The landmark Edwardian Room of The Plaza Hotel, with its huge windows overlooking Central Park, Grand Army Plaza, and the Pulitzer Fountain, was once a men-only grill and then the home of welcome-to-all restaurants both elegant (the 1990s hot spot where chef Kerry Simon cooked for the A-List likes David Bowie, Julian Schnabel and Debbie Harry) and not (Ada Louise Huxtable derided the 1960's era Green Tulip as "something out of a shopping center department store"). But it has sat empty for years. Now, the grand Spanish Renaissance Revival style space, with its paneled oak wainscoting, elaborate trussed ceiling, stenciled decorations and mirrors is on the rental market. Due to union requirements, it likely won't return as a restaurant. And since it's landmarked (Warning: PDF), New York City probably won't approve a Prada store. So what should it be? Another Starbucks? A Russian oligarch's vanity art gallery? A David Barton gym? Take it away, commenters.
The Plaza Hotel Designation Report [LPC]
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