At 7th Ave & 55th St. Built in the late 1920s, I think the odd updates -- the modern metal panels and windows -- are what caught my eye.
Like reupholstering an old sofa in a more modern style to make it "look newer," the updating just degrades whatever dignity the original had. But the hodgepodge surface of the building is still interesting, and rich in its way.
Note the brick arches barely peeking through the metal plates below right.
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The hotel once housed luminaries like Jackie Gleason and Eleanor Roosevelt, and the mobster Albert Anastasia was murdered there. [ via Wikipedia ]
And when I looked (in vain) for a decent photo of the arched base I stumbled on this fascinating bit of recent mayhem: 'Top Model' Chaos Erupts Outside Park Central Hotel.
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