New York Biltmore Hotel

The building you are approaching at three hundred thirty-five Madison Avenue stands on a site that once anchored the social life of early twentieth-century New York. From nineteen thirteen until nineteen eighty-one, this block housed the legendary Biltmore Hotel. It was the centerpiece of what planners called Terminal City, a massive development project designed to integrate luxury hotels directly into the transit network surrounding Grand Central Terminal. Passengers stepping off their trains could enter the hotel through a private underground reception room without ever stepping foot on the street, making it the premier address for well-heeled travelers arriving in the city.