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The Flatiron Building1. The Flatiron Building at 175 Fifth Avenue is a National Historic Landmark constructed in 1902. Its unusual shape (like an iron) was intended to fill the vacant piece of land at the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue. At its narrowest end, the Flatiron Building is only six feet across. Spiderman movie fans will recognize the building as the setting for The Daily Bugle, where Peter Parkers sells his photography.
The Waldorf-Astoria2. The Waldorf-Astoria at 301 Park Avenue embodies classic New York City luxury and style with its three American and classic European restaurants, a beauty parlor, and several boutiques in this Art Deco hotel. As if this weren't enough to prove its grandeur, the United States government keeps a suite on the 42nd floor to house its United National ambassador.
3. Trump Tower at 725 Fifth Avenue is a more modern example of New York architecture on a grand scale. Developed as a multi-use building (retail, office, and residential) by Donald Trump, TV viewers will remember the lofty structure from Trump's reality show The Apprentice. At the time of its construction in 1983, Trump Tower was the tallest building of its kind in New York City at 58 stories.
4. The Chrysler Building at 405 Lexington Avenue is considered by some to be the world's finest skyscraper. Completed in 1930, this elegant Art Deco structure features ornamentation based on the Chrysler automobiles for which it was named (for instance, the 61st floor is adorned in eagles, which are replicas of the 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments). The building also inspired other skyscrapers around the world, including Philadelphia's One Liberty Place.
5. Federal Hall National Memorial at 26 Wall Street was the original capital of the United States where George Washington was inaugurated as president. It was later demolished, and the current building opened in 1842 as the United State's first Customs House. The hall's Doric columns and triangular top make the building one of New York's best example of Greek Revival architecture. It's now operated as a museum.
6. The Museum of Modern Art opened its current location at 11 West 53rd Street in November 2004. Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi designed the newly renovated building, which doubled the museum's space and preserved the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, where visitors enjoy coffee and modern architecture.
7. Grand Central Station at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue bustles with commuters and tourists in one of the most populated parts of the city. The information booth features a four-faced opal clock valued at between ten and twenty million dollars. Other architectural features include an elaborately painted ceiling in the main concourse. The astronomical designs on the ceiling were originally painted by French artist Paul César Helleu in 1912 and restored in recent years.
8. St. Paul's Chapel at 209 Broadway was built in 1766, making it the only Manhattan building dating before the Revolutionary War. With its classical portico (or porch), boxy shape, and other architectural details, the Chapel is a perfect example of Georgian architecture. It was modeled after St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London.
