Morning View - Starret-Lehigh Building

It may not look like much from this angle, but this is the home of Martha Stewart Omnimedia. In 1931 the block-sized Starret-Lehigh was built on West 26th Street as an innovative "modernist experiment in industrial architecture" because it featured train tracks so that freight cars brought by boat from New Jersey could be driven into the building and lifted in giant elevators to the upper floors.

However, the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln and Holland tunnels were all completed at about the same time and long-haul trucking replaced most rail deliveries to Manhattan. The trucking industry then took over the nearby waterfront. You can tour Martha's offices on her blog. Other current tenants include Hugo Boss, Club Monaco, and School of Visual Arts.