The strange, changeable and often somber Vanderbilt Avenue and what WAS the Lincoln Building....

Vanderbilt Avenue is one of those narrow little canyon streets that are usually in shadow because of the towering buildings around them...though at certain times on a sunny day it will suddenly become a lot more cheerful, if not festive....

At the Southern end is the landmark Lincoln Building, another one of those places which was built around 1930 when taller was always better. I am not sure what architectural style to call the Lincoln Building...eclectic? I have often gazed at the top of the building from down in Murray Hill and noticed how serene it seems...

Well, back to our friend Wikipedia-- 

The Lincoln Building (now known as One Grand Central Place) is an office building located at 60 East 42nd Street in New York City, opposite Grand Central Terminal. It was completed in 1930. The architect was James Edwin Ruthven Carpenter, Jr. It is 673 feet (205 meters) tall with 53 stories and built in neo-gothic style.
Although dwarfed by other buildings in the area, notably the Chrysler Building and MetLife Building, the Lincoln has a number of interesting features, including gothic windows at the top, the lobby, and the bronze model by Daniel Chester French of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (after renaming of the building in 2009, the model was removed). It is currently tied with the Barclay Tower for the 49th tallest building in New York City.

Well, it's not the Lincoln Building any more, and unlike most places Wikipedia does not have a whole lot more to add. I do believe I heard they used to have a private club up at the top but have never verified this...if they did, it would have spectacular views.