Home / Business and Economy / Hotel Carter: From Glamour to Grime, a Century of Decay
Hotel Carter: From Glamour to Grime, a Century of Decay
10 May
Summary
- Opened in 1930, the hotel endured nearly a century of financial decline and neglect.
- Complaints of rats and bedbugs led to its recognition as one of America's dirtiest.
- Current plans for affordable housing are entangled in litigation, leaving it empty since 2015.
The Hotel Carter, initially opening as the Dixie Hotel in 1930 with over 600 rooms, has experienced a nearly century-long trajectory of financial hardship and neglect. Following its early default during the Great Depression, the hotel saw periods of alleged violence and gained notoriety, topping TripAdvisor's list of "dirtiest hotels in America" multiple times due to severe pest infestations and unsanitary conditions.
Initially a part of Times Square's vibrant atmosphere in the 1930s and 40s, offering "southern hospitality," the hotel later served as a shelter in the 1980s, housing hundreds of families. However, this era was marred by significant violence and social disorder. By the late 1990s, it was used as a filming location for "Great Expectations" before being temporarily closed due to safety violations and experiencing further violence.
In 2014, real estate developers purchased the hotel with plans for renovation, but these efforts stalled due to financial defaults and litigation. Since 2015, the Carter has remained vacant, its entrance now boarded up and attracting illicit activities. Hopes for its transformation into affordable housing for artists and theater workers are still entangled in legal battles, with no clear resolution in sight as of May 2026.
