The New York Central Railroad and the Making of Midtown

A Look at History and Architecture on Park Avenue

With Deborah Zelcer

In 1902, the dominance of the Vanderbilt-controlled New York Central Railroad was threatened by a ban on their steam powered locomotives in Manhattan, as well as by the rival Pennsylvania Railroad tunneling under the Hudson River and arriving on Manhattan’s west side. Join Deborah Zelcer to learn how the New York Central responded to these challenges,creating a precedent in development that continues to revolutionize New York City real estate to this day. Content covers the growth of midtown and the development of the skyscraper, with stylistic examples from its earliest incarnations, to today’s ‘Supertall’ structures on or near Park Avenue.

Sunday, February 2
2:00 PM — 4:00 PM

Tickets:
Member: $20
Non-member: $30

Looking down Park Avenue with Met Life Building in the background
Park Avenue in Midtown. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, midweekpost. Modifications: photo cropped.