3. Bowling Green Offices 5-11 Broadway

At 5-11 Broadway, the landmarked Bowling Green Offices was hailed as an “enormous and beautifully crafted presence” by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. The building’s claim to fame is as the offices of the White Star Line during the Titanic.  It was here, on the morning of April 15th, 1912, that crowds began to gather on this staircase, for at least one New York newspaper had reported that the unthinkable had happened: that the unsinkable Titanic had sunk.

The “Hellenic Renaissance” style building was built from 1895 to 1898 and features two nearly matching facades. Its interior columns were reportedly made of ship masts. The Bowling Green Offices were also home to other shipping lines, including the American Line and the American Scantic Line, plus businesses and firms connected to the shipping industry., and offices for the Merchant Marine and the Navy.

The first floor of the building is now home to a Subway, a wine store, and a Japanese food spot. You can still see the words “Bowling Green Offices” on the entablature of the building above the entrance.

Join us on an upcoming Tour of the Remnants of NYC’s Maritime Past led by Untapped Cities’ Chief Experience Officer, Justin Rivers:

Tour of NYC’s Maritime History