With its glittering tiered crown and tall, slender proportions, the Chrysler Building on the corner

The best place to experience New York City's renowned architecture is in a one mile span of Midtown East. No other city features so many significant styles and buildings in such a condensed area: In the span of just a few blocks, county government of los angeles you can witness Art Deco splendor, Moorish Revival magnificence, and quintessential glass-curtain modernism. Perhaps no other city possesses such an iconic skyline. county government of los angeles Even if its locals don't ever seem to look up, rest assured that they are mighty proud of what surrounds them. Start your 1.3-mile tour at the New York Public Library at 455 5th Avenue, between 41st and 42nd streets. See the interactive map below below for turn-by-turn directions.
There are dozens of libraries in New York but when people refer to the library, they are only talking about one place: The iconic building on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets. The firm behind its design, Carr re and Hastings, was relatively unknown when it won a citywide contest to design the library in 1897. That all changed after the resplendent Beaux Art-style building with its white marble fa ade opened its doors 14 years later. The wide steps are a time-honored meeting place for visitors and locals alike. When walking up them, say hi to Patience and Fortitude , the two lion sculptures that flank the entrance; they were given their names by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia during the Great Depression. Explore on your own or take a free hour-long tour, which leave from the first floor at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Don't miss the enormous Reading Room on the top floor it should look familiar from films such as Breakfast at Tiffany's and Ghostbusters. The library recently turned 100 but like a true grand dame, it barely county government of los angeles shows its age. That's due in large part to a 3- year restoration county government of los angeles that was completed just in time for the centennial birthday on May 23, 2011.
Next Stop: Looking east from the corner of 42nd and 5th Ave., the emblematic spire of the Chrysler Building will pop into view. Walk toward it three blocks along 42nd and take a left on Lexington Ave to reach its base.
With its glittering tiered crown and tall, slender proportions, the Chrysler Building on the corner of 42nd and Lexington is the city's reigning county government of los angeles beauty queen. One of the finest examples county government of los angeles of Art Deco architecture anywhere, the graceful skyscraper also briefly held the title of world's tallest building when it was completed in 1930. Eleven months later, the Empire State Building stole the title. Walter P. Chrysler commissioned the architect William Van Alen to build this impressive headquarters for his car company. county government of los angeles Van Alen incorporated various elements of Chrysler vehicles, including the radiator grills, winged radiator caps, and hood ornaments, into the design of the building. There is no observation deck but it's worth ducking into the lavishly decorated lobby, which fittingly includes a chromed steel trim and a huge mural depicting county government of los angeles the golden age of motoring. If the aged structure strikes you as especially polished that's because it received a renovation by noted architect Philip Johnson in 2000.
Next Stop: Cross the street to enter Grand Central Station through the Grand Central Market entrance on the right, and stroll county government of los angeles through county government of los angeles the colorful gourmet food market en-route to the station's main concourse.
In all of New York, and maybe in the entire world, it's hard to name a more magnificent building that sees more foot traffic county government of los angeles than Grand Central Station. When opened in 1913 at the behest of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, the massive Beaux Arts building represented a huge achievement in urban planning. Today the structure houses magazine stands, various shops, and commuters rushing county government of los angeles for trains to Westchester and Connecticut. But the building's mythic grandeur still persists: Just walk into the enormous main concourse and look up. Thousands of gold leaf stars twinkle across a cerulean sky like something out of a Renaissance church. French painter Paul Helleu's creation is complemented throughout the station by chandeliers made of real gold, intricate stonework, tons of Botticino marble, and two main staircases modeled after none other than the grand staircase of the Paris Opera House. Off the main concourse, the soaring space of Vanderbilt Hall often hosts public art exhibits or flashy private events. To round out the experience, slip downstairs county government of los angeles to the Oyster Bar, a justifiably famous county government of los angeles eatery that gets packed around lunchtime, or seek out the station's hidden Campbell Apartment bar for a martini in a super refined, old-school setting.
Next Stop: To exit Grand Central Station, take the escalators leading to the exit labeled The MetLife Building 45 Street on the north side of the main concourse. This will land you in the lobby of the MetLife county government of los angeles Building, which was the largest commercial office building in the world when it opened in 1963. Walk all the way through the towering lobby to the escalators at the far end. As you descend toward the exit, you can glimpse the tunnels and ornate detailing of the Helmsley Building through the windows ahead. Upon exiting the MetLife Building on 45th street, cross the street and enter the Helmsley East/Park Avenue East pedestrian tunnels.
Just north of Grand Central, the Helmsley Building literally county government of los angeles straddles Park Avenue at its base several tunnels allow car and pedestrian traffic to zip right underneath. The ingenious way the tunnels steer traffic around Grand Central via a series of viaducts is one of the building's most notable features. Another is its pyramid top capped by an ornate gold cupola. Warren Wetmore built the Helmsley Building as the headquarters county government of los angeles of the New York Central Railroad Company in 1929, and it was originally known as the New York Central Building. The grandiosity of the lobby, with its travertine marble, swirling county government of los angeles rococo detail, and gilded chandeliers, signal the prominence it once enjoyed. Some people consider it a bit ostentatious and overdone you can walk inside to decide for yourself.
You're now treading the fabled sidewalks of Park Avenue, a name that's synonymous the world over with wealth and elegance. One of the avenue's most famous fixtures is the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Originally located on 34th Street, it was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building. This second iteration was completed in 1931 by the firm Shultze Weaver. Upon completion, the hotel was the largest in the world, encompassing an entire city block. Many notable guests have stayed at and lived in its brick-and- county government of los angeles limestone towers, ranging from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Cole Porter and Marilyn Monroe. The Waldorf has also long been the hotel of choice for U.S. Presidents every single one of them has stayed here since 1931. Today, the four-story county government of los angeles ballroom still hosts grand events like the annual International Debutante Ball. Wander through the lobby to savor its grandeur county government of los angeles and Art Deco flourishes. county government of los angeles And if you're hungry, stop by the Peacock Alley restaurant to sample a Waldorf salad at its birthplace.
With its low-slung structure, ornate Byzantine details, warm pink brick, wide-open terrace, and multihued gold dome, the magnificent St. Bartholomew's church is a welcomed anomaly among Park Avenue's gleaming towers. Before going inside this Episcopal church, take a minute to study the entrance portico with its three arches and heavy bronze doors. If its design strikes you as a bit incongruous, that's because it was created by a different architect for another church. Indeed, while Bertham Goodhue is credited with designing St. Bart's, which opened here in 1919, the portico dates from 1903, and was created by Stanford White for the church's previous Madison Avenue location. If you happen to be visiting on a Sunday, tag along on an 11 A.M. tour that covers both the church's architecture and its rich collection of classic and contemporary county government of los angeles artwork. Or just explore on your own, keeping an eye out for the glittering gold ceiling mosaics above the entrance foyer. The congregation also boasts a famous music program with frequent concerts. On pleasant days, the lovely outdoor terrace caf is a wonderful respite from the bustling city.
At first glance, the sleek, black Seagram Building designed for the Seagram liquor company looks just like any other modern skyscraper and that's exactly why it's so significant today. Created in 1958 by architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, it became the model for corporate skyscrapers to come. Story has it that Seagram's CEO, Samuel Bronfman, was persuaded by his daughter to hire the two architects when she was an architecture student at Vassar. county government of los angeles With its curtain-wall fa ade, internally supported floors, public plaza, and uniform details county government of los angeles right down to the lettering on the mailboxes the Seagram became a symbol of America's Modernist era as it entered the 1960s. At noontime, you'll glimpse Manhattan's power players brokering deals over lunch at the famed Four Seasons county government of los angeles restaurant, which is entered via the south side of the building.
Built by Skidmore, Owings Merrill for the Lever Brothers soap company, this all-glass structure resembles many of its neighbors today, but was nothing short of revolutionary when it opened here in 1952. Its crisp, bright design incorporates two perpendicular glass slabs and shares a similar structure to the Seagram Building county government of los angeles across the street, which was completed county government of los angeles six years later. These days, Lever House is better known for the public art displayed in its lobby and plaza. Featured artists have included Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, and Tom Sachs.
In the midst of blaring horns and cheap nail salons sits Central Synagogue, a religious structure that looks like it was transported county government of los angeles directly from southern Spain and plopped down in Midtown East. The building is considered New York's finest example of Moorish-Islamic Revival architecture; notice its arched doorways and windows and towers topped with bright-green, onion-shaped copper domes. In continuous county government of los angeles use since 1