1811 - Park Avenue - Vanderbilt expanded the New York and Harlem Railroad tracks to 4 when he constructed the Grand Central Depot o accommodate its busy schedule.  The grade level tracks not a problem when this part of the city was fairly rural.  Needless to say, as the area got more congested and the Railroad began to run as many as 80 trains a day, the situation changed.  Not only was Fourth Avenue very noisy, but it was covered with steam and cinders from the trains' engines.  There were many accidents to the point that Vanderbilt was accused of bribing the coroners office to conceal the number of deaths.  Neighbors convened many protest meetings were called for covering the tracks.  Vanderbilt's first inclination was to build fences which were not that effective.  The situation was at an impass until the protesters discovered that the original agreement with the city permitted closing the rail line if it interfered with ordinary use of the streets.    Costing $6 million, a trench was created below 56th that depressed the train tracks.  It was covered by a series of planted platforms to allow for ventilation.  This enabled Fourth Avenue to become a desirable residential location attracting such notables as Edith Wharton. After the electric trains were buried underground, a new Terminal opened and the area around Park Avenue in its vicinity was developed into prime real estate called Terminal City

1902 - Steam Train Collision - The era of steam trains below Park Avenue came to an abrupt halt on January 8 1902 at 8:20 a.m. when an inbound express from South Norwalk, Conn., stopped in the tunnel at 56th Street, waiting for clearance into Grand Central. It was snowing again, and a local from White Plains, despite warning signals as far back as 63rd Street, crashed into it, shredding its two rear passenger cars. Firefighters who climbed the walls down into the tunnel found a panorama of horrors including three men hanging out a window in mid-escape, but scalded to death by escaping steam. In all fifteen were killed and 36 injured.  The Engineer, John M Wiskar said he could not see the signals due to the steam.  No railroad officials were punished, but in 1903, the State Legislature mandated the conversion from steam to electric power. The first electric engine went into service in 1906, and the change was completed in 1907.

1918 - Racquet and Tennis Club - This building was actually designed by WS Richardson since by 1917 Charles McKim and Stanford White had died and William Mead had retired.  Twice as high as Park Avenue was wide and adorned by a frieze of racquets, this was one of New York’s great gilded age clubhouses.  Naturally, the Club only admitted gentlemen of a certain social pedigree who smoked cigars, swum naked in its pool, and snoozed in the oversize furniture in the baronial fourth floor after a challenging game of racquets or court tennis.   It still has the distinction of never admitting women.  

1952 - Lever House - Midtown Manhattan's Lever House marked a watershed in U.S. architecture when completed in 1952. Located on the west side of Park Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets, the corporate headquarters—with its façade of blue-green glass and stainless steel mullions—was one of the first glass-walled International Style office buildings in the U.S. To save on air conditioning, there were no operable windows; the glass was tinted blue.

1958 - Seagram Building - The Seagram Building is recognized as one of the world's great architectural masterpieces. The distinctive landmark building was commissioned in 1958 by the Seagram Company. Clad in 1500 tons of bronze, it was noted for the metal vertical columns affixed the the curtain wall to express structure.  Window shades operated in only 3 positions.  Its plaza caused the NY City Zoning ordinance to be changed in 1961 to allow ten additional square feet of interior space for each square foot of street-level open space. With that provision, plazas soon appeared at office building sites throughout the city.  The New York Times heralded the Seagram Building as "the millennium's most important building."

1979 - America's Most Powerful Lunch - After the restaurant was sold in 1973, a new group took over. The grille room was established and they hired a new chef, maître d – But the restaurant was not noted for the food. 

1999 - Brasserie - After removing all traces of Philip Johnson’s original interior, the gutted shell is resurfaced with thin liners of varying materials that sometimes lift away to become structural, spatial, and functional elements. While the Seagram Building is considered to be the quintessential modernist glass tower, the restaurant is lodged in its stone base and is without glass, view or connection with the street. This irony prompted a series of alternate responses to the relation between glass and vision. A plasma monitor at the entry, back-to-back with a video camera to the street, produces a virtual transparency. Like a remnant of past construction, a 50-foot long sheet of lenticular glass is propped against an interior wall to support 24 seated diners. It sheaths artifacts on display and teases a direct view of them. The ritual of making an entrance is split into two events. A sensor above the revolving door triggers a video snapshot with the entry of every new patron and his or her image is added to a continuously changing video display over the bar. At the same time, entry into the main space one-half level below the street is made theatrical: a glass stairway of unusually gradual proportions prolongs the descent and deposits each patron into the center of the dining room.

1919 - Le Tricorne - Originally painted as a section of the curtain for the Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russe over three weeks in London, the painting was was acquired by Phyllis Lambert for the Four Seasons. It depicts a Spanish bullring.  It hung on the Four Seasons Wall for many years until Aby Rosen bought the building.  He undertook a renovation of the restaurant and decided to remove the curtain in order to 'preserve' it in the middle of the night.  Many people were concerned; articles were written; and the curtain ended up at the New York Historical Society.  

1971 - Dinoceras - Dinoceras, meaning dynamic wax in Latin, is titled after a horned mammal that populated North America during the Eocene period. The sculpture is one of the largest wax sculptures ever made to date. Cook used a wax casting technique that employed bees wax and a bamboo framework to build the bronze piece.

1958 - Four Seasons Restaurant - The Four Seasons Restaurant came about when Bronfman hired Joseph Baum Restaurant Associates to make a restaurant to add value to the building.  He decided to highlight American cuisine.  Mimi Sheraton was on the research and testing team for the menu.  The restaurant cost $4.5 million to open.  It should be compared to the Guggenheim Museum which cost $3 million and was built at roughly the same time.  It was the first restaurant to offer meals that changed with the seasons and was famous for its power lunches – JFK’s 45th Birthday dinner was held there. 

1928 - Transfiguration and 7 Days of Creation - Hildreth Meiere is one of the most prominent mural artists of her generation and was credited with contributing to the rise of modernism using multiple and new materials.  In addition to her work on this building, she completed murals at Temple Emmanuel, Radio City, Rockefeller Center, Nebraska State Capital reaching 100+ commissions in all. 

1903 - St. Bartholomew's Church Portico - By 1872 St Barts was large enough to build a new church on Madison Avenue and 44th Street designed by James Renwick.  It was later embellished by a triple portico.  By the turn of the century, it had developed significant problems and the Church undertook a new building.   Its architect Bertram Goodhue modified his design in response to the requirement that the old church portal, beloved by the parishioners, be preserved, with its bronze doors, from the Madison Avenue building and re-erected on the new site.

1918 - St. Bartholomew's Church - This Byzantine-style church incorporates a 1903 French Romanesque portal from its previous Madison Ave. location. Designed by Stanford White and funded as a memorial for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, the portal features Renaissance-inspired sculpture and ornate brass doors. There are stained glass windows by Hildreth Meire and the city's largest pipe organ. The community house was constructed later by Goodhue's firm after he had died.  It cost $5.4 million in 1930. Famous congregants included Lillian Gish and her mother.  But by the 1980's many of the parishioners had moved away.  The Church needed money and collaborated with a developer who was going to purchase the air rights and erect a tower over the Community House.  The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court. 

1991 - St. Bart's vs City of NY Landmarks Law - In 1981 St. Bart's decided to tear down its six-story community house, attached to the church, and lease the land for a skyscraper to be built by British real estate magnate Howard Ronson. The income of $9.5 million a year for 10 years, plus higher annual amounts for 90 years afterward, would fund the church's building maintenance, community activities, as well as the diocese's soup kitchens and shelters in Harlem and the South Bronx. The Reverend Thomas Bowers said the church, a large sanctuary with burnished pews, exquisite stained glass and a small garden, would have to close without the funds from the skyscraper. But opponents say the church's $11 million endowment, plus funds that could be raised in the community, would allow it to continue its programs.

1904 - St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church Portals - This stone relief above the entrance to the church depicts a number of Biblical scenes. On the frieze between the doors, New Testament stories are shown: Kings from the East arrive, next is the flight into Egypt, and finally, the betrayal of Jesus and John the Baptist. Old Testament figures--Isaiah and Elijah--are shown in the niches.

Pulpit - Sculpted by Lee Lawrie, the large marble figure on the left of the pulpit is St. John the Baptist. Words are written underneath him: "The goodly fellowship of he prophets praise thee." To the right side of the pulpit is the figure Isaiah. Underneath him, words state: "In thy light shall we see light."

1878 - St. Patrick's Cathedral - St. Patrick's Cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of the archdiocese of New York. Built in the neo-Gothic-style, the first cornerstone was laid on August 15, 1858. When the Civil War broke out, construction was halted and the church was not finished until 1878. A multi-year restoration is nearly completed which includes repair to the stone on the facades and interior as well as the rose window.

1931 - The Waldorf Astoria - The original Waldorf–Astoria was built in two stages, as the Waldorf Hotel and the Astoria Hotel, which accounts for its dual name. That original site was situated on Astor family properties along Fifth Avenue, opened in 1893, and designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh. It was demolished in 1929 to make way for the construction of the Empire State Building.

1896 - The Cook Book by 'Oscar of the Waldorf' - There were many food innovations at the Waldorf Astoria that became widely popular.  Chop Suey was supposedly invented for a dinner for the Chinese Ambassador in 1896.  Oscar Tschirky the long time Maitre D  invented Waldorf Salad which originally contained just apples, celery and mayonnaise. Other innovations included Eggs Benedict and Thousand Island Dressing

1897 - Bradley Martin Ball - Bradley – Martin costume party was reputed to be the most expensive party of modern times costing approximately $9.7 million today.  Coming at the end of the depression from the Panic of 1893, the extravagance of the ball generated great publicity throughout the country.  

1960 - Union Carbide Corporation Headquarters - The Union Carbide Building, or 270 Park Avenue, was completed in 1960 and is credited to the office of Skidmore Owings & Merrill with Natalie de Blois, FAIA, as its senior designer. Gordon Bunshaft, SOM NY Partner-in-Charge of Design, approved her designs and the work of the rest of the project’s design team. The building, which now functions as JP Morgan Chase headquarters, employs the curtain-walled corporate high-rise style for which SOM was famous. The exterior design includes a plaza on Park Avenue; a 13-story wing that extends to Madison Avenue, matching the neighboring buildings in height; vertical mullions running the 52-story height of the tower, providing a pin-stripe effect; and SOM’s mid-century signature, the curtain wall façade. Inside, the building is supported by isolated structural columns which allow an open office plan. De Blois’s task also required finding solutions to the design issues incurred by planning a 700 foot building to be erected over pre-existing train tracks.

1964 - 277 Park Avenue - In 1925 the railroad leased a 200 x 400 block extending to Lexington Avenue to investors who hired McKim, Mead & White for what was then one of the biggest apartment houses in New York. Most of the 300 or more apartments, at $200 to $400 per month, ran from two to seven rooms, arranged in a rectangular doughnut shape around a centrally planted driveway area. With such a large structure, there were inevitable imperfections in tenant screening. In 1933 a police raid found a dozen men and women around a roulette table and $2,500 in chips; they were, however, in evening clothes.

1929 - Helmsley Building - The Helmsley Building is a 35-story building at 230 Park Avenue between East 45th and 46th streets in Midtown Manhattan, just north of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. It was built in 1929 as the New York Central Building and was designed by Warren & Wetmore in the Beaux-Arts style. It was the tallest structure in the "Terminal City" complex around Grand Central prior to the completion of what is now the MetLife Building.

1957 - Publication of Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand spent a lot of time in this neighborhood when she lived in New York.  She spent about 6 months sitting at a desk in Ely Jacques Kahn's Architectural firm researching for The Fountainhead.  In fact he was the model for Guy Francon.  Similarly, Atlas Shrugged was set nearby.  Grand Central Terminal was rechristened the Taggert Terminal in the book and the NY Central Building became Taggert Transcontinental.   

1931 - Salvatore Maranzano Murdered - After emigrating from Sicily to New York in the 20's, Salvatore became involved in bootlegging.  That led to prostitution and narcotics and he built up a large gang.   With Vito Genovese, Albert Anastasia, Joe Adonis and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, he organized the Mafia into the Five Families with Lucky Luciano as his lieutenant.  This arrangement didn't last all that long.

2007 - Trouble the Dog - Leona Helmsley came to civic notice after her 1972 marriage to on of New York's most prominent real estate moguls  Harry Helmsley who divorced his wife of 33 years for her (he was her third husband).  At the time he had a fortune of about $5 billion and a portfolio including such jewels as the Empire State and the Flatiron Buildings.  Once she became President of Helmsley Hotels, she embarked on a notorious advertising campaign as the 'Queen of Mean' 

1963 - MetLife Building - The MetLife Building is a skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Designed in the International style by Richard Roth, Walter Gropius, and Pietro Belluschi, the MetLife Building is 808 feet (246 m) tall with 59 stories. It was advertised as the world's largest commercial office space by square footage at its opening, with 2.4 million square feet (220,000 m2) of usable office space. As of 2021, the MetLife Building remains one of the 100 tallest buildings in the United States. Originally built as the headquarters for Pan American Airways, this 59-story octagonal-plan skyscraper straddles Park Ave. and dominates the air space of Grand Central and the Helmsley Building. At the time of its opening, the PanAm building had the most square-footage of office space in the world.

1960 - Pan Am Lease Signed - One of the largest leases ever signed to that date was the $115,000,000 lease to build a skyscraper above Grand Central Terminal for was was to become the largest commercial space in the world.  The building was crowned with a large Pan Am Sign; the visual impact caused the New York City Zoning Law to be changed to keep permanent signs off of buildings.  On top of the building was a heliport which whisked first class passengers off of the roof to Idlewild (now JFK) which was about 10 minutes away.  

1977 - Helicopter Accident - On May 16 a rotor blade broke off a helicopter on the roof of Manhattan’s Pan Am Building after the copter’s landing gear failed, causing it to turn sideways. The blade killed four people and then plunged over the side, broke some windows and killed a woman on the ground.  

1963 - Flight - This Constructivist sculpture was commissioned by Walter Gropius originally for the Pan Am Building. The building is now owned by MetLife.

1913 - Grand Central Terminal - With the advent of electricity to power trains, a new station was needed to accommodate the additional traffic.  William L Wingus, VP and Chief Engineer of NY Central & Hudson River held a competition between 4 firms including McKim Mead & White and Reed & Stem (relatively unknown but had done a lot of railroad terminals; Wilgus was married to Reed’s sister May).  They were made to associate with Warren & Wetmore possibly because tWhitney Warren was the cousin of William K Vanderbilt.  After Reed died in 1909, there were a few design changes and Whitney Warren became the architect.  The final design produced 44 platforms on two levels making it the largest train station in the world. 

Hercules, Mercurius and Minerva - Modeled after Roman sculpture, this facade was placed above the southern entrance to Grand Central Station to mark the importance of the railroad. The gods depicted on the facade symbolize power--Hercules and Minerva represent moral and mental strength, and Mercurius is the god of commerce; these gods were an appropriate personification of the importance of the railroad in early 20th century New York City.  

1869 - Cornelius Vanderbilt - When this bronze statue of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt was first unveiled, it was the largest portrait statue in the United States. Originally located at the Hudson River Railroad Freight Depot, it was moved to its current location in 1913 with the completion of Grand Central Terminal.

Sky Ceiling - Paul Helleu, a French artist, painted the constellations, complete with the zodiac signs, on the ceiling in Grand Central Station. He took the imagery from a Medieval manuscript. Centuries before, travelers looked to the stars in order to find their traveling path. When Grand Central Station was built, trains and railroads replaced the need to travel by the stars. The constellations, however, remain fixed on the ceiling of Grand Central; they remind travelers of the way things were and the progress that has come.

1913 - Oyster Bar - A banquet was held the night before Grand Central Terminal opened for 100 people invited by the building's architects Warren and Wetmore.  The subterranean space is noted for its white tiled Gustavino Vaults.  The vaults have an unusual acoustic property in that they amplify sounds as a 'Whispering Gallery'. 

1923 - Campbell Apartment and Vanderbilt Tennis Club - The space had an interesting history.  First rented out in 1923 by William Kissam Vanderbilt II, whose family built the terminal. It was once the ornate private office of early 20th century railroad executive and financier John Williams Campbell, and later a studio for CBS Radio and a jail used by Metro-North Railroad. In its current incarnation it is a bar.  

2000 - Grand Central: Arches, Towers, Pyramids - Jackie Ferrara takes basic geometric forms--like the ones that make up Grand Central station itself--and iterates them in a mosaic band along platform and passageway walls. The extremely simple design is almost mathematical in its purity and rigor. This is a MTA Arts for Transit project.

1998 - As Above, So Below - The historic ceiling in the main concourse at Grand Central Terminal reveals the night sky with golden stars that form the constellations. Grand Central becomes a metaphor for our connection with the wider world beyond New York City and As Above, So Below takes the viewer around the world to the night sky above five different continents, representing myths, civilization, heavens, and the underworld. These scenes bring to life ancient tales that demonstrate how the stories told about the heavens reflect the way we live on earth. A close look at any of the faces in the work reveal their diversity, as indeed, the people in these mosaics represent many different backgrounds. However, the artist has altered them to take on the attributes of mythical figures. The work summons the everlasting and the ephemeral, reminding us of our spiritual and worldly past while we hurry through the station.

1998 - Sirshasana - In Sirshasana, a sculptural chandelier in the shape of a golden-rooted olive tree suspended above the street-level entrance to the Grand Central Market, Donald Lipski drew upon Hindu and Greek lore. "To the ancient Greeks the olive tree symbolized freedom and purity," he explains. "And the name Sirshasana refers to a yoga headstand posture - the inverted tree ...." With branches that span twenty-five feet and 5,000 brilliant crystal pendants, the tree dominates the area, bringing the feel of an outdoor market. The space was designed so that morning sun bathes the tree and floods the market with light. The form has writhing, enticing, and unexpected elements, with the base of the tree finished in gold and crystals dangling in place of olives In addition to alluding to the decorative chandeliers in Grand Central, the tree is a comment on the allure of the exotic and tempting wares sold in the marketplace. This is a MTA Arts for Transit project.

1998 - A Field of Wild Flowers - This delicate collage on the walls of the Station Master's Office depicts flowers, fruit, and garlands. The view could represent the scene a viewer would see out the window of a slow-moving train. The lush garden-scape is calm and serene despite its location in a busy subway station.

1930 - Puttin' On the Ritz - Grand Central Terminal was the setting and subject of many movies.  The first 

1913 - Grand Central Clock - One of the most iconic places within the terminal is the center clock above the information desk. This is the clock which figured in many of the movies set in the Terminal.  It is synchronized to the U.S. Naval Observatory’s atomic clock in Bethesda, Maryland. They are accurate to within 1 second every 20 billion years. It is supposedly worth between $10-20 million.  It is built of opalescent glass and brass.  

1918 - Eastern Standard Time - The early railroads needed to have printed schedules so that people would know when the trains were running.  Up to that point, time was told locally.  Of course, there were multiple accidents including a major one in August 1853 when two trains collided on the same track killing 14 people because their engineers didn't coordinate their watches.  This led to a General Time Convention of Railway companies which in turn led to multiple petitions for Congress to have time zones throughout the US.  They were not interested.  So, the railroads went ahead and owned their own time zones.  So, when Vanderbilt built Grand Central he established Eastern Standard Time and embedded a large clock off of the main waiting room.  

1919 - The Grand Hyatt New York - This was Donald Trump's first renovation project outside of Queens. By the late 70's the Commodore Hotel was very down on its heels.  Grand Central was sheltering many of the city's homeless who were hanging around the adjacent hotel.  It was funded by Hyatt who would be the operators of the hotel.  There was another scheme for him to get $40 million tax abatement from the City.  In order to get it, he had to show the City that he had a signed option agreement for $250,000 from Penn Central to secure the option to purchase the hotel.  It appears that he didn’t have the money because he sent forms with no signature.  Nevertheless, Trump's father, Fred Trump, had a long time political connection through the Brooklyn Democratic machine to then-Mayor Abraham Beame. Despite the city being in the midst of the worst fiscal crisis in its history, Beame's deputy mayor, Stanley Friedman,  The abatement moved forward as if the agreement had been signed and as if Trump had paid to secure the option.Trump was then able to convince the Hyatt hotel chain to partner with the Trump Organization and purchase the Commodore.

1930 - Chrysler Building - The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in the Turtle Bay neighborhood on the East Side of Manhattan, New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue near Midtown Manhattan. At 1,046 feet (319 m), it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework, and was the world's tallest building for 11 months after its completion in 1930.

1931 - "Fête Moderne - a Fantasie in Flame and Silver" Beaux Arts Ball - At the height of Depression, the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects which attracted the well-to-do and cultured of the profession, many of whom had studied at the famous École des Beaux-Arts in Paris threw its annual ball. The theme was to recognize the dawning of a new age of architecture and, coincidentally, the new age of financial gloom.  Tickets were $15 which would gain admission to something "modernistic, futuristic, cubistic, altruistic, mystic, architistic and feministic. "Guests who came as a conventional sailor, cowboy, chef or police officer's costume would be barred, but that "a traffic cop from Mars" would be welcomed."

1953 - Alcoa Building - Designed as the original world headquarters for Alcoa, Inc., this 30 story skyscraper was a showpiece for the use of aluminum in building construction, HVAC systems, furnishings and modern ornament. In the 1990s the building became the home for non-profits as the Regional Enterprise Tower.

1930 - Chanin Building - The Chanin Building is a 56-story office skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The building is named for Irwin S. Chanin, its developer. The structure was designed in the Art Deco style by John Sloan and T. Markoe Robertson of the firm Sloan & Robertson, with the assistance of Chanin's architect Jacques Delamarre. It incorporates architectural sculpture by Rene Paul Chambellan, as well as a facade of brick and terracotta. The skyscraper reaches 680 feet, with a 649-foot-tall roof topped by a 31-foot spire. The Chanin Building includes numerous setbacks to conform with the 1916 Zoning Resolution.

1982 - Philip Morris Headquarters - Warren & Wetmore, the architects who designed Grand Central Terminal, designed the  Hotel Belmont, located on this block. The It was designed for August Belmont, Jr. who was responsible for the creation of the Belmont Park Racetrack and in 1902, founded the  Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). Belmont had his own entrance into the subway from the hotel which enabled him to go from his office in the Hotel to his private  subway car, which he named the Mineola, and tour his underground kingdom.  

1982 - Philip Morris World Headquarters Dining Room - Cityscape cycle–paintings which depict a 360 degree view of New York City’s skyline. Originally displayed in the employee dining room of the Philip Morris headquarters in 1982, Haas tells us his goal was to bring the building’s stunning views to everyone. “When I was shown the sub-basement area allocated for the cafeteria I immediately thought of the executive lounges at the top of the building and what great views they had by comparison…I went to the Lincoln Building next door and took 360 degree photos.”

Pershing Square - Built at the dawn of the automobile age, the viaduct was probably the first limited access highway as it is elevated as it circumnavigates Grand Central Terminal.  The space under the viaduct was originally used as a trolley barn.  By 1938 it had become a tourist information center within that space for the 1939 New York World's Fair.  During World War II, the space was used by United Service Organizations, and after the war, became an outpost of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau.  It is now a restaurant.  

0 - East Side Access - The MTA is in the process of extending the Long Island Rail Road service to the east side of Manhattan, supplementing existing service to Penn Station on Manhattan’s west side and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. The East Side Access megaproject is one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects currently underway in the United States with a history that reaches back to the 1950’s when discussions were first held regarding regional transportation planning.

2020 - One Vanderbilt - In the first building to be built after the Midtown East Rezoning of 2013 which was supposed to enable the construction of Class A office buildings by transferring air rights from the landmarked buildings in the 73 block area.  Additional access to Grand Central enabled SL Green to build 58 stories atop a 7 story podium arising 1401 feet in total.

1982 - Museum of the Dog - The American Kennel Club's Museum of the Dog has reopened on Park Avenue in 2019.  It features a collection of dog-themed artwork, mainly paintings and sculpture.  

1996 - Park Avenue Architectural Series - The Architects' Building at 101 Park Avenue served as home to many of the designers of New York's early skyscrapers. Each bronze panel is a detailed portrait of a different building designed on this site.

Library Walk - Gregg LeFevre was commissioned to create 96 bronze panels, inset in the sidewalk on both sides of 41st Street from Park to Fifth Avenue, now dubbed as "Library Way." Each illustrated relief panel is based on a quotation about literature, chosen by librarians from across the US. Quotes by E.B. White, Rene Descartes, Willa Cather, and Sir Tom Stoppard are a few featured writers whose words grace the pavement in bronze.  A distinguished panel of literary experts and librarians were convened by the Grand Central Partnership, New York Public Library and The New Yorker to select the quotations from literature’s most prominent and enduring works. The project was the recipient of a New York Excellence in Design Award.

2000 - Scandinavia House - The Nordic Center in America is the leading center for Nordic culture in the United States. It offers a wide range of programs that illuminate the culture and vitality of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Scandinavia House offerings include diverse exhibitions and film series, as well as concerts and other performances, readings, lectures, symposia, language courses, and children’s activities. Scandinavia House is the headquarters of The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) and the site of ASF’s cultural and educational programming. There is a restaurant in the ground floor and a store selling Scandinavian merchandise.

1982 - Architects Building - This block was long the home of the Architects Building which housed many of the city's premiere architectural firms including as McKim Mead and White.  The building was torn down and replaced with a 629-foot tall skyscraper in 1982.

1863 - Union League - The men's club was established during the American Civil War by a group of concerned citizens to help preserve the Union, The Union League Club has built, over ensuing years, a record of distinguished service to our country. Many prominent civic, state, and national leaders have enjoyed the fellowship of the Club, including fifteen Presidents, seven Senators, many Congressmen, diplomats, cabinet members, and scores of chief executive officers of major corporations. These members include Theodore Roosevelt, who managed his early political career from the Club’s chambers, as well as J. Pierpont Morgan, John Jay, William Cullen Bryant, Chester A. Arthur, and Thomas Nast.