Aerial View of New York City Showing Points of Interest

Depression-era promotion for the Langwell Hotel, at the ‘Crossroads of the World.’

“The Langwell is a modern, Fire-proof hotel recently renovated and refurnished throughout, located…in the very Heart of Times Square which embodies the Theatre and Business Centers for which New York is justly noted. Its close proximity to everything, particularly to all Railroad Stations and Steamship Peirs makes it unusually advantageous to the traveling public as well as to those seeking a permanent home…We especially seek the patronage of Ladies traveling alone.” – Text, verso.

This impressive bird’s eye view of Manhattan was created by Aerial Explorations, Inc. for use in a c. 1938 advertising pamphlet for the Langwell Hotel. The building’s central location in Times Square is overlaid in white, along with primary transportation routes, fifty locations of interest (keyed on the right), and various neighborhoods.

Of particular interest is ‘The Ghetto’, prominently labeled in the Lower East Side and referring to the large community of Jewish residents that began to concentrate there in the late 19th century. Directions on how to reach the Langwell Hotel, details on rates and amenities, and two transit maps of New York City can be found on the verso.