The Carlyle opened in 1930 and has since become more than its sum of alluring parts. A living legend that embodies, if not the spirit of NYC, at least one of her spirits: her brightest, most sparkling, most elegant self—witty, worldly, and nostalgic. An entire movie has been made about this property—The Carlyle: A Place to Stay Always—in which George Clooney, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, and Naomi Campbell discuss their fondness for the joint. The rooms tend to get better with each floor. Plus, you get to spend more time in the elevators—not an activity to enjoy in everyday life, but this is not everyday life. The Carlyle’s elevators are legendary, just like the Dorothy Draper or the infamous Dorothy Draper lobby. Bemelmans Bar. Imagine being there when Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson and Princess Diana all joined forces (true story). You would have been astonished. Not of them, of course, but of the real superstar—the unflappable, icy-calm, white-gloved Carlyle elevator operator. —Steve King
