49 Empty Floors | Exploring the Carew Tower and Netherland Plaza Hotel | Cincinnati, OH

[@3speed827]

A few people seem to be interested in the fact that a good portion of this video consists of me riding elevators. I understand that it's not for everyone, but I invite you to look at the other videos on this channel; you may see a common theme!

[@gluecksdrache2054]

This is a great channel. And don't let the cynics and doubters get a place in your brain. They didn't understand yet that language is a present.

[@12yearssober]

I worked in that building many times doing HVAC back in the 90's. The elevators were pretty cool at one point one of them had an operator in it. I used to joke about he had the easiest job in the building. He sat in a chair and read the paper😂. Definitely an interesting place. I was actually working the morning the base jumper went to the observation deck with his parachute in a stunt involving a local radio station. I ate many lunch sandwiches on the observation deck and the mechanical area above it. Im in naples Florida now but hopefully someday I'll be able to enjoy the view again!!

[@RustyRobinson-g5n]

Thanks for sharing this brings back memories of me when I delivered office supplies from 1981-1985 for Nitschke office supply in Columbus Ohio USA I appreciate your content 👍🇺🇸

[@SheenaRea]

That used to be a bustling place, very high-end, especially during the holidays. We used to go there as kids. The Netherland Plaza lobby/lounge area was fabulous. Cool place to have a drink, listen to the jazz pianist, people watch. Great memories!

[@GEAE_Denny_L]

I worked as Asst Director Of Security at the Netherland Plaza hotel from 1986 to 1999. Around in 1995 a group of art students came in to paint the Palm Ct and Orchid restaurants. Our HR Director had me pose at the grand piano, pretending like I was playing. The winners Painting was placed in storage in the 3rd floor EOC’s storage after being displayed. I wish I could’ve got that painting as a souvenir.. also, I was always told that the water fountain at the top steps of the Palm Court restaurant was manufactured by the Rookwood pottery in Cincinnati. If so, it would be priceless ! The wood in the restaurants was from Brazilian Rosewood. We had quite a few suicide’s at the hotel from jumper’s off the Crew Tower. Also, the chief engineer at Crew tower was lead in a break in at the 5/3 bank building vault located in the building arcade. They punched a hole in the bakery shop floor under reconstruction above the bank vault just below over a weekend, all constructed of just drywall and lowered themselves in the vault. The chief engineer committed suicide just prior to be apprehended. One final note I was fortunate to have personally met and escorted around many great performers at the Kool Jazz Fest who stayed at the hotel. Frankie Beverly, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Patti LaBelle and many more. By far Frankie was my favorite !

[@3speed827]

Wow! Super cool stories, especially the bank vault break in. I know the tile the Crew Tower arcade came from Rookwood Pottery, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the fountain did too. I’ve always wondered what’s in the sub basement. Does it run under the whole building or is it just a small section? Both the hotel and Carew Tower have a sub basement, so I assume they’re connected. Thanks for sharing!

[@GEAE_Denny_L]

@@3speed827 ~ Hotel had 3 service elevators going from the SB up to the 29th floor used by staff only. Getting off at the SB level was the hotel trash chute catcher, which I had to sometimes go thru looking for guest missing property ! To the right was out liquor room storage Department. Getting off the same elevator but turning left lead to the Crew Tower SB where all huge deliveries to both buildings and vendors in the arcade, and dumpsters located. There was 1 huge fright elevator going from that SB up to Vine St. next to the 5/3 bank. This was operated by a Crew Tower employee. At one time myself and the Hotel Security director was also in charge of the crew tower security, and the operator of the fright elevator. Back in the day Hotel Security was a complete mad house. 24/7 drunks, fights, scams, homeless people sneaking in, insurance claims & scams, lots of employee thefts, unanswered wake up calls, but finding them dead in the room, about 10,000 lost and found items per year, the dreaded mass craziness crowds of the Kool Jazz Fest, bed checks with NFL coaches on players inside their rooms… and the list goes on. Each morning I had to give a briefing to the hotel executive operating committee on the night events. Also served from time to time as a weekend Manager on duty when the hotel manager took the weekend off.

[@GEAE_Denny_L]

@ ~ Getting off one of 3 of the Hotel service elevator in the sub basement straight ahead was the laundry chute from all 24 hotel guest floors. I sometimes had to rummage through it looking for guest missing property. To the right was the hotel liquor room storage. Going around the corner was the Crew Tower SB where garbage trucks, and large deliveries came to service the hotel, Crew Tower and Arcade vendors. The way out of that place was a huge freight elevator I operated by a crew tower employee with entrance/exit off Vine Street. At one time myself and the Hotel security Director was in charge of the crew tower security, and the fright elevator employee. I sometimes worked turns with other hotel managers as the weekend Manager on duty giving the resident manager and the GM the weekend off. After the Hotel management changed for the worse in 1999 I left and worked for Fidelity investments for several years, then found my dream job working at General Electric aviation in Evendale Ohio where I tripled my yearly income, and retired in 2016. Since 2003 moved from Anderson Twp where I grew up as a kid to Glendale Ohio. Back as a kid my grandfather, who was born in Coney Island Ohio ( his dad lived in a wooden cottage inside the park once called Parkers Grove started a pony ride for kids ) and started the canoe boat rides in lane Como. My grandmother was head cashier at Moonlite Gardens. I lived 300’ from Coney main gate on Sutton Road until I got drafted into the Vietnam War. Dad who was a Cinti Firefighter also owned the largest kitty ride and Carnival Cotton candy/ice balls & popcorn business back in the 60’s-70’s and set up carnivals on all parts of Cincinnati , and since he knew Pat Swallen Dad started a fence company and we we were the sole fencing contractor for Swallens Department Store on Red Bank Rd. I never had to pay for admission into the park or pay for rides/food. My Cousins wife painted the wooden merry go round each year. Also, remember as a teen in 64 all the demonstrations in front of Coney Island, where blacks had never been able to enter, and democrats had tables outside and encouraging people not to let them in and protesting equal rights. As a 73 yr old had quite a life !

[@patl6978]

My ex-girlfriend judith worked there

[@claudermiller]

I worked at H&S Pogues department store there in the 70s. It was the most high-end store in the city. It took up 7 floors for departments and 2 subterranean floors for support. It was fabulous. There were spiral chutes that took packages to the basement to be wrapped and shipped to customers' homes. They had fine oriental rugs, furs, sterling silver, expensive furniture. Nothing even remotely similar to it today.

[@paullewis2413]

The U.S. has the greatest collection of Art Deco buildings in the World. The sad part is that they are situated in downtown areas that have declined over the years. Converting part of the building into apartments is a good move to help bring life back to these often near deserted places.

[@darthutah6649]

The redeeming factor is that these downtown areas are being revived.

[@kskssxoxskskss2189]

Yes, but they also need hardware stores, grocery stores, affordable clothing, etc. And some need to come down for green space.

[@ghettohiphopdrop817]

not every building like that can easily be made to apartments

[@darthutah6649]

@@ghettohiphopdrop817 The art deco ones can.

[@Schlipen]

Those ballrooms were stunning same for those deco rez-de-chaussée's. Those thousands of life moments you walked by & all the history, probably a spirit or two! Please continue to discover and post.

[@gluecksdrache2054]

Additionally this video has an attention detail. Did you realize that the evacuation plan, eg a bit after 20:00 shows anyone the whole floor?! 😊

[@pyrexmaniac]

Great video of the elevators in these two buildings.

[@TrevorBrass]

Such a beautiful building, thanks for taking us along on an amazing urban exploration.

[@gluecksdrache2054]

This video is an interesting piece of architectural history and how society changed. 😉 Cities, it's buildings where landmarks of a nation thriving for more. Modern, clean and well designed workplaces...

[@MrDuneedon]

As a near lifelong Cincinnatian myself, I really enjoyed this video. I remember going on a grade school class field trip in the 80s, which included the observation deck at Carew. Good memories! On a sidenote, I am a little bit surprised that you didn’t find your way directly into the Backrooms! 😂

[@yettobseen]

Do tell!

[@brettster3331]

Great video, I so enjoyed seeing these lovely buildings and knowing the Carew building will become residential. Well done guys.

[@mannyistheman2221]

@@brettster3331 At least they're gonna do a respectable job on the project and they're going to preserve as much of the historical stuff as possible. It had a great legacy as an office building but now it has a new life with people living in it. Something like this building they will never ever ever build again

[@lindaworthington4847]

My Mom worked as a waitress in Hathaways in the Arcade. As kids, we were never allowed to ride the elevators, but we could visit Mom in the restaurant; and drinking cold water from a paper cone inside a metal cup holder was a kick for us! With Grandma, we would visit around the holidays and the sights and sounds were incredible for kids from Over the Rhine.

[@JoshSmith-me7oe]

Excited to watch this video. I remember coming here and visiting the observatory many years ago.

[@jamesf4405]

The entire building is absolutely gorgeous! ❤

[@ScottALanter]

I used to work on the 42nd floor of Carew Tower. It was a long ride up to the 42nd, too. But, I didn't mind it because it was one of the most iconic buildings in Cincinnati. The only thing I didn't like was days where the wind kicked up pretty high. We could feel the building swaying ever so slightly. But, definitely enough to get our attention. It's nice to see that despite it now longer a business-related tower, it will be put to good use in helping to combat the housing crisis that so many cities are facing.

[@mannyistheman2221]

These upper floors require an access code. You have to hit certain buttons in order to get the upper floors to unlock. It is a security measure. The way the buttons are blinking. It is expecting you to hit them in a certain order to unlock the upper floors.

[@landendoherty706]

🐐

[@Jake266]

My grandpa and I would explore the Carew tower countless times when I was younger. There was always something so eerie and exciting about venturing into those "back rooms". Listening to all of the subtle drafts, creaking, groaning and strange directionless sounds that emanate from somewhere deep within the building somewhere. I remember one day we were in the service elevators and I pressed the Sub Basement floor button. Now, I had done this countless times before, but the elevator would never actually go down to the Sub Basement; It would just stay stopped flashing like some of the buttons you pressed in this video. Well to my surprise, on this day, the doors closed and the elevator actually began to travel down to the basement. The doors opened to a very large, dimly lit room with silhouettes of shadowy objects off in the distance. The thing that caught my attention immediately though, was a man pushing a large wheel barrow of some kind, walking toward our direction. My little kid brain freaked out, and I ran straight for the stair well, which was positioned the opposite wall to which the elevator doors opened and my grandpa followed. He was laughing the whole way home, and it has become one of my fonder memories as a child.

[@3speed827]

That sounds like a really nice memory with your grandpa! The noises this building produces are crazy. You are so right about them being “directionless.” Your story about the elevator randomly working one day is essentially what happened in this video. I had tried these elevators for months and they never worked. I believe construction workers accidentally left them on a few times and we were able to go to the top.

[@stevevarholy2011]

The elevator cabs and controls appear to have been updated in the mid 1970's. My office was formerly located in a 1903 "skyscraper" that had the Westinghouse elevator cabs and controls updated then and they look exactly the same. The contollers had a CRT monitor with a Pong video game like block that moved to show the position of all the cabs in the system. It is dated, but still was working in 2024 when we left. The floors above our office were all converted to apartments, as well. The office space market had shifted and most tenants wanted large, easily adaptable floor plates.

[@davesweeney9466]

Worked at the hotel in the 90s. It looks better now than it did then. Truely an amazing space

[@davesweeney9466]

You may want to check out local 11 on Wayne Ave in Lockland

[@jimryan5280]

Have many fond memories of this gem of a skyscraper. This building is truly the definition of art deco splendor and elegance. I spent many summers in Cincinnati and to go to the top of The Carew Tower observation deck was a treat! Stunning views of this amazing city. Whatever is done with this building, I hope the public areas are maintained at least. As a footnote, it certainly would be fantastic to live here!

[@3speed827]

Totally agree about the public areas.

[@substance1]

That is cool that you put your camera in the elevator machine room and then went back down and put them in together. It shows how it works.

[@gluecksdrache2054]

The mixture of watching the building interior and the technology of the elevators is indeed great. 👍 Look how robust these are and with what society nowadays is kept busy...

[@jawoody9745]

I grew up in Ft. Thomas, Ky., just southeast of downtown . I could see the skyline from my upstairs bedroom window,. My best friend and I would go to the top of the Carew Tower at any time of the year. I was even up there in the snow, back in the 70's! It's a wonderful place. Check it out. The tower is a Deco masterpiece and the Netherland was magnificent! And now it's trashed?

[@3speed827]

That’s awesome you got to see it back in the 70s! I imagine not much has changed since then, especially in the office areas. It’s only trashed because the interior is being gutted in order to convert the building into apartments and condos.

[@elithompson88]

Stellar video!

[@mariokart8715]

They need to salvage as much of the interior of the upper floors as they can. They’ll leave the mailbox chutes in place; but there’s a bunch of doors that can be reused elsewhere. And some signage, leftover furniture, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, bookcases and staircases. And some of the elevator parts if they decide to do another mod to all of the banks.

[@georgemallory797]

This is like a 60% scale Empire State Building when without its mooring mast.

[@pony053]

I practically grew up riding those .westinghouses....always wondered what the machines looked like, What a great video, one of the best machine room/car videos I've seen, with out stupid commentary! Secondary sheave, and governor level, too cool. Thanks for your work, otherwise would never get to see those machnes.

[@3speed827]

I also always wondered what the machines looked like. I was very lucky!

[@brotoubrotou3164]

Brave of you to get on those elevators.

[@dukedude220]

They’ve only worked properly for 90 years so scary

[@Loonereclipse]

Very very cool man

[@TechNerdNolan]

Just found your channel… I love it!

[@frankieboy967]

I am surprised by the lack of building security. Or did I miss something? BTW, Carew was the first tall building I visited back in 1971 (small town boy then).

[@topekasub]

I like the old dot light numbers on the elevators, especially car 7 the way they rolled vertically!

[@3speed827]

For some reason, that’s the only elevator that has that animated movement on the indicator when the numbers change.

[@LisaY4yeshua]

I love this stunning building

[@MikeWaddel17againILLUMINATI]

The elevators are not killing the video! He only in the elevator for a few seconds not forever. It's watchable

[@katielowen]

Bro not only explored all of the carew tower Backrooms, but he also made it out alive!🙏

[@Douchebigelow7368]

Thank you for joining us on our elevator tutorial.

[@SpiderCollector000]

Definitely a haunted vibe to it with some floors a LOT more than the others. I would have loved to see what the 28 story parking garage looked like!

[@3speed827]

Same! There’s only a few photos of it. If you search “Carew Netherland Garage,” you can find some images of it along with the other 2 towers.

[@haylieg2780]

Also will add that I’ve been in the former mall and the Carew Tower with my grandmother when she had meetings sometimes

[@12yearssober]

Ive been on the observation deck many times when i lived in Cincinnati. Back in the 90's a guy jumped off with a parachute in a stunt involving a local radio station. He was arrested. Sadly he passed away in Florida base jumping from a radio tower.

[@3speed827]

I know there’s this video from around 10 years ago of 2 guys base jumping off the observation deck. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5S9opuKjr9pd80si=oyUXO8hSe2wt8djv

[@12yearssober]

@3speed827 I didn't know about those guys. The one I was there for happened around 99 or 2000. He passed away not long after.

[@haylieg2780]

Wonder when the conversion will be complete?

[@3speed827]

They seem to be done with the exterior work, so they’ll probably move inside.

[@cristianojabur]

DEAR LORD, this building and all those eerie noises scare the bejesus out of me!!!!!😨

[@3speed827]

Especially the wind howling away in the elevator shafts!

[@PeterStawicki]

Seeing the two credit card / bank buildings lit up in the night made me think of "Fight Club"

[@sebg9315]

Is this still possible here? I would love to check out this interior

[@3speed827]

I haven’t been down in a while but the last few times, the elevators have been shut off, just like they were for months before I was able to get up. I’ve noticed that they’ve started interior demolition of the upper floors because they are all lit up at night with work lights.

[@nobilesnovushomo58]

I don’t think the upper floors were supposed to be so bland compared to the lobby. They’re likely trying to restore the building, but the gutting of Deco in untouched levels can be seen in the post-modern office style by the unrestored parts is at horrifying levels.

[@3speed827]

I was looking through some old floor plans and it appears levels 45 and 46 were originally a multi level restaurant. It seems there was an open area where tables on 46 could look down on 45. I can only imagine what else has been lost.

[@brotoubrotou3164]

Who is the person with you? The first part of the video is daylight, then night. How long were you in the building?

[@3speed827]

This video contains footage from many visits over the course of several months.

[@kknight8112]

Worked there for years. Was a grand place and after the remodel more beautiful but business bought out by PE.

[@CharlieBell-e1n]

My mom worked in this building for 30 years

[@Techno-Universal]

Seems like at the same time as demolishing the parking tower they also fully replaced or heavily modernised all of the existing elevators! They might of still carried out some light modernisations to the elevators since 1980! :)

[@johnmcgrath6192]

It would be nice to state what city you are talking about.

[@IcelanderUSer]

I didn’t know Westinghouse made elevators and I lived in NYC for more than 35 years.

[@3speed827]

Yeah they did! Their elevator division was huge and lasted from 1928 until 1989 when it was acquired by Schindler.

[@tsnovak20]

When is the renewal due?

[@PJL7095]

At the 49:25 mark, are those mosaic murals hanging up on the staircase? Man those are bad a$$! The whole layout of the Hall of Mirrors ballroom bleeding into the hallways if just stunningly beautiful

[@3speed827]

They are paintings, but still amazing!

[@brendan25]

I believe the pavilion room used to host jazz events

[@alexcouch22]

My guy loves that LL 😂

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

One thing that I find very irritating is the lift beeping on each floor. What arse thought that was of any help especially as the engineers went out of their way to get the car to silently track smoothly and be a nice pleasant space to be in only for some prick to program a "beep" at every floor. Next it will be asking "please rate your experience we value your feedback"/ I would have gum stuffed in it before the dam doors were closed. Other than that an Interesting video with its ups and downs but on the whole educational.

[@kh3612]

Quite disappointing that you didn't focus on the decorative details in the hotel, as that is what I was waiting for. Slow down your pans so everything isn't a blur.

[@Dwall44]

Has it been confirmed that the Elevators will be modernize or is that still just a rumor? If they are in fact getting modernized, will you try to get some fixtures from them?Z sidenote, thanks for getting so many of the voice clips! I for one really appreciated that!

[@3speed827]

I’m not sure if they’ll be modernized, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they will be. I wanted to get a good video of them and the voice just in case.

[@gluecksdrache2054]

👍Please LIKE 👍 this video and subscribe the channel.

[@ednorton47]

The stairway fire door on floor 6 should not be propped open. That is illegal.

[@richardvoss482]

So are you trespassing?

[@devilblueduke]

Only if you get caught

[@chrishepp4429]

damn good place for squatters

[@zenoslayer9618]

No certificate in the elevators

[@3speed827]

Probably in management office

[@stamps45]

Almost looks like a dinning room inside the Queen Mary

[@3speed827]

If you are referring to the Pavilion Room, it was actually modeled after Club Leviathan on the S.S. Leviathan! The round oval shaped cutouts in the wall were deigned to look like portholes on a ship.

[@josephrogers5337]

I am tempted to take the Lord's name in vain here. What happened to downtown Cincinnati. I remember Fountain Square, Poges Department Store, Sillito's. Last time I spent any time in downtown was in the late 50's. Department stores with pneumatic tubes to cashiers for customers paying from where you bought goods. Little hole in the wall' eating places where you could get great Bratwurst sandwiches with Horseradish. The old old days. It seems to be a sacrilege🤧 to see Carew tower vacant.

[@3speed827]

Well if it makes you feel better, downtown is slowly coming back to life. Cincinnati is one of the top cities in the country for office to residential conversions. Hopefully with more people living downtown, we’ll see a revival of smaller shops and restaurants.

[@patl6978]

Does this video get any better or is this guy just fascinated with elevators?

[@IcelanderUSer]

So yea, there’s nothing worth saving on the inside. Good candidate for gut renovation into apartments or hotel rooms. Or offices. All three at the same time.

[@mariokart8715]

That hotel will stay a hotel.

[@IcelanderUSer]

Why do you say? Look at the Plaza Hotel, the Waldorf. Now just empty spaces with multi million dollar apartments. Once employing thousands.

[@mariokart8715]

Is the Netherlands Plaza hotel closing too??

[@mariokart8715]

This whole complex is becoming inaccessible to the public. Those elevators will never be filmmable again.

[@mergat2970]

You should definitely tour some buildings in detroit. The Fisher, Guardian, and Penobscot buildings are all art deco icons

[@ornorontheroad6471]

Playing with elevators is annoying for an hour long. You lost me at 31:55

[@jeffmetz6305]

Downtown Cincinnati is abandoned and empty.. Democrats have ruined the city.. But we have stadiums galore and the banks. Neighborhoods are unsafe as well...

[@kknight8112]

? Democrats well sorry to say it was Private equity that ruined the city and buildings. They took out a homegrown business, Kendle a CRO.

[@christophejergales7852]

Goddamn, graphics are getting so real. When is the game coming out? /s Edit: in all seriousness, im almost 20 minutes in, and its mostly been elevator rides. Gonna have to move on.

[@kimberlygorgoglione9237]

Ok, i'm done. Too much elevator crap.

[@brianbobcat]

What a boring video. First 6 minutes is riding the same elevator between the same two floors. Watched until minute 15, but the filming is so manic it never lands on or focuses on anything. Even the skyline view towards the Ohio River you see for two seconds and then he’s running to get back to his favorite part: riding an elevator.

[@chrishepp4429]

dude you got serious obsession with elevators lmao be man a climb the 48 flights of stairs then we will be impressed

[@3speed827]

They used to have an event every year where you could climb the stairs to the top to raise money for the American Lung Association! Here's a video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGbOqpRnebqZlaM

[@jafo766]

Man O Man this fella is bound to get $tuck in an elevator.