Happy Birthday Chrysler Building

NY Times ^ | April 22, 2005 | James Stephenson

[M. Espinola]

Midtown's evening jewel

[P.O.E.]

Between bin Laden or Q the Winged Serpent, the serpent is the lesser of two evils.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

These Art deco buildings look a lot better than the non character buildings of the 1960s-1970s buildings.
The more you look at these buildings , the more they look more up to date and fit in with 2005.
I have seen more and more modern architects using the old art deco style in buildings today.

[Huck]

Years back I picked up my uncle and aunt at Newark airport. It was their first trip from their home state of Alabama to the New York area. As we were leaving the airport in the car, my uncle pointed at Newark (NJ) and asked excitedly, "Is that New York City?!" Compared to towns like Birmingham or Montgomery, even Newark seems large. But as you say, the view from the Turnpike is excellent, where you can see Liberty Science Center, the Statue of Liberty, etc. I think the Chrysler benefits from being near the Empire. They make a nice pair. They compliment each other.

[MinuteGal]

Do you or does anyone have a pic of the '31 Chrysler Imperial? I'd love to see it if it's considered a "most beautiful" automobile.

The Chrysler Building photos take my breath away. Thanks, freepers, for posting them.

Leni

[fieldmarshaldj]

Here's a 1931 Chrysler Imperial (LeBaron Coupe).

[Pharmboy]

[Jhensy]

Wow, just found a great website where skyscraper buffs rate the top 100 buildings. Lots of photos, some amazing Asian ones you've never seen.

Chrysler Building still #1, though. Enjoy.

Best Skyscrapers on Earth

[beaver fever]

Here's a link to the 1931 Imperial Roadster that Classic Car voted the most beautiful car in history 1980.

It's not the best photo but gives you a sense of the lines.

The car was 19 ft long if memory serves. A true land yacht.

Engine was a big bore staigh eight. Truly majestic.

http://www.imperialclub.com/Articles/31Classics/Page01.jpg

[Pharmboy]

Thanks...great site.

Looking at the number two building (Bank of China in Hong Kong), I couldn't help but think that I have seen that building in downtown Dallas. Any Texans out there tell me if I'm remembering correctly? Or is it more like a building in Houston?

[G L Tirebiter]

Thanks. That's a fun site.

And there's no need to "freep" the poll.

[beaver fever]

That's the baby. I pinged a link to MinuteGal because I don't know how to do the image link thing.

The '31 LaBaron Roadster. Clark Gable owned one with a storage compartment on the drivers side for his golf clubs.

The only car in the world that says you've arrived before you've left the driveway.

Sweeeeeeeeet!

[M. Espinola]

Manhattan 'Island' -1933

[TalBlack]

I have always thought that Chrysler building the most beautiful in the New York skyline.

Today when I see it I also think of the armed escort I got out of the building for the crime of tagging an elusive attorney with a very time sensitive subpoena. Boy, was he mad!

[6SJ7]

My favorite building in the world. Great story. Amazing how the critics of the day panned the building. What do they know? Seventy-five years later this building is still an awe inspiring sight. Pure elegance.

[speedy]

Majestic. Glad to see this Chrysler Building appreciation thread. When you compare it to 40 Wall Street which was going up at the same time, they appear to come from two completely different eras. And while we're talking Art Deco, Rock Center/Radio City isn't too shabby either. And the original GE Building at 53d and Lex, which never gets any publicity, is another Art Deco classic, especially the lobby and elevators.

[speedy]

Great photo. A thing of beauty. And how much smaller it looked then.

[MinuteGal]

Thanks for the delicious eye candy, you darling freepers!

I can picture Jean Harlow and I tooling down Hollywood Boulevard in our 1931 Chrysler, our hair flying in the warm wind with Ramon Navarro in between us and Rin Tin Tin in the back seat.

Or maybe I'm Miss Marple, driving through quaint English countryside villages looking for a murderer most foul, having tea in the manor house with the villanous duke, and pointing out his butler's butler as the perp.

Oh, I want one of those cars!

Leni

[M. Espinola]

Did you notice in the photo, on the other side of the Hudson, the northern portion of New Jersey is still full of woods, and maybe even beavers, bears & Indians, way back then. :)

[I still care]

One of my favorite artistic pieces of trivia is that the Chrysler radiator cap is on the sides of the building. Look here-

and here