Times Square’s Hotel Astor, opened in 1904 on West 45th Street, was an opulent 500-room palace boasting luxurious banquet halls, terraces, tea parlors, and a Louis XV–decorated ballroom.
It also had a huge, elaborate roof garden where Gilded-Age New Yorkers dined, danced, and entertained themselves, catching cool river breezes in a pre–air conditioned era.
It’s been gone since 1967, replaced by an office tower. But back in the day, a New York Times article from 1920 had this to say:
“Down near Times Square the Hotel Astor Roof Garden and Belvedere Restaurant make it possible for the wayfarer to leave the torrid stretches of Seventh Avenue and in a few moments find himself in a real garden surrounded by flowers.
“There is the open-air dancing floor and the restaurant is conspicuous for dangling ferns and trailing vines. A unique feature of the restaurant is the gabled-glass roof over which flows a miniature Niagra.”
Tags: famous hotels, Gilded Age New York, Hotel Astor, New York City at the turn of the century, roof gardens of New York, Times Square
June 7, 2010 at 12:24 am |
My grand father was Nick Lorang, the headwaiter of the Hunting Room in the Hotel Astor. He was know as “Nick of the Astor” and worked there over 40 years.
He started work in September 1904, the day the Hotel Astor first opened.
I am looking for information on the Astor and the Hunting Room and Nick Lorang.
July 28, 2010 at 2:55 am |
My mother has some photos (including one of Nick’s retirement dinner, I believe). My grandfather is John Lorang (Nick’s youngest brother). I’ll ask her to scan them!
Colleen (Egan) Gotze
December 26, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Hi Colleen,
I use facebook very rarely so I just found your comment from2 years ago.
I think I met you at a family get together a few years ago.
Your maiden name was Egan?
Sincerely,
Walter Meyer
January 7, 2013 at 12:14 pm |
In my mother’s “treasures” I just found a beautiful menu from the Hotel Astor, dated June 5, 1948. I’m trying to find out if there’s a market anywhere for it. I’d be happy to send you a copy of it (apparently they must have printed a new menu each day!). In addition to all of the regular menu items (prices are eye-popping!), it also lists 26 of the ‘stage plays’ and their curtain time.
July 30, 2010 at 6:11 pm |
My mother, Marie Schaefer, had cousins Nick and John Lorang. They attended some of our family wedding.
December 26, 2012 at 3:02 pm |
Good Morning Justine,
I am Walter Meyer and my Mother was Mary Lorang Meyer. Nick Lorang was her Father, so Nick was my Grandfather. I have 2 cousing – Wendell & George Lorang in the Schenectady area.
I would love to know more about the Lorang family.
We li=ve in Southern Vermont.
I remember my Mother had cousin? in New Pauls NY, I think.
I keep in touch with Suzanne Lorange Rash in Westerlo, NY.
Who else is there?
Sincerely,
Walter Meyer
November 3, 2010 at 5:06 am |
[...] the left. A vertical sign on its facade seems to say “Roof Astor,” a reference to the glorious roof garden that was once the place for city high rollers to see and be [...]
March 14, 2011 at 4:24 am |
[...] it was the house blend at the gorgeous and grandiose Astor Hotel, late of Times Square, a lovely place to drink and dine in the [...]
October 31, 2011 at 4:11 am |
[...] And the Beaux-Arts Astor Hotel—with its 11 floors and several ballrooms—quickly earned a rep as the most fashionable place to go for dinner, drinks, dancing, or to catch a rooftop breeze in the summer before air conditioning came along. [...]
February 2, 2012 at 1:54 am |
My dad was the head waiter in the grand ballroom of the Astor Hotel in the 50′s. I remember going to work with him a couple of times. He loved working there and reminised about it until the day he passed 3 years ago. I still have the original bars of soap wrapped in the the Astor Hotel packages that they used to leave in the restrooms.
September 29, 2012 at 9:24 pm |
My relative was Kenneth Hirons, Banquet Manager of the Astor in the 1930′s and 1940′s. Are there names of other managers before or after this time. I have an original bar cocktail recipe chart from the Astor bar.
January 7, 2013 at 12:19 pm |
My mother has an original menu (in perfect condition) from the Hotel Astor, dated “Saturday, June 5, 1948 – ROOF” I’d like to look into selling it — any ideas?