Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Hidden Landmarks of Manhattan
By
Jacob Dobkin
Published Jan 20, 2006
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
Jacob Dobkin
Published Jan 20, 2006
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
The Times has a nice article today about interior landmarks-- lobbies and other spaces that are either inaccessible or hard-to-access for the average New York citizen. One example-- the old AT&T building at 195 Broadway (pictures above):
Though AT&T left 23 years ago, the lobby lost no grandeur. It even kept such remnants of the telephone company as a muscular bronze figure by Chester Beach symbolizing "Service to the Nation in Peace and War," under a relief map of the United States commemorating the first transcontinental phone line of 1915.
"This building is a museum," Mr. Levinson said. Admiringly. Striding quickly over floors polished to an icy sheen, he pointed out acorn-topped door hinges, locks ringed by ornamental wreaths, a seven-foot-tall marble mailbox and cherubs frolicking above the elevator doors.
In the accompanying sidebar, David Dunbar reports on his efforts to gain entrance into the rest of the interior landmarks downtown. Most of the time he was rebuffed by security, which is a shame-- all of these places should be open to the public. Here's a list of the buildings he visited-- we've tried to find pictures of each one (mostly from NYC-Architecture.com, an amazing site for pictures of buildings.) If you can help find pictures of the ones we missed, please put them in the comments:
FORMER AT&T LONG DISTANCE BUILDING, 32 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS [Exterior shot]
FORMER UNITED STATES CUSTOM HOUSE, BOWLING GREEN
NEW YORK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 60 CENTRE STREET [exterior]
FORMER NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY BUILDING, 346 BROADWAY
FORMER WESTERN UNION BUILDING, 60 HUDSON STREET
CITY HALL
TWEED COURTHOUSE, 52 CHAMBERS STREET
SURROGATE'S COURT, 31 CHAMBERS STREET [exterior]
FORMER EMIGRANT INDUSTRIAL SAVINGS BANK, 51 CHAMBERS STREET [exterior]
FORMER NATIONAL CITY BANK AND MERCHANTS' EXCHANGE, 55 WALL STREET
FEDERAL HALL NATIONAL MEMORIAL, WALL STREET
FORMER CUNARD BUILDING, 25 BROADWAY
VERIZON HEADQUARTERS, 140 WEST STREET
WOOLWORTH BUILDING, 233 BROADWAY
Tagged
architecture
broadway
City hall
comments
court
david
downtown
landmarks
new york
nyc
pictures
real estate
the times
united states
war
Jacob Dobkin
Jake Dobkin co-founded Gothamist with Jen Chung. In 2019, Jake released Ask a Native New Yorker, a book based on his Gothamist advice column.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026
Modified Oct 17, 2026
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
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 .