10. Hotel Lexington, 511 Lexington Ave.

The Lexington Hotel at 511 Lexington Avenue is one of several buildings set along “hotel alley,” the stretch of Lexington north of Grand Central that is home to various hotels, including the Beverly and Shelton. At the time of its development, the Lexington Hotel Corporation planned to make this building the largest of its parent firm’s “large chain of first-class hotels.”

It would take $6.5 million dollars and two years (1928-29) to construct, and originally housed 801 “modern luxury” rooms. Moreover, it was the location of the world-famous Hawaiian Room (1937-66), which served Polynesian cuisine.