The iconic, bright red "New Yorker" sign on The New Yorker Hotel will be turned off in support of Earth Hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. — Photo by The New Yorker Hotel
The iconic, bright red "New Yorker" sign on The New Yorker Hotel will be turned off in support of Earth Hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. — Photo by The New Yorker Hotel

NEW YORK, NY | The New Yorker Hotel will turn off its iconic, six-story, bright red "New Yorker" sign in support of Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 P.M., demonstrating its commitment to changing the climate.

The New Yorker Hotel is a leader in environment initiatives having replaced the "New Yorker" sign, which was first lit in the 1950's, with an environmentally safe, cutting-edge technology LED sign in 2005. It was recreated in the same exact size and footprint of the original sign to meet historic qualifications and is energy efficient and remains cool at all times. LED signs are more than twice as efficient as NEON signs, and the red LED The New Yorker Hotel uses is the most efficient color.

Earth Hour () is a global initiative of the World Wildlife Fund in which millions of people around the world will cast a vote in favor of action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm local time. By voting with their light switches, Earth Hour participants will send a powerful, visual message to their leaders demanding immediate action on climate change.

Other environmental initiatives The New Yorker Hotel has undertaken will help decrease its use of energy for heating and air conditioning by 30% - 40%, effectively reducing the hotel's carbon footprint. Furthermore, the new air-conditioning system will exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1, an internationally-recognized energy conservation standard related to HVAC systems (ASHRAE is the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).

The hotel's recent $70 million renovation was carefully designed to recapture the style and character of The New Yorker Hotel - still one of the largest art deco structures in New York City - while adding significant modernization that includes the installation of a new state-of-the-art, four-pipe HVAC system to allow control of heating and cooling by individual guests throughout the year.

In addition to its naturally environmentally-friendly masonry, The New Yorker Hotel has engineered itself to be 'green,' down to the most basic elements.

Nine years ago, The New Yorker Hotel became one of the first buildings in New York City to implement co-generation technology. This means that the hotel generates about 40% of the electrical power it consumes in-house, and the waste heat from the generators is used to produce the hotel's hot water.

On a smaller, but very impactful scale, the hotel has virtually eliminated incandescent lighting, allowing it to use about one-half of the kWh (kilowatt hour) per square foot of energy that is expected for a building of its size, even during the days when it utilized window air conditioning units. The hotel recycles all of its fluorescent bulbs and also takes great care to dispose of its kitchen grease properly.

The New Yorker Hotel

Conveniently located at 34th Street and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, across from Madison Square Garden, The New Yorker Hotel is one of the largest art deco buildings in New York City.

Well-suited for groups, business and leisure travelers as well as anyone seeking a great value and an unrivaled location in Manhattan, The New Yorker Hotel features 912 guest rooms (several with terraces and all offering spectacular views), 25,000 square feet of meeting space (two stately ballrooms and 12 meeting and conference rooms), an award-winning catering department, the 24-hour Tick Tock Diner and Cooper's Tavern, a complimentary Fitness Center, and a fully-equipped Business Center.

Leigh-Mary Kearney
(516) 594-4100
The New Yorker Hotel