The Pierre Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Pierre is a luxury hotel
located at 2 East 61st Street at the intersection of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
, New York City
, facing Central Park
. The hotel opened in 1930, and is currently owned by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces of India
. Standing 160 meters tall, it is located within the Upper East Side Historic District
as designated in 1981 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
.
, Corsica
, where he had started as a busboy, assumed Charles Pierre as his full professional name, and began work at the Hotel Anglais in Monte Carlo
.
Pierre went on to study haute cuisine
in Paris, and he later traveled to London where he met the American restaurateur, Louis Sherry
, who offered Pierre a position. After Pierre arrived in New York as a 25-year-old immigrant, he made his first mark as first assistant at Sherry's Restaurant and became professionally acquainted with members of the Social Register
, as well as newer millionaires like J. P. Morgan
and the Vanderbilts. After nine years at Sherry's, Pierre left, first for the Ritz-Carlton
on Madison Avenue at Forty-sixth Street, then opening his own restaurant on Forty-fifth Street immediately west of Fifth Avenue, and finally at Pierre's on Park at 230 Park Avenue.
At the height of his success, dissatisfied with the increasing democratization of public manners, Pierre sold his restaurant and entered a joint venture with a group of Wall Street financiers, "among them Otto H. Kahn, Finley J. Shepherd (who had married Helen Gould
), Edward F. Hutton, Walter P. Chrysler, and Robert Livingston Gerry (the son of Elbridge Thomas Gerry
, lawyer, philanthropist and grandson of Elbridge Gerry
, the inventor of 'gerrymandering')".
The 714-room Pierre Hotel that rose forty-two stories on the site of the Gerry mansion at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 61st Street allowed for unrestricted views of Central Park. It cost $15 million to build and opened to grand fanfare in October 1930. The hotel was designed by the New York firm of Schultze and Weaver
as a skyscraper that rises in a blond-brick shaft from a limestone-fronted Louis XVI base. Its topmost floors render it an easily-recognizable landmark on the New York skyline; they are modeled after Mansart's Royal Chapel at Versailles
, a system of Corinthian pilasters and arch-headed windows, with octagonal ends, under a tall, slanted, copper roof that is pierced with bronze-finished bull's-eye dormer
s. New York society turned out to attend the gala dinner that marked the opening of The Pierre; it was prepared by August Escoffier, "the father of French chefs", who served as a guest chef at The Pierre in its early years.
As markets continued to collapse during the Great Depression
, The Pierre went into bankruptcy in 1932. The oilman, J. Paul Getty
, bought it for about $2.5-million in 1938 and subsequently sold many cooperative apartments in the building.
The Pierre was the scene of the Pierre Hotel Robbery
in 1972.
Today, the hotel contains 189 guest accommodations, including forty suites, and thirteen grand suites. Dining options in the hotel include the restaurant Le Caprice located off Fifth Avenue and the 2E Lounge off the Main Lobby of the hotel.
.
In 1959, seventy-five apartments were sold to a cooperative of private residents, while The Pierre's owner at that time, J. Paul Getty, retained control of the hotel's services and guest rooms. Among the permanent residents at The Pierre have been Elizabeth Taylor
, Viacom entertainment-company chairman Sumner Redstone
, Mohamed al-Fayed
, then the owner of Harrods
, and the late designer Yves Saint-Laurent. Thirteen of the apartments have since become "grand suites".
A triplex co-op that occupies the top three floors was placed on the market in 2003, with a pricetag of $70 million. This 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) apartment features five bedrooms, four terraces, a paneled library, a wine cellar, a black Belgian-marble staircase and the hotel's former ballroom with 23 feet (7 m) high ceilings. It was originally purchased by the hedge-fund manager Martin Zweig
, from publishing heiress Mary, Lady Fairfax, in 1999 for $21.5 million. With its $70 million price tag payable in full at purchase, the co-op was listed in 2006 in Forbes Magazine as the eighth-most expensive home in the world, fourth-most expensive home in the United States, and second-most expensive home in the Northeastern United States in 2006.
The board of directors has turned-down two would-be buyers.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located at 2 East 61st Street at the intersection of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, facing Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. The hotel opened in 1930, and is currently owned by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Standing 160 meters tall, it is located within the Upper East Side Historic District
Upper East Side Historic District
Upper East Side Historic District is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Its boundaries were increased in 2006....
as designated in 1981 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
.
History
Charles Pierre Casalasco left his father's restaurant in AjaccioAjaccio
Ajaccio , is a commune on the island of Corsica in France. It is the capital and largest city of the region of Corsica and the prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud....
, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, where he had started as a busboy, assumed Charles Pierre as his full professional name, and began work at the Hotel Anglais in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
.
Pierre went on to study haute cuisine
Haute cuisine
Haute cuisine or grande cuisine was characterised by French cuisine in elaborate preparations and presentations served in small and numerous courses that were produced by large and hierarchical staffs at the grand restaurants and hotels of Europe.The 17th century chef and writer La Varenne...
in Paris, and he later traveled to London where he met the American restaurateur, Louis Sherry
Louis Sherry
Louis Sherry was an important American restaurateur, caterer, confectioner and hotelier during the Gilded Age and early 20th century. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream, and also the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York City.-Early life:Sherry was born in St...
, who offered Pierre a position. After Pierre arrived in New York as a 25-year-old immigrant, he made his first mark as first assistant at Sherry's Restaurant and became professionally acquainted with members of the Social Register
Social Register
Specific to the United States, the Social Register is a directory of names and addresses of prominent American families who form the social elite, . The "Directory" automatically includes the President of the United States and the First Family, and in the past always included the U.S. Senators and...
, as well as newer millionaires like J. P. Morgan
J. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan was an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric...
and the Vanderbilts. After nine years at Sherry's, Pierre left, first for the Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
on Madison Avenue at Forty-sixth Street, then opening his own restaurant on Forty-fifth Street immediately west of Fifth Avenue, and finally at Pierre's on Park at 230 Park Avenue.
At the height of his success, dissatisfied with the increasing democratization of public manners, Pierre sold his restaurant and entered a joint venture with a group of Wall Street financiers, "among them Otto H. Kahn, Finley J. Shepherd (who had married Helen Gould
Helen Miller Shepard
Helen Miller Gould Shepard was an American philanthropist born in Manhattan in New York City.-Birth:Born as Helen Miller Gould she was the first born daughter of Jay Gould and Helen Day Miller...
), Edward F. Hutton, Walter P. Chrysler, and Robert Livingston Gerry (the son of Elbridge Thomas Gerry
Elbridge Thomas Gerry
Elbridge Thomas Gerry was an American reformer.-Biography:In 1860 he was admitted to the New York State Bar Association. He became an adviser to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals...
, lawyer, philanthropist and grandson of Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Thomas Gerry was an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States , serving under James Madison, until his death a year and a half into his term...
, the inventor of 'gerrymandering')".
The 714-room Pierre Hotel that rose forty-two stories on the site of the Gerry mansion at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 61st Street allowed for unrestricted views of Central Park. It cost $15 million to build and opened to grand fanfare in October 1930. The hotel was designed by the New York firm of Schultze and Weaver
Schultze and Weaver
The architectural firm of Schultze and Weaver was established in New York City in 1921. The partners were Leonard Schultze and S. Fullerton Weaver.Leonard B. Schultze was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1877...
as a skyscraper that rises in a blond-brick shaft from a limestone-fronted Louis XVI base. Its topmost floors render it an easily-recognizable landmark on the New York skyline; they are modeled after Mansart's Royal Chapel at Versailles
Chapels of Versailles
The present chapel of the Palace of Versailles is the fifth in the history of the palace. These chapels evolved with the expansion of the château and formed the focal point of the daily life of the court during the Ancien Régime .-First chapel:The château's first chapel dated from the time of...
, a system of Corinthian pilasters and arch-headed windows, with octagonal ends, under a tall, slanted, copper roof that is pierced with bronze-finished bull's-eye dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
s. New York society turned out to attend the gala dinner that marked the opening of The Pierre; it was prepared by August Escoffier, "the father of French chefs", who served as a guest chef at The Pierre in its early years.
As markets continued to collapse during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, The Pierre went into bankruptcy in 1932. The oilman, J. Paul Getty
J. Paul Getty
Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist. He founded the Getty Oil Company, and in 1957 Fortune magazine named him the richest living American, whilst the 1966 Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen, worth an estimated $1,200 million. At his death, he was...
, bought it for about $2.5-million in 1938 and subsequently sold many cooperative apartments in the building.
The Pierre was the scene of the Pierre Hotel Robbery
Pierre Hotel Robbery
The 1972 Pierre Hotel Robbery in New York City was a hotel robbery planned by Samuel Nalo and Robert Comfort, an associate of the Lucchese crime family, and carried out by several of his associates. It began in early November 1971...
in 1972.
Today, the hotel contains 189 guest accommodations, including forty suites, and thirteen grand suites. Dining options in the hotel include the restaurant Le Caprice located off Fifth Avenue and the 2E Lounge off the Main Lobby of the hotel.
Ownership
The Pierre came under the management of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in 1981. In its 75th anniversary year in 2005, The Pierre became a Taj Hotel as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, a global chain of fine luxury hotels and resorts, succeeded as the new lessee and operator. Taj Hotels is part of India's Tata GroupTata Group
Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
.
In 1959, seventy-five apartments were sold to a cooperative of private residents, while The Pierre's owner at that time, J. Paul Getty, retained control of the hotel's services and guest rooms. Among the permanent residents at The Pierre have been Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, Viacom entertainment-company chairman Sumner Redstone
Sumner Redstone
Sumner Murray Redstone is an American media magnate. He is the majority owner and Chairman of the Board of the National Amusements theater chain...
, Mohamed al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
, then the owner of Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
, and the late designer Yves Saint-Laurent. Thirteen of the apartments have since become "grand suites".
A triplex co-op that occupies the top three floors was placed on the market in 2003, with a pricetag of $70 million. This 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) apartment features five bedrooms, four terraces, a paneled library, a wine cellar, a black Belgian-marble staircase and the hotel's former ballroom with 23 feet (7 m) high ceilings. It was originally purchased by the hedge-fund manager Martin Zweig
Martin Zweig
Martin E. Zweig is an American stock investor, investment advisor, and financial analyst. He is, according to Forbes Magazine renowned for his "eccentric and lavish lifestyle" as well having the most expensive residence in the United States. It was listed on the New York City real estate market a...
, from publishing heiress Mary, Lady Fairfax, in 1999 for $21.5 million. With its $70 million price tag payable in full at purchase, the co-op was listed in 2006 in Forbes Magazine as the eighth-most expensive home in the world, fourth-most expensive home in the United States, and second-most expensive home in the Northeastern United States in 2006.
The board of directors has turned-down two would-be buyers.
In popular culture
The Pierre has frequently appeared as a setting in films and in television series.- The tango scene in the film Scent of a WomanScent of a WomanThis article is about the American film. For the Korean drama, see Scent of a Woman .Scent of a Woman is a 1992 drama film directed by Martin Brest that tells the story of a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to an irascible, blind, medically retired Army officer...
was shot in the Pierre's Cotillion Ballroom. - The Pierre is mentioned in the play The Heidi ChroniclesThe Heidi ChroniclesThe Heidi Chronicles is a 1988 play by Wendy Wasserstein. The play won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.-Production history:A workshop production at Seattle Repertory Theatre was held in April 1988, directed by Daniel J. Sullivan....
, and some of the action is set there. - Aerial shots of the Pierre penthouse exteriors were used as Anthony HopkinsAnthony HopkinsSir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
character's New York residence in Meet Joe BlackMeet Joe BlackMeet Joe Black is a 1998 American fantasy romance film produced by Universal Studios, directed by Martin Brest and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Claire Forlani, loosely based on the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday...
. - The Pierre was referenced in the M*A*S*H episode called "The Party" in season 7, in which the relatives of the main characters get together at the hotel.
- In The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
episode "In Camelot," Fran Felstein tells Tony SopranoTony SopranoAnthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
about President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's invitation to rendezvous at The Pierre Hotel, and how a steel workers strike aborted those plans. - In an early episode of Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
season 1, while apartment shopping, Pete Campbell's wife Trudy remarks that the sink of the master bathroom is the same one from The Pierre. In the season 3 finale of the show, Sterling Cooper Advertising becomes Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and relocates to room 435 of The Pierre. - In the 2009 film Grey Gardens, Edith Bouvier "little Edie" BealeEdith Bouvier BealeEdith Bouvier Beale was an American socialite, fashion model and cabaret performer. She was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill...
has her DébutanteDebutanteA débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
ball at the hotel, a true story. - In the Real Housewives of New York City, cast member Ramona Singer had her commitment ceremony at The Pierre.
- The Pierre also appears several times in episodes of CSI:NY (Season 6, Episode 10: "Death House"; Season 7, Episode 2: "Unfriendly Chat").
External links
- Official website
- Wired New York Forum
- The Pierre: 795 Fifth Ave. Detailed building information, building ratings and area maps