Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Flatiron-Area Building - With Notorious Past - Collapses
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 28, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 28, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last night, an unoccupied five-story hotel at 22 West 24th Street collapsed; no injuries were reported. The former La Semana Hotel "fell into itself leaving a giant, although relatively tidy, pile of rubble," according to the Post. Witnesses said the 8PM collapse sounded like a bomb explosion and that "floor by floor, the building simply gave in." A fire official told the NY Times, "If this happened during the daytime, during a workday when there are a lot of people on the street, I think we could have had a lot of injuries here."
The landmarked building was issued complaints and violations by the Department of Buildings on October 15 and October 17 after the Fire Department raised concerns over the building's stability. The front of the building is still standing.
The building has an infamous past. Stanford White, the famed architect of the second Madison Square Garden (the one is Madison Square, now destroyed), the Cable Building (611 Broadway at Houston - where Crate & Barrel is located), and the Washington Square Arch, to name a few, had rented the 2nd and 3rd floors. There he had a red velvet swing, where he would allegedly swing young women and enjoy their company (he may have had many red velvet swings in various apartments around the city).
One of those women was Evelyn Nesbit, who White had seduced at age 16; her husband Henry Thaw later shot White on top of Madison Square Garden and the ensuing case was the "Trial of the Century." The West 24th Street rooms were one of White's many meeting places (see image at right).
The building is currently owned by George Vallario Jr., who was once charged with racketeering. And if you're interesting in learning more about murder of Stanford, Suzanne Lessard - White's great-granddaughter - wrote a fantastic book The Architect of Desireabout the scandal and how it affected the family.
Top photographs of 22 West 24th Street by Gary He/AP; map of Stanford White's Dens from EvelynNesbit.com
Tagged
bomb
broadway
department of buildings
explosion
fire
fire department
Gary He
houston
Jr.
madison square
madison square garden
murder
News: NYC
ny times
people
stanford
stanford white
the city
washington
washington square
washington square arch
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani must redo his pied-à-terre tax rollout, NY judge orders
A Staten Island judge ruled against the city in a lawsuit challenging the rollout of the new tax, a day after a billionaire casino mogul sued to invalidate it.
By
David Brand
Published Sep 29, 2026 at 4:11 p.m. ET
Modified Sep 29, 2026 at 5:07 p.m. ET
NYC eyes higher fines for owners of dirty vacant lots, abandoned construction sites
The sanitation department seeks to increase the fines for landlords who neglect their abandoned lots from $100 to $250.
By
Liam Quigley
News
NYC eyes higher fines for owners of dirty vacant lots, abandoned construction sites
The sanitation department seeks to increase the fines for landlords who neglect their abandoned lots from $100 to $250.
By
Liam Quigley
NJ Gov. Sherrill vetoes 2 bills meant to give strapped Jersey City more revenue tools
By
Michael Sol Warren
Brooklyn residents displaced after facade falls off neighboring building amid nor'easter
By
Catalina Gonella
Mamdani opts not to define antisemitism in report to combat Jewish hate crimes
By
Elizabeth Kim
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .