When attending an event at Radio City Music Hall, whether it be the iconic Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular or your favorite artist’s concert, you may be too dazzled by the entertainment or the venue’s beauty to ever question what else lies within the nearly century-old walls.
Yet, hiding above the audiences at Midtown Manhattan’s Radio City lies a time capsule to the 1930s with an opulently decorated, now abandoned, Art Deco apartment that once belonged to theatrical impresario, Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel.
Who was Roxy Rothafel and why did he get a secret apartment at Radio City?
Roxy produced wowing shows for Radio City Music Hall, even introducing synchronized orchestra scores to silent films.
He played a pivotal role in the Rockettes’ rise to notoriety after acquiring the dance troupe. Roxy first brought them to perform at his Roxy Theatre in Times Square, before bringing them onto the Radio City stage where they still high kick today.
The venue was designed by architect and interior designer duo, Edward Durrell and Donal Deskey. The story goes that the pair were so gracious towards Roxy for his contributions to Radio City Musical Hall that they constructed an apartment high up in the venue in the same style as the theater below.
What famous guests once visited the secret Midtown Manhattan apartment?
Lavishly fit with gold leaf covered ceilings that soared 20 feet high and cherry-paneled walls, Roxy used the secret apartment’s reception parlor and formal dining hall to host esteemed company, from Alfred Hitchcock to Olivia de Havilland, reported Atlas Obscura.
However, once he died in 1936, the apartment was left idle.
Can you visit the Roxy Suite in New York City today?
Nearly 100 years later, the apartment, now known as the Roxy Suite, can be rented for private events, film and TV shoots, press conferences, luncheons, dinners and more.
Moreover, the suite opens up every holiday season for the Roxy Suite Reception, welcoming guests ahead of the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular for a pre-show buffet and open bar. Ticket holders for the pre-show reception will get to go through a private entrance into Radio City Hall and to experience the luxuries once enjoyed by Roxy himself.
Tickets for the 2025 Christmas Spectacular and Roxy Suite Reception can already be secured for upcoming winter dates.
In other NYC secrets, don’t forget to check out this hidden magic show disguised behind an old-school Brooklyn watch shop, or these extraordinary places you won’t believe are in the city.