Old New York Lives Anew At The Beekman

The Beekman Hotel brings historic lower Manhattan architecture together with top-level dining and nightlife and a collection of hotel rooms that have as much personality as the building itself.

Built in 1881 by architect James M. Farnsworth, the building was originally called Temple Court, after another building in London of the same name. One of Manhattan’s first skyscrapers, it was distinguished by a magnificent nine-story atrium and skylight. The atrium is decorated with Victorian cast iron railings and balustrades and surrounded by cast iron brackets in the form of dragons. The roof of the building features two “turrets,” which led the trend for other buildings in the neighborhood, including the Woolworth Building, to also feature distinguished crowns. The building’s design attracted attorneys, who rented office space when it opened its doors, but soon some of the city’s most creative businesses moved here, including publishers, press agents, advertising agencies and architects beguiled by its pioneering design.

Even before the building stood here, the area knew some of history’s most influential cultural icons. The site hosted a succession of creative and academic achievements, including the New York City debut of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in November of 1871. This was the site of the establishment of Clinton Hall, where writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain honed their craft. Clinton Hall, well known as the base of the City’s intellectual set, is where New York University launched its inaugural classes in 1832.

Over the years, the building’s unparalleled structural and architectural integrity remained unchanged. The Beekman’s facade was declared an official New York City Landmark in 1998. In 2016, it saw new life as a hotel. Restored to its former glory by Randolph Gerner from Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects, with interior design by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, The Beekman has 287 guest rooms, including 36 suites and two signature penthouses. There are two restaurants by James Beard Award Winners, Chef Tom Colicchio and restaurateur Keith McNally. The hotel’s raw underground space was transformed into a lounge by nightlife impresario Serge Becker in April of 2018.

The rooms are furnished with antique furniture, Carrara-marble tiled bathrooms and minibars disguised as elegant drinks carts. Ceilings are high, as befits an architecturally important old building.

Located in the center of Lower Manhattan’s thriving new downtown, between the East and Hudson Rivers, The Beekman is surrounded by some of Manhattan’s most cherished attractions, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the World Trade Center, Santiago Calatrava’s Oculus and City Hall Park. Since 2014, more than 2 million square feet of new and repositioned retail and restaurant spaces have opened in Lower Manhattan, including the luxury shopping centers Brookfield Place and Westfield World Trade Center.

Just steps outside is the bright new world of downtown, but inside The Beekman, the best of the old lives on.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.