When is an apartment not an apartment?

Over this Easter long weekend, I'm having a "staycation" in New York, only I'm actually house-sitting for some friends, at their apartment on the Upper East Side.  I don't know this neighbourhood very well (at the moment) but I hope this weekend will change that.  In addition to the apartment, I'm also taking care of two adorable dogs, so I get my puppy fix too.

In honour of relocating to a new apartment, even for a few days, I took myself to ANOTHER person's apartment in Midtown - to Campbell Apartment, upstairs in Grand Central Station.

Campbell Apartment is much bigger than my own apartment (though most places are).  But funnily enough, this place was never actually used as an apartment  - it was only ever an office, and it was the business and social headquarters of John W Campbell, a millionaire financier and the Chairman of the board of the Credit Clearing House, before he retired in 1941.

When Campbell first acquired his office in 1923, it was actually known as "the biggest single room in New York".  The Campbells lived far out in the NY suburbs, but they leased the Grand Central station office as a midpoint meeting place for their friends and John's clients.

Fans of all things Italian, and with a flair for the opulent, Campbell and his wife redecorated the office in Florentine style - painted ceilings, over $300,000 worth of Persian rugs for the floor and the walls, 13th Century Italian leather chairs, and heavy wooden furnishings.  But as an added flourish, Campbell also installed a pipe organ and grand piano.  I guess just because the business day ended, didn't mean the party had to!  It wasn't unusual for Mr and Mrs Campbell to entertain up to 60 guests a night in their carefully-curated office/party room/museum.

The French martinis
here are amazing

It wasn't until the late 1990s that the room was renovated into a cocktail bar.   The Italianate style disappeared and in its place, Campbell Apartment was decked out in rich blues and heavy patterns.  This scheme was redone by new owners in 2006, who favoured deeper reds, soft couches, and leather barstools to match.  The latest renovations took place in one night, to avoid losing any business.

Campbell Apartment is a dimly-lit treasure of a place.  You can access it from inside Grand Central station, but it can be a bit tricky to find.  By far the easiest way is to come out onto 42nd Street, and turn right in Vanderbilt Avenue.  Follow the Grand Central station building along, and you'll see a doorway with a staircase leading up to "Campbell Apartment".  I'm quite partial to their French martinis, but the bartenders know what they're doing - they'll take good care of you.  Welcome home!