When you think of classic New York brands, you might come up with Nathan's or the Yankees before thinking of Steinway & Sons. However, the historic piano maker has deep roots in the five boroughs.

Steinway Hall, June 30, 1925. In 1864 William Steinway opened a showroom for his pianos on 14th Street near Fifth Avenue. Owing to overwhelming popularity, he built a new concert hall as a venue to display and promote his pianos. This was the original Steinway Hall. Opened in 1866 the hall sat 2,500 guests and was one of the biggest halls in the city of New York. Over the next 25 years, it was the home of the New York Philharmonic. The success of Steinway Hall in promoting Steinway's instruments was considerable, so much so that his competitors, the Aeolian Company and Chickering & Sons, felt the need to open their own concert halls. Owing to a desire to have their showroom and concert venue near Carnegie Hall, Steinway & Sons commissioned a new building on 57th Street in the early 1920s. The new Steinway Hall, seen here, included not only showrooms and a hall, but also recording and broadcasting spaces. Designed by Warren and Wetmore, the neo-Classical building officially opened on October 27, 1925. Steinway & Sons sold the building and land in 1958 but continued to use the building as a rental. In 1999 they bought the building back but were required to continue to lease the land it occupied. In 2014, in a deal that cost a combined $177 million ($46M for the building and $131M for the land), a development company purchased Steinway Hall and its plot. Steinway Hall moved to 1133 Sixth Avenue, while a controversial plan for the landmark 57th Street building has it being restored and incorporated into a supertall residential tower.

Steinway Hall ARCHITECT: Warren & Wetmore DATE: 1924-25 STYLE: Neo-Classical Designed in a restrained neo-Classical style, Steinway Hall is L-shaped in plan, with a front portion clad in Indiana limestone that terminates in a setback, four-story colonnaded tower, and a central campanile-like tower with a steep pyramidal roof and large lantern. The main facade’s base is embellished by a music-themed sculptural group by Leo Lentelli and by a frieze with medallion portraits of distinguished classical composer-pianists. The style, materials, setbacks and massing, picturesque towers, and decorative elements add distinction to the building and make it a monumental architectural presence along the West 57th Street cultural corridor.