About The Prince George Ballroom
The Prince George Hotel lounge in the early 1900s.
Venue History
Built in 1904 with an addition in 1912, The Prince George Hotel was a key fixture in the vibrant Madison Square neighborhood, with prominent guests such as playwright Eugene O’Neill. The hotel was designed by architect Howard Greenley in the Beaux Arts style, and had many classical and Neo-Renaissance flourishes. Its ground floor included grand common areas including the Ladies’ Tearoom, the English Tap Room, the Hunt Room, and a spacious lounge that would later become The Prince George Ballroom.
For decades, The Prince George Hotel and its restaurants were favorite gathering places. Even in the 1960s, well past its heyday, the hotel continued to draw middle-class tourists visiting New York. But as tourism experienced a steep decline in the 1970s, The Prince George, along with many smaller New York City hotels, lost its grandeur.
With the rise in homelessness in the 1980s, private hotels, including The Prince George, began accepting contracts from New York City to house homeless families. During this period, 1600 homeless women and children occupied The Prince George, in conditions that rapidly deteriorated into squalor and danger. In 1989, after years of chaos, families were moved out by court order and the hotel was closed, remaining vacant for nine years.
In 1996, Breaking Ground acquired The Prince George Hotel, and with the help of government agencies and corporate partners, transformed the building into permanent supportive housing for homeless and low-income single adults. In 2005, Breaking Ground completed the restoration of the 5,000 square-foot Prince George Ballroom and adjacent former Hunt Room. In partnership with non-profit groups Alpha Workshops, Parsons School of Design, Brooklyn High School of Preservation Arts and Youthbuild, the Neo-Renaissance ballroom was completed as a design-build project by Beyer BlinderBelle Architects. A volunteer committee working with Breaking Ground raised the $1.5 million restoration budget from private individuals, foundations and government agencies focused on job training and preservation.
The Prince George Ballroom, as well as the adjacent Ladies’ Tea Room and Gallery are now event spaces available for rental with proceeds supporting the expansion of Breaking Ground’s housing development work.
The Prince George Ballroom today.
In 2015
The Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan's Flatiron district just underwent a major $250,000 renovation, modernizing the historic space while maintaining its original Neo-Renaissance features.
Breaking Ground, the non-profit organization that owns the building, brought in world-class designer Jamie Drake and his Drake Design Associates, Marks & Tavano Workroom and Bone Simple Design for the renovation, which included installing eco-friendly lighting throughout the space and updating the professional kitchen. The design teams also undertook an extensive refurbishment of the ornate ballroom, including its sconces, ceiling and column moldings and painting, resurfacing the floor and re-upholstering the walls. The renovations mark a new renaissance for the Prince George Ballroom, which dates back to 1904 when it opened as one of New York City's grand hotels.
While the renovations preserve the ballroom's unique, landmark look, the space is dramatically transformed every week to bring clients' visions to life for corporate events, weddings, fundraisers, and many other occasions. In addition to having a beautiful event, clients are supporting a great cause: proceeds from the ballroom events support the non-profit Breaking Ground's housing development and outreach programs for homeless and other vulnerable New Yorkers.
"The Prince George Ballroom is owned and operated by
Breaking Ground, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides
affordable housing for homeless and low income New Yorkers.
100% of net proceeds from ballroom events support this mission."
To learn more about Breaking Ground and its mission, please visit www.breakingground.org .