Campbell Apartment

Don’t be mislead by the name—this is no regular apartment. In fact it was never an apartment at all.

When American financier John W. Campbell decided he needed an office for both work and play, he knew he wanted it to be near the railroad for easy access to transportation. So what better place to install himself than in Grand Central Station itself?

Campbell leased a space from William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1923 and modeled it after a 13th century Florentine palace, going as far as installing a $300,000 Persian rug.

Having fallen into disrepair through the years, it was eventually remodeled as a bar in the late 90s, replete with 1920s-era décor and drinks. Signs of Campbell’s lavish lifestyle still persist — just look to the fireplace where his beautiful steel safe resides.

The bar crowd still consists of a lot of financiers and business commuters, so we can’t vouch for the crowd. Try and check it out during the day when it is slower.