Verdi Square Just Down the Street from Shimmie Horn's Belleclaire Hotel
Visit Verdi Square and experience a bit of New York City history at the intersection of Broadway, Amsterdam Avenue and West 73rd Street, just down the street from Shimmie Horn’s Hotel Belleclaire.
New York City Parks and Recreation acquired the spot in 1887, but did not designate a permanent name until 1921. The area was a favorite place to build villas during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and at the turn of the century the square was a meeting place for musicians. Enrico Caruso and Arturo Toscanini were known to frequent the square.
Verdi Square was bestowed with the status of Scenic Landmark in 1974 by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Only eight other public parks have been so designated. In 1997 the monument was restored using monies from the Broadway/72nd Associates.
Stroll a few blocks downtown from the Belleclaire and visit one of the small wonders of New York City.
Have you ever wondered why Times Square is such an iconic symbol of New York? How it came to be known as “The Crossroads of the World” and the “Great White Way?” Perhaps we can shed some light on at least a little bit of why this simple intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue and 42nd Streets in Manhattan has taken on the role of New York’s heart and soul.
Today Times Square draws more than 39 million visitors each year, making it one of the world’s busiest pedestrian intersections and one of the most visited tourist attractions anywhere. Visitors are drawn to the theater district which surrounds the area, which is also a major world center for the entertainment industry.
Before 1904 the intersection was called Longacre Square, but was renamed Times Square when the New York Times moved its headquarters to the brand new Times Building, whose address is One Times Square. This special piece of real estate is the site of the world-renowned ball drop of New Year’s Eve, which heralds the New Year for many across the world.
Times Square was not always as pedestrian and visitor friendly as it is today. During the 1910s and 20s the area came to be known as the “Tenderloin” District because it was considered one of the most desirable of New York’s residential neighborhoods. But during the Great Depression of the 30s the area came to be known as dangerous, and during the decades that followed Times Square continued a downward spiral and was no longer considered a decent place to go. From the 60s to the 90s Times Square became a sad symbol of the overall decline of the former pre-eminence of New York as a world cultural center.
Recovery began in earnest in the mid-1990s when Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (1994-2002) began an all-out effort to bring the area back to its former glory. Included in those efforts was improving the neighborhood’s security, pushing out drug dealers and other undesirable elements from the area, opening more attractions geared to tourists, and adding more ‘upscale’ establishments.
If you are staying at Shimmie Horn’s Iroquois Hotel then you are in a perfect place to check out exciting, inviting and sparkling Times Square, just a few blocks away at 49 West 44th Street.
If you are looking for an oasis of green, calm and gorgeous flowers in the midst of the hustle and bustle of midtown Manhattan, well then just wander on over to Madison Square Park.
This large and well-groomed park is located between Fifth and Madison Avenues and East 23rd and 26th Streets, and is filled to the brim with activities and things to see. There are monuments, fountains, buildings of note, reflecting pools and even a ‘roadside’ food stand which was designed specifically to blend in to the park’s surroundings.
The space which Madison Square Park occupies was used as a public space as early as 1686. Almost 200 years later, in 1847, Madison Square Park, named for the country’s fourth president opened as a formal, dedicated public park. During the late 19th century this park was the fulcrum of one of New York’s most fashionable and affluent residential areas, including some of the city’s most elegant hotels.
Right now Madison Square Park is at the heart of a newly revitalized business district, surrounded by office buildings, hotels and residences. The newly renovated park has stimulated additional residential real estate development which in turn helps to bring in a new generation of youthful park users.
Some of the highlights of the park are:
• Flower Gardens
• Children’s Award-Winning Playground
• Free Wi-Fi through NYCwireless
• Jemmy’s Dog Run, named one of New York’s best dog runs by CBS News
• Shake Shack: high-quality food in an ivy-covered ‘green’ building
If you are staying as a guest at the Shimmie Horn’s Hotel Chandler at 12 East 31st Street, you won’t regret taking the short walk over to Madison Square Park and enjoying one of the places that make New York a special place to be.
Traveling with kids in New York? Don’t worry, New York is a great place to show kids a great time. For instance, try a visit to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Children's Museum of Manhattan
at The Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street. The CMOM prides itself on its mission to be a place for families to come and learn, grow and play together, for the past thirty years. The museum has been a destination for children to come with their families and become happy, healthy and creative global citizens. Over 350,000 families each year are invited to explore at the museums incredible exhibits, unique programs and wonderful performances.
Some exhibits which children can explore are “Monkey King: A Story from China,” “City Splash,” “Playworks,” and many more. There is a large assortment of workshops, programs and performances which are just perfect for the ages and temperaments of every child.
Take a look at what the Children’s Museum of Manhattan has to offer. If you are staying nearby, for instance at Shimmie Horn’s Belleclaire Hotel at 250 West 77th Street, right off of Broadway, then you are closer than you think to having a fabulous time with your child or children in New York City.
The Belasco Theater on West 44th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues is just a half block west of Shimmie Horn’s Iroquois Hotel. The Belasco has been the home to some of New York’s most beloved theater since David Belasco opened it in 1907.
Designed by George Keister, the Belasco’s design was conceived to reproduce
Belasco Theater
the intimate setting of a living room or salon. Belasco was a supporter of the “Little Theater” movement which was popular in his day. “Little Theater” propounded that the dramatic experience was determined in a large part by the proximity of the audience to the stage and action of the performance. When one enters the Belasco one is struck by the shallow depth of the auditorium, creating a close environment in which the players and audience can interact in subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways.
The Belasco is Keister’s earliest theater still extant, Having designed 12 others through the years, including Harlem’s iconic Apollo Theater. It is adorned with 18 murals created at the theater’s founding by Everett Shinn. A major renovation was undertaken in 2010, and now the Belasco can be enjoyed as it was back in its glorious, earlier days.
Through the years the Belasco was the venue for such startling new concepts in theater such as Oh Calcutta! (1971) and The Rocky Horror Show (1975.) Today the theater is getting ready to showcase End of the Rainbow, which was a huge hit in London and hopes to reproduce the same success on the Broadway stage. The show opens on March 19 at 8pm, and is now scheduled to run through early September. Treat yourself to a great time, especially if you are staying at the Iroquois, or any other of Shimmie Horn’s Triumph Hotels located throughout Manhattan.
Down the street from Shimmie Horn’s Washington Jefferson Hotel is a wonderful
Arriba Arriba Mexican Restaurant and Bar
Mexican restaurant and bar, Arriba Arriba. Located at 762 Ninth Avenue at 51st Street in Hell’s Kitchen, you will be in for a real treat when you walk half a block west from the Washington Jefferson to enjoy authentic and delectable Mexican cuisine.
Arriba Arriba specializes in great drinks, amazing food, and a lively, fun atmosphere. Try their famous frozen margarita, with a sumptuous Mama Burrito while enjoying the live DJ to keep everyone there in a great mood. Staying at Shimmie Horn’s Washington Jefferson? Then just saunter on over to Arriba Arriba for an unforgettably exciting dining experience.
Of course there are many reasons to visit the Big Apple; among them theater, great restaurants, business meetings, and of course some of the world’s best shopping. If you happen to be a guest at Shimmie Horn’s Hotel Belleclaire, then you have easy access to one of New York’s most exclusive retailers, Barneys, New York.
Within the hallowed walls of Barneys classy shoppers will be rewarded for their efforts with some of the world’s most sought-after designer clothing, up-to-the-minute styles, and even some surprising bargains during the Barneys yearly warehouse sale, which happens to be taking place right now. From February 16 until February 26 lucky shoppers can save as much as 75% on much of the Barneys collection of designer clothing, shoes, housewares, and a lot more.
Barneys also sponsors events, such as workshops to learn better make-up application techniques or a free facial as a gift with every purchase.
Shopping at Barneys is not just a shopping trip, it is an experience. So if you are staying at the Hotel Belleclaire, it is only a short walk down to Barneys, located at 2151 Broadway between West 75th and 76th Streets. Shimmie Horn’s Belleclaire is only two blocks away, at 250 West 77th Street, right off of Broadway. Happy shopping!
One of New York’s most important museums, the Museum of Modern Art, is only eight blocks directly north of Shimmie Horn’s Iroquois Hotel. MoMA is located at 11 West 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
If you are going to be staying at the Iroquois within the next few weeks, there are several noteworthy exhibits which are certainly worth the ten minute walk over to MoMA. One such showing is “Diego Rivera: Murals for the Museum of Modern Art” which will be on exhibit now through May 14, 2012.
In 1931 MoMA brought the renowned muralist Diego Rivera from Mexico to New York, where he created five “portable murals” especially for the museum during the six weeks before the opening of the show. The murals dealt with Mexican themes of revolution and class. During the exhibition itself he produced three more murals, dealing with New York subjects and presenting them with monumental images of the urban working class and the terrible social gap which existed in the city during the Great Depression. All eight pieces were on display for the remainder of the run of the show, and Rivera’s work, “Agrarian Leader Zapata” is one of MoMA’s iconic pieces of their vast collection.
MoMA is presenting the murals together again for the first time in 80 years, and adding much more to the show. If you are staying at Shimmie Horn’s Iroquois, you owe it to yourself to see and admire these fine artworks.
Around the corner and down the street from Shimmie Horn’s Hotel Chandler is an
Nazmiyal antique Agra rug in London home designed by Douglas Mackie
unforgettable shopping opportunity, which is at least half of the reason to visit New York, isn’t it? Go check out J. Nazmiyal Inc and the DBA Nazmiyal Collection at 31 East 32nd Street, second floor.
This is one of the best places to find antique and modern rugs of every conceivable style, period and origin. Among the almost endless choices of rugs and carpets are decorative Indian Agra rugs; funky art deco rugs from the early 20th century; highly stylized and decorative Oushak rugs from Turkey; and classic Art Nouveau rugs. And that is just a shortened list.
Come see for yourself. If you are staying at the Hotel Chandler then you are only a three minute walk away. And if you are staying at any of Shimmie Horn’s other Manhattan hotel locations, Nazmiyal is still not too far away.
Ryan Drum Comedian from the "Comics in Love Show" on February 12
Looking something unique to do on a Sunday in New York while you are staying at Shimmie Horn’s Belleclaire Hotel? Why not take a chance on some of the funniest kids in New York? At the Gotham Comedy Club at 173 West 78th Street, just two blocks from the Belleclaire, catch the Kids ‘N Comedy show every Sunday at 1pm.
The show is appropriate for children as young as nine, and as old as, well according to their website, as old as “really, really old.”
Enjoy a fun afternoon with the whole family, laughing and sharing a great time.
To check their schedule and get more information call: 212-877-6115.
