Gotham Hotel: 1905

A De Dion Bouton. Although does not have the characteristic shroud louvers.

I like how the Gotham has a setback at the top, while the St. Regis has a corresponding overhang.

Who can identify it? At first I thought Renault (seen here on Shorpy), maybe a Type AG taxi, but the radiator in this photo is up front instead of behind the motor, as on a Renault.

[Maybe someone at the New Jersey DMV can look up 11045? - Dave]

Below is the identical perspective from April of 2006.

What a vista! Fifth Avenue was the creme-de-la-creme of NYC at the turn of the 20th century (and still is in many respects). You can see St. Thomas on the right at 53rd street, and the spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral on the left at 50th street. The spire directly above the parked auto doesn't exist anymore -- not sure what church it belonged to.

I've worked in this area for more than a decade. It's hard to imagine sometimes that it was once primarily a residential neighborhood.

Now THIS is what I call a picture, the detail is incredible. As I stare into the scene I just imagine myself walking these streets everyday. I think my neck would hurt most of the time from looking up at the gorgeous building details. I experience this same problem a couple of summers ago when my wife and I spent a few days in NY. I kept nearly running into things and people because I was always looking up!

No restaurants nearby, but plenty of churches for your spiritual needs.

Wow! This must be one of the earliest autos. Could it be a Duryea? In 1905 even in a downtown NYC, only one auto on a busy city street, within a few years most of the horses would be gone. Great snapshot of the beginning of the automobile in America.

The St Regis and Gotham Hotels still stand at their exact locations 105 years later. The only change, the name of the Gotham, it is now the Peninsula. Both are high end digs.

Doesn't look much different today.

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