Love at the Five & Dime
The beginning of February feels…a lot like January.
Not much going on, last Tuesday night, I did go to an architectural tour of the Woolworth Tower with my mom. She really likes the Woolworth Building, but one time they kicked her out of the lobby because it’s closed to tourists now. I invited her to come with me for moral support when I closed on my first apartment a few years ago, so she got a kick out of being allowed in. So when I was invited to this tour, I thought she’d like it.
The Woolworth Building was built starting in 1910, and upon completion in 1912 (super fast!) it was the tallest building in the world until 1930, when it was surpassed by Chase Manhattan’s 40 Wall Street building (now the Trump building) which was then surpassed by the Chrysler Building, which was then surpassed by the Empire State Building, which was then surpassed by the World Trade Center. After that, I stop caring. It’s a unique building because it was one of the last really large buildings to be paid for in cash, which allowed Frank Woolworth (quite a character!) to have a lot of creative freedom in dictating the details/style of the building. The style is kind of Gothic, but not exactly. Readers older than me will probably remember Woolworth’s "five and dime" variety stores very fondly, but for everyone else, there’s not really anything like them anymore. Weirdly I learned later that the Woolworth’s corportation somehow mutated to become Foot Locker. Never knew that!
Anyway, here it is…the lobby is really extraordinary:
Just so ornate – these sort of things aren’t built today:
We didn’t go up to the mezzanine but we’d been there before for my closing:
They did take us underground, which was kind of wild:
I was of course dying to see the pool. When the building opened in 1912, it was top of the line and featured both a swimming pool and turkish baths! The pool was actively used until 1999, most recently as part of a Jack LaLanne fitness chain. Old Jack was kind of a badass – known for swimming Alcatraz handcuffed while pulling an oil tanker, etc and other feats Sadly the pool is long dry and covered today. Unused pools make me sad:
But here’s what it looked like in 1915, about a year after Jack Lalanne was born:
Most recently, the 21st floor of the building was used as the set of "Ugly Betty," as the home of Mode Magazine:
Me and my mom (by the awesome elevators):
After the tour we met up with S for dinner at the Woolworth Tower Kitchen. Kind of a neat old place, food/service nothing amazing, but a nice cap to the night. Then uptown to drop my mom at Grand Central Terminal, another wonderful NYC landmark. Sleep, class, work, blah blah blah blah blah.
We wrapped up bootcamp last Friday morning – it was kind of anti-climactic. Our super-hard core instructor usually does our class Monday/Wednesday/Friday but he was off this Friday so the 5am guy subbed in instead. He was nice and I liked some of his variations with free weights, but he had a very different style for the running segments and had a ton of running on very steep inclines. I don’t like running fast on more than 5% on the treadmill, feels like Iike I’m going to fall off the back. Anyway, we finished and are now taking some time off. I started getting a cold or something last night anyway so turned out to be good timing to be able to sleep in this week.
Weekend was very lazy. I had to be at our midtown office on Friday afternoon so I wrapped that up a bit after 5, then walked over to Bierhaus. It was pretty packed and my phone was dead, so I felt very lucky to locate S and the group. We drank mammoth beers and chatted with everyone. Weirdly one of S’s co-workers went to high school with him. He lives in the neighborhood I first lived in when I graduated college…I had recently learned that the building I lived in at that time burned down, pretty much to the ground, about a year ago. Does anyone remember BFL, one of my roommates right after undergrad? Apparently she was till living in the building until it burned down. And weirdly Jeremy knows her. Small world! If I never see her again I’ll be quite content. The rest of the night was equally random. After drinking three huge mugs of beer we poured S’s colleagues into cabs, then grabbed one ourselves. And took the cab straight to McDonald’s. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast if you don’t count beer, so at least it was food. French class was cancelled and I don’t think I left the house all day. Sunday was similar. My sister got me this nikefuel bracelet gadget, basically a pedometer. Most weekdays I take 8-10k steps, on Sunday I took under 250. Ha! I didn’t even watch the superbowl…I was showering when the Beyonce halftime show came on so he brought it to me on his laptop so I could watch through the shower curtain. They did a great job! I am under the weather today, and feeling cranky.
The pictures of the Woolworth building are incredible. I’m glad your mom got to go on the tour with you! I have always heard that a person needs to take at least 5,000 steps a day (and that’s considered to be low active). Hahahahaha. Kind of funny. When you live in the burbs, walking that much isn’t easy! Now that I’m not walking around on a campus, I’m probably lucky to walk that much INA WEEK. Yes, you needed to know that. 🙂
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What a beautiful building – it’s a shame we don’t seem to have that kind of decadence and attention to detail any more – I often wonder what will be left of our architectural era…
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Beautiful place! ryn: Of course, the ones I liked weren’t on sale. That didn’t stop me from buying some stuff anyway, haha! They have 20% sitewide though, so that helped a bit.
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R: As easily as I get bored on the treadmill, I’m really glad I have it. I think… a mile is a thousand steps? Heh. It’s probably kind of crazy that I know that off the top of my head.
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My favourite part of this entry is that S brought you the laptop to watch Beyonce while showering!
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What a stunning building! And you are looking great, as usual. 🙂 I didn’t watch the Superbowl either – I read a book next to J on the couch while he watched, and looked up whenever cheering started up. 🙂
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Looks like a lovely outing with mom!
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They’ve been undoing all the ‘upgrades’ from the 50’s and and 70’s in the Seattle train depot to uncover architecture more like this. It’s taking forever, but every time the uncover a portion of what’s been restored, it’s breathtaking.
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Hope you feel better soon. I’m quite interested in one of those watches.
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That bird mural is unbelievable.
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oh wow those pictures are amazing! Thank you for sharing a little of the history too! Loved the picture of you and your mum 🙂
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I miss Woolworth’s! I remember them having a soda fountain type counter and it was such a novelty as a kid when my mom would take us there to have lunch and then we shopped in the same place.
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Hey, I remember Woolworth’s. There used to be one on Market St. in SF, I believe. They sold hamsters. I think it shut down when I was a kid. Those elevators! They just don’t make them the same now do they…
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What an amazing building! Woolworths here is a grocery store lol.
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The mosaic is stunning! I didn’t know you could do architectural tours, that’s cool 🙂 I feel sad when I see unused swimming pools too, as a regular swimmer.
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Wow to have lived in a building like that, I don’t think I would get tired at looking at all of the old style charm. So used to watch Ugly Betty before it got kind of wierd. Didn’t watch the superbowl either!
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That is a nice building..it is good you and your mom can share these things…
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I liked Ugly Betty, mostly for the clothes and the offices. 🙂 An used pool is definitely sad. I hate when people fill them in too. What a waste! Great pictures of you and your mom!
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R: not yet! I’ve been using my phone to stay up to date with everyone on OD. Unfortunately though, the site isn’t entirely mobile compatible, because it won’t let me type out an actual entry 😛 Update will come as soon as I’m back. Got lots and lots to share. Disclaimer: T proposed!
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I remember her being desperate and sleeping with undesireable men
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Awesome pictures. There was still a Woolworth’s in Burlington, VT when I was little. It even had a lunch counter, and there was an amazing smelling tobacco store that sold hand-carved pipes and such right outside the door. The whole thing is an Old Navy now. 🙁 It’s amazing how much the world has changed in just 30 years. Not that I’m nostalgic for Woolworth’s, exactly, but…
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That is so cool! I recognize the Ugly Betty set. Your mom is too cute :-).
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Wow, what a beautiful place (and 2 beautiful ladies)! Congrats on finishing boot camp, very awesome!
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ryn: it was actually after Chernobyl – I was at home in Kiev when the disaster happened (in April) and we left for St Petersburg in late May because the radiation levels there were nonexistent in comparison to what they were in Kiev. My mom was pregnant with my sister, due in July, and was freaked out about the baby so just wanted to get away from the radiation for a bit.
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how did you like Potbelly? I’m addicted to their chickpea veggie salad and their hot peppers – I keep a jar in my house. 🙂
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RYN: Traveling. I meant to comment on this entry — up until about ’94 there was a Woolworth’s complete with a lunch counter on Market Street, I think between fourth and fifth. When I first started working downtown and making office friends, every once in awhile we’d “go vintage” and go there and get chopped olive sandwiches and egg creams. I did not know about the Woolworth’s and Footlocker connection, that is interesting. I used to buy my cheap make-up at Woolworth’s, to this day the smell of cheap make-up takes me right there.
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RYN: Oh yeah it was nothing like that… I have full confidence that if the “no” had actually made it out of my mouth it would have been honored no problem. Not to mention his drunk level was equal to mine. But just feeling mad at myself that I got drunk enough to be in that situation in the first place. 🙁
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Those photos are amazing! Glad you got to take your mum there.
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Thank you for your lovely note. Really nice to get. Am enjoying reading about NYC old stomping grounds-takes me away to my happy place! Vx
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Wow that is one gorgeous building. You’re right, people don’t make buildings like that anymore. And I’m not a huge Beyonce fan, but I did love that half time show. Her and Destiny’s Child killed it. Something seemed to be wrong with Michelle’s mic though.
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beautiful pics! empty pools give me an eerie feeling… Congrats on closing the apt!!
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That building is spectacular. Wow.
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Yay, I love your architecture/history entries! Great pics and info. Gives me something interesting for this damn night shift. Also, you are quite the stunning.
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I use to shop at the Woolworths in Santa Monica when I was in high school. It was on 3rd street, which is now 3rd street promenade. They completely made over that street, it used to be cheap stores and Mexican movie theaters. Really scary at night.
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HolySWOON. I’d have had to be poked and prodded along the entire time, my face all amazingly slack-jawed and staring up at the ceiling.
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Great history. So cool! Some of my friends on FB posted pics from Lucky party. I recall you posting those before. Did you go again this year? ryn: Thanks. Can’t wait. Need..beach..
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Yeah, seriously, how did they build such a huge, ornate building in 2 yrs in 1910?! Before cars, computers I mean..amazing!
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Ryn* I wouldn’t get her one because I don’t particularly care for them. Too rodenty for me. Cats or bust!
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They don’t make them like they used to. I can’t help but feel melancholy about that fact. Gotta’ keep an economy running, I guess… I remember eating grilled cheese sandwiches at the lunch counter at Woolworth’s on Wilshire Blvd. when I was a kid. So long ago.
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wow, that building is incredible and your Mum – adorable!
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The building is jaw-droppingly gorgeous (and so are you and your mom! Those are great pics!)
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that building is gorgeous! I agree, architecture and design is so different now… I want giant beers and McDonald’s! And I just laughed out loud when you said S brought the laptop into the bathroom so you could watch beyonce! Hahaha I was working, I didn’t see any of it but she and everyone else sounded amazing!
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I always thought Woolworth went bankrupt, but I guess it makes sense that the remnants would be bought up by SOMEONE. I love that turn of the (last) century architecture. Sometimes you need a lazy day or two…especially with all of your usual activeness.
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wow!! hat an amazing place! I’ve seen the outside a billion times but never the inside.
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Love the building pics! I often wonder WHY such grand buildings are no longer built! It’s not a question of money is it? Time?
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RYN: Well, the floor was pretty nasty pre-refinishing and the paint job is new. And you saw my tub ;=)
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RYN: I know it was kind of crazy how much melon looked like Anton in that series of pictures, something about the light, the comforter and the fstop I used.
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RYN: Not a bad idea after kitty cat dies.
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What a gorgeous old building, the details are amazing. Sounds like an interesting tour.
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R: My memoir should probably be titled, “Touched by the Crazy”. HAHA. Yeah. I admire people who can block it out! Would definitely make my life a lot easier. 🙂
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RYN: Hi! I am so sorry for not replying to your note sooner. I never check my notes anymore. I am just ok. Times are bad. But reading your diary gives me hope. you are such an inspiration with all of success, travels, etc. thanks again for leaving me a note J…
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Gorgeous pics! What a treat that must have been!
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That building is beautiful, but not as beautiful as the picture of you and mom!
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RYN* I know when I applied (a million years ago, but still) the UCs did their first round of acceptances based on GPA and SAT alone, and then looked at the rest of your application.
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If you do go, go with quark expeditions! I’m obviously biased but I also monitor sentiment about us across the web and we by far get the most positive remarks. Having now been on a trip myself I can see why – it was just amazing.
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ryn: Yeah, it was hilarious. Just posted a few more pics. It was a great trip. Too bad the girls got so drunk and fought so much. Girls trips = drama. sucks. You’re really good at posting pics. Do you use Photobucket or something else?
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RYN* Ha, nothing fancy. Johnson and Johnson night time calming lotion (it smells like lavender.)
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When I was a kid my aunt used to go to a fitness gym named after Jack LaLanne.
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Thank you for the tour. For all the trips I’ve made to NYC I never made it inside here. It is so sad these beautiful buildings are not accessible to the general public anymore. Thanks for stopping by my journal and the notes. I’ve added you to my favourites. I love to read NYC diaries! Do you watch the internet series “The Outs”? New York City through and through!!
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