On this date in 1912, one of many richest males on this planet dined sumptuously aboard the White Star line’s latest and proudest ocean-going vessel on its maiden voyage throughout the Atlantic. Later that night, he would information his younger spouse Madeline to lifeboat No. 4 and be informed he couldn’t be part of her till all girls have been safely aboard. He would later be glimpsed on the ship’s starboard bridge wing, talking with one other passenger.

This was the final anybody noticed of John Jacob Astor IV till his stays have been plucked from the icy Atlantic waters a full week later, considered one of simply 333 our bodies recovered of the greater than 1,500 lives misplaced within the April 15, 1912 sinking of the Titanic.

This 111^th anniversary of the disaster is as apropos a second as any to replicate on the wealthy New York Metropolis actual property legacy of the Astor household, a legacy that is still a civic treasure to at the present time. The Astor identify lives on in a lot of honored New York Metropolis settings, not least of that are Astor Place, the crossroad between the East and West Village, and Astoria, Queens, a bastion of worldwide tradition and public inexperienced area nestled between Lengthy Island Metropolis and Sunnyside throughout the East River.

The Astor

Additionally bearing the Astor identify are myriad New York Metropolis buildings that harken to the town’s gilded age. Close to the highest of that checklist isn’t any much less a plum than the Waldorf Astoria Resort, constructed by William Waldorf Astor, nice grandson of John Jacob Astor I.

One other is The Apthorp, constructed by William between 1905 and 1908 to occupy a complete metropolis block bordered by Broadway, 79^th Road, West Finish Avenue and 78^th Road.

The constructing was operated by the Astor household for many years till its 1950 sale. It now’s a New York Metropolis-designated landmark listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.

One more notable instance is The Astor. Located on Manhattan’s Higher West Aspect at 235 West 75^th Road, The Astor was commissioned by William in 1901.

Designed by busy New York Metropolis architects Clinton and Russell, the unique construction featured two southern towers. A 3rd tower, designed in 1914 by Peabody, Wilson & Brown, accomplished inside a 12 months and related in look to the unique towers, was designed to be 4 tales taller to permit for spacious penthouses. These have been focused at well-heeled New Yorkers then descending on the Higher West Aspect, who have been predicted to flock to the constructing for its location on Broadway between 75^th and 76^th, and its proximity to the town’s authentic subway line and Central Park.

New listings

The Astor launched new listings this previous autumn, the primary new stock within the iconic constructing in two years. Restored and upgraded for at present’s most discerning purchasers, the residences function the sort of luxuries first-class passengers aboard the Titanic would have savored, had they entered a time tunnel on to 2023.

Included are formal entry foyers, herringbone-patterned wooden flooring, wood-burning fireplaces, up-to-date kitchens that includes top-of-the-line equipment packages and loos providing soaking tubs and radiant heated flooring.

“It’s uncommon to discover a dwelling in Manhattan that options each historic structure and modern interiors with fashionable upgrades, particularly one which caters to at present’s energetic life.” says Douglas Elliman’s Kyle Egan, who together with Randall Dolland and Michael Kafka is overseeing constructing gross sales.

“The Astor supplies this supreme mixture in one of many metropolis’s most sought-after neighborhoods. Discerning consumers in at present’s market are on the lookout for a novel product that may’t be discovered elsewhere. The Astor speaks to these on the lookout for a ravishing, inviting, spacious dwelling, and a particular piece of New York historical past.”

It seems precisely 111 years after the Titanic’s sinking, the cache of the true property related to its most well-known passenger continues ascending.