The High Line Hotel is a historic hotel in the West Chelsea neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City.[1] The building was constructed in 1895 as a dormitory for the General Theological Seminary and is now owned by the Brodsky Organization and MCR Hotels.[2] The hotel was opened in May 2013.

The High Line Hotel
The High Line Hotel, 2018
Map
General information
Architectural styleCollegiate Gothic
Location180 Tenth Avenue
New York, New York
Coordinates40°44′46.3″N 74°00′17.9″W / 40.746194°N 74.004972°W / 40.746194; -74.004972
OpeningMay 2013
OwnerBrodsky Organization
MCR Hotels
Website
Official website

History

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The land on which The High Line Hotel sits was once part of British Major Thomas Clarke's "Chelsea" estate, which was established in 1750 and is the namesake for the current surrounding neighborhood.[3][4] The estate would eventually be passed down to Clarke's grandson, Clement Clarke Moore, who wrote his 1823 Christmas poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," on the property. Moore also operated an apple orchard on the estate, which is where The High Line Hotel is now located.[5][6]

In the 1820s, Moore donated the land that contained the apple orchard to the Episcopal Church. It would become the home of the General Theological Seminary, which is still in operation at the location.[7] The land, however, remained mostly undeveloped until 1878 when Eugene Augustus Hoffman was appointed dean. Hoffman hired architect Charles C. Haight to design a Neo Gothic-style campus based on the campus designs of Oxford and Cambridge University. The building that would become The High Line Hotel was completed as student housing in 1895 on 10th Avenue at West 20th Street.[8][9] Hoffman Hall, the hotel's event and meeting space, was completed in 1899.[10]

In 2005, the building began housing guests for the Seminary's Desmond Tutu Conference Center. Due to mounting financial issues, the Seminary began selling off select buildings in 2010. It sold the building that would become The High Line Hotel to the Brodsky Organization and MCR Hotels in September 2012.[7] The hotel's interior and decor were designed and curated by Roman and Williams.[5][11] The High Line Hotel opened in May 2013.[12] Its name is a reference to its proximity to the High Line park.[6] Since its opening, the hotel has hosted numerous events such as the Penny Dreadful premiere,[13] People magazine's upfronts presentation,[14] and the wedding of ballet dancers, Robert Fairchild and Tiler Peck.[15]

Design

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The High Line Hotel contains 60 guest rooms, a conference and event space in Hoffman Hall, an Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea location, and a seasonal restaurant in its front garden.[16][17] A repurposed 1963 Citroën H Van also serves Intelligentsia coffee in the garden.[18] The hotel is built in a Collegiate Gothic style, furnished with Victorian and Edwardian era antiques, rewired rotary dial telephones from the 1920s, vintage typewriters, and Tiffany lamps.[5][19] The term "Big Apple" is thought to be derived from the location, nicknamed from when Moore grew apples on the property.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Polsky, Sara (January 31, 2011). "Historic Chelsea Seminary Begins Its Great Sell-Off". Curbed. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  2. ^ Gray, Christopher (May 1, 1988). "Streetscapes: General Theological Seminary; Restoration Drive Begun For Chelsea Landmark". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  3. ^ Brownfield, Clint (December 2016). "THE HISTORY OF ST. NICHOLAS IN NYC". New York Lifestyle Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  4. ^ Williams, Keith (January 23, 2014). "The 200-Year History Of Chelsea's Ever-Expanding Borders". Curbed. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Abel, Ann (January 15, 2014). "The Hippest New (Historic) Place To Stay In New York City: The High Line Hotel". Forbes. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Alberts, Hana R. (March 29, 2013). "High Line Hotel, Once Seminary Quarters, To Open In May". Curbed. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Geberer, Raanan (May 26, 2015). "A Seminary, A Hotel, and Santa Claus". New York Press. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  8. ^ Crocker, Lizzie (October 10, 2014). "Inside New York's Scandal-Hit Seminary and Other 'Open House' Treats". Daily Beast. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  9. ^ Pieri, Kerry (April 4, 2013). "Exclusive: The High Line Hotel Brings Blue Blood Chic to Downtown". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  10. ^ Tegnelia, Abby (November 30, 2014). "Travel Special: The Top 10 Hotels In The World With History". HuffPost. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Reginato, James (September 19, 2013). "An Inspiring Respite". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Alberts, Hana R. (May 29, 2013). "High Line Hotel, Once Seminary Quarters, To Open In May". Curbed. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  13. ^ "'Penny Dreadful' Premiere Red Carpet". Yahoo!. May 7, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  14. ^ Hogan, Kate; Yagoda, Maria (May 11, 2015). "Your Favorite TV Stars Were Partying with PEOPLE & EW on Monday Night". People. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  15. ^ Rohrlich, Marianne (June 27, 2014). "And Sometimes They Dance". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  16. ^ "The High Line Hotel - New York, United States". The Telegraph. August 11, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  17. ^ Time Out New York (22 ed.). Time Out. July 21, 2014. ISBN 9781846702716.
  18. ^ Heiderstadt, Donna (October 25, 2013). "Creative Reuse: The High Line Hotel in New York". Interior Design. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  19. ^ Smyth, Bill (March 29, 2018). "High Line Hotel". Time Out New York. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
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