Beloved art deco took hold in the 1930s as architects turned away from history, creating unique buildings, configured with setbacks and decorated with original ornament. Built in 1929, the brick-and-terra-cotta Chanin Building is the work of unlicensed architect Irwin S Chanin, who teamed up with the legally recognized firm Sloan & Robertson to achieve his dream. The star attractions are the exquisite bands of relief at the building's base, created by René Chambellan and Jacques Delamarre and depicting flora and fauna.
Chanin Building
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.04 MILES
What started with a handful of paintings brought over from Europe or donated by a coterie of philanthropically minded robber barons in the 19th century…
2.22 MILES
One of the world’s most renowned green spaces, Central Park comprises 843 acres of rolling meadows, boulder-studded outcroppings, elm-lined walkways,…
4.89 MILES
Located in New York Harbor, Ellis Island is the US's most famous and historically important gateway and is home to one of the country’s most moving…
0.52 MILES
The Chrysler Building may be prettier, and One World Trade Center taller, but the queen bee of the New York skyline remains the Empire State Building. NYC…
3.27 MILES
Spanning three levels at the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, One World Observatory offers dazzling panoramic views over Manhattan's…
2.38 MILES
A New York icon, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, more commonly known as the Guggenheim, is an internationally-renowned art museum and one of the most…
5.58 MILES
It’s been over a century since Lady Liberty made her debut appearance on the New York skyline, but this iconic statue is still one of the city’s most…
National September 11 Memorial Museum
3.34 MILES
When the twin towers of the World Trade Center toppled during the awful events of 11 September 2001, it led to years of soul-searching about what would be…
Nearby attractions
0.05 MILES
Designed by William Van Alen and completed in 1930, the 77-floor Chrysler Building is the pinup for New York's purest art deco architecture, guarded by…
0.12 MILES
Completed in 1913, Grand Central Terminal – commonly, if incorrectly, called Grand Central Station – is one of New York’s most venerated beaux-arts…
0.31 MILES
Incorporating the mansion once owned by steel magnate JP Morgan, this sumptuous cultural center houses a phenomenal array of manuscripts, tapestries and…
0.33 MILES
Loyally guarded by 'Patience' and 'Fortitude' (the marble lions overlooking Fifth Ave), this beaux-arts show-off is one of NYC's best free attractions…
0.4 MILES
European coffee kiosks, alfresco chess games, summer film screenings and winter ice skating: it's hard to believe that this leafy oasis was a crime-ridden…
0.41 MILES
Among Bryant Park's attractions is this French-inspired, Brooklyn-made carousel, with over a dozen delightfully baroque animals you can ride to the sounds…
0.44 MILES
Elegant exhibitions of both traditional and contemporary Japanese art, textiles and design are the main draw at this calming cultural center, complete…
0.46 MILES
Like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, the Diamond District is a world unto itself. Best experienced on weekdays, it's an industrious whirl of Hasidic Jewish…