7. The Carlyle

One of the first to lead the way in the interwar trend for residential hotels, the Carlyle was dubbed one of the first skyscraper communities. Also called the New York White House, President John F. Kennedy maintained a residence in the Carlyle and used a network of tunnels under the hotel and famously rendezvoused with Marilyn Monroe.
The Bemelmans Bar in the hotel features murals by Ludwig Bemelman (creator of the children’s book series Madeline) that depict the four seasons in Central Park and continues to delight the socialites, politicians, entertainers and tourists who frequent the bar.