New York City Center

New York City Center stands out for its striking Neo-Moorish architecture, a style that feels like an outlier among the surrounding Midtown skyscrapers. The building was originally constructed in 1923 to serve as the Mecca Temple, a lavish meeting hall for the Shriners. The organization required a new home after they were effectively evicted from Carnegie Hall, where their fondness for smoking large cigars during meetings had sparked recurring complaints from management.