The Plaza Hotel by Central Park in Manhattan is probably the most famous hotel in the world. It was bought by a new owner four years ago and was completely renovated. Now it is part hotel and part luxury apartments suites. The apartments go for between $2.5 million to over $50 million.

But now that the renovations are finished, only a handful of the apartments are actually occupied. Most are owned by people who have several other residences around the world and will be spending very little time there. One full-time resident says it is a bit spooky to live there and to be the only person occupying the whole floor. She hardly ever runs into the other handful of people who live there full-time on other equally deserted floors.

"On any night, the Plaza has rows and rows of darkened windows. The hallways on upper floors are silent except for the occasional shudder of wind."

One young women whose parents bought her an apartment there says meeting people is hard simply because it’s hard to tell the residents from the help. One neighbor cast his eyes away from her one day when she walked through the lobby with a mop and bucket. She said she felt like telling him her family owns two apartments in the Plaza.

She hopes, she said, that over time she will meet someone there who shares her love of art and running. Her mother hopes that she will find neighbors who like to play canasta or bridge.

See the entertaining article It's Lonely at the Plaza Hotel at the NYT.

Above is the Plaza before the renovations. Photo by RedMonkeyVirus.