The Candler Building

Opening Hours
Today: Open 24 hours
Fri:
Open 24 hours
Sat:
Open 24 hours
Sun:
Open 24 hours
Mon:
Open 24 hours
Tues:
Open 24 hours
Wed:
Open 24 hours
Location
209-213 West 42nd Street
The Candler Building 1 Fast Food Headquarters and Offices Garment District Midtown West Theater District Times Square

The Candler Building, constructed in 1914 by Coca-Cola mogul Asa Griggs Candler, is now enshrined in the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it might be most recognizable for the abundantly lit sign of ground-floor tenant McDonald's.

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The Candler Building 1 Fast Food Headquarters and Offices Garment District Midtown West Theater District Times Square
The Candler Building 2 Fast Food Headquarters and Offices Garment District Midtown West Theater District Times Square
The Candler Building 3 Fast Food Headquarters and Offices Garment District Midtown West Theater District Times Square
The Candler Building 4 Fast Food Headquarters and Offices Garment District Midtown West Theater District Times Square
The Candler Building 5 Fast Food Headquarters and Offices Garment District Midtown West Theater District Times Square

More Headquarters and Offices nearby

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Horticultural Society of New York 1 Art and Photography Galleries Non Profit Organizations Headquarters and Offices Libraries Tenderloin Garment District Midtown West

Horticultural Society of New York

In 1902, many major companies in Manhattan - such as JP Morgan and Tiffany – had collections of exotic plants and intricate gardens. They formed the Horticultural Society of New York as a forum to exchange information and trade practices in the science of horticulture and the care of these botanical treasures. By 1914, the organization began hosting what might be considered the equivalent of today’s film festivals or fashion weeks: flower shows, where the most modern and extravagant plants could be displayed. “Every state had a flower show at their horticultural society, ” explained Executive Director Sara Hobel. “There were competitions at the shows and all the ladies in the suburbs led their own flower clubs. ” In addition to the flower exhibitions, the society took on bigger projects, namely the reforestation of French land after World War I. With time, the original aims of horticultural societies lost their appeal; flower shows became less popular, and as people farmed or gardened less and less on their own, their need for information declined too. The times were changing, but the HSNY was determined to change with them. In the 1990s the organization began centering its efforts around social service and urban issues. Their employees work in the field as teachers, therapists and builders – some visit schools to educate the younger generations on urban blight and the role plants and gardens play in society, others use therapeutic gardens to help inmates at Rikers Island or struggling ex-offenders, and some build gardens for places that cannot afford it themselves. Although the Horticultural Society operates mostly in the field, the headquarters on 37th Street still houses a library and organizes workshops and lectures to educate the public on the imperative role of nature and gardens to the community. “Especially for the less well off, who may not be able to afford to plant or eat greens, it is important for us to bridge that gap. We all need to help heal nature, ” Hobel says.

More places on 42nd Street

Lost Gem
Chez Josephine 1 Brunch French Midtown West Hells Kitchen

Chez Josephine

Manuel Uzhca's story reads like a fairytale. He came to New York from Ecuador when he was seventeen with absolutely nothing to his name and spent time as a dishwasher in a number of restaurants. He met Jean-Claude Baker when both were working at Pronto, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side. In 2011, Jean-Claude offered Manuel the position of manager at Chez Josephine — little did Manuel know that only four years later, the restaurant would belong to him. Manuel still recalls the day that Jean-Claude asked him to bring in his passport. Confused by his request, Manuel chose not to comply. Jean-Claude teased Manuel by saying, “If you don't bring your passport, that means you don't want my restaurant. ” The next day, still perplexed, Manuel presented his passport. Jean-Claude marched the two of them to the bank and added Manuel's name to his account, giving him permission to sign checks for the restaurant. Shortly after, Jean-Claude announced that he was retiring, but Manuel did not take him seriously. Jean-Claude then told him that he was leaving and insisted, “I won't be back. ” Jean-Claude proceeded to his attorney's office, changed his will, and went off to the Hamptons. He called Manuel to make sure that everything was in order at the restaurant, and then, very sadly, Jean-Claude took his own life. “I did not believe I owned the place, not even when they showed me the will, ” Manuel declared. Jean-Claude was the last of the children adopted into singer-dancer Josephine Baker’s “Rainbow Tribe, ” created with a mission of racial harmony. He lived and performed with her for a time before making his way to New York and eventually opening this restaurant. It quickly became a haven for Broadway clientele, known for its charming and colorful ambiance as much as its haute cuisine. Since taking over in 2015, Manuel has continued running this famed French restaurant exactly how Jean-Claude left it — paying homage to Josephine Baker, who captured the Parisian imagination in the 1920s and did not let go for decades.