Today's $90 million penthouses don't hold a candle to the grand mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.New York City is constantly being rebuilt.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, dozens of beautiful old buildings were demolished to make way for new development. It wasn't until 1966, with the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act, that historic buildings could be protected by federal law.
Click through to see some of these vanished buildings, which include iconic hotels, businesses, and private homes.
Max Rosenberg contributed to this post.