New York Secrets – Grand Central Whispering Gallery, Hidden Subway Station, Hidden Subway Tunnel, Pomander Walk. New Yorkers love to think they know everything about their city—where to find the best street- meat cart, how to avoid paying full price at museums, what route to take to skip traffic down Broadway. But New York City can reveal new treasures to even its most grizzled veterans. Beyond the city where we work, eat, play and commute every day lies a hidden New York: mysterious, forgotten, abandoned or just overlooked. Escape Room Australia: Safari Jungle, The Vampire Chronicles, Gallery, Slaughter House, Prison Break, The Mummy.We've compiled a list of New York City's coolest secret spots, ones you're not likely to read about in any guidebooks. Get out there and discover them (well, those that are accessible anyway) for yourself. The majestic subway station underneath City Hall has been inactive for nearly 6. December 3. 1, 1. The station is an underground architectural marvel, with tall arched ceilings covered in antique tile and glass skylights that flood the space with natural light from above. It's been sealed like a time capsule since then, but you can see it with your own eyes (from inside a subway car). Here's how: take the 6 train to the Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall station (the last stop, if you're heading south), but don't get off. The effort to use social media to vet immigrants and refugees is part of the “extreme vetting” overhaul Trump has promised his base in order to block terrorists. Israel–United States relations are a very important factor in the United States government's overall policy in the Middle East, and Congress has placed considerable. Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal has many secrets (just for starters: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and other VIPs had access to an. Empires rise and fall, alliances swarm and splinter, and for five hundred years, the Swiss have remained armed and neutral, dangerous to any invader. During the Second World War, Switzerland had a network of around 8,000 bunkers and military shelters. After Germany invaded France in 1940, the famously neutral. In 1990, author Jon Atack published what is still one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology, A Piece of Blue Sky. Atack now has a new edition of. The train will turn around the City Hall station loop, which will give you a one- of- a- kind view of the otherwise unreachable location. Until recently, passengers were supposed to exit the train at the Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall station before it made the turnaround, and only attendees of special events or tours sponsored by the MTA and New York City Transit Museum (or anyone who managed to linger on the train) could see this gem. On that note, there is one reason to take the official tour: the lights in the station are turned on. When the 6 train rolls through during its U- turn, the space isn't always illuminated. Another underground masterpiece is even more secretive: the Underbelly Project is a clandestine . Though rumors have circulated that the installation is located in a never- used South 4th Street stop in Williamsburg, don't try to see for yourself—not only is it dark and dangerous, but it is also illegal; there have been at least 2. Photo: Alex Lopez. Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Terminal. Grand Central Terminal has many secrets (just for starters: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and other VIPs had access to an underground railway that led to the Waldorf Astoria hotel), but the Whispering Gallery is its most romantic. This unmarked archway, located in front of the Oyster Bar & Restaurant, possesses a mystifying acoustic property: when two people stand at diagonal arches and whisper, they can hear each other's voices . According to rumor, jazz legend Charles Mingus proposed to his wife, Sue, in just this manner. Today, the Whispering Gallery remains popular for such murmured sweet nothings. Just don't confess anything that you don't want strangers to overhear! Photo: Michelle Rago. Rooftop Gardens at Rockefeller Center. Some of the most beautiful gardens in New York are hidden—hundreds of feet above the ground. Rockefeller Center maintains five spectacular roof gardens originally designed by English landscaper Ralph Hancock between 1. The gardens, located on different buildings throughout the complex, have been closed since 1. Top of the Rock observation deck. You can experience one first- hand if you attend an event at Rockefeller Center's 6. Loft, which connects to the outdoor greenery atop the British Empire Building. And there's a chance you've seen that garden up close: it appears in a scene from the 2. Spider- Man. Photo: Michael Bodycomb. Bowling Alley at the Frick Collection. The Frick Collection, a mansion on the Upper East Side formerly owned by 1. Henry Clay Frick, is an architectural beauty in its own right. But did you know that the building contains an underground bowling alley? Commissioned by Frick in 1. After Frick's death in 1. The Frick Collection restored the alley to its former glory in 1. Photo: Alex Lopez. Berlin Wall Remnants In the lobby of the office building at 5. Madison Avenue is an unexpected piece of history. Five sections of the Berlin Wall, in total measuring 1. German artists Thierry Noir and Kiddy Citny. The opposite side of the wall, however, remains a blank slab of concrete—a reminder of the oppressive political climate in the former East Germany. This Cold War remnant was bought in 1. Jerry I. Speyer (of Tishman Speyer, which owns the buildling), and displayed in Paley Park next door until it was removed for restoration and preservation work in 2. When it was returned, it was placed in the lobby so that it won't be subject to the elements, and is open for viewing by the public seven days a week. Photo: Alex Lopez. Cemetery Behind the Bowery Hotel. Bowery Hotel guests who gaze through the lobby's back window often admire the tranquil green lawn located behind the building. But few realize that they're actually glimpsing a hidden cemetery. The cemetery gate is located at the end of a narrow alley leading from Second Avenue; it's typically unlocked to visitors only for a few hours on the fourth Sunday of each month from April to October. Visit the caretaker organization's website for the schedule and more information. Photo: Jayson Photography. Staten Island Boat Graveyard. One of the spookiest places in town is the Staten Island Boat Graveyard. Located far from the urban bustle in Rossville, Staten Island, this swampy patch of the Arthur Kill Road waterway is the final resting place for dozens of rusting, decomposing and abandoned boats of all sizes. In the film Graves of Arthur Kill, two filmmakers document the history of the site and its boats. The rotting ship hulls, protruding from the watery depths, are oddly majestic and beautiful (but also kind of gross; we recommend wearing long pants and sturdy shoes if you go). The gravesite is located off of Arthur Kill Road near Rossville Avenue, about 1. As of 2. 01. 3, there's no longer a public path all the way to the water, but you can steal a glimpse of the boats before a padlocked fence gets in your way. It's a truly forgotten corner of the City. Photo: Malcolm Brown. Old Atlantic Avenue Subway Tunnel. For more than a century, the lost Atlantic Avenue subway tunnel in Brooklyn was a thing of legend: In 1. The New York Times printed a story about pirates dwelling in the tunnel, and sci- fi author H. P. Lovecraft portrayed it as a vampire den in a 1. The tunnel's actual history is not so fanciful but still interesting. Cornelius Vanderbilt, then the operations director of the Long Island Rail Road, oversaw its 1. LIRR trains that were accidentally mowing down pedestrians. The tunnel was abandoned in 1. Photo: Alex Lopez. Saint Augustine's Episcopal Church Slave Galleries. Within the simple walls of Saint Augustine's Episcopal Church on the Lower East Side lies an unlikely reminder of racial segregation in New York. Cramped staircases lead to two concealed rooms, located behind the balcony, where African- American worshippers could hear church services without being seen. The rooms were informally known as the . Fugitive 1. 9th- century politician Boss Tweed, then being sought for corruption charges, reportedly hid in the gallery to attend his mother's funeral. Ignored and branded for decades as a shameful part of Saint Augustine's past, the space was eventually restored and opened to the public (by appointment only) in 2. The room was stockpiled with decades- old military provisions for surviving a nuclear bomb attack: blankets, medicine, water containers and around 3. Supply boxes stamped with the dates 1. Cold War, later to be sealed up and forgotten. For security reasons, City officials have kept the exact location of the chamber a secret—most of the 1. Each of the eight impressive rooms has brick walls and a 5. The space was closed for business after 9/1. Tunnels below Buell Hall are just a few feet wide and are thought to date back to the insane asylum that once sat in its place, while the tunnels below Pupin Hall were a meeting place for scientists who built a cyclotron in the building's basement during the beginning stages of the Manhattan Project. While not entirely off- limits—students and faculty are technically permitted to use some of the tunnels to travel between buildings—security for the forbidden tunnels has increased in recent years in response to rogue tunnel explorers. Still, Columbia's tunnels are everything a City secret aspires to be: dark, difficult to find and brimming with history. Photo: Will Steacy. Pneumatic Tubes. Pneumatic tubes are a lingering ghost of New York's past. Once upon a time, they were used to shuttle mail (and, on one occasion in the late 1. City and often across the Brooklyn Bridge. Nowadays they're scarce, even moreso since the New York Public Library, probably the most famous place to see them in action, has ceased use of its system—though of course the tubes still exist. Previously, slips of paper bearing book requests would be shot via tube seven floors down to the stacks, where the desired book would be located and sent up on a Ferris wheel–type apparatus. Roosevelt Island, a small residential isle between Manhattan and Queens in the East River, uses extra- large pneumatic tubes to transport all of its garbage directly from buildings to the transfer facility, where it's automatically separated into light and heavy items and compacted for pickup. Comissioned by 1. Irish . Surrounded by buildings that tower hundreds of feet above its rooftops, this pedestrian- only lane of residences is a peaceful respite from the people and cars that hustle and bustle past its wrought- iron gates every day, unaware of the sanctuary within. You can't access the haven unless you have a key or know someone who does, but the picturesque spot is still worth a peek through the gate. Hotel - Wikipedia. This article is about lodging establishments. For shared- room lodging, see Hostel. For hotels designed for motorists, see Motel. For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation). For the 1. 99. 3 HBO television series, see Hotel Room. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short- term basis. Facilities provided may range from a modest- quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher- quality beds, a dresser, a fridge and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a flatscreen television and en- suite bathrooms. Small, lower- priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities. Larger, higher- priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, business centre (with computers, printers and other office equipment), childcare, conference and event facilities, tennis or basketball courts, gymnasium, restaurants, day spa and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered (or named in some smaller hotels and B& Bs) to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high- end hotels have custom decorated rooms. Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In the United Kingdom, a hotel is required by law to serve food and drinks to all guests within certain stated hours. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities. The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe. For a period of about 2. Inns began to cater to richer clients in the mid- 1. One of the first hotels in a modern sense was opened in Exeter in 1. Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in the early 1. Hotel operations vary in size, function, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies have set industry standards to classify hotel types. An upscale full- service hotel facility offers luxury amenities, full service accommodations, an on- site restaurant, and the highest level of personalized service, such as a concierge, room service and clothes pressing staff. Full service hotels often contain upscale full- service facilities with a large number of full service accommodations, an on- site full service restaurant, and a variety of on- site amenities. Boutique hotels are smaller independent, non- branded hotels that often contain upscale facilities. Small to medium- sized hotel establishments offer a limited amount of on- site amenities. Economy hotels are small to medium- sized hotel establishments that offer basic accommodations with little to no services. Extended stay hotels are small to medium- sized hotels that offer longer- term full service accommodations compared to a traditional hotel. Timeshare and destination clubs are a form of property ownership involving ownership of an individual unit of accommodation for seasonal usage. A motel is a small- sized low- rise lodging with direct access to individual rooms from the car park. Boutique hotels are typically hotels with a unique environment or intimate setting. A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the Ritz Hotel in London. Some hotels are built specifically as a destination in itself, for example at casinos and holiday resorts. Most hotel establishments are run by a General Manager who serves as the head executive (often referred to as the . The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by hotel size, function and class, and is often determined by hotel ownership and managing companies. Etymology. In contemporary French usage, h. The French spelling, with the circumflex, was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article – hence . In Greco- Roman culture hospitals for recuperation and rest were built at thermal baths. During the Middle Ages various religious orders at monasteries and abbeys would offer accommodation for travellers on the road. The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe, possibly dating back to the rule of Ancient Rome. These would provide for the needs of travelers, including food and lodging, stabling and fodder for the traveler's horse(s) and fresh horses for the mail coach. Famous London examples of inns include the George and the Tabard. A typical layout of an inn had an inner court with bedrooms on the two sides, with the kitchen and parlour at the front and the stables at the back. Coaching inns stabled teams of horses for stagecoaches and mail coaches and replaced tired teams with fresh teams. Traditionally they were seven miles apart but this depended very much on the terrain. Some English towns had as many as ten such inns and rivalry between them was intense, not only for the income from the stagecoach operators but for the revenue for food and drink supplied to the wealthy passengers. By the end of the century, coaching inns were being run more professionally, with a regular timetable being followed and fixed menus for food. One of the first hotels in a modern sense was opened in Exeter in 1. In 1. 81. 2 Mivart's Hotel opened its doors in London, later changing its name to Claridge's. Most hotels and major hospitality companies that operate hotels have set widely accepted industry standards to classify hotel types. General categories include the following: Upscale luxury. Luxury hotels are normally classified with at least a Four Diamond or Five Diamond status or a Four or Five Star rating depending on the country and local classification standards. Examples may include: Inter. Continental, Waldorf Astoria, Four Seasons, Conrad, Fairmont, and The Ritz- Carlton. Full service. Boutique hotels are generally 1. Examples include Hotel Indigo and Kimpton Hotels. Focused or select service. Most focused or select service hotels may still offer full service accommodations but may lack leisure amenities such as an on- site restaurant or a swimming pool. Examples include Crowne Plaza, Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn. Economy and limited service. Limited service hotels often lack an on- site restaurant but in return may offer a limited complimentary food and beverage amenity such as on- site continental breakfast service. Examples include Ibis Budget, Hampton Inn, Aloft, Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn, Four Points by Sheraton, and Days Inn. Extended stay. Extended stay hotels may offer non- traditional pricing methods such as a weekly rate that caters towards travelers in need of short- term accommodations for an extended period of time. Similar to limited and select service hotels, on- site amenities are normally limited and most extended stay hotels lack an on- site restaurant. Examples include Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home. Suites by Hilton, Residence Inn by Marriott, Element, and Extended Stay Hotels. Timeshare and destination clubs. Timeshare resorts often offer amenities similar that of a Full service hotel with on- site restaurant(s), swimming pools, recreation grounds, and other leisure- oriented amenities. Destination clubs on the other hand may offer more exclusive private accommodations such as private houses in a neighborhood- style setting. Examples of timeshare brands include Hilton Grand Vacations, Marriott Vacation Club International, Westgate Resorts, Disney Vacation Club, and Holiday Inn Club Vacations. A motel, an abbreviation for . Motels were built to serve road travellers, including travellers on road trip vacations and workers who drive for their job (travelling salespeople, truck drivers, etc.). Common during the 1. New motel construction is rare in the 2. Motels are still useful in less populated areas for driving travelers, but the more populated an area becomes, the more hotels move in to meet the demand for accommodation. Many of the motels which remain in operation have joined national franchise chains, often rebranding themselves as hotels, inns or lodges. Management. Degree programs such as hospitality management studies, a business degree, and/or certification programs formally prepare hotel managers for industry practice. Most hotel establishments consist of a General Manager who serves as the head executive (often referred to as the . The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by hotel size, function, and is often determined by hotel ownership and managing companies. Unique and specialty hotels. Some hotels have gained their renown through tradition, by hosting significant events or persons, such as Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam, Germany, which derives its fame from the Potsdam Conference of the World War II allies Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin in 1. Some establishments have given name to a particular meal or beverage, as is the case with the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, United States where the Waldorf Salad was first created or the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria, home of the Sachertorte. Others have achieved fame by association with dishes or cocktails created on their premises, such as the Hotel de Paris where the cr. The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is famed as the meeting place of the literary group, the Algonquin Round Table, and Hotel Chelsea, also in New York City, has been the subject of a number of songs and the scene of the stabbing of Nancy Spungen (allegedly by her boyfriend Sid Vicious). Resort hotels. Though of course hotels have always been built in popular destinations, the defining characteristic of a resort hotel is that it exists purely to serve another attraction, the two having the same owners. On the Las Vegas Strip there is a tradition of one- upmanship with luxurious and extravagant hotels in a concentrated area.
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