAY!! really?! okay so not too big of a deal... I'll get them done and over with right?? ...I'm just not looking forward to the butt load amount of hw to come in the future. it's not that I just don't do my work and I hate using my brain (after all why would I sign up for these classes in the first place??)...its that the two classes will be very time consuming.

 

2) ...that's not to mention my first period, (an AP class), is English. I have always gotten decent grades in english...but reading shakespeare and other works the school requires you to read and writing essays are just NOT things I enjoy doing. I WISH I enjoyed it...but I dont and cant control it. So that's a downer.

 

3) one more thing about AP. my second period is Calculus. I get so nervous to go to this class because the teacher is so intimidating. I have nothing against her...I had her last year and she can be great at getting you to understand math... but her class is just a class I cant feel comfortable in. I can't even concentrate all the time because she is so strict...I can't be relaxed. She doesn't scare ME enough for me not to go up and ask her a question... but it's pretty sad when ALL of the students feel this way about a teacher. She keeps us in line, I'll give you that... but it'd be nice if she would just lay off a bit haha ...I guess you guys would just have to be a student in her class to understand....

 

4) all of my classes after these two kinda stink because I am split up from all of my friends... well, good friends lets say. It's just an unfortunate fact I am learning to accept and to deal with, but that's just another little thing that made my day bleh.

 

5) I chose to take study hall this year. I felt I needed it because I was taking some tough classes and I thought I'd need the time to work. Okay great, but there's almost 70 kids in that class (WAY more than in a normal class just so you know, the study hall room is huge, my other classes contain on avg. maybe 28 kids??) ...so it gets pretty noisy. luckily some will leave to be assistants for other teachers... but I also don't like the room. haha okay that's being a little picky... but it's more of an auditorium setting, the desks are long and connected, and the chairs are so old. Idk... its just not a comfortable working environment...but ehh. I'll live.

 

6) Lunch. there are 3 lunches at my school. Of course... like every year... I get stuck in 3rd. the reasons 3rd lunch is not as good:

- they run out of food. (only sometimes...but thats rediculous)

- 1st and 2nd lunch have already been there to destroy everything lol

- and of course I'm STARVING by the time it arrives.

I have 3rd lunch for the reason that I'm in choir (which Sunny has always been in with me thank goodness.. so we have lunch together)...but this year, 3rd lunch is different. very few seniors; a ton of under classmen. I like the underclassmen, dont get me wrong. I have nothing against them... its just... we arent with our normal class members... you know what I mean??

 

7) I couldnt take an art class this year :(( thats just depressing. To me art class was a time to be creative, to take a break from everything school was shoving down our throats...something I enjoyed... but I COULDNT take one this year!!! well, I could if I dropped some classes, but I am making myself take those particular classes to challenge myself and because I will benefit from them. One that is taking place of art this year is Web Design. I WANT to take that class though. Dont know how much I will like it but I'm hoping it will come in handy...

 

8) Lastly... I signed up for peer tutoring. I help kids with disabilities. I looove helping people and I looooove kids, I'm just saying it wasn't what I expected. I thought I was tutoring kids that were just having trouble in a class! instead I walked into a room full of mentally disabled kids ( poor things :( ) and a very kiddish environment. but you know what....I am going to make it a great class. I WANT to help these kids.... I didnt realize we had so many of them that went to our school... I'm just hoping I can make a difference in their lives and maybe even make a difference in mine.

 

OOOOOOOOOKAYYYYYYYYYYY.

so that is the end of my complaining about 1st day of senior year lol and yes, maybe I am being a little nit-picky.... but everything added up to an already stressed teenager just didnt make me feel very good, but I feel better that I got that out and shared how I was feeling. I already feel better. I actually just came to the realization that things arent really as bad as they seem...

 

...no... not perfect. but they could be worse.

 

............ ............... ................. .................. ............... .............

 

sorry for the late upload. I STILL have things I need to get done tonight. hopefully I can get well rested before school tomorrow.... I need my rest...

  

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Lobby corridor - Park Central Hotel

---------------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Hooters shares the street with The Manhattan Club

-----------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Lobby art at the Park Central Hotel

---------------------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Lobby art at the Park Central Hotel

------------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, owls, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

---------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

  

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Lobby - Park Central Hotel

----------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Lobby art - Park Central Hotel

--------------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Park Central Hotel lobby - February 3, 2012

---------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098

 

The Park Central Hotel (formerly the Omni Park Central, The Park Sheraton)

870 7th Avenue

New York, NY

 

Front desk reception at the Park Central Hotel

--------------------------

Construction started in 1926 on the Park Central Hotel. The 25-story renaissance revival style building at 870 Seventh Avenue was designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag. The 1,600 room hotel was named Park Central due to its close proximity to Central Park, its rooms though, did not have actual views of the park. Previously at this location was the Van Corlear apartment house, designed by Henry Hardenbergh for builder Edward Clark and put up in 1878.

 

Gronenberg & Leuchtag were noted for many of Manhattan's apartment buildings and for one previous hotel - the Times Square Hotel (now the Common Ground Times Square Building - housing for 652 low income individuals) built in 1922 located at 255 West 43rd Street.

 

The hotel was built for approximately $15 million in the pre-Depression building frenzy of the late-twenties; its grand opening took place on June 12, 1927. The NY Times described the hotel as 31-stories and had a swimming pool and an elaborate roof garden. The hotel's mural paintings were done by William Clark Rice and J Scott Williams. The hotel's lobby had wood carvings and marble designed by Leo Lentelli. In 1929 the hotel opened a sales office in Paris, France.

 

The owner was Harry A. Lanzer who operated the 1,600 room hotel through the Great Depression and managed to make ends meet and hold on to it until he sold it in 1948 to the Sheraton Corporation of America. Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corp., led the negotiations, and the Park Central Hotel became the 28th hotel within the Sheraton chain - renamed Park Sheraton Hotel.

 

*Arnold Rothstein Murder*

 

Arnold Rothstein was known coast to coast as the nation's most notorious gambler. He was heading to a meeting in room 349 of the Park Central Hotel on Sunday, November 4, 1928, but never made it. He was found shot and mortally wounded in a first floor service corridor at the Park Central Hotel.

 

Rothstein had lost $300,000 at a 3-day poker game in September of 1928 and refused to pay the debt. More famously he was known as the man behind the Black Sox scandal in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. No one is ever convicted of his murder. Rothstein's show biz girlfriend, Inez Norton, opens in the Broadway play "Room 349" at the National Theater (now the Nederlander Theatre) on April 21, 1930 - it closes after 15 performances.

 

*WPCH*

 

Prior to the Park Central opening the radio station WFBH (the Voice of Central Park) was given notice in 1927 its antenna located atop the Hotel Majestic would have to move since the Majestic was to be demolished. WFBH moved its broadcasting facilities and transmitting towers to the Park Central Hotel. The move to the Park Central Hotel ended the WFBH call letters and the station became known as WPCH, incorporating the new hotel's initials into their call sign. It seems that once the Park Central installed its electrical roof signage there were transmission problems and WPCH had to again relocate - this time to the Hotel McAlpin. WPCH went silent in 1933 and was absorbed by WMCA - named after its transmission tower location - the Hotel McAlpin.

 

*Wine Cellar*

 

Prohibition was lifted in 1933. The Park Central Hotel was opened without any consideration to the possibility of storing or serving alcoholic beverages. To prepare for the expected demand of wine and spirits the NY Times reported Park Central Hotel's Chief Steward, J.J. Mullins, authorized the excavation through the hotel's bed rock of a wine cellar some 30 feet below the hotel. The wine cellar would hold up to 150,000 bottles. In those days it was thought that vibrations from subways would rattle the wine and spoil it, hence the need to go in to the bedrock.

 

*Albert Anastasia Murder*

 

Albert Anastasia was a founder of the American Mafia. A Brooklyn gangster, he was an accomplished underworld enforcer, earning the nickname of "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia was gunned down in what was probably the most sensational public and daytime assassination in mob history.

 

On the morning on October 25, 1957, Anastasia went to his usual barber at Arthur Grasso's Barber Shop at the Park Sheraton Hotel for a shave and haircut. He sat in the fourth of twelve barber chairs manned by Joseph Bocchino. Starbucks is now located at approximately this location on the hotel's first floor at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. According to www.mafiahistory.us two masked gunmen burst into the shop and unloaded handguns into the 55-year-old Anastasia's body. The former Murder Inc. chief was hit in his head, back, right hip and left hand. Witnesses said he lunged from the chair and attacked the reflection of his attackers in the mirror in front of him before collapsing dead in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

The murder has never been solved. The killing allowed Carlo Gambino to take control of the crime family that would now bear his name.

 

Two weeks after the killing the Park Sheraton Hotel attempted to evict the operator of the barber shop claiming the shop served objectionable patrons. Thomas C. de Veau, the Park Sheraton Manager said the Anastasia killing was a ghastly incident that resulted from Arthur Grasso's failure to heed the term of the lease for maintaining an orderly shop. The complaint alleged that Grasso solicited and encouraged the patronage in the barbershop of notorious underworld characters.

 

*Jackie Gleason*

 

In 1953 Jackie Gleason negotiated a two year deal with CBS TV to produce 39 episodes of the Honeymooners to be filmed live at the Adelphi Theater. Upon signing the contract Gleason leased a penthouse atop the Park Sheraton Hotel to be the headquarters of his entertainment company. The 7-room 23rd floor suite had a terrace and sweeping views of Manhattan. According to www.drunkard.com Gleason outfitted the penthouse with a pool table, dance studio and four bars, staffed by a live-in bartender. It resembled a sultan’s palace more than a place of business. Gleason used the penthouse from 1953 to 1957, the heady years of ''The Honeymooners.''

 

In 1987 the Omni Park Central Hotel named "the Great One's” penthouse suite ''The Jackie Gleason Suite''.

 

Hilton New York owned the Adelphi Theater (demolished in 1970) which was adjacent to the hotel and held the site for expansion. In 1989 an office tower 1325 Avenue of the Americas was built on the site.

 

*Eleanor Roosevelt*

 

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and married her father's fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to 1945. After FDR's death, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt rented suites at the Park Sheraton Hotel from 1950 to 1953. She returned to the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1958 as she waited for renovations on a new house to be completed. During the 1950's long term guests were using the 202 West 56th Street address (today 200 West 56th Street is the address for the Manhattan Club).

 

According to a 1956 Walter Winchell column it was Eleanor Roosevelt who forced the hand of hotel management to cover the bare breasted mermaids hanging from the Mermaid Room's ceiling. The room was celebrated for its Mermaids... but Eleanor Roosevelt complained the undraped sea sirens were indecent. Bras made of fish net were made to cover their frontages.

 

*The Mermaid Room*

 

The Mermaid Room was established on the main floor of the Park Central Hotel in the late 40's. Its fare was cocktails, steak, lobster lamb chops with dinner music 6.30 to 9.30pm and star entertainment from 10pm to 4am. The Mermaid Room had a large curvaceous bar and dance floor. It was known for its four very large terra cotta mermaids on the walls.

 

The Mermaid Room was designed by night club designer Franklin Hughes - live orchids in his night clubs was his signature. He also designed the decor for El Morocco and the Copacabana.

 

Irving Fields and his Trio found a home at the Mermaid Room and played for 16 years, 1950 to 1966. His hits included Miami Beach Rhumba and "Managua Nicaragua." Other Mermaid Room entertainers included pianist Belle Gale, Rosa Linda, The Milt Herth Trio, the Pepe Morreale Trio and the renowned organist, Ashley Miller.

 

*Cocktail Hostess Sues Widow of Park Sheraton Hotel Manager for Husband's Estate*

 

In 1952 Ralph H. Freeman was appointed General Manager of the Park Sheraton. He brought with him from the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago his mistress Delores Dunn, a cocktail lounge hostess. Freeman died unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 54. A lawsuit was filed by Dunn against Freeman's widow for $100,000 claiming she had a relationship with Freeman for 8 years, that he induced her to move to New York and performed all the nursing, housework and cooking for him. Freeman had been a prominent hotelier serving as a director for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and a director for New York City Hotel Association. At his death he was the Sheraton Hotel's Regional Manager for the Atlantic Division.

 

*70's and 80's*

 

The Park Sheraton Hotel changed its name to the New York Sheraton in 1972. A press release issued by Jim Sheeran, the public relations spokesperson for the Sheraton chain said there was a corporate decision made to boost New York and the West Side of New York with the name change.

 

In May, 1983 V.M.S. Realty, a Chicago-based national real estate investment firm, acquired the New York Sheraton Hotel, on Seventh Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, from the Sheraton Corporation. V.M.S. paid $60 million for the 1,450- room hotel, at the time the city's fifth largest. V.M.S contracted with Dunfey Hotels Corporation (owned by Aer Lingus) to manage the hotel. Peter R. Morris, the chairman of V.M.S., called the acquisition a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'' He added that the company's decision to take over the Sheraton reflected its strong belief in the renaissance taking place on the West Side between Times Square and Lincoln Center. In January 1984 Dunfey changed the name to Omni Park Central. V.M.S. and Dunfey provided the 1,450 room hotel with $15 million in improvements. Philip Grosse was the Omni Park Central's general manager in 1984.

 

Since its beginning in 1977, V.M.S. has acquired 3,500 hotel and motel units. VMS was one of the largest real estate syndicators, raising more than $1.5 billion through more than 100 real-estate limited partnerships. The firm's hotel properties included the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida, Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California and Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands. By 1989 VMS Realty Partners disclosed that it is suffering cash-flow problems and would replace its top management and lay off some of its 500 employees. The dismantling of VMS Realty Partners was one of the largest liquidations in real estate history.

 

*Ian Bruce Eichner and The Manhattan Club*

 

In 1995 New York developer Ian Bruce Eichner acquired the Omni Park Central Hotel in a bankruptcy sale from VMS Partners for $60.225 million. The hotel has more than 1,430 rooms and is the fifth largest in the city with more than 800,000 square feet. That translates into a purchase price of $42,115 per room. Upscale hotels were selling at that time for per room prices ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. Eichner said the Sheraton hotel chain still held the first mortgage for V.M.S that had failed in the early 90's. Sheraton agreed to maintain the mortgage for Eichner who had bid $60 million -- or $20 million more than the next highest bidder.

 

Construction began in 1996 on a $40 million conversion of half the 26-story Park Central Hotel into New York City's first time-share condominium. Eichner would keep the eastern half of the building as a "lower-end hotel" with its entrance on Seventh Avenue. They would have separate lobbies, separate entrances, separate heating systems. The western half transformed to a 360-unit time-share operation called the Manhattan Club, with a new entrance on 56th Street. The "intervals" or weekly shares initial price for seven days' use a year of a 650-square-foot one-bedroom would be $15,000; a two-bedroom will be $23,000. Annual maintenance fees would average $575, including real estate taxes. Manhattan Club buyers would be able to trade their weeks for any one of Resorts Condominium International's (RCI) 3,500 locations in 85 countries. Eichner thought that if The Manhattan Club ever sells out, there is a whole other side-full of rooms to tap! A sell-out of the timeshares would produce more than $300 million.

 

Eichner was developing a product that had never before been offered in New York City. Eichner even negotiated with the hotel unions to come up with a set of job rules and qualifications for a time share project.

 

The 1996 cleaning of the hotel's 1925 Tuscan Renaissance facade -- found a beautiful mixture of arches, bas relief squirrels, deer and pelicans and Corinthian half columns that had been hidden for years by gold-colored aluminum panels.

 

In July 2011 Ian Bruce Eichner, the developer and the operator of The Manhattan Club, was sued for fraud by five buyers of time-shares in The Manhattan Club. According to the documents they are alleging fraud and “breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” The timeshare owners allege that Eichner is not granting them access to their timeshares, despite their attempts to book up to nine months in advance, and is instead renting them out to the general public.

 

*Mony Mony*

 

The 1740 Broadway Building shares the block with the Park Central Hotel and was once the headquarters of the MONY (Mutual of New York). In 1968 the insignia "MONY" was located where *1740* is today. Tommy James was struggling with the lyrics for a new song when he looked out of his apartment building in New York and saw the sign "MONY".

 

Sung by Tommy James And The Shondells: "Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony Shoot 'em down turn around come on Mony" …

 

*Recent Events*

 

In December 2004 the 935-room Park Central was sold by H. Park Central, LLC to Goldman's Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Highgate Hotels for $215,000,000 or $230,000 per room. Following this sell Bruce Eichner went on to develop the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas however, in 2008 he defaulted on a $768 million construction loan from Deutchse Bank. Deutchse foreclosed on Eichner and took control of the property.

 

In October 2010 owners Rockpoint and Highgate Hotels put the 1,000-room Park Central Hotel on the market. The hotel had recently received a $65 million renovation.

 

In a January 2012 press release Lasalle Hotel Properties (LHO) announced it acquired the 934-room Park Central Hotel in New York City for $396.2 million. Michael D. Barnello, President and Chief Executive Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties said “We remain excited about this well located New York City asset and our ability to acquire the hotel at an attractive purchase price.” Lasalle plans to implement a renovation of the hotel, currently estimated at between $30.0 and $35.0 million, including guestrooms and guest bathrooms, corridors and the hotel’s lobby. The renovation is expected to commence late 2012 and conclude during 2013. Highgate Holdings will continue to manage the Park Central.

 

All photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2012

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

212-832-0098